The handouts that Kaburagi gave me to do tonight was more difficult than I had imagined. I wrapped up my homework first with help from my tutor, and concentrated on doing his handout using my textbook and study guides, but I'm not getting far… I see no end in sight…

"GAHHHH!"

Every tens of minutes, I tear at my hair, every time I feel like screaming.

Unlike normal problem sets, I can't check the answers, so I can't even tell if I got them right! Irritating, not knowing if I even finished it correctly!

I just have to solve what I can, but I'm afraid of Kaburagi thinking that this dumb girl can't even do this much. My pride won't allow it!

How many pages do I have left? Ugh! I'm not even halfway done…

My tutor left long ago, so I might really have to stay up all night! Being pushed, I run to my ultimate weapon. Carrying all my study material, I rush to my Onii-sama who just got back from work. "Onii-sama, help! Please help me study!"

He seemed shocked at my desperation. "Study?"

"Yes. I might have to stay up all night, at this rate…"

As an actress, I express what pain I feel and how troubled I am, and Onii-sama gladly let me in his room. I did it!

"Wait on the sofa. I'll just change." He still had his suit on. Ugh, I'm sorry. I was being selfish… I'll do better.

"I'm sorry, Onii-sama."

"Huh? What for?" he asked turning around as he was headed to the dressing room, tilting head as he stopped untying his necktie.

"For being selfish when you must be tired just getting home from work…"

Onii-sama smiled and said, "I'm fine helping my little sister study a bit." What a wonderful brother! Thank you, Onii-sama! You really are a kind and great brother! "I'll make some tea!"

"Thank you."

I'll at least make some tea with all my heart to ease your weariness! I returned with tea for two and found Onii-sama dressed casually waiting on the sofa. "So? What didn't you understand?"

"It's this." I showed him Kaburagi's handout, and ranted about what led to this.

"Top 50 for the entire Pivoine. Masaya-kun's demanding."

"Isn't he? And he told me to be in the top 20!" I bargained him down to top 30, though! I'm still not confident about being in the top 30.

"Well, studying is for your own good, and nothing bad will come of it."

"…Yes…" That's right. A student is supposed to study. Kaburagi said nothing wrong. That's why I can't argue against him.

"And this is the handout Masaya-kun made."

"Yes."

"1, 2, 3… This is a fair amount."

"Isn't it? And I'm supposed to have it done by tomorrow." And if I don't he'll say that's why I never get anywhere! "He picked up topics that I have trouble with, and I'm can't do this, but he said to get it done. To study until I vomit blood…"

"Vomit blood… That's pretty merciless against a girl."

"Isn't it? Isn't it?" The pressure I feel from Kaburagi isn't normal. I cling to his arm complaining as he comforts me.

"So is this what the next test will cover?" he asks verifying the textbook with the post-it notes.

"Yes."

"I see." He compared it to Kaburagi's handouts. "These handouts are well made. They cover the main points, so if you're able to solve these without a problem, you should do well," he stated. I see. No wonder he's able to stay at the top. It's an unwelcome favor, though.

"I'll look through what you've already done and tell you what's wrong and what you don't understand, right?"

"Please!"

Under Onii-sama's guidance, I steadily worked on Kaburagi's handout… Onii-sama did most of the work at the end, though.

"We're done!"

"Good job. You worked hard."

"Onii-sama, thank you!" I'm done before the end of the day! I don't have to stay up all night!

"But Masaya-kun's giving you more work every day until the exams end?"

"Uh…!" That's right. I'm done today, but more will come tomorrow. Kaburagi's handouts will chase me down… Onii-sama patted my head as I despaired.

"I'll help you as much as I can until you finish your exams."

"Onii-sama!" I'm entering the Takateru Seminar!

"So much is happening at Zuiran now," Oniisama noted as we drank some more tea after listening to my story.

"Did the Pivoine clash with the student council when you were at school, Onii-sama?"

"Hmm… I wonder. We had some antagonism, but we never openly clashed. The student council protested a few times about problems with the Pivoine, though. None of the student council presidents raised that much of a ruckus, though. The current one must be rather fervent."

"He does have a strong sense of justice." He'll stand up to anybody to protect the weak, so Fellow Stalking Horse must be a dependable student council president. It's bad for the Pivoine, though. "I'm worried that if the discontent piles up that a coup may happen."

"A coup?" I nodded, and Onii-sama laughed. "That's what you're worried about? That won't happen."

"Really?"

"They understand. When forced to choose between tens of the Pivoine or hundreds of other students, the school would choose the Pivoine." My eyes were opened by Onii-sama's calm analysis. That's right. Zuiran was that kind of school. The parents of the current Pivoine and the ex-Pivoine members' enormous wealth and influence allows Zuiran to exist. If it came down to it, all that were in rebellion would be expelled. "Relieved?"

"I'm worried in a different way at how improper that is." Expelled if they don't obey? I can't do something that would affect somebody's life like that. "I'm envious of how peaceful Onii-sama's years were."

"Well, they weren't that peaceful," he smiled wryly. Really?
"You should have been president, Onii-sama." Onni-sama possesses leadership, he had the grades, the family background, he would have been ideal to lead the Pivoine.

"Not really. There were others were would have been better as president. Besides, it's easier to help out in the background than to be the president. I thought that Imari could have been president in that sense, but he had too many problems in a certain way…" His now had a harsh expression, as if remembering something.

"Yeah. There weren't many large problems within Zuiran, but there were plenty of girl problems over Imari. Some clashes with girls from other schools that came to see him. That's right. I even got requests from the student council to do something about him. Most of the trouble I had to deal with were caused by Imari. That fool going around saying, 'mon amour' to everyone, not caring about how much trouble he caused me. I could see an archery target on him every time he held a girl carefree. There's no way I could have missed. Oh, it's not too late. I still have a bow in storage…"

Onii-sama! Your eyes! They're terrifying! To make my gentle Onii-sama this angry, what did Imari-sama do?!

After school in the Pivoine Salon, I handed Kaburagi the handouts I solved last night with Onii-sama's help. Onii-sama checked it. It's perfect. How about it!

Kaburagi flipped through the handouts and muttered, "Okay. This is today's," handing me the next batch. Huh? That's it?

I worked that hard, but there's no words of encouragement for getting everything right? Do you know how hard I worked to finish all this?! Kaburagi doesn't understand my personality. That I do better with encouragement. I thought about staying there until he praised me, but the sophomores were waiting in line behind me, so I stepped aside silently.

Like me, the sophomores must have had trouble with the handouts. They looked haggard. They looked at me like the wanted to cling to me for protection, but sorry. My influence is all fake, so I can't stop the despot Emperor.

I could just leave, but the waiter brought me tea and snacks, so I sat in my favorite sofa by the wall and started on my problems. Ugh… Today's problems are hard, too…

"Kisshouin-san, how's it going? Everything okay?" Enjou asked.

"…Somewhat." I'm already stuck on the second problem, but I don't want a classmate to know that I'm dumb.

Enjou sat across from me and peeked in. "Let's see… Oh, that problem might be easy to understand if you look at the supplemental readers' example." He took out the supplemental textbook from my stack of books and showed me saying, "Here."

"Oh, you're right!" A hint, right there! Looking at that, I could easily solve that problem. Oh!

"That teacher's tests contain a lot of problems similar to the supplemental readers and textbooks, so Masaya's probably using that."

"Is that so!?" What's with that, Kaburagi! Tell me that before I start! But that's useful information. These problems are a lot easier now. Enjou broke down each problem to be understandable. Ah, I see. I get it.

"Enjou-sama is a good teacher." Unlike Kaburagi which I imply. But Enjou really is good at teaching, almost comparable to Onii-sama. He praises me after every problem, so I keep going.

"It's because I help Yukino's studying." Ah.

"So even Enjou-sama is kind to your little brother."

"That's unexpected. I think I'm nice to everybody." We look at each other and laugh. Well, on to the next problem.

Kaburagi slumped down next to Enjou after finishing with the sophomores. Enjou asked, "Will they be able to get in the top 50?"

"Not will they. They must."

Woah. Not an assumption, but an absolute. I pity the sophomores are desperately working on their problem sets. Wait. I'm being forced to an even harsher standard! I ignore Kaburagi asking, "What don't you get" and "Are you still on that?" and have Enjou help me with the problems.

"That reminds me. The other day, I met Kaburagi-sama's mother, and was invited to the Star Festival party."

"Yeah, I heard about that," replied Kaburagi indifferently. "I was told to escort you."

"Oh, that thought's enough." I turn it down with a smile. "But I have exams coming up, so it may be better to turn down the invitation. What do you think? Would you be able to mediate with your mother?"

"Impossible for me to stop her," he rejected without expression. Hey! Between the party and the tests, I have too much to do! I have steam coming out of my ears!

"Hurry up and continue. I'm gonna add more problems."

"Good luck, Kisshouin-san."

This is cruel.