*Tap, tap*—drops of rain began to fall gently.

The darkening sky was gradually consumed by heavy clouds, and soon enough, the rain began to pour in earnest. Small droplets traced patterns on the dry ground, and the wet spots spread, soaking the earth.

For a spring rain, it was fierce, signaling an impending downpour. People hurried to seek shelter from the unexpected storm, but amidst the falling rain, a lone girl wandered through the academy grounds.

"......"

Her uniform was in disarray, her pink hair wet and limp, and beneath it, her green eyes were unfocused. She staggered aimlessly, as if lost.

Where was she? Where was she headed? The jumble of these questions muddled her mind, only to be washed away by the rain as quickly as they appeared. All she could do was keep moving, just to avoid collapsing.

*Step, step*—her unstable footsteps echoed with an emptiness. As exhaustion caused her to stumble, a cold voice whispered in her ear.

"How pathetic."

The scene from just a few hours earlier flashed before her eyes. In the center of the arena stood a girl with blue hair, and on her knees, Regia looked up at her, helpless.

In the blue-haired girl’s eyes, there was a clear glint of disdain.

"To think someone with your pathetic skills was being praised as 'promising'... How laughable."

She had done nothing. She had failed miserably. The pressure had caused her to make constant mistakes. Her summoned creature refused to answer her call, and the simple magic spells she had cast were pitifully weak.

"You need to realize your place. This academy is for those who are worthy… not for some lowly commoner like you."

Regia had hung her head low. She had been frightened.

And as if her pitiful state had amused her opponent, the blue-haired girl had turned away, leaving her with one last, stinging remark.

"Leave, outsider."

Those words hurt deeply, like sharp thorns piercing her heart. Her sense of balance faltered, and she wobbled precariously.

"......"

Her vision blurred as a warm line of tears traced down her cold, wet cheeks.

"How foolish."

Regia muttered to herself as she wiped away her tears. She quickly tried to hide her weakness, biting her lip in an attempt to conceal her vulnerability.

‘Maybe…’

Maybe she had been too naïve.

She had thought that once she entered the academy, only good things would come. She had believed she could finally leave behind her life as a wandering nomad, make friends her own age, and enjoy a normal life.

But it seemed that even here, there was no place for her.

It was a familiar loneliness. Despite her efforts to stop, she couldn’t suppress the sobs that escaped her.

The rain, once gentle, became heavier. It turned into a full-fledged downpour.

*Swoosh!*

The rain fell harder, but Regia kept walking. Wiping the tears that mingled with the rain, she tasted the bitter sorrow welling up inside her.

"Hic... Ugh..."

She was a sight—a drowned rat. Her forlorn steps continued as she wandered aimlessly. Her legs grew tired, and the tears and rain stung her eyes. And then, suddenly, the rain stopped.

"......?"

No, it hadn’t actually stopped. The sound of rain still filled her ears, and the ground was still wet, with droplets splashing around her feet. But something was blocking the rain.

What was it? With that question in mind, she slowly lifted her head. Her blurry vision cleared, and she saw golden hair shining in the light. A boy with a soft smile and his characteristic narrow eyes stood in front of her, holding an umbrella in both hands.

"......Lord Snaikers?"

Regia muttered in a daze.

Her response was somewhat vacant, but the boy didn’t seem to mind.

"Here you are, Miss Regia."

"Why... Why are you here, Lord Snaikers?"

He only smiled softly as he replied.

"I came to find my friend."

*Drip, drip*—the gentle rain tapped the edge of the umbrella he tilted toward her.

Caught off guard by his sudden appearance and unexpected words, Regia stood frozen in place for a while.

"I came to find my friend."

He spoke with a faint smile, his narrow eyes meeting hers. After locking gazes for a moment, a sense of relief washed over him.

‘Finally, I found her.’

He had been worried due to the heavy rain, wondering if she was crying somewhere in a corner. Fortunately, she had been standing exactly where he remembered from the original story.

"Miss Regia."

"...Yes?"

"Let’s get out of the rain for now."

The girl responded weakly. Her slender shoulders were trembling as if she were cold, and the rain mixed with the tears on her cheeks only added to her pitiful appearance.

*Swish!*

For now, they needed to escape this miserable weather. He held the umbrella over her and began leading her toward the nearest shelter. Luckily, a carriage stop with a roof was nearby.

"This seems like a perfect spot to wait out the rain."

They sat side by side on the bench. Neither of them said much. Regia needed time to calm herself, so Yuda maintained a respectful silence.

*Thud, thud*—the raindrops hitting the roof were loud, masking the sound of her swallowing her sobs. Or rather, it wasn’t that the sound was hidden—he just chose to pretend he didn’t hear it. For her sake.

"......"

The quiet lingered for a while. Eventually, it was Regia who broke the silence. She seemed to have regained her composure.

"I’m sorry, Lord Snaikers."

But just because she had calmed down didn’t mean the tears had stopped. Although she turned her head to hide it, there were still streaks of water on her cheeks. He asked gently.

"What are you apologizing for?"

"For leaving without you after the test… You asked me to walk back with you, but I ran off by myself."

"That’s true."

"And yet, you came to find me… even in this terrible weather… for hours…"

Her green eyes shimmered with sorrow. The raindrops that formed on her lashes fell heavily.

"I… I didn’t mean to cause you trouble, Lord Snaikers…! It’s just, I, I felt so sick all of a sudden, and—"

"I see."

"Really, I swear…! My head just went blank, and I couldn’t think at all. I-I’m sorry."

"Hmm."

Yuda chuckled softly.

Even in this situation, her desperate attempt to explain herself was very like Regia. A bittersweet feeling welled up within him. Quietly, he lifted his hand and placed it gently on her head.

"Miss Regia."

"Y-Yes?"

The sudden touch startled her. Yuda paused for a moment before speaking softly.

"You did well."

"...What?"

"With the class placement test today. You did really well."

Regia stared blankly at him, clearly not expecting to hear such words. As her pink hair spilled over her face, Yuda gently stroked her head, as though soothing a wounded child.

"I just wanted to say that to you."

In the original story, no one had comforted her. As a commoner girl despised by a duchess’ daughter, no one had dared to offer her kindness. And so Regia had cried alone, all the way until the rain had stopped.

‘You’ve always been alone, haven’t you?’

She had spent her life wandering, only to find that the world was just as lonely when she stopped. And so, she had cried for what seemed like forever.

‘I’ve always wanted to comfort you.’

Yuda thought it might come off as unnecessary pity. Soon, she would make wonderful friends who would cherish her. She was destined to be loved by many people.

But not yet.

Right now, no one was offering her any kind words.

So, he wanted to be there for her.

‘If not for your story... I would have given up on life long ago.’

It was a small repayment for the hope she had given him. During his darkest times, it had been Regia’s story that had kept him going. Now, it was his turn to be her pillar of support.

He whispered quietly.

"Everything’s going to be alright."

Regia looked at him in silence, her eyes filled with wonder. Slowly, more tears gathered at the corners of her eyes, and then, one by one, they began to fall.

"Ah."

"......Huh?"

She realized too late that she was crying again. Panicking, she wiped at her tears, trying to force a smile.

"This… this is nothing, really… I, I think some dust got in my eyes—"

"Miss Regia."

"Yes?"

"Are you really okay?"

"......"

Her lips pressed shut.

It seemed his words had hit the mark. She hesitated, stammered for a moment, then finally hung her head.

"I… I’m fine."

"Really?"

"Really. A few months ago, I was wandering alone in the desert, where there wasn’t a single soul. Compared to that, this is nothing."

"And why is that?"

"Well… the desert is lonely. There’s no one there."

The desert was a desolate place. Endless stretches of sand, like an ocean of emptiness. It wasn’t a place for humans, and even if people did live there, they were few and far between. Compared to that, the bustling academy was...

"But Miss Regia."

Was it really?

"Even among people, loneliness can be just as

 unbearable."

It didn’t matter how many people were around. What mattered was whether there was someone you could lean on. Most people couldn’t answer that question with confidence. We live surrounded by others, yet still feel an endless loneliness.

"Sometimes, being surrounded by people… can feel lonelier than the desert."

Regia didn’t deny it. Was she agreeing with him, or simply lost in thought? He couldn’t tell what lay behind her sad silence.

He didn’t like it.

Seeing the protagonist so downtrodden was heartbreaking. He wanted her to always shine brightly. After all, it was the reason he was still here, living in this world.

"So, I want to ask you something."

"...Yes?"

"As I said before… I truly want you to be my friend, Miss Regia."

"Me...?"

She blinked in confusion, still teary-eyed. Yuda gently wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"If you would be so kind as to let me."

He couldn’t offer her much, but—

"I’d like to help ease some of that loneliness."

Her slender shoulders trembled, her tear-choked voice thick with doubt.

"......Why?"

Regia asked.

"Why do you… why are you doing this for me?"

From their very first meeting, Yuda had been overwhelmingly kind. He had saved her from being bullied during the entrance exam, been the only one to celebrate her admission, and had stayed by her side so she wouldn’t feel bored in school. Today, he had comforted her after the awful class placement test, and now—

"Why does someone like you care about someone as insignificant as me?"

It was a sweet temptation, too sweet to resist. Despite the foreboding aura he gave off, she couldn’t bring herself to refuse.

"Why...?"

"Who knows?"

Yuda pressed his index finger to his lips and gave a mischievous smile.

"That’s a secret."

By now, the rain had stopped. As the storm clouds parted, sunlight peeked through. One last question remained.

"So, Miss Regia… will you let me stay by your side?"

Regia bit her lip. The sunlight caught on the tears still clinging to her lashes, making them sparkle. Slowly, she stopped crying.

Instead, she smiled brightly.

"Yes…!"

Her cheerful answer was like a breath of fresh air. It seemed she was starting to feel better. Regia’s smile suited her so well. Feeling content, Yuda rose to his feet.

"The rain has stopped. Shall we head back?"

"Yes, Lord Snaikers!"

"Haha, no need for 'Lord' anymore. We’re friends now, right?"

"Ah… well, it’s still a little hard for me…"

"What a shame."

They shared lighthearted banter as they walked along the wet path.

"You don’t need to worry about today’s test. You’ll be placed in the top class."

"Huh? But I failed the test so badly…"

"Someone has recognized your potential. I’m sure they’ll take care of it."

"That’s... such a relief… But how do you know all of this, Lord Snaikers?"

"That’s a secret too."

"......You’re so unfair."

In two days, the academy would officially begin its term. The story of *The World Seen by the Little Prince* would finally unfold. Yuda felt a thrill of anticipation. He could hardly wait to see Regia, Charlotte, Emilia, and the other characters all come together in the same classroom. As the top student, he would be in the same class as well.

‘The teacher for the top class should be someone named Kadel, right?’

With that thought in mind, he walked on. That’s how he remembered it...

And then—

"Nice to meet you all. I’m Selena Drunkard, your homeroom teacher for the top class this year."

Why the hell are YOU here? Damn it.