Chapter 7: A Sister’s Burden

Hana's POV

I've seen that face before.

It doesn't happen often, maybe once or twice in all the years I've known him, but when it does, it feels like the whole world is crumbling. Riser isn't the kind of person who gets angry—he laughs, he smiles, he brushes things off with a joke or a shrug.

But that expression… that stern, quiet anger…

It scares me. Not because I'm afraid of him, but because it feels wrong.

The first time I saw it was back in elementary school.

I'd just started first grade, and there was this girl in my class—Aiko. She was the loudest, most obnoxious kid I'd ever met. For some reason, she decided I was her target. Every day, she'd tease me about something new—my hair, my clothes, the way I spoke.

One day, during recess, she went too far.

"Look at little Hana-chan," Aiko said, smirking as she held up my favorite notebook, the one Riser had given me. "Writing love letters to her big brother? How gross!"

The other kids laughed, and my face burned with humiliation.

"Give it back!" I shouted, reaching for the notebook.

She yanked it out of my reach, her grin widening. "What are you gonna do about it?"

I didn't know what to do. I felt small, helpless, and so, so angry.

That's when Riser showed up.

He'd been playing soccer with the older kids, but the moment he saw what was happening, he ran over.

"Hey," he said, his voice calm but firm. "What's going on here?"

Aiko turned to him, still holding the notebook. "Just having a little fun," she said with a shrug.

Riser's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, and that's when I saw it—the expression.

"Give it back," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Aiko hesitated, clearly unsure of what to do.

"Now," he added, his voice dropping just enough to make her flinch.

She handed the notebook back without a word, her face pale.

I thought he'd yell at her or lecture her, but instead, he crouched down in front of me, holding out the notebook. "You okay, Hana?"

I nodded, clutching the notebook to my chest.

He smiled then, ruffling my hair. "Good. Let's go play."

But as we walked away, I glanced back at Aiko. Her face was red, and tears were streaming down her cheeks. I never saw her tease anyone again.

That's when I realized how much I hated seeing that expression on Riser's face. Not because it scared me, but because it meant something had hurt him enough to bring it out.

Back to the present, the weight of that same expression crushed me.

I couldn't hold it together anymore. The guilt, the fear, the overwhelming realization that I'd disappointed him—it all came crashing down.

I dropped to my knees, tears streaming down my face. "Onii-chan, I'm so sorry!"

He didn't say anything at first, just crouched down in front of me and held out his hand.

I hesitated, my heart pounding, but then I grabbed his hand and threw myself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

"You know you were wrong, right?" he said softly, his voice gentle but firm.

"Yes," I choked out, clinging to him. "I know. I just… I can't stand anyone trying to rise up against you. I can't stand the thought of losing you."

He sighed, pulling back slightly to look me in the eyes. "Hana, it doesn't matter who becomes president. It doesn't matter who leads. What matters is that the job gets done, and the school is taken care of. You know this, right?"

I nodded, sniffling. "Yes… I know."

"When you're wrong, what do you do?" he asked.

I swallowed hard, my throat tight. "I apologize."

He smiled then, just a little. "Good. Let's make it right."

I turned to Saori, my knees trembling. "I'm… I'm really sorry," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I'll do whatever it takes to make it up to you."

Saori crossed her arms, clearly unimpressed. "Whatever it takes?"

"Yes," I said, stepping closer. "If I have to kneel and beg for forgiveness, I will."

Before I could drop to my knees, Riser moved in front of me and knelt down instead.

"Riser, no!" I gasped, grabbing his arm.

He looked up at Saori, his expression calm but sincere. "I know you think of me as your enemy, but please forgive my sister. She didn't mean to hurt you."

"Big brother, please stand up!" I cried, pulling at his arm.

But then I knelt beside him, bowing my head. "I'm so sorry, Saori. Please forgive me."

Saori stared at us for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Finally, she sighed, her shoulders relaxing.

"Raise your heads," she said softly.

We hesitated, but she repeated, "Raise your heads. I forgive you."

She paused, glancing at the bulletin board. "And for the record, everything she said is true."

My breath caught in my throat. "What?"

Saori looked down, her voice trembling slightly. "I'm not Italian. I'm a Spanish princess. My parents sent me here to escape a war."

She began to tell her story, and as I listened, my heart ached for her. Despite everything, she'd faced so much and still carried herself with strength.

When she finished, she reached out and patted my head gently. "It's okay, Hana. I know you were just trying to protect your brother."

I looked up at her, tears streaming down my face. For the first time, I saw her not as an enemy, but as someone I admired.

"This girl…" I thought, my heart swelling with a mix of emotions. "This is the girl my brother deserves."

…..

Riser's POV

The halls were finally quiet. The crowd had dispersed, leaving just me, the reporters club, Saori, and Hana standing in the now-empty room.

I leaned against the edge of the table, crossing my arms as I surveyed the group. My gaze settled on Hana, who stood stiffly beside Saori, her hands clasped in front of her like a soldier awaiting orders.

"All bad deeds deserve punishment, right?" I said, my tone light but carrying enough weight to make the words land.

Saori stiffened beside Hana, her eyes darting toward me. "W-wait, what kind of punishment are we talking about?" she asked, her voice tinged with nervousness.

The reporters exchanged glances, unsure whether to laugh or stay silent. Hana, on the other hand, didn't flinch. She stood perfectly still, her expression calm and collected, as if she'd already resigned herself to whatever was coming.

I tilted my head at Saori, amused. "Relax, Dolorez. I'm not about to throw anyone in detention or make them write an essay on ethics. That's not my style."

"But…" Saori glanced at Hana, who still looked like she was preparing for battle. "You're really okay with this?"

I ignored the question, my grin widening. "No, no, a punishment needs to fit the crime. Something meaningful, something impactful…" I trailed off, pretending to think hard about it, enjoying the suspense.

Hana straightened, her hands tightening into fists.

Finally, I snapped my fingers. "Got it! Hana, since you wanted to go against Saori, your punishment will be…"

Everyone leaned in slightly, including Saori, her eyes narrowing with suspicion.

"To join her campaign."

The room froze.

"…What?" Hana said, breaking the silence.

"You heard me," I said, smirking. "From now on, you're officially part of Saori's campaign team. Your job is to help her run for Student Council President."

Hana's jaw dropped. "But—big brother—!"

"No buts," I said, holding up a hand. "A president's order."

Her protests died in her throat, and she let out a defeated sigh. "Fine."

I nodded approvingly. "Good. You'll learn a lot from working with Saori. And who knows? You might even have fun."

Saori stared at me, her expression a mix of confusion and disbelief. "You're… making her join me?"

"Yep," I said cheerfully.

"Why?" she demanded.

"Because," I said, leaning closer with a grin, "what better way to make amends than to work together? Besides, she's got some skills. You'll need them if you want to beat me."

Saori blinked, clearly thrown off. "You're not worried at all, are you?"

I straightened, putting a hand to my chest dramatically. "As I said in my dazzling speech, Dolorez, I don't care who becomes president. Whether it's me, you, or a dog we find in the courtyard, it doesn't matter as long as the job gets done."

She opened her mouth to argue but stopped, her expression softening slightly. "You really mean that, don't you?"

"Of course," I said, winking at her. "But, you know, it'd be a shame if the dog didn't win. I hear they're great with students."

Her lips twitched, and I could tell she was fighting a smile.

"Well, I've got things to do," I said, turning toward the door. "You two play nice now."

As I walked away, I couldn't resist letting a small thought creep into my mind.

But at the end of the day, the results won't change.