Chapter 17: Strings of the Heart

Riser's POV

The student council office was a chaotic whirlwind, as usual. Hana was sprawled on the couch with her phone in hand, while Sayori was standing in front of my desk, glaring daggers at me.

"Riser," she started, her voice dripping with irritation, "this entire room is a disaster. How can anyone work in these conditions?"

I leaned back in my chair, twirling a pen between my fingers. "It's organized chaos, Saori. Everything's exactly where it needs to be."

Sayori's blue eyes narrowed. "There's a sandwich in the filing cabinet."

"Exactly," I said, grinning. "Emergency rations. You never know when hunger might strike."

Hana, without looking up from her phone, snorted. "That's disgusting, even by your standards, big brother."

"It's called innovation," I replied, crossing my arms.

Sayori pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. "I can't believe this school elected you as president. Actually, scratch that—I can't believe I agreed to be your vice president."

"Because you secretly love it," Hana quipped.

Sayori turned her glare to Hana. "I tolerate it. There's a difference."

"Sure, sure," Hana said, her tone dripping with mock innocence.

Before the banter could escalate, the intercom crackled to life.

"Attention students! Rin High's annual talent show is just around the corner! If you've got a special skill or talent, now's your chance to shine. Sign-ups close tomorrow, so don't miss out!"

I perked up instantly, clapping my hands together. "Perfect timing!"

"For what?" Sayori asked, crossing her arms.

"For finding our school's next superstar, of course," I said, hopping out of my chair.

Hana raised an eyebrow. "What crazy plan are you cooking up now?"

"Oh, you'll see," I said with a wink.

The Walk of Madness

I led the way to the courtyard, with Sayori and Hana trailing behind me.

"Can you at least tell us who we're looking for?" Sayori asked, clearly exasperated.

"You'll know when you see him," I said cryptically.

"Great," she muttered. "More of your vague nonsense."

Hana chimed in, her tone teasing. "Sayori, you should be used to his nonsense by now."

"I'll never get used to it," Sayori snapped.

"Wouldn't life be boring if you did?" I quipped over my shoulder.

As we walked, Hana suddenly smirked. "Hey, Riser, do you think Sayori's pretty?"

"Yep," I said without hesitation.

Sayori's head snapped toward me, her cheeks flushing pink. "W-What?!"

"And do you think she's sexy?" Hana pressed, clearly enjoying this.

"Absolutely," I replied, grinning.

Sayori looked like she was about to combust. "H-Hana! Stop asking him weird questions!"

Hana wasn't done. "Do you want to have babies with her?"

"Yeah, probably," I said casually.

Sayori froze, her entire face turning crimson. "YOU IDIOT!" she screamed, lunging at me.

I ducked, laughing as she swung her bag at me. "Relax, Saori! I was joking! Mostly."

"Mostly?!" she shrieked, chasing me around the courtyard while Hana doubled over with laughter.

Riser's POV

I motioned for Hana and Sayori to quiet down as we approached the music room. It wasn't hard—Hana was absorbed in teasing Sayori about something I wasn't paying attention to, and Sayori was fuming like always. But now, curiosity flickered in their eyes as I stopped outside the room.

"Why are we sneaking around?" Sayori whispered, her pale blue eyes narrowing suspiciously. "What are we even doing here?"

"You'll see," I said, pressing a finger to my lips. "Just trust me."

Hana raised an eyebrow but shrugged. "This better not be one of your weird ideas again, big brother."

"Oh, it's weird," I said, smirking. "But it's also worth it."

I carefully cracked open the door, and the faint sound of guitar strings floated out. Immediately, a hush fell over the girls.

Inside, Haruto sat on a stool, his head bowed slightly as he played. His black hair fell messily over his face, and his fingers moved with a grace that seemed almost inhuman. The melody he played was soft and haunting, yet filled with so much raw emotion it was impossible not to feel it deep in your chest.

It wasn't a song anyone could recognize—not something from the charts or a popular band. But somehow, it felt familiar, like it had always been a part of you, waiting for the right moment to be heard.

Sayori's hand flew to her mouth as tears welled up in her eyes. "What is… this?" she whispered, her voice trembling.

Hana, uncharacteristically quiet, sniffled and rubbed at her eyes. "It's beautiful," she muttered, almost grudgingly.

I leaned against the doorframe, watching their reactions with an amused smile. "I told you he was worth it," I said softly.

Haruto didn't notice us at first. He was lost in the music, his entire world condensed into the strings beneath his fingers. When he finally struck the last chord and looked up, he froze, his black eyes widening.

"President Nafutori?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Riser," I corrected, stepping into the room. "How many times do I have to tell you to drop the formalities?"

Haruto blinked, clearly caught off guard. "W-What are you doing here?"

"Introducing you to my very loud companions," I said, gesturing behind me. "This is Sayori, my vice president, and Hana, my sister. Ladies, meet Haruto, the guy who's going to win the school talent show."

Haruto's face turned pale. "Wait, what?"

Sayori wiped at her eyes, regaining her composure. "That was… incredible," she said, her voice steady but still filled with emotion. "Why haven't I heard you play before?"

Haruto looked away, scratching the back of his neck. "I don't usually play for people…"

"Which is a crime," I said, plopping down on the piano bench next to him. "You've got talent, Haruto. It's time to stop hiding it."

"I-I can't," he stammered, clutching his guitar like it was a lifeline. "I'm not good enough."

"Not good enough?" Hana said, her usual sass creeping back. "Are you deaf? I was crying, and I don't cry."

"You cried watching Toy Story 3," I pointed out.

"Shut up, big brother!" she snapped, cheeks flushed.

Sayori crossed her arms, looking at Haruto thoughtfully. "She's right, though. You are good enough. No—better than good enough. You have something most people only dream of."

Haruto fidgeted, clearly uncomfortable. "I just… I don't think I can perform in front of so many people…"

I sighed, leaning back against the piano. "You said the same thing when we first met, remember?"

Flashback: Haruto's Past

It was two years ago, back when I'd just been elected student council president. The world was full of possibilities, and I was still figuring out how I wanted to leave my mark.

One day, while walking through a crowded market, I noticed a small group of people gathered around a street performer. Curious, I made my way over.

That's when I saw him—Haruto. But he wasn't playing music. He was talking fast, his hands moving even faster as he shuffled a deck of cards.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said with a sly grin, "step right up and test your luck! Find the queen, win a prize!"

The crowd was eating it up, laughing and shouting as they tried to guess which card was the queen. But it was obvious to me that the game was rigged.

After watching for a while, I stepped forward. "Mind if I give it a shot?"

Haruto looked me up and down, his grin never faltering. "Of course! A bold challenger, ladies and gents. Let's see if he's got what it takes!"

I played along, pretending to be clueless. But when it came time to choose, I did something Haruto wasn't expecting—I flipped over all three cards, exposing the trick.

The crowd gasped. Haruto's grin faltered for the briefest second before he recovered, laughing nervously. "Well, looks like we've got a sharp one here!"

"Relax," I said, smirking. "I'm not here to bust you. I just wanted to see how good you were."

He blinked, clearly confused. "What?"

"You've got talent," I said, crossing my arms. "But this? This isn't what you're meant for."

He scoffed. "What do you know about me?"

"Enough," I said. "I can see it in the way you handle yourself. You've got rhythm, precision. You're meant to create, not con."

He stared at me for a long moment before laughing. "You're crazy."

"Maybe," I admitted. "But if you ever want to do something real with your skills, come find me."

I handed him a flyer for Rin High and walked away.

Back to the Present

Haruto's face was unreadable as I finished my story. "You remember that day, don't you?" I asked.

He nodded slowly. "I thought you were insane."

"Most people do," I said with a grin. "But I wasn't wrong, was I?"

Haruto sighed, his grip on his guitar loosening. "You weren't wrong," he admitted.

"Then prove it," I said, standing up. "Join the talent show. Show everyone what you're capable of."

Haruto hesitated, glancing at Sayori and Hana. Both of them were watching him with such earnest expressions it was impossible to ignore.

Finally, he gave a small, almost imperceptible smile. "Alright… I'll do it."

"Atta boy!" I said, clapping him on the shoulder.

...…

Riser's POV

Walking home with Saori, Hana, and Haruto was chaos. Beautiful, hilarious chaos. Hana was skipping ahead like she didn't have a care in the world, while Haruto trailed behind her, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else. Saori, as usual, walked beside me, arms crossed and face scrunched into her signature glare of disapproval.

"You've been quiet," I said to Saori, giving her my trademark grin. "Thinking about me again?"

Her glare intensified. "Why would I think about you?"

"Dunno, you tell me," I teased. "Maybe because you secretly love my charm?"

She rolled her eyes. "I was actually wondering how you and Haruto know each other. You're nothing alike."

"Opposites attract," I replied with a shrug. "We balance each other out. He's the brooding, talented one, and I'm the carefree, ridiculously good-looking one."

"Good-looking?" she repeated, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

"See? You're thinking about it now," I said, winking.

Her face turned slightly pink, but she quickly turned away.

"Riser, you're impossible," she muttered.

"And yet, here you are, walking home with me," I pointed out.

Before she could retort, Hana let out a loud gasp, grabbing everyone's attention.

"Oh my gosh, look at that puppy!" she shouted, pointing at a scruffy little dog digging through a trash can.

Haruto, ever the responsible one, walked over to stop her. "Hana, maybe don't—"

But it was too late. The dog barked, startling Hana so badly she stumbled backward—straight into Haruto's chest.

Cue the chaos.

"Haruto!" Hana shrieked, her voice echoing through the street. "Don't touch me there, you pervert!"

"W-what?!" Haruto stammered, his face turning redder than a tomato. "I wasn't—"

"Seriously, dude? My sister?" I said, raising an eyebrow.

Haruto threw his hands up in the air. "I didn't do anything!"

Hana huffed, crossing her arms dramatically. "You men are all the same."

Saori sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "How do you people survive day to day?"

"With flair," I said, grinning.

As we continued walking, Hana skipped back to my side and nudged me. "Hey, big brother, do you think Saori's pretty?"

"Of course," I said without hesitation.

Hana's mischievous grin widened. "Do you think she's sexy?"

"Absolutely."

"Would you marry her and have babies?"

"Yeah, sure," I said absentmindedly.

The silence that followed was deafening.

"Excuse me?!" Saori's voice cracked as she glared at me, her face bright red.

Hana burst out laughing. "Oh my gosh, you actually said it!"

I blinked, realizing what I'd just admitted to. "Wait, wait. I didn't mean it like that—"

"You're such an idiot," Saori muttered, covering her blushing face with her hands.

Hana clung to my arm, still laughing uncontrollably. "This is gold. Pure gold!"

"Why do I hang out with you people?" Saori groaned.

We finally reached a small convenience store. While the girls browsed the aisles, Haruto and I waited near the entrance.

"You okay, man?" I asked, smirking. "You've been quiet since the whole… incident."

Haruto sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Your sister's impossible."

"Welcome to my life," I said, patting him on the back.

At that moment, Hana appeared with a basket full of snacks and plopped it down on the counter.

"Got everything we need!" she chirped.

As she reached to grab something, her chest bumped into Haruto's arm.

"Wha— I wasn't—" Haruto stammered, stepping back like he'd been burned.

Hana raised an eyebrow. "Haruto, were you just checking me out?"

"What?! No! I wasn't—"

"Seriously, dude?" I chimed in, trying not to laugh.

Haruto threw his hands in the air. "Listen, your sister may be attractive, but I'm not attracted to her. She's not even my type!"

"Excuse me?" Hana's voice dropped, dangerously low.

Haruto froze. "Wait, no. That's not what I meant—"

Before he could finish, Saori slapped him across the back of the head. "Stop digging your own grave, idiot."

As Haruto rubbed his head, Hana and I burst out laughing.

"You two are insane," Saori muttered, glaring at us.

After we left the store, Haruto and Hana hung back while Saori and I walked ahead.

"So," I said, glancing at her. "Aren't we already married?"

Saori shot me a look. "What?"

"Well, we hang out all the time. Marriage is just hanging out with extra paperwork, right?"

Saori groaned. "Marriage is a little more involved than that, you idiot."

"Alright, we'll take it bit by bit then," I said, grinning.

"It's never happening," she shot back.

"Sure, sure," I said, smiling a little too knowingly.

Hana, who was watching from behind, nudged Haruto. "See? He's totally smitten."

Haruto smirked. "I noticed. What about her?"

"She's in denial," Hana said with a shrug. "But it's cute."

Haruto's POV

When we finally split up, I ended up walking Saori back to her house. The silence between us was comfortable, but I couldn't resist teasing her a little.

"So," I said casually. "Do you like Riser?"

She froze mid-step, her face turning an impressive shade of red. "W-what kind of question is that?!"

"You didn't say no," I pointed out, grinning.

"I—" She stumbled over her words before blurting out, "Of course not!"

Her reaction only made me laugh. "You're not very convincing, you know."

Saori groaned, covering her face with her hands. "You're impossible."

As she hurried ahead, I couldn't help but smile.

"Those kids," I muttered to myself. "They're hilarious."

But my smile faded as I glanced up at the sky, my thoughts drifting to the upcoming talent show.

"For now, though," I said quietly, "I've got to focus on winning this thing—for everyone, and for myself."