We moved to complete the enrollment process.

We headed to the student council room, which was relatively intact compared to the rest of the dilapidated school building.

Scribble scribble―

Alvit, with her pink adorable lips pursed grumpily, was casually playing with a pen, filling out essential personal information on the enrollment application and student roster documents.

“Ah… the ink… haah.”

The cheap pens I had diligently collected from various events kept running out of ink, making parts of the writing faint. But she continued writing the documents to the end. Finally, it was completed with her name signed elegantly.

[Enrollment Application]

[Name: Alvit]

[Desired Specialty: Applied Ether Combat Department]

With all of this recorded on the documents, Alvit officially became a student of <Central Prism Academy>. Once we submit a copy of these documents to the <United Student Council> administration department, Alvit’s student ID will also become effective.

“Here you go.”

“Huhu―☆ Now you can’t escape~☆”

“Please do something about that tone, it really makes me want to run away…”

“Bad children get a ‘Tsk!’ ―☆”

Wink☆

I winked at the disgusted Alvit, and she turned her head away with an ‘Ugh’ sound.

Thanks to that, I could slowly review the enrollment documents.

“Hmm☆”

“Do you have to put that weird intonation even in your humming?”

“Tsk―☆”

“Ugh…”

Hey, where are your manners when an adult is speaking!

I slowly read the documents Alvit had handed over with a displeased expression.

Neatly written characters.

Trivial details that couldn’t be known from in-game settings or data.

For example, she wants to be assigned to a quiet corner of the dormitory.

And while she has no particular food restrictions, she hopes for frequent meat dishes.

I inwardly smiled bitterly as I looked at Alvit’s desired specialty and final requests.

‘Sorry. This is a beggar’s school, so there’s nothing like what you’re thinking.’

Specialties are only possible when there are enough students to divide roles. In a place with few students like this, one had to be their own ether engineer, combat specialist, supporter, and researcher. An elite corps where one person had to do the work of ten.

‘You’ve truly become an elite new recruit, Alvit.’

Or maybe a planned handicap.

By the way, <Central Prism Academy> lacked the facilities for providing meals that exist in any academy. It was truly every person for themselves. Even I, who had become completely accustomed to the academy city, had to wander around the surrounding shopping districts and alleys to solve my meals.

‘Still, I’ll try my best to feed this junior well.’

I had been building goodwill by running personal errands for people in the shopping district in preparation for this time.

Proper mental management of juniors was a virtue of seniors.

“…”

I skimmed through the documents again from the beginning, even though I had already read them once.

Actually, I had been staring intently at the process of Alvit writing the documents from beside her from the start. So there wasn’t really anything to check. But as a gamer, watching the creation of a main character’s student roster was deeply moving.

‘It’s essentially the same as registering a move to the academy city.’

Even though I knew the story would start someday, guarding this beggar’s school alone for a year was mentally exhausting.

‘Well, I didn’t really do anything to protect the school during that first year.’

The Clara in the game was incompetent but truly loved the school. That’s why she had no qualms about guarding this beggar’s school that no one visited, all alone.

‘Instead, I focused on martial arts training.’

Even a girl with a warm heart.

Even a man with a burning heart.

Needs somewhere to lean their heart.

For girls, it was the school, and for men, it was martial arts.

But after experiencing numerous things, I finally returned as a single girl, ‘Clara’.

‘The only thing I can do for the academy city now is to follow the original work.’

Letting such thoughts flow through my mind, I completely imprinted the documents I had read several times into my memory.

From now on, I need to take care of my junior based on this information as a senior.

‘Anyway, a new student has finally arrived. Welcome, comrade.’

I gathered the enrollment documents back in their original order.

The makeshift table with completely worn and blunt edges.

The stack of documents aligning neatly as I tapped them on the hard table.

Alvit’s protruding lips as she stared blankly at the scene.

I looked at all of this and smiled as I spoke to Alvit.

“Now we just need to submit a copy to the <United Student Council> administration department and we’re done―☆ I sincerely☆ completely☆ really congratulate you☆ on enrolling in <Central Prism Academy>☆ Shall we have a celebratory☆ tea party at our cute tea table? Actually, we don’t have a cute tea table so I’m thinking of doing it here―♡”

“…Haah.”

Even though it was a school she had to attend according to her mother’s words anyway.

Alvit, who had completely lost any chance of escape, sighed with empty eyes. The ribbon of her middle school uniform she was wearing drooped, seeming to represent her pitiful situation.

‘Ah, the uniform.’

Oh no.

How could I make such a mistake.

I lamented forgetting the first thing to do at an enlistment inspection. The crisp, well-fitted uniform of a fresh recruit. Isn’t that the start of all school life?

“Ahaha☆ First, we need to fit you with our cute uniform☆ It’s truly girlish☆ The high school―! Yay!”

“A uniform?”

“Isn’t it the romance of youth? Kyaha☆ I might have sounded a bit like an old man just now―☆”

“…Youth.”

“That’s right―☆ Let’s have fun together at school!”

Hearing those words.

Was it my imagination that Alvit’s eyes seemed to shine a little?

We got up from our seats and after putting the enrollment documents in the student council room cabinet, we left the room and headed towards the school supply storage.

Creak

Creak

Despite two light girls walking, the old wooden floor of the corridor boasts its presence, twisting its entire body.

Creak

Creak

The old corridor where footsteps are blatantly audible.

It’s useful when delinquent students roaming the academy city break in to rob,

But it’s clearly visible that it’s an old and poor school, which made me feel a bit embarrassed inwardly.

Even though I know it’s not my fault that this school is poor.

It seems like this corridor has become a bit more worn down during the year I lived as I pleased.

Hiding my embarrassed feelings, I tugged on Alvit’s sleeve and hurried her to the supply room.

‘There are plenty of leftover uniforms, so we’ll just pick a few that roughly fit and get them altered at the shopping district.’

“Kyaha―☆ Let’s do our best to become cute☆high school☆girls by dressing up cutely together―♡ It’s truly a cute alliance♡”

“Yes, thank you… senior.”

As we walk silently down the corridor amidst the noise.

When the shabbiness of this school becomes familiar, a scene suddenly catches the eye.

The blue visible through the corridor windows with peeling paint.

The sky that has become fresh again after the March spring rain that made the flowers hesitate.

That cool spring breeze brought in the full scent of soil from the school grounds through the window.

Whoosh―

The sound of time walking along the corridor, following the footsteps of the two girls.

The faint tickle of flower scent on the cheeks and the rippling of clouds after the rain.

“…”

“…”

A quietness that can only be felt in such a silent place.

Where there are no lively academy city students anywhere.

It’s nothing special, but somehow it’s hard to take your eyes off it.

Alvit was staring at it blankly.

“…An enjoyable school life.”

“That’s right☆”

She muttered the words I had said a while ago.

Somehow, Alvit seemed to be faintly smiling, at least for the moment as we headed to the supply room to find her uniform.

I felt like I understood that feeling.

In this unremarkable scenery, we truly felt that we had arrived here.

* * *

On the way back from altering Alvit’s uniform at the shopping district, we realized we were facing a very serious situation.

Alvit, who had changed into the uniform altered to fit her body, was shouting and venting her frustration.

“What?! There’s no cafeteria at school―?!”

“Te, tehe―☆ It’s presumptuous to think such a facility would exist in a school where only this fragile girl was alone☆ Were you planning to get the princess’s hands wet? Boo boo boo―☆”

“Stop making those weird noises!!”

“B-But―☆ If I don’t do this. Alvit, I thought you’d curse me as an incompetent senior…”

“That makes you look even more incompetent!!”

“Such words are wounds to a girl’s delicate glass-like heart☆”

“This damn school, I should have known!!”

There it is.

From now on, the famous line that Alvit will endlessly recall in the main story.

I inwardly blessed Alvit for finally becoming a true Prism student.

“A-Anyway―☆ Alvit, that coat really suits you! So cute! Not as cute as me, but. Anyway, cute!”

“Even your way of changing the subject is weird, senior.”

Although Alvit said that, she seemed to like the <Central Prism Academy> uniform with its white base and red accents.

Flutter―

Alvit’s white coat flutters in the wind blowing through the shopping district.

The coat, a symbol of the student council of schools affiliated with the union.

In <Central Prism Academy> with few students, everyone wears it.

Among them, Alvit’s coat had a particularly special pattern on the back.

Seven diagonal lines within an equilateral triangle. The emblem of <Central Prism Academy> and the symbol of the student council president.

The coat Alvit was wearing was the one and only student council president’s coat.

I pretended not to know this and continued teasing Alvit.

“Oh☆ Are you showing off now? Are you bragging about getting a new uniform―☆”

“The wind just blew and the coat fluttered, that’s all!!”

“Oh my☆ Alvit really can’t be honest―☆”

“…”

“What? Was it true? Kyahaha☆ Unexpectedly cute…”

“…Senior.”

“Yes?”

Alvit suddenly called me in a careful voice.

“This. Isn’t this what the school’s student council president wears…”

“…”

“Why, to me.”

“Hmm☆”

I never imagined I would be asked that question.

‘In the original story, she wore it without any suspicion.’

But somehow, the answer to that came out quite smoothly.

“Because it’s a garment for the most special girl belonging to each school―☆”

“By that logic, you, the only student, should be…”

I quietly shook my head at those words.

“I was just at the school☆ I just happened to enter <Central Prism Academy> where there were only seniors about to graduate☆”

“…”

“Then, all the more reason, the one who should wear this coat is…”

“…”

“Shouldn’t it be given to the girl who could have gone anywhere, but chose to walk into <Central Prism Academy> on her own―☆”

“…Senior.”

“Fate, destiny… what one chooses for oneself is the most special thing☆”

* * *

Came on her own.

Actually, there was a discrepancy in those words.

Because Alvit came after hearing her mother’s words.

But.

Somehow, the words of the senior, who was always sloppy yet unexpectedly meticulous in certain areas, struck a chord,

So Alvit had no choice but to quietly follow.

‘The most special girl…’

Clara then produced two buckets in her hands and held them out.

“Here! From now on, we’ll carry these and go around the shopping district. We’ll receive kindness from the people of the shopping district☆ Bread crusts, cabbage leaves, discarded vegetables, and so on☆ That’s how we become noble girls who live on the kindness of others―☆”

“That’s just begging. And when did you bring the buckets again?”

“It’s kindness, kindness☆”

As if she wouldn’t listen anymore, Clara quickly handed one bucket to Alvit and walked away briskly with dance-like steps.

“…”

A bucket.

Meeting that strange senior today… It all started with the sound of this bucket.

“Come on~☆ If you don’t follow, I’ll leave you behind―☆ Yay!”

“Haah.”

The relationship that started with a bucket.

Was truly a strange relationship.

At least enough for Alvit to never forget for the rest of her life.

“Wait for me, senior!!”

In the end, Alvit chose to follow with the bucket in hand.