Chapter 11: Competing Chaos

Hana's POV

The air outside was crisp as I leaned against the school's front gate, scanning the crowd for her. My target, Saori Dolorez, wasn't hard to find—her pink hair practically glowed in the sunlight.

But she wasn't her usual self. No glares, no sharp remarks, not even that haughty tilt of her chin. She looked… off.

I smirked. "Guess losing to my brother finally broke her."

Still, an order was an order. Big brother told me to help her, and I wasn't about to let him down. Besides, this was the perfect opportunity to mess with her.

I strolled over, all smiles and sunshine. "Good morning, Miss Dolorez! Or should I say, Madame President-to-be?"

She looked up from her notebook, her pale blue eyes narrowing. "What do you want, Hana?"

"To brighten your day, obviously," I said, plopping down beside her. "You've got that 'sad princess' look going on. Not a good vibe for a campaign."

She sighed, closing her notebook. "I'm fine, Hana."

"Liar," I shot back, crossing my arms. "Fine people don't sigh like they've lost a kingdom. Come on, spill it. Is it because you tied with my brother?"

Her silence was all the confirmation I needed.

"Well, duh," I continued, grinning. "Nobody beats Riser. But hey, look on the bright side—you didn't lose either!"

"Thanks for the reminder," she muttered, rubbing her temples.

"Don't mention it!" I chirped. "Now, let's talk strategy. You need to get back in the game! Maybe add some fireworks to your next speech? Or a marching band? Ooh, what about—"

"No," she interrupted, giving me a withering look. "We're not doing any of that."

"Boring," I said, rolling my eyes. "You're lucky you've got me, Saori. I'm a goldmine of ideas."

"More like a minefield," she muttered under her breath.

I grinned. "What was that? I didn't catch it."

"Nothing," she said, standing up. "Let's just… get through the day."

"See? That's the spirit!" I said, hopping to my feet. "Stick with me, and we'll have this school eating out of your hand in no time."

Riser's POV

The announcement came during the morning assembly, and as usual, Principal Kondo was beaming like he'd just come up with the greatest idea in history.

"Students!" he said, his voice echoing through the gym. "In the spirit of our upcoming election, we've planned a special activity for our candidates. Today, they'll be participating in a neighborhood cleanup effort, showcasing their leadership skills and commitment to the community!"

The students clapped politely, though I could hear a few groans. Picking up trash wasn't exactly anyone's idea of fun.

I glanced over at Saori, who was standing stiffly among her campaign team. Her expression was unreadable, but I could tell she wasn't thrilled.

"Piece of cake," I whispered to Raikou, who nodded silently beside me.

The cleanup site was a small neighborhood park that had definitely seen better days. Trash was scattered everywhere, from empty soda cans to crumpled fast food wrappers.

Saori and I were handed matching trash bags and gloves. She immediately started organizing her team, giving them precise instructions like a general preparing for battle.

"Focus on the high-traffic areas," she said. "We'll cover more ground if we work systematically."

I, on the other hand, strolled over to a group of kids playing on the swings. "Hey, anyone want to help out? There's candy in it for you!"

The kids cheered, grabbing trash bags and racing to pick up litter.

Saori shot me a glare. "Bribery? Really?"

"It's called motivation," I replied, flashing her a grin. "Try it sometime."

The citizens of the neighborhood had come out to watch us, some even helping out. An elderly woman approached me as I was tying up a full bag of trash.

"You're such a lovely couple," she said, smiling warmly.

I blinked. "Excuse me?"

"You and the pink-haired girl," she continued. "You make a great team."

Behind me, I heard Saori choking on air. "We're not a couple!" she snapped, her face turning bright red.

"Aw, don't be shy," the woman said, patting her on the shoulder. "Young love is a beautiful thing."

Saori turned to me, her eyes blazing. "Say something!"

I shrugged. "I mean, we do make a good team."

Her glare could've melted steel.

Despite the banter, we made good progress. By the time the park was clean, the sun was setting, casting a warm glow over the neighborhood.

Saori was quieter than usual, her sharp remarks fewer and far between. I noticed her stealing glances at me every now and then, like she was trying to figure something out.

It was… interesting.

I tied up my last trash bag, tossing it onto the pile. "Well, Dolorez," I said, brushing off my gloves. "Not bad for a day's work."

She didn't respond right away, her pale blue eyes fixed on the park. "Yeah," she said finally. "Not bad."

...….

Riser's POV

The walk back to school was quiet at first, just the sound of our shoes crunching against the gravel. Hana walked beside me, arms crossed and lips pursed in that classic "I'm-not-up-to-something" expression she always wore when she absolutely was up to something.

I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye. "So, Hana," I started casually. "You didn't happen to… do anything to Saori today, did you?"

Her reaction was instant. She whipped around to face me, her eyes wide with feigned innocence. "How could you think such a thing of your sweet little sister?" she demanded, placing a hand dramatically over her heart.

"Hana," I said, raising an eyebrow.

"I didn't do anything!" she insisted, stamping her foot like a child. "I've been an absolute angel!"

"You?" I asked, smirking. "An angel? Sure."

She puffed out her cheeks, glaring at me. "I'm serious, big brother! I've been good! Besides, Saori's been acting weird all day. I didn't have to do anything."

I stopped in my tracks, turning to face her fully. "Weird how?"

Hana shrugged, her pigtails bouncing. "I don't know. She just looks… distracted. Like, more than usual. You know, less 'I'm-better-than-you' and more 'don't-talk-to-me-or-I'll-cry.'"

That caught my attention. "Huh," I muttered, rubbing the back of my neck.

Before I could think more about it, we heard voices behind us.

"Does she seriously think she can beat Riser?"

I turned slightly, spotting a group of students walking a few paces behind us.

"She's so full of herself," one of them sneered. "Like, who does she think she is? The nerve of that girl!"

"Yeah, what a total bi—"

"Hey!" I called out, my voice cutting through their conversation.

They froze, their faces going pale as they realized I'd heard them.

"Knock it off," I said, my tone calm but firm. "She's trying her best, just like everyone else. You don't have to agree with her, but you don't need to tear her down either."

The students shifted awkwardly, mumbling apologies.

"Sorry, President," one of them said, scratching the back of his head. "We didn't mean anything by it."

"Good," I said with a nod. "Now go help her with something. She's up front, probably wondering why you're all back here gossiping."

They nodded quickly, hurrying off to catch up with Saori.

Hana let out a huff beside me. "Idiots," she muttered.

I blinked, looking down at her. "Hana, are you… mad?"

"No!" she snapped, crossing her arms tighter.

"Really? Because you look mad."

"I'm not!" she insisted, glaring at the ground.

A slow grin spread across my face. "Wait a second… Do you actually like Saori?"

Her head shot up, her cheeks flushing a deep red. "W-what? No! Of course not! I—" She stopped, biting her lip. "I mean… it's not like I hate her or anything."

I laughed, reaching over to ruffle her hair. "That's progress."

"Stop that!" she said, swatting my hand away, though her pout was less convincing than usual.

We walked in silence for a few moments before Hana spoke again, her voice quieter this time.

"Big brother," she said, looking up at me. "Do you… like her?"

I hesitated, thinking about the question. "Yeah," I said finally, my tone light. "I like her."

Hana blinked, her eyes wide.

"Not like that," I clarified quickly. "I mean, I like her as a person. She's determined, hardworking, and she really believes in what she's doing. That's pretty admirable, don't you think?"

Hana didn't respond, her gaze dropping to the ground.

But as we reached the school gates, my thoughts drifted back to Saori. Something was off about her today—Hana was right about that. She wasn't as sharp or fiery as usual, and the way she looked during the cleanup…

I sighed. "She's probably just stressed," I muttered under my breath.

"What was that?" Hana asked, tilting her head.

"Nothing," I said with a grin, patting her on the head again.

She grumbled but didn't protest this time.

As we walked through the gates, I made a mental note. "I'll talk to her tomorrow," I thought to myself. "Maybe that'll help."