Chapter 15: Your Way Here

Kurumi 

The Drama Competition had finally begun.

The university’s main auditorium was a sea of shifting spotlights and a roar of applause. One by one, the clubs took the stage. Some performed haunting classical tragedies; others, absurd comedies or high-energy musicals.

Everyone looked confident. Everyone looked prepared.

Everyone except me.

In the dressing room, I sat before a large vanity mirror framed by small, glowing bulbs. The Sleeping Beauty gown I wore was a soft ivory white, layered with thin organza that shimmered like stardust whenever I moved. The sleeves were long and draped elegantly, designed for someone whose only task was to lie down and wait.

Wait. That word pierced my chest again.

The news had arrived like a silent bolt of lightning. The roles of the Tree and the Grass had been cut from the final performance. That meant Kengo and Touma didn't need to be here. There was no longer a reason for Kengo to set foot in this building.

My hands tightened around the fabric of my skirt. I walked over to Yukari, who was scanning the final script.

“Um... who is actually playing the Prince today?”

Yukari lifted her head. “I’m not sure. Otoya wouldn't tell me who the lead was supposed to be.”

I swallowed hard. Part of me—the foolish part—had hoped it would be him. But he was working today. The odds of him showing up were practically zero.

Outside the dressing room, I could see other performers scurrying about, prepping their scenes. Their laughter sounded so light. Meanwhile, I felt like a princess who knew her prince would never arrive.

Kengo

“Welcome to 9Mart. How can I help you?”

I spoke with a practiced, professional tone to the first customer of the morning. The store had just opened. The floors were polished to a mirror shine, the shelves were perfectly stocked, and the register gave a soft, rhythmic beep with every scan.

As far as I was concerned, life was dramatic enough as it was. I didn't need to stand on a stage and pretend to be someone I wasn't. The tree role had been cut. Good. That meant I didn't have to go. Especially not as a "Prince."

The role was far too ironic. I had no desire to be someone who saves, awakens, or is loved.

Yet, since I woke up, a strange restlessness had been clawing at me. An itch I couldn't scratch. It felt as though a thin, invisible thread was tugging me somewhere else. I shook my head, trying to dismiss it.

“If I go, I’ll just end up in another weird role,” I muttered.

And a prince was the one thing I wanted to avoid being. I went back to counting inventory.

Kurumi – Backstage

Suddenly, panic erupted.

“WE HAVE A PROBLEM, OTOYA!”

Andou ran in, his face ghostly pale.

“What is it?” Otoya asked, snapping to attention.

“Amagami-san was in an accident! He’s been rushed to the hospital!”

The room went cold.

“Right now?!” Otoya gripped his head in his hands. “Who can fill in?! We need a lead!”

“Kagetsu Touma!” Andou shouted. “You do it!”

“What?! No way!” Touma protested.

He glanced toward me. I was still standing in the corner, my expression clouded with melancholy. Touma adjusted his glasses, a sharp glint reflecting off the lenses.

“Yare yare... it looks like I have no choice but to call him.”

The room buzzed. “Him?”

“Is he our only hope?”

Touma didn't answer; he just sprinted out the door. But the MC was already announcing our club.

“University of Tokyo, please take your positions!”

“Otoya-san, we’re out of time!”

Yukari stood up. “Then I’ll be the stand-in prince for now.” She pulled out her hair tie and pulled her hair back into a sharp, aristocratic style. She threw on a dark blue prince costume in record time. “Stay calm, Mitsuzu. We’ll just improvise.”

I nodded, but deep down—I just knew. He was coming.

Kengo – At Supermarket

A sudden rush of customers left me overwhelmed. I processed them one by one, my mind a blur of barcodes and totals.

“Finally, it’s slowing down...” I muttered as the line dwindled.

An elderly woman walked slowly toward my register. I forced a polite smile and began scanning her items. She looked at me with a soft, knowing gaze.

“Young man, are you feeling restless?”

If you mean tired, then yes, I thought. “Not at all, ma’am,” I replied politely.

“It’s not exhaustion,” she said, her voice gentle. “It’s the feeling of something you don’t want to miss.”

My hands stopped mid-air.

“You should go to her before you regret it.”

I was about to reply when the automatic doors hissed open violently.

“KENGO-KUUUUN!”

Touma ran in, nearly sliding across the polished floor. “We’re out of time! The lead is down!”

I stared at him. Then at the woman. “Ma'am, I'm sorry—”

“Go,” she said calmly.

The manager suddenly appeared and bowed deeply to the woman. “Madam Chairwoman...”

I froze. The owner of the chain?

She looked at me once more. “Sometimes, the path back only opens once.”

I took a sharp breath. “Fine.”

Touma grabbed my arm, and we bolted for the exit.

Kurumi – On Stage

The scene had begun.

I lay on the stage, the Sleeping Beauty. The spotlight was warm on my skin. Yukari, acting as the interim prince, approached my bedside.

“Princess... I have come to awaken you...”

I held my breath. Then—

“Not so fast, you pretender!”

That voice.

The spotlights shifted. A figure emerged from the wings of the stage. And there he was. Kengo.

He looked like a prince who had finally found his own way. The spotlight caught him perfectly. A maroon cloak with a black lining billowed slightly as he stepped forward. The gold embroidery on his collar shimmered, and a leather belt with a prop sword hung firmly at his hip. A thin, pale gold crown sat atop his head—it didn't look flashy; it made him look composed, authoritative.

The audience erupted.

“This is the scene we’ve been waiting for!” “Fight for her!”

Yukari, staying perfectly in character, narrowed her eyes and immediately began to improvise. “Curse you... who are you?” she asked icily, leveling her prop sword at Kengo. “Who dares disturb the Princess’s awakening?!”

The crowd grew even louder.

Kengo didn't answer immediately. He took a single, deliberate step forward, his cloak fluttering again.

“Me?” he said, his voice relaxed yet firm. “I’m just a prince who happened to be passing by.”

Otoya, watching from behind the curtain, nearly choked. “This isn’t in the script!” he hissed in a panic.

But on stage, the atmosphere was electric.

“Go for it! Take back the princess!” “Duel! Duel!”

And in the middle of the roar, I—the Sleeping Beauty—no longer felt like I was waiting in a hollow fairy tale. A single tear escaped and rolled down my cheek.

He really came.

Not as a tree. Not as a shadow. Not as a spectator.

But as someone who chose to walk onto that stage... in his own way.

“Kengo-kun...” I whispered.

For the first time, this fairy tale stopped being a rehearsal. It became real.