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"I can treat her so much better than that poor excuse of a boyfriend she has..." Mizi said aloud, a heavy sigh coming from her right side.
"If this is about Sua and that new transfer student dating, just confess. I beg of you. You've been talking about it non-stop for weeks."
Mizi's eyes widen in fear as her neck snaps to her childhood best friend, Till, the white-haired handsome emo of the school. At least, that's how many remembered him as. Mizi thought of Sua's smile, her quiet yet bubbly personality with her when they were together alone. Or when they often would share great eye-contact across the classroom, and Mizi couldn't help but make Sua giggle while putting on faces just to hear that glorious sound.
But then she suddenly remembers the glare she gives to that male...
She quickly shook her head in denial.
"Are you kidding me, Till?!" Mizi waved her hands in the air, noting how crazy she looked, "Her and that stupid, dumb, good-for-nothing, suspiciously-similar-looking friend of hers is dating her! If I..."
Mizi sighed, grabbing her books and hurling them into her bag without a care, "If I were to confess... It would just be awkward between me and her! I thought that... we shared something but it's clear that I was wrong." The pink-haired girl's gaze wondered off, opting to look outside the window as her friend groaned from the sight of her.
He couldn't stand how pitiful she looked. Like an injured puppy left on the side of a road.
"Come on," Till stood while slinging his bag on his back, stepping towards the classroom exit. He glanced over and saw Mizi's eyebrow quirk in confusion, looking for an answer.
After a minute of silence, Till gritted his teeth, "Come on, loser."
...
The setting is a quiet park bench after school. Mizi sits with her knees pulled up to her chest, staring at the ancient pavement as Till leans back beside her, sipping from a can of coke. The sun is setting, casting an orange glow over their faces.
“It’s not fair. I was finally ready to tell her, you know? And then he shows up, and now she’s in his embrace. It’s like the universe just wants me to suffer.”
Till scoffed at her words, noticing the dramatic shift in her eyes as if she's been stabbed in the heart.
“Or maybe the universe is just dramatic, like you.” He takes another sip, glancing at her sideways. “You sure they’re actually together? Could be a coincidence. She is the president of the student council, she could be showing him around—” his reasoning falls upon deaf ears.
“Oh, come on, Till. He’s always with her. He pulls her away from people, he talks to her like she’s a little kid, and yesterday, I swear, he grabbed her wrist when she tried to walk away. If that’s not a toxic boyfriend, I don’t know what is.”
Till hums thoughtfully, swirling his soda can.
“Okay, but hear me out. What if it’s not that deep? Maybe he’s just protective.”
“That’s the same thing as controlling.”
“Not necessarily.” He stretches his arms above his head. “You could just ask Sua directly instead of whining here like a sad puppy.” Till said, jokingly, however his joke made Mizi furrow her eyebrows.
“Yeah, right. ‘Hey, Sua, is your boyfriend a jerk, or am I just projecting my own feelings?’ That’ll go over great.”
Till snorts. “I mean, I’d word it better, but yeah.”
Mizi groans, burying her face in her arms, “I just… I don’t get it. Why him? I thought maybe… maybe that we had something special."
Till is quiet for a moment. Then, he nudges her shoulder lightly.
“Hey. Just because she’s with someone now doesn’t mean your feelings weren’t real. And it doesn’t mean she wouldn’t have liked you. But you won’t know anything unless you talk to her. Otherwise, you’re just torturing yourself for no reason.”
Mizi looks up at the sky, feeling the weight in her chest settle a little. She doesn’t like it, but Till’s probably right. She might have to tell Sua herself what her thoughts are on her new boyfriend and her feelings! And if Sua rejects her advances, she will have to suck up her pride and leave her alone!
...
The student council room was empty except for Sua and Ivan. Papers were stacked neatly on the desk, and a faint breeze from the open window rustled the edges. Sua sat in her usual seat, flipping through a schedule, while Ivan leaned against the wall, arms crossed but his face scrunched in annoyance.
“She’s been acting weird.” Ivan declared out of nowhere but Sua didn’t look up from her papers. “Who?”
“That girl. The one with the long pink hair. The one you keep staring at in class like a lovesick idiot for a couple of weeks.”
Sua nearly dropped the folder in her hands, a blush forming on her face. “I do not—”
“Oh, you so do.” He smirked. “Mizi, right? She barely looks at you these days. Avoids eye contact. And when she does look at you, she either looks frustrated or miserable. What did you do?”
Sua sighed, rubbing her temples. “I don’t know. I thought maybe she was just busy, but... It’s been happening ever since you got here.”
Ivan raised an eyebrow. “So, what, you think I did something?”
Sua hesitated. “It’s just—there’s been rumors.”
Ivan groaned, already knowing where this was going. “Let me guess. People think we’re dating.”
Sua nodded. “I didn’t think it mattered at first. I mean, who cares what people say? But... Mizi really changed after those rumors started. She used to talk to me all the time, but now she barely says two words when we’re in class.”
Ivan studied her for a moment before sighing. “Okay, first of all, ew.” He shuddered dramatically. “Second, this is what happens when you don’t clear things up. You should probably tell people we’re siblings before your weird little crush has a full breakdown.”
Sua rolled her eyes. “It’s not a weird little crush.”
“Yeah? Then why do you look at her like a sad kitten every time she ignores you?”
Sua groaned, dropping her head onto the desk. “I don’t know how to bring it up! I mean, ‘Hey, Mizi, funny story—everyone thinks I’m dating my brother. Anyway, why are you ignoring me?’ That’s not exactly an easy conversation to have.”
Ivan shrugged. “Would still be less awkward than whatever this is.” He stretched, walking toward the door. “Look, just talk to her before she does something dumb. Like confronting me.” He snorted. “She already looks at me like she wants to fight.”
Sua sighed, drumming her fingers against the desk.
She hated this distance between her and Mizi. And if Ivan was right—if this was really about her—then maybe it wasn’t too late to fix it.
She just had to figure out how. How would she approach Mizi of all people, who clearly didn't want to be in the presence such as herself? Trap her? Corner her?
It'd be her own words from there.
...
The art room smelled like paint and paper, the low hum of chatter filling the space as students worked on their sketches. Sunlight streamed through the large windows, casting soft shadows over the wooden tables.
Till was seated near the back, absentmindedly dragging his pencil over his sketchbook. He wasn’t really focused—his mind was still on Mizi’s situation, wondering if she’d finally break and just talk to Sua already.
A shadow fell over his desk.
"You’re Till, right?"
He looked up. Ivan stood there, hands stuffed in his pockets, expression unreadable.
"Depends. Who’s asking?"
"I am." Ivan pulled out the chair beside him and sat down like he owned the place. "You’re friends with Mizi."
Till’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Why do you care? And since when do you do after-school art lesson?"
"She’s been acting weird around Sua." Ivan merely stated, ignoring Till's comment.
The pencil in Till’s hand twitched. He glanced at Ivan carefully, as if trying to read something beyond his casual tone. "Weird how?"
"Avoiding her. Glaring at me. Looking like she wants to throw herself off a cliff every time she sees us together." Ivan tilted his head, confusing painting his expression. "I’m just wondering if something happened."
Till exhaled slowly, tapping his pencil against the desk. "You seriously don’t know?"
Ivan raised an eyebrow. "Should I?"
Till gave a dry laugh. "Wow. Either you’re playing dumb, or you’re really oblivious." He leaned in slightly. "Mizi likes Sua."
There was a pause.
Ivan blinked. "Okay. And?"
Till waited for some kind of reaction—annoyance, smugness, something. But Ivan just stared at him, completely unfazed.
"And," Till continued, "she thinks you and Sua are dating."
Ivan stared. "...Oh. That’s what this is about?"
"What else would it be?"
Ivan let out a sharp breath, dragging a hand down his face. "That’s so stupid."
Till shrugged. "Well, maybe if you didn’t act like some possessive boyfriend, people wouldn’t get the wrong idea."
Ivan groaned. "That’s just how I am. I’m not trying to be weird, I just—" He waved a hand dismissively. "Whatever. The point is, we’re not dating."
Till crossed his arms. "Yeah? Then what are you?"
Ivan looked at him for a moment. Then, as the bell rang, signaling the end of class, he grabbed his bag and stood.
"Siblings."
Till froze. "...What."
Ivan gave a lazy wave as he headed for the door. "You heard me."
Till sat there, mouth slightly agape, still gripping his pencil.
"No. No, wait. Hold on—"
But Ivan was already gone, leaving Till sitting there in pure, absolute shock.
Till practically shoved his sketchbook into his bag, nearly knocking over a cup of paint water in the process. He sprinted out of the art room, scanning the hallway until he spotted Ivan standing near the lockers, leaning casually against the wall like he’d been expecting this.
Till skidded to a stop in front of him, chest rising and falling. "Okay. No. You don’t just drop that and walk away."
Ivan smirked. "Figured you’d come running."
"Damn right I did." Till jabbed a finger at his chest. "You’re telling me you and Sua are siblings? As in, not dating, not a couple, not some emotionally unavailable rich-boy romance drama—actual, real, share-the-same-parents siblings?"
Ivan gave a slow, deliberate nod. "Yep."
Till’s brain felt like it was short-circuiting. "Then why the hell didn’t either of you say anything?"
"Didn’t think we had to," Ivan said with a shrug. "Sua and I are completely opposites. She didn’t exactly announce to the school that her brother was transferring, and I didn’t bother correcting the rumors because I don’t care."
"Oh, you should’ve cared." Till ran a hand through his hair. "Do you even know what you’ve done? Mizi’s been losing her mind over this! She thought she had no chance with Sua because of you!"
Ivan frowned slightly. "She really thought that?"
Till threw his hands in the air. "Yes! Why do you think she’s been acting weird? The second you showed up, she thought Sua was taken and that you were some overprotective, controlling boyfriend."
Ivan rolled his eyes. "I’m not controlling."
"Dude. You drag Sua around the school, you give her serious older brother attitude, and you grabbed her wrist the other day."
Ivan blinked. "She was about to leave me with a teacher I didn’t know. I wasn’t holding her hostage."
"Doesn’t matter! You look like a terrible boyfriend!"
Ivan sighed, rubbing his temples. "Great. Love that for me."
Till groaned, pressing his hands together like he was praying for patience. "Okay. Fine. You’re not the villain. But now I need to fix this before Mizi does something dumb."
Ivan tilted his head. "Like what?"
Till glanced around, his gut twisting. He hadn’t seen Mizi since his after-school class ended. "Like running off to tell Sua exactly what she thinks of you."
Ivan blinked. "Oh."
"Yeah. Oh."
Till didn’t waste another second. He spun on his heel and took off down the hall.
He had a feeling he already knew where she was.
//////
The student council room was empty, the setting sun casting a golden glow through the windows. Papers were neatly stacked on Sua’s desk, the only sound in the room coming from the faint ticking of the clock on the wall.
Sua stood near the window, arms crossed, shifting her weight slightly as she waited. Mizi had asked to talk—after weeks of avoidance, stolen glances, and distant silence, she was finally here.
And yet, something about the way Mizi closed the door behind her—sharp, tense—made the air feel charged, like a storm about to break.
Mizi’s stance was stiff, her hands clenched at her sides, her expression torn between frustration and something deeper. When she finally met Sua’s eyes, there was an intensity there that made Sua’s breath hitch.
"So," Sua said gently, "you’re finally talking to me again."
Mizi exhaled sharply, running a hand through her pink locks. "Yeah. I am. And you know what? Maybe I shouldn’t be."
Sua blinked. "What?"
Mizi took a step forward, frustration lacing her tone. "I mean, what’s even the point? You’ve got him now. Your boyfriend. Your perfect, overbearing, controlling boyfriend.” She spat the word like it was poison, like she was mocking Sua's choice of partners.
Sua’s lips parted slightly, startled by the sharpness of her tone. "Mizi, what are you talking about—"
"I’m talking about how he treats you!" Mizi nearly shouted, her hands moving wildly as she paced the room. "He pulls you away from people like you can’t make decisions for yourself! He talks to you like you’re some fragile little thing, like you’re insignificant!”
Sua’s breath caught in her throat. The sheer bluntness of Mizi’s words made heat creep up her neck. "I—"
Mizi wasn’t finished.
"And the worst part? You let him!" She spun back around, eyes burning with emotion, resentment. "You let him act like you belong to him, and it’s driving me insane because—because you don’t see what I see!"
Sua felt her cheeks grow impossibly hot.
"I—Mizi, you’re not making sense—"
"No, you don’t get it!" Mizi ran a hand through her hair again, looking almost wild with frustration. "It makes me sick watching him act like you’re his. Because you’re not. And if you think for one second that he’s the best you can get, then you’re wrong, because you deserve so much better."
Sua swallowed hard, her pulse quickening. She had never seen Mizi like this before—so raw, so unfiltered. This had gone against everything she thought of Mizi before-hand and she enjoyed it. She enjoyed this side of Mizi.
Mizi let out a shaky laugh, voice thick with annoyance. "You deserve someone who actually listens to you. Someone who cares about what you want. Someone who doesn’t treat you like you’re just—just some girl that needs saving or controlling or—"
Sua’s entire face was burning now.
Mizi clenched her fists. "You deserve me."
Sua felt her heart stop.
Mizi was pacing again, lost in her own emotions. "I’d be a way better girlfriend." She let out a sharp breath. "At least I actually care about what you want. At least I wouldn’t treat you like—like you’re just some prize—"
Sua’s hands gripped the edge of her desk, her face impossibly warm. "Mizi, I—"
"I like you, Sua!" Mizi blurted, her voice cracking. "I’ve liked you for so long, and I was going to tell you, but then he showed up and ruined everything, and it’s just not fair—"
Sua didn’t even think. She closed the distance between them in an instant and kissed her.
Mizi froze.
The world tilted as Sua’s lips pressed firmly against hers, the heat between them melting away every word Mizi was about to say. The frustration, the confusion, the storm inside her—it all came to a crashing halt.
When Sua pulled away, her face was still inches from Mizi’s, her breath uneven. Her lips were parted like she was searching for the right words, but all that came out was—
"Ivan’s my brother."
Mizi’s mind went blank.
She stared, her breath still caught somewhere in her throat.
"...What."
Mizi stared, frozen in place. Her brain felt like it had short-circuited, like she had misheard or somehow hallucinated those words.
"What," she repeated, slower this time, voice barely above a whisper.
Sua, still impossibly close, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her cheeks still flushed from—oh my god, the kiss.
"Ivan. He’s my brother," she said again, softer now.
Mizi’s mouth opened. Closed. Opened again. "No, he’s—he’s not. H-he can’t be." She let out a breathy, disbelieving laugh. "You’re dating him. Everyone says so. I saw how–"
Sua sighed, shaking her head. "We’re not dating, Mizi. He’s just... like that." She rubbed the bridge of her nose. "He transferred here because of family stuff, and I’ve been showing him around. That’s it."
Mizi took a step back, hands in her hair, completely overwhelmed.
"So let me get this straight," she said slowly, voice almost shaky. "I spent weeks thinking you were dating some possessive, controlling jerk, getting heartbroken over it, losing my mind over it..and the entire time, he was just your brother?"
Sua bit her lip, nodding.
Mizi groaned, dragging her hands down her face. "Oh my god."
Sua reached for her hesitantly. "Mizi—"
"I just confessed my feelings because I thought your boyfriend was awful, but he’s not even your boyfriend. He’s just some annoying older brother." Mizi let out a dry laugh, staring at the ceiling. "This is insane. I’m insane."
Sua couldn’t help it—she laughed, a quiet, breathless sound. "You’re not insane."
Mizi dropped her hands from her face and looked at her. "I just ranted for like five minutes about how I’d be a better girlfriend for you, Sua."
Sua smiled, and Mizi felt her stomach flip.
"And you know what?" Sua said, tilting her head. "I think you might be right."
Mizi blinked. "What."
Sua took a step closer again, the warmth between them returning in an instant. "You really think I didn’t notice? The way you always looked at me, how you’d always wait just a little longer after class to walk with me?" She gave her a knowing look. "I was hoping you’d confess, you know."
Mizi’s breath hitched. "You—you were?"
Sua nodded. "And honestly? That was the most dramatic, chaotic confession I could’ve ever imagined. But it was very you."
Mizi covered her face with both hands. "I cannot believe this."
Sua giggled, gently pulling Mizi’s hands away. "So… do you want to take back what you said? About wanting to be a better girlfriend?"
Mizi’s face burned. "No."
Sua smiled. "Good."
And this time, when she leaned in, Mizi met her halfway with Sua feeling an intense yet comfortable grip upon her hips.
"Don't get too—" Sua started, her words not fully said when Mizi couldn't help but ravish her lips once more, "Confident. What if someone knocks?" Sua questions, her tone laced with a hint of her teasing nature. She wrapped her arms around Mizi's neck as the stronger girl laid her on the desk.
"I couldn't care less if someone knocks. They'll have to wait until I'm finished."
...
--Till’s Unfortunate Timing--
Till raced through the hallway, nearly knocking over a first-year student in his rush. He didn’t care—Mizi was about to make a huge mistake, and he had to stop her before she said something she’d regret.
As he skidded to a stop in front of the student council room, he let out a breath, straightened his blazer, and raised a fist to knock.
Then—he heard it.
A quiet, unmistakable sound.
Soft, breathy. A little hum of pleasure. Then a pause. Then… another. It went on for a while.
Till’s entire body went stiff. His brain, for the first time in his life, refused to process what was happening.
He took a slow step back.
Then another.
His face was on fire.
He didn’t need to knock. Didn’t need to interrupt. Didn’t need to see anything.
Mizi had clearly figured out the truth in her own… way.
Just as he turned around, still completely flustered, he spotted Ivan leaning casually against the lockers down the hall, arms crossed, watching him with an all-too-amused smirk.
"Something wrong?" Ivan drawled.
Till stared at him, wide-eyed, still reeling.
"Nope. Nope. Nothing at all." He forced a strained laugh, his voice a pitch too high. "Just, uh—just realized I have literally anywhere else to be."
Ivan arched an eyebrow. "That bad, huh?"
Till didn’t answer. Just spun on his heel and walked—no, power walked—down the hall, ears burning, refusing to think too hard about what he had almost walked into.
Behind him, Ivan let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. "Called it."
___________
Poor Till. He didn't have to hear that.