Turn Over a New Leaf

The morning sunlight spilled across my room in long golden lines.

“Good morning, So-chan!”

Nee-san shook me violently by the shoulders.

“…Fifty more minutes,” I muttered in a half-dead voice, burying my face deeper into the pillow.

“You’re going to be late!” she shouted. “It would be unbecoming for the little brother of the Student Council President to oversleep!”

Before I could respond, she grabbed my blanket and yanked.

“AH— WAIT—”

I rolled straight off the bed and crashed onto the floor.

Damn this monster.

She’s way too strong.

Nee-san crossed her arms proudly above me.

“Aren’t you happy being woken up by a beautiful girl like me?”

“…Ah. I see.”

I rubbed my eyes slowly, still trying to reconnect my soul to my body.

“Now hurry up and make breakfast!” she ordered dramatically.

“Why don’t you cook yourself?” I asked while standing up.

“You cook better.”

“That strategy isn’t going to work on me.”

“Pleaaaaase?”

“…Ugh.”

And just like that—

I lost.

The house still carried the quiet chill of early spring as I made my way downstairs.

Morning sunlight filtered gently through the kitchen windows, warming the wooden floorboards.

Nee-san prepared the coffee while I handled breakfast.

“Black?” she asked.

“As usual. And this time, don’t put sugar in it.”

“Okaaaay~”

The smell of frying bacon and eggs slowly filled the kitchen alongside the sharp scent of freshly brewed coffee.

Honestly, it was impressive.

For someone so perfect everywhere else, Nee-san was unbelievably terrible at cooking.

One time, she burned both the eggs and the bacon black and still insisted they “weren’t cooked enough yet.”

I still had emotional scars from that breakfast.

“Here.”

I placed a plate in front of her before taking my own seat and sipping my coffee.

Then I paused.

“…Why is there sugar in this again?”

Nee-san looked away immediately.

“Well, you deserve it! You made me work hard to wake you up!”

I sighed deeply.

“Why are you so unhappy about being woken up by a pretty girl?” she complained.

“…Ah. Okay.”

“That reaction annoys me the most!”

I could practically see the frustration building on her face.

We finished breakfast while trading pointless arguments back and forth.

Normal.

Loud.

Comfortable.

After brushing my teeth, I stood up from the table.

“I’m going upstairs to change into my uniform.”

“I’ll wait for you!” Nee-san said brightly. “Let’s walk together, So-chan!”

I headed upstairs quietly.

For some reason—

I already had a bad feeling about today.

And honestly?

I was probably right.

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I could smell the cherry blossoms long before I reached the school gates.

Spring had fully arrived.

Rows of trees bloomed overhead, overflowing with soft pink petals that drifted gently through the morning breeze.

Beside me walked the Student Council President herself—

Hisame Honoka.

Unfortunately for me, that meant everyone kept staring.

I could already hear the whispers spreading around us.

“Is that her boyfriend?”

“Who’s the guy beside her?”

Just a few minutes ago, she had proudly reminded me—again—that I had already outgrown her in height.

Then one of her friends approached us.

“Good morning, Hisame-san!” the girl greeted cheerfully before glancing toward me. “Is he your boyfriend?”

Nee-san immediately pointed at me with zero hesitation.

“Rikka, does this zombie-looking guy beside me seriously look worthy of being my boyfriend?”

What the hell are you saying?

“This little creature is my younger brother, Shinso.”

That introduction felt unnecessarily disrespectful.

The girl laughed softly before bowing politely.

“I’m Hoshino Rikka, secretary of the Student Council. Nice to meet you, Hisame-kun.”

“Nice to meet you too.”

“But looking closely…” she continued curiously, “you two really do resemble each other.”

“…You’re standing a little too close,” I replied instinctively.

Nee-san burst out laughing beside us.

“Alright, we’re going ahead now, So-chan!” she said while beginning to walk away with Rikka. “Good luck on your first day!”

I gave a small wave as the two of them disappeared into the crowd far faster than I wanted to walk this early in the morning.

At least my classroom should be nearby.

Class 1-A…

As I turned the corner—

I froze.

Red threads.

They appeared again.

Thin crimson lines drifted through the spring air like veins spreading across the world.

And at the center of them—

stood a girl with long red hair.

My heartbeat slammed violently against my chest.

No.

Not again.

The moment I saw her face—

the world twisted.

Breathing became difficult.

Like invisible hands had wrapped around my lungs.

My vision blurred.

I couldn’t move.

Couldn’t think.

Why—

Why does she look like her?

WHY?

The girl noticed me staring.

Her eyes widened slightly as she hurried toward me.

“Are you okay—?”

I never heard the rest.

Beneath the blooming cherry blossoms—

my consciousness faded into darkness.

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I woke up.

For a few seconds, my mind stayed completely blank.

Then—

I remembered.

The girl.

No—

her.

The girl who betrayed me back then.

Cold pressure tightened around my chest.

Impossible.

She shouldn’t be here.

Not now.

Not when things were finally starting to move forward again.

“…Why here?” I muttered weakly.

“Oh, you’re awake, Hisame-kun?”

The school nurse looked relieved as she noticed me sitting up.

“Ah… yes. I’m okay,” I answered quietly. “Thank you for taking care of me.”

“It’s unusual to have a panic attack on the very first day of the semester,” she said gently. “Did something happen?”

“…Nothing serious. I just remembered something unpleasant.”

That was the easiest explanation.

The nurse studied me for a moment before smiling softly.

“Well, your sister was here earlier making a scene, so I think you’re lucky someone cares that much.” She laughed lightly. “You already missed the opening ceremony, but if you hurry, you can still make it for introductions.”

“…I see.”

As I left the infirmary, my heartbeat still refused to settle completely.

Step by step, I forced my breathing into rhythm.

Count slowly.

One.

Two.

Three.

Control it.

By the time I reached the classroom door, I had mostly regained composure.

Then I opened it.

And there she was.

Red hair.

The same face.

The same eyes.

The moment our gazes met, my pulse spiked again.

“Ah!”

The girl immediately stood from her seat.

“How are you feeling right now?” she asked with genuine concern.

“…I’m okay. Thank you for helping me earlier.”

I couldn’t properly look at her face.

Every instinct in my body resisted it.

“Something wrong?” she asked curiously. “Why won’t you look at me?”

Because you look like a ghost dragged out of my past.

“…Nothing.”

She tilted her head slightly before smiling.

“I’m Asahina Serisu.”

Her voice was bright.

Too bright.

“And you are?”

“…Hisame Shinso.”

“Oh!” Her expression lit up slightly. “Your surname sounds familiar.”

I steadied my breathing again.

“It’s probably more common than you think.”

“That’s kind of cryptic,” she laughed softly. “Anyway, please take care of me, Hisame-kun.”

She bowed politely before returning to her seat.

I quietly moved toward one near the back of the classroom.

Dangerous.

That was the only word repeating inside my head.

I didn’t know why fate decided to throw someone like her in front of me now—

but I needed to stay away from her.

At all costs.

“Quiet down, everyone!”

The homeroom teacher entered energetically.

“I’m Tanigawa Kunoichi, your homeroom teacher!”

…Is she literally named after a ninja?

The class introductions began one after another.

I barely listened.

“Hisame Shinso.”

“…Yes.”

I stood slowly.

“My hobbies are music and games. Nothing particularly interesting.”

A few students laughed awkwardly.

“Oh!” Tanigawa-sensei suddenly smiled. “You’re Hisame Honoka’s younger brother! I’m expecting great things from you.”

Oh no.

Absolutely not.

At the edge of my vision—

I saw Asahina Serisu quietly nodding to herself.

Then her turn came.

“Asahina Serisu!”

“Yes!” she answered brightly as she stood. “My real name is actually Cerys, but I use the Japanese pronunciation since I’m half Swedish.”

The class immediately became interested.

“I like sweet things, and I hope we can all get along!”

Her smile was warm.

Open.

Genuine.

And somehow—

that only made me more uneasy.

As introductions continued around the classroom, one thought stayed lodged deep inside my chest.

Following my sister into this school…

might have been the worst decision I’ve made yet.

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The lunch bell echoed through the classroom.

As everyone began moving around noisily, I stayed at my desk, unwrapping my bread in silence.

“U-um… Hisame-kun.”

I looked up.

Asahina-san stood beside my desk, lightly fidgeting with her sleeves.

“I remembered now,” she said. “You were the second placer on the entrance exam, right?”

“…Yeah. That’s me, I guess.”

An awkward silence settled between us.

She kept looking at me like she wanted to continue the conversation but couldn’t find the words.

“…Am I bothering you?” she asked hesitantly. “Sorry. I’m still not very used to Japanese culture yet.”

“You’re not bothering me.”

I let out a small breath before continuing.

“And about earlier… thanks for helping me.”

Her shoulders relaxed slightly.

“Oh. Then… you’re welcome.”

She smiled softly before returning to her seat.

The moment she left—

someone suddenly slid into the chair beside mine.

“Hey, hey, hey. Why were you acting so cold toward Asahina-san?”

I looked sideways.

A loud-looking guy with sharp eyes and an unnecessarily friendly grin leaned toward me.

“She’s probably the prettiest girl in class if you think about it.”

“…Who are you again?”

The guy stared at me in disbelief.

“You serious? Are you an airhead or something? I’m Takagi Kouhei.”

“Ah. Okay.”

“…That’s it?”

“What else am I supposed to say?”

Takagi looked personally offended by my existence.

“Anyway,” he continued dramatically, “I just wanted to know what happened earlier. You literally collapsed on the first day.”

“Nothing much.”

“…That answer sounds suspicious.”

“It’s still the answer.”

Before Takagi could continue interrogating me—

a voice suddenly called from the classroom door.

“Hisame-kun, the Student Council President is looking for you.”

The moment I stepped outside—

“So-chan!”

Nee-san immediately grabbed my shoulders.

“Are you okay? How are you feeling? You seriously worried me!”

Her expression looked genuinely pale.

“I’m fine,” I answered. “I’m not that weak.”

“Says the person I had to drag out of bed this morning.”

“…I don’t think that’s something a Student Council President should announce publicly.”

“Uh.”

She instantly straightened her posture after noticing the nearby students staring.

“…Anyway,” she continued in a quieter voice, “if you start feeling unwell again, tell me immediately, okay?”

“You worry too much.”

“Promise me.”

“…Yeah, yeah. I promise.”

Only after hearing that did she finally calm down enough to leave.

“You better get going now, Kaichou-sama,” I told her.

She narrowed her eyes at me before walking away with forced dignity.

The moment she disappeared down the hallway—

Takagi suddenly appeared beside me again like an annoying spirit.

“You’re actually related to Hisame Honoka-sama?!”

“…What’s with the ‘-sama’?”

“She’s insanely popular, man. Top-tier beauty. Perfect grades. Student Council President. Basically untouchable.”

“…Right.”

“And honestly,” he continued while glancing toward the classroom, “the only person who might rival her is probably Asahina-chan.”

“I don’t really care about rankings like that.”

Takagi stared at me.

“How are you related to Honoka-sama and still this emotionally dead?”

“Look,” I sighed tiredly, “I genuinely do not care who’s the prettiest, cutest, coolest, or whatever else. I just want to eat lunch peacefully.”

“Man, you’re cold.”

“And you’re persistent.”

He laughed loudly instead of getting offended.

Annoying.

But probably not a bad person.

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Why the hell was the girl I wanted to avoid sitting behind me?

We drew lots for the seating arrangement earlier.

And honestly—

I thought I had won.

Window seat.

Second row from the back.

The classic protagonist seat from every anime I used to watch.

Quiet.

Convenient.

Far enough from attention.

Perfect.

Or at least it would’ve been perfect—

if Asahina Serisu wasn’t sitting directly behind me.

She looked strangely enthusiastic about it too.

Was she competing with me or something?

“Hisame-kun,” she said cheerfully, leaning slightly forward, “I’m glad we ended up as neighbors.”

This is exhausting.

“…Same here,” I answered automatically.

“I forgot to tell you earlier,” she continued brightly, “I’m the one who beat you.”

“…Beat me in what?”

“The entrance exam.”

“Oh.”

I paused.

“…Congratulations, I guess?”

She blinked at me.

“Why aren’t you more competitive?”

“Because being top one sounds annoying.”

“Huh?”

“You have to give speeches. People start expecting things from you. Sounds bothersome.”

“That’s such bad manners!”

“Does it really matter?”

I glanced back at her slightly.

“And why are you getting so fired up about this?”

Serisu suddenly paused like she was trying to organize her thoughts properly.

Then—

“I just think you’re interesting.”

…Does this girl have a loose screw somewhere?

Out of every person in class—

she somehow picked the most emotionally dead one.

“Should I take that as a compliment?”

“Yes!” she answered immediately. “You should!”

“…Okay. Thank you.”

“You’re being sarcastic again.”

“I’m really not.”

“Come on,” she insisted, “get a little fired up for once. It’ll be fun.”

“What exactly am I supposed to get fired up about?”

“I don’t know yet.”

“…See?”

That finally made her go quiet for a moment.

She crossed her arms slightly, genuinely thinking about it.

I stared forward toward the classroom windows.

Good.

Maybe now she understood I wasn’t someone worth paying attention to.

After a few seconds, I spoke again.

“…I think it’s better if you don’t talk to me too much.”

“…Why?”

Because you make my chest tighten like I’m reliving something I buried.

Instead, I answered simply—

“You’re starting to annoy me.”

For the first time since meeting her—

Serisu fell completely silent.

“…Oh.”

Her voice came out smaller than before.

“…Sorry.”

The energy around her faded noticeably after that.

And finally—

the classroom became quiet again.

I leaned against the window slightly, listening to the distant sound of students talking outside.

…I think this is the peace I wanted.

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As classes finally ended for the day, I packed my things quietly.

Then—

I noticed Nee-san standing near the classroom entrance.

“…Nee-san?”

That surprised me.

For the first time ever, she had actually left Student Council work early.

“Woah. Why are you here?” I asked.

“Well, you collapsed earlier, remember?” she answered casually. “I figured I should be around in case something happened again.”

“Don’t you have Student Council work?”

“I left most of it to Hoshiki, the vice president.”

“…I see.”

That honestly surprised me more than anything else.

I never thought she’d put aside work for my sake.

“…Though,” she added immediately, “I still brought some paperwork home.”

Never mind.

As expected of her.

We started walking home together through the late afternoon streets.

The sky was painted in pale orange as students slowly flooded out of the campus gates.

Then suddenly—

“So-chan,” Nee-san said with a grin, “do you have a crush already?”

“…What?”

“I saw a red-haired girl in your classroom earlier. She’s cute. Isn’t she your type?”

“Why are you being so nosy about my life?” I asked irritably.

“Oho?” Her grin widened. “Why are you getting defensive? Is she actually someone important?”

“Not really.”

That answer came out faster than I intended.

We continued walking side by side.

Then suddenly—

she reached toward my forehead.

“What are you doing?”

“Checking your temperature.”

She pressed the back of her hand against my forehead while comparing it with her own.

“I think you’re fine now,” she murmured.

“Stop doing that in public. It’s embarrassing.”

“Eh? Why?”

She looked genuinely confused.

“You’re my little brother.”

That somehow made it worse.

As we continued down the sidewalk, she suddenly pointed toward a nearby café.

“No coffee for you today.”

“…Why?”

“Because patients should rest.”

“I’m not dying.”

“You fainted on the first day of school. That’s basically the same thing.”

“That logic is terrifying.”

She laughed proudly like she had won the argument.

“…By the way, Nee-san.”

“Hm?”

“I’m thinking about getting a part-time job.”

Her expression immediately changed.

“Why?”

“Well, this school allows it. And I thought maybe I could help lessen the burden on Mom and Dad a little. Especially once you start preparing for college.”

“No.”

Her response came instantly.

“You shouldn’t do that for me.”

The firmness in her voice surprised me.

“If you get a job,” she continued carefully, “do it because you want something. Not because you feel responsible for me.”

The atmosphere suddenly tightened between us.

But honestly—

I really did want to help her somehow.

“I’m still probably getting one,” I admitted.

“Yeah, I figured.”

She sighed dramatically before nudging my shoulder lightly.

“I’m not stopping you. I just don’t want you acting like you have to carry everything.”

“…I know.”

I looked away slightly.

“I also just want to buy something for myself.”

“Oh?” Her eyes brightened instantly. “What is it?”

“A new guitar.”

“…Seriously? Your current one still works perfectly fine.”

“I know. But I saw a really nice one during spring break.”

That immediately revived her energy again.

“Ahhh, so that’s how it is.”

As we kept walking, she suddenly spoke again.

“You should join a club too.”

“No.”

“Come on. Try at least one.”

“It sounds exhausting.”

“You’re exhausting.”

“And I’m supposedly the patient here. Why are you bullying a sick person?”

“Well, idiots don’t get sick.”

“…Could you repeat that?”

She immediately started laughing and sped up her pace before I could retaliate.

The two of us kept bickering all the way home beneath the fading spring sky.

I still didn’t fully understand what was happening to me lately.

But maybe—

Nee-san just seemed brighter today because I’d been feeling drained ever since entering this school.

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“So-chan!” Mom called out the moment we got home.

“I came home right away after Hono-chan told me what happened!”

Before I could answer, she pulled me into a hug and pressed a hand against my forehead.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I replied with a small laugh. “Maybe high school pressure just got to me.”

“Take a rest for now, So-chan. I’ll handle dinner,” Mom said gently.

“Yes, So-chan. Sick idiots need rest,” Nee-san added proudly.

“Hono-chan, you shouldn’t talk like that to your sick brother.”

“But he’s not sick!”

“Just take a rest.”

“…Okay.”

I sat down by the table and scrolled through my phone absentmindedly.

Looks like Takagi already added me to a LINE group.

That was fast.

“Mom,” I called out, “I’m thinking of getting a part-time job for extra income. Is that okay?”

“If you’re feeling better, then where do you plan to apply?” she asked.

“There’s a music store looking for part-timers. I thought I might try there.”

Mom nodded without much hesitation.

I already told her I wanted to buy something myself.

Just like in my previous life—

if you wanted something, you worked for it.

Though back then, it was different.

Working minimum wage just to survive wasn’t exactly living.

“I think I should get one too!” Nee-san suddenly declared.

“You absolutely should not,” Mom immediately shot down. “You already have Student Council duties. Don’t overwork yourself.”

“Yes…” Nee-san slumped dramatically.

Even so, she still had stacks of paperwork spread across the table.

As I watched her sort through everything, I couldn’t help speaking up.

“I think some of that should be delegated, Nee-san.”

“Hm?”

“You’re mixing paperwork from completely different responsibilities,” I pointed out. “At least organize them properly before taking more work home.”

She frowned immediately.

“Why do you care? Sick people shouldn’t worry about my work!”

“At the very least, make it manageable,” I continued. “Half of these aren’t even from the same department.”

“What do you know?” she snapped.

Then she suddenly stood up.

“I’m going to my room!”

She stuck her tongue out at me before stomping upstairs.

…Yeah.

That was definitely my sister at home.

It still felt strange sometimes.

At school, she was the perfect student council president everyone admired.

At home—

she acted like this.

As Mom continued preparing dinner downstairs, I quietly headed back up to my room.

And before I realized it—

I was already worrying about tomorrow.