Chapter 18: A Tale of Two Schools (and a Talent Show)

It started with the crackle of the ancient intercom system, the one we all suspected was older than half the teaching staff. Principal Tanaka's voice boomed through the halls, accompanied by the faint hum of static.

"Good morning, students!" His cheery tone made my stomach churn. It wasn't that I disliked him. Principal Tanaka was a great guy, if you overlooked his penchant for turning every announcement into a comedy sketch. The problem was that his good moods usually spelled trouble for the rest of us.

"As you know, our annual talent show is just around the corner. But this year, we're doing something… special."

"Special?" Saori muttered from her spot beside me in the student council room. Her voice carried that usual mix of suspicion and annoyance.

I leaned back in my chair, grinning. "Maybe we're all getting free snacks this time. You know, like an apology for making us sit through last year's disastrous dance recital."

Before she could retort, Tanaka continued. "This year's talent show will be a joint event with our friendly rivals at Akane Academy!"

Hana, seated at the corner desk scribbling something incomprehensible, froze mid-doodle. "Akane Academy? Isn't that the stuck-up school with the ridiculous uniform policies?"

I shrugged. "And a reputation for being unnecessarily dramatic. Sounds like fun."

"But wait, there's more!" Principal Tanaka's voice rose with the kind of glee that made my heart sink. "The winner of this talent show won't just walk away with a trophy. Oh no! They'll also be crowned the new leader of both schools, deciding who takes the reins as we prepare to merge into one glorious institution!"

The room fell silent, save for the sound of Saori's pen snapping in her hand.

"What?" she whispered.

"WHAT?!" Haruto's voice boomed from the doorway, where he had just walked in with a stack of sheet music. His face was a mix of shock and sheer terror.

Hana clapped her hands together, laughing. "This is hilarious! They're letting a bunch of teenagers decide the fate of two schools? What could possibly go wrong?"

I scratched the back of my head, trying to process the information. "You gotta hand it to them. That's some top-tier chaos."

The History of the Rivalry

Principal Tanaka's voice droned on, oblivious to the collective panic brewing in the school.

"For those who don't know, Akane Academy was once an all-girls school known for its elite academics and rigid traditions. But times change, and they became co-ed about five years ago to, uh, 'broaden their horizons.' Naturally, we've had our fair share of rivalries over the years, from sports to debate teams. But now, we have a chance to unite as one school! Isn't that exciting?"

"Exciting?" Haruto muttered, dropping into the chair beside me. "More like a nightmare."

Saori shot him a glance. "It's a nightmare because you're the one expected to win, isn't it?"

He winced, sinking lower in his seat. "You think?"

Hana giggled, kicking her feet up onto the desk. "I think it's poetic. Haruto's gonna be the face of the school! Just imagine it. Haruto Sakurai, the Shy Maestro of Harmony."

"Please stop talking," he groaned, burying his face in his hands.

The Stakes Are Raised

Principal Tanaka's tone turned uncharacteristically serious, a rarity for him. "Let me make one thing clear, students: this is more than just a competition. This is about pride, legacy, and… well, funding. Akane Academy's board of trustees is notoriously stingy, and I've been trying to secure this merger for years. So, no pressure, but we need to win. Like, badly. Very badly. If you lose, I might have to start selling my collection of bonsai trees, and no one wants that."

Hana laughed so hard she nearly fell out of her chair. "Oh, this guy's hilarious!"

Saori didn't share her amusement. She stood abruptly, glaring at me like I was personally responsible for this mess. "Do you realize how much is riding on this? If Haruto loses, it'll look like our school isn't good enough to lead."

"Good thing Haruto's got talent," I said, clapping him on the back. "And good friends to support him."

Haruto groaned again. "Why me?"

The Plan (or Lack Thereof)

As the intercom finally clicked off, the room descended into chaos. Hana was still laughing, Saori was pacing like a general plotting a war, and Haruto looked like he might pass out at any moment.

"Alright, everyone, calm down," I said, raising my hands.

"Calm down?" Saori snapped, whipping around to face me. "Do you have any idea what's at stake here?"

"Relax, Saori," I said, leaning back in my chair. "We've got this. Haruto's the best musician I know. All we need to do is help him prepare."

Haruto shook his head. "I can't do this. Not with this kind of pressure."

I leaned forward, resting my chin on my hand. "Haruto, do you remember the first time you played for me? Back when you were still… y'know."

His eyes widened slightly, and he glanced at Saori and Hana. "They don't know about that."

"They don't need to," I said with a grin. "What matters is that you've got what it takes. You've always had it. This is just another stage, another audience. And this time, you've got us backing you up."

Saori crossed her arms. "Backing him up isn't enough. He needs a plan, a routine, something that'll blow the judges away."

Hana nodded enthusiastically. "Ooh, ooh! Can we add pyrotechnics? Or a laser show? Or maybe both!"

Haruto buried his face in his hands again. "This is a disaster."

The Pressure Mounts

As the day went on, the weight of the announcement settled over the school like a storm cloud. Haruto, usually content to fade into the background, found himself the center of attention.

"Haruto, you've got this!" a girl from the drama club said, patting him on the shoulder.

"Don't screw it up, man," a guy from the soccer team added, less encouragingly.

Even the pervy gym teacher chimed in during PE. "Sakurai, if you don't win, I'll personally make you run laps until you collapse. No pressure!"

By the time the final bell rang, Haruto looked ready to collapse.

The Aftermath

As we left school that day, I couldn't help but notice how quiet Haruto was.

"Hey," I said, nudging him gently. "You okay?"

He didn't answer right away, staring down at the ground. "I don't know if I can do this, Riser. Everyone's counting on me, and I… I don't want to let them down."

"You won't," I said firmly.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I believe in you," I said with a grin. "And because we're not letting you do this alone. Saori, Hana, and I—we've got your back."

Saori nodded, her expression softening. "He's right. We'll figure this out together."

Hana clapped Haruto on the back, nearly knocking him over. "Yeah! And if anyone gives you trouble, I'll take care of 'em. No one messes with my friends!"

For the first time all day, Haruto smiled. It was small and hesitant, but it was there.

....

Hana's POV

Haruto had been fidgeting ever since we left the school grounds. His usual awkward demeanor seemed dialed up to eleven, and honestly, I wasn't sure if it was because of the weight of the competition or something else entirely.

"So," I began, my voice casual as I walked beside him. "What's your deal?"

Haruto blinked, confused. "My deal?"

"You know, your past." I smirked, crossing my arms as we continued down the street. "How'd someone like you get involved with my brother? You're not exactly his type of friend, you know."

Haruto sighed, clearly regretting not running away when he had the chance. "It's… complicated."

"Oh, I love complicated stories," I said, grinning wickedly. "Come on, spill. What were you before you joined this school? A secret agent? A professional gamer? An escaped convict?"

Haruto let out a soft laugh despite himself. "I'm pretty sure you're mixing me up with someone else."

"Am I, though?" I said, leaning closer to scrutinize him. "You've got that whole 'mysterious loner' vibe going on. It's suspicious."

"Maybe I just like keeping to myself," Haruto replied, avoiding my gaze.

"Or maybe you're hiding something," I shot back, my tone teasing.

Haruto shook his head, a small smile tugging at his lips. "You're relentless, aren't you?"

"That's one of my best qualities," I said proudly.

The Reluctant Confession

It took another twenty minutes of me pestering him, peppering him with increasingly ridiculous guesses about his past, before Haruto finally caved.

"Fine!" he groaned, throwing his hands up in defeat. "You want to know the truth?"

"Obviously," I said, my grin widening.

Haruto sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets as we walked. "Before I came here, I wasn't exactly… on the right path."

I raised an eyebrow. "Define 'not on the right path.'"

"I was a scam artist," he admitted, his voice low. "I worked with a crew that specialized in conning people out of their money. It wasn't glamorous, but it paid the bills."

I blinked, genuinely taken aback. "Wait, seriously? You were a criminal?"

Haruto nodded, his expression somber. "Yeah. I hated it, but at the time, it felt like I didn't have a choice. We were all just trying to survive, you know?"

"Wow," I said, my tone laced with sarcasm. "And here I thought you were just some shy musician with a tragic backstory."

Haruto shot me a wry smile. "Turns out you were half right."

The Trust That Changed Everything

Haruto's expression softened as he continued. "There was this guy in our crew. His name was Kenta. He was older than the rest of us, kind of like our leader. He saw something in me—something I didn't see in myself."

"Like what?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"He thought I had potential," Haruto said, his voice growing quieter. "He heard me messing around with a beat-up guitar we'd swiped from a pawnshop once. Said I had talent, that I should be doing something with it instead of wasting my life on scams."

"So, what happened?" I prompted, sensing the shift in his tone.

Haruto's shoulders tensed. "Kenta… didn't make it. We were pulling a job, and it went south. He took the fall for all of us and ended up…"

He trailed off, his voice thick with emotion.

I frowned, unsure of what to say. "That's… rough."

"Yeah," Haruto said, his voice barely above a whisper. "But before he was taken away, he made me promise that I'd get out. That I'd do something with my life. That's when Riser came into the picture."

Enter Riser

Haruto's lips quirked into a small smile. "Riser was… something else. He didn't judge me for my past. He just saw me for who I was and decided to help. Said he knew someone who could pull some strings to get me into this school."

"And let me guess," I said, smirking. "That someone was Riser himself."

"Probably," Haruto admitted with a shrug. "He never really said, but knowing him, it wouldn't surprise me."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah, that sounds like my brother. Always meddling in everyone's lives for the sake of his own entertainment."

"More like for the sake of helping people," Haruto corrected gently.

A Rich Revelation

As we neared the convenience store, I decided to shift gears. "So, you know we're rich, right?"

Haruto glanced at me, his expression unreadable. "Yeah. Riser doesn't exactly hide it, but he also doesn't flaunt it. It's… refreshing."

"And how do you feel about us now?" I asked, half-joking but also genuinely curious.

Haruto's smile was warm. "I love you guys."

I froze, my cheeks suddenly burning. "Y-You love us?"

"As friends," Haruto clarified quickly, though his own cheeks turned pink. "And allies. You know, like a team."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "So, you don't love me?"

"Why are you like this?" Haruto groaned, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Just answer the question," I said, smirking.

"You're my friend's little sister," he said firmly. "It'd be weird."

"So what?" I shot back, leaning closer. "That means we can't be a thing?"

Haruto's face turned crimson, and he stumbled over his words. "Wait, do you—do you like me?"

"Don't be ridiculous," I said, flipping my hair dramatically. "I was just joking."

But the words felt hollow, even to me.

Hana's Determination

We parted ways at the store, Haruto heading inside while I lingered on the sidewalk. As I watched him go, I couldn't help but feel a pang of… something.

"I was joking," I whispered to myself, trying to shake the feeling.

But deep down, I knew I wasn't.

With a determined nod, I clenched my fists. "I don't want to lose this. I have to make sure Haruto wins. Even if he doesn't see me as a woman… I'll still do everything I can for him. For his sake and everyone else's."

Haruto's POV

As I walked into the store, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was… off about Hana during that last conversation. But I brushed it aside. She was Riser's sister, after all. Being unpredictable was probably in their DNA.

"Focus, Haruto," I muttered to myself, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge.

The pressure of the upcoming competition weighed heavily on my shoulders, but for the first time, I felt a spark of determination.

"I owe this to Kenta," I thought, clenching my fist. "And to Riser. And now… maybe to Hana, too."

As I headed back outside, I couldn't help but smile. "I'll win this. For all of them."