The 3rd Rules

POV Andra

As I walked alone towards the school gate, suddenly, from a distance, I saw the figure of a small girl with long hair tied in a single braid, wearing a red and white uniform, walking alone towards the school gate.

It was Sally. The little girl looked innocent, but I knew that behind her sweet smile were words that had hurt Luna's feelings. I stepped closer to Sally, with calm yet determined steps. Sally, who was busy playing with her bag, was startled when I stood in front of her.

"Are you Sally?" I asked softly but firmly.

Sally nodded slowly, her eyes blinking with questions.

"Yes. Why?"

I smiled slightly, trying to calm the little girl.

"I'm Andra, Luna's older brother. You know Luna, right? Your desk mate."

Sally's face turned pale. She looked down, as if she knew what was coming.

"Yes, I know," she answered quietly.

I bent down a little, so that I was at eye level with Sally.

"I heard that you often tease Luna. You said Luna doesn't have a father. Is that true?"

Sally didn't answer. Her hands gripped the strap of her bag tightly, and her eyes began to well up with tears. I could see the guilt on her face, but she knew this wasn't the time to soften.

"You know, Sally," I continued, still in a gentle voice,

"Luna is my little sister. I love her very much. I saw her crying under the tree in front of the school gate because of your words. I couldn't just stay silent."

Sally began to sob. "I... I was just joking. I didn't mean to..."

"If you were joking, she should have laughed, not cried. Here's the deal, Sally. Promise me that from now on, you will never tease or bully Luna again. If it happens again, you'll have to face me, and next time, I won't be as nice as I am now. Understand?"

"Yes, I understand," I saw Sally trembling, and tears began to roll down her cheeks.

"Alright, good girl. Stay a good girl, Sally," I said before walking away.

As I stepped out of the school gate, I saw Luna standing there with a worried look in her eyes. She seemed to be checking on me, perhaps thinking I had hurt Sally for making her sad.

"It's done. Let's go home," I said, but Luna kept staring at me.

"I made sure she won't tease you again."

"But you made her cry," Luna said flatly.

"Because she made you cry, right?" I replied, and then she hit my hand. It didn't hurt, but it surprised me and made me wonder.

"Why did you hit me?"

"Because you're naughty. I told you not to, but you still went to her," Luna protested.

"Alright, I'm sorry, okay? I just don't want anyone to hurt your feelings."

"Apology accepted. But I have a new rule for you, Andra," Luna replied, hands on her hips.

And when we got home, she brought up the rule. Let's just say this was the third rule in our relationship, but this time, Luna was the one who made it.

We sat on the sofa facing each other, my eyes fixed on Luna. She looked at me with big, honest eyes. Her hands held a piece of paper filled with colorful pencil scribbles. I smiled slightly, but my heart was full of questions.

"So, what's the new rule, Luna?" I asked, trying to hold back a laugh at the serious expression on her face.

Luna held up the paper high, as if it were an official document.

"The new rule is: Don't be harsh to anyone, even if they've hurt our feelings or been mean to us."

I frowned. "Hmm, that's a good rule. But why did you suddenly make this rule?"

Luna looked at me with a gaze that suddenly made me feel like a little kid being scolded.

"Because earlier I saw you made Sally cry. That's not good."

I sighed. "But Luna, I only talked to her nicely. I just wanted her to understand."

"But you shouldn't have made her cry," Luna said in a small but firm voice. "We should still be kind, even if others aren't kind to us."

I was silent for a moment. I knew Luna was right, but something was bothering me. "Okay, I understand. But what if someone doesn't just hurt our feelings, but also physically hurts us? Should we just stay silent?"

Luna frowned, as if the question was too heavy for her. She looked at the paper in her hands, then back at me.

"I don't know," she said softly.

"But I think we still shouldn't be harsh. We can find another way."

"Another way like what?" I asked curiously.

"For example, we can run away, or ask someone else for help," Luna replied.

"Or, we can tell that person that what they're doing is wrong, but in a nice way," she added.

I smiled. Luna always had a way of making things seem simple. But I still felt something was missing.

"But Luna, sometimes people don't want to listen to nice words. They need to understand that we're serious."

"Being firm is different from being harsh, Andra," Luna said suddenly, surprising me.

"We can be firm without getting angry or being harsh."

I nodded slowly.

"You're right, Luna. Maybe I should learn from you."

Luna smiled widely, happy that her rule was accepted. But then her face turned serious again.

"But, Andra, I'm still confused. If someone is really mean, should we still be kind to them?"

I sighed.

"That's a tough question, Luna. Sometimes we have to protect ourselves. But maybe the point is that we shouldn't let someone else's meanness turn us into mean people too, right?"

Luna nodded, though she still looked confused. "So, we should still be kind, but also smart?"

"Yes, like that," I said with a smile. "We should be kind, but also know when to protect ourselves."

Luna smiled in relief, as if a big problem had been solved.

"Okay, so the rule stands: Don't be harsh to anyone, even if they've hurt our feelings or been mean to us. But we also have to be smart."

I laughed.

"Deal. Luna's rule, accepted."

Luna jumped up excitedly and handed the paper to me. "You have to sign here, as proof!"

I took the pencil and signed the paper with a serious expression, as if it were an official contract.

"Now we have a new rule. But don't forget, Luna, this rule applies to both of us."

Luna nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! We have to remind each other."

And in the warm family room, the two of us, with different ages and experiences, agreed to try to be the best versions of ourselves. Even though big questions still hung in the air, at least we both knew one thing: we wouldn't face them alone.

Suddenly, the sound of the door opening broke the silence of the room. Riana appeared with a big smile on her face. Her right hand held a large, still-warm pizza box, and the aroma of cheese and smoked meat immediately filled the room.

"Pizza time!" Riana exclaimed cheerfully, placing the box on the table. Luna immediately jumped up from her chair, cheering happily.

"Andra, look! Mom brought pizza!" Luna pulled my arm, forcing me to join.

I laughed, following Luna to the dining table. Riana had already opened the pizza box and was handing the first slice to Luna.

"This is for our little queen," she said, handing the plate to Luna.

The three of us sat together, enjoying the pizza with laughter filling the room. Riana occasionally glanced at me, who seemed more relaxed than usual. There was something in her gaze that made me curious, but I chose not to ask, at least not yet.

After the pizza was gone and Luna wiped her mouth with satisfaction, Riana asked Luna to help clean up the table. "Luna, let's help Mom clean up for a bit, okay?"

Luna nodded obediently, carefully picking up the empty plates and glasses. I stood up to help, but Riana gently stopped me. "Andra, wait a moment. I want to talk to you about something."

I nodded, and Riana led me to the porch. My heart was pounding, trying to guess what Riana was going to say. I watched Riana sit on the porch chair in front of me, her face serious but still warm.

"Andra," Riana began, her voice soft but firm.

"I've been watching you all this time. You've been very good to Luna, taking care of her selflessly. I know this isn't your responsibility, but you've done it wholeheartedly."

I nodded slowly, trying to calm myself.

"I just want the best for Luna, Riana. She's like my own little sister."

Riana smiled, her eyes shining.

"That's what makes me even more sure. Andra, I want us to talk about something more serious. About our relationship, about the future."

I looked at Riana, trying to understand her meaning.

"What do you mean?"

Riana took a deep breath before continuing.

"I feel like we've been through a lot together. You've become an important part of our lives. I want us to consider taking a bigger step. Maybe... a more serious relationship."

I was silent for a moment, a little surprised, digesting Riana's words. My heart was racing, but there was also fear. Because I still couldn't commit to a relationship with someone. I was afraid the same thing would happen again. Especially since Luna loved me so much. A moment I had feared had now arrived.

"Riana," I finally spoke softly but with conviction.

"I feel the same way. But I'm sorry, I can't rush into this. Let's take it slow, maybe get to know each other better first."

Riana's face, which had been bright, dimmed at my explanation.

"Alright, I'm sorry if this is too much for you," Riana said, lowering her head.

"It's not too much, Riana. I just need time."

"Time? Time for what?" Riana asked seriously.

All this time, I had only shared my life and love stories with Luna. So, I was confused about where to start explaining to Riana. It took me a while to respond.

"Okay, maybe this isn't the right time to talk about this. I'm sorry, Andra," Riana said without looking at me. And she seemed about to leave.

"Riana?" My call stopped her.

"I'm the one who should apologize. Maybe I wasn't clear enough about this."

Riana looked at me with hope.

"I do love you, since the day we met," I confessed to her. Riana just sighed, surprised by my words.