"YO! It's lunch break. Hurry up and wake up!"
I wearily lifted my head off my desk. I tried to take in my surroundings, but my eyelids were heavy, making everything blur together.
"Where are you looking at? We're right here!"
A loud voice boomed from my left. It took a second for my brain to register that I was being addressed. I turned and saw two blurry figures standing beside me. After rubbing my eyes a few times, they resolved into Yu and Luna, both staring at me with concern.
"Are you alright? You look tired as hell," Luna said. "Did you sleep late again yesterday?"
I groggily shook my head and forced on the best smile I could manage. "Actually, I slept right after I finished dinner."
Yu scoffed. "So what I'm hearing is, you're actually more productive with less sleep. Heh, that makes sense…"
I let out a small chuckle and tried standing up. My body staggered, forcing me to plant my hands on the desk to keep me from flopping over. I tried to push myself upright again, but the strength never came to my arms.
"Okay, can't lie… I'm tired as shit," I admitted. "I thought getting a good eight hours for once would do me a solid—I'm never doing that ever again."
Yu sighed before slinging my arm over his shoulder and supporting me up. Wow… what a nice guy! That's what I would've thought, if not for one problem. He's way taller than me. Even when he tried to support me, my feet dangled several inches above the floor.
Luna, watching this whole disaster unfold, completely lost it. Her loud howling, combined with the strain of being suspended mid-air, finally snapped me out of my drowsiness.
"Hey," I said. "You can let me go now."
Yu looked at me with a face that asked, "Are you sure?"
Listen, I'm thankful for your help, but being in this position is embarrassing.
I gave him a quick nod. He gently crouched down until my feet were planted on the ground again, then stood back up.
Luna finally managed to calm down. Through wheezes, she asked, "So… what do you wanna do for lunch today?"
"I don't know. I'm fine with anything," Yu responded casually before turning to me. "What about you, Hoshi–"
"I don't care," I said flatly before he could finish.
Yu shrugged. "Well, you heard him. Your call, Luna."
While they debated, I found my gaze drifting to Mei in the corner of my eye—probably because I'd ran into her yesterday. I knew I should mind my own business, but she was still my friend.
Mei usually ate lunch in class with a few of her friends—but today, she was at the front of the room, having a one-on-one talk with the teacher. My ears automatically honed in on it, fragments of their conversation reaching me.
"Can—set—chairs—"
Mei nodded. "Course—many—"
"—lot—"
Mei gave the teacher a reassuring smile, holding her wrist in a friendly gesture. The teacher gave her one last set of instructions before she bowed and left the room.
I glanced at her desk. It was lunch, and yet the surface of it was completely spotless. My brow twitched as I took in a sharp breath.
…This is why I hate nice people.
"So, that's what we are going to do! You in, Hoshino?" Yu asked.
I turned my attention back to the two of them and dismissively shook my head. "Sorry, guys, I have something to do right now. I'll join you shortly, though—probably."
Yu and Luna exchanged a look before giving me an understanding smile.
"Well, you do you," he said, smacking my shoulder. "We will be outside if you need us."
"Just call me if you get lost," Luna added with a carefree high five.
They didn't ask me any questions, just got up and left cheerfully. The moment they were gone, I headed for the teacher's desk. The teacher was currently preoccupied, his fingers quickly typing on the keyboard of his laptop. I put on a pleasant—yet light—smile, then cleared my throat, catching his attention.
The teacher lifted his gaze from the laptop screen and toward me as he asked, "Hm? Do you need something, Hoshino?"
"Oh, I noticed that you sent Mei off to her usual teacher helping duties," I said lightheartedly. "I was just feeling like a good student and wanted to lend a helping hand."
The teacher laughed. "Haha! I see what you mean. Those bursts of motivation do come at the strangest times, don't they? Well, if you insist, I won't stop you. Just head to the student council room. They'll tell you what to do."
"Okay. Thank you for trusting me," I said with a small bow.
The teacher shook his head merrily. "Don't be so overdramatic. Good luck out there, and thank you for helping!"
I gave the teacher a firm nod as I exited the class. The problem was, I didn't actually know where the student council room was—so I aimlessly walked the halls.
You know, I could finally use a stroke of luck after everything that's happened. The moment I thought that, as I turned the corner, I found two large wooden doors at the end of the hall. On the very top of these doors was a golden plaque that labelled this room as the student council.
I stared in disbelief. Well… shit! Guess luck does exist after all!
I walked up, grabbed the handles, and pushed the doors open. The room carried a dusty, yet classy scent. Inside were two people.
One was clearly the student council president, seated at an overly prestigious desk in the center of the room. I'd recognize that setup anywhere. The entire room looked like a larger version of the principal's office.
Huh, I guess he wasn't kidding when he values student freedom—or something along those lines.
The second person looked all too familiar. She sat at the edge of the room, fiddling with her phone. The moment she made eye contact with me, she shot up from her seat, pushing her desk back.
"Ah! What are you doing here?!" she exclaimed in a painfully loud voice.
It was Lily's best friend, Yuka—or at least that's what I thought her name was. She had short reddish-brown hair that went to the middle of her neck, perfectly matching her personality.
"Wow! I can't believe I'm talking to Lily's Older Brother—alone! It's a dream come true!"
My smile became slightly strained. I can see why they're best friends now—but at the same time… not really.
Before I could reply, a cold, disgusted voice spoke from behind me.
"Yuka… how many times do I have to tell you to stop obsessing over my Brother?"
Yuka let out a tiny, terrified whimper before her bright energy froze. Even the Student Council President shivered in his seat. Lily walked past me without sparing me a glance, stopping directly in front of Yuka.
"Oh... I didn't see you there, Lily…hahaha…." Yuka said nervously.
My sister didn't budge. You have my prayers, Yuka. I closed my eyes and gave her a silent prayer. May God have mercy on your soul.
But I doubted even God could save her now.
When I opened them, I saw a demon grabbing the collar of Yuka's shirt, shaking her violently. Yuka had gone limp, sounds of defeat leaking from her mouth.
Eventually, Lily let go. Yuka's body slumped lifelessly onto a desk, but Lily didn't pay her any mind and turned her attention toward me. "So, what business do you have with the student council, Brother?"
Seeing Lily acting professionally was… strange. But, if my little sister was doing her best, I guess it's my job as her Older Brother to help her out.
"Why are you talking so weirdly?" I asked. "You don't talk like this at home. Actually, you're more like–"
"Oh, shut up!"
Lily lunged at me, hand outstretched in an attempt to cover my mouth. I waited for the right moment before I stepped aside and jabbed her on the ribs. She lurched back with an undignified yelp.
I couldn't help but laugh obnoxiously at her. Lily bit her trembling lips, her face turning a bright pink as she clutched her side.
"Y-you… what's wrong with–"
"Enough, children," The President, Sora, interrupted. He sat with his hands folded, his glasses reflecting a pure white light that hid his expression. "Let's conduct ourselves as fitting students of this–"
"Don't butt into the business I have with my Brother," Lily commanded, her tone as harsh as the arctic winds. "Know your place, four-eyes—and stop doing that goofy anime shit. It's cringe."
I felt my breath hitch in my lungs. The sheer audacity was impressive. Who the hell taught you that?
The Student Council President shrank back into his seat. I honestly felt bad for him. He's worked hard to become one of the highest-ranking students in the school, and yet he's outmatched by a little sister.
I guess being the little sibling has its perks.
Lily sighed, her usually playful nature returning. "Sorry, please ignore him. Sora is an only child, so he doesn't know how this sibling stuff works."
I shrugged. "It's fine. I guess it means he's missing out, kind of—not really."
Sora buried his face in his arms as the slander continued right in front of him.
"Anyway," Lily continued, "What do you want? I know you're not here to make fun of me; you try avoiding me at school."
"Don't try to make me look bad in front of your friends," I shot back. "You know it's not that simple."
Lily giggled softly. I rolled my eyes.
"Anyway, back to the point," I said. "I'm here because my teacher said you needed help with something."
Lily stared at me with wide eyes—then she burst out laughing. "Haha! Nice joke!" Her laughter continued as if she expected some sort of follow-up line, but it never came. Her laughter slowly died down, her tone becoming just a tad deeper as she realized I was being serious. "…For realsies?"
"I wouldn't even be here if I weren't," I replied casually.
She blinked a few times before awkwardly scratching the back of her head. "Uh, well, we are preparing for the sports day, and the school wants to hold an assembly to announce it. So you can help set up the chairs in the auditorium."
"K. See you later then."
I turned around and began walking away. As I did, Lily called out from behind me. "Do you even know where it is?"
"Nope."
Lily scoffed, then gave me a small set of instructions on how to get there. I replied with a single wave.
The walk to the auditorium was short. I expected a crowd of helpers, given the sheer size of the room and the importance of the event. When I opened the auditorium doors, there was only one person. Mei.
Holy shit… You gotta be kidding me!