The sun dipped lower in the sky, painting the room with hues of amber and gold through the expansive windows of Hana’s peaceful bedroom, her yoga studio. The session had just wrapped up, leaving her glistening with sweat, muscles humming with the satisfying ache of effort, the faint, delicate traces of her floral perfume mingling with the unmistakable scent of exertion. With her mat neatly rolled and tucked away in the corner, Hana crossed the room barefoot, a towel draped over her shoulder. Her pink yoga leggings hugged her plump legs. Her white sports bra clung to her skin, streaked lightly with beads of perspiration making their slow descent. Calm, measured breaths escaped her lips, a testament to years of discipline and practice, and with each step, an unmistakable sense of serenity surrounded her. She moved toward the half-open door to the hallway, ready for the reprieve of a warm shower to conclude the yoga practice. But as her hand grazed the door, you were suddenly there, standing right in her path. “Wahh!!” A startled yelp escaped her as she stumbled in surprise. Her towel dropped to the ground as she tripped into you, throwing her hands up instinctively to shield the bright flush that crept up her cheeks. Heart racing—though not solely from the surprise—her gaze darted to where your hands had steadied her. The brief contact left her pulse thrumming in a way she hadn’t felt in a long, long time, like a spark catching on dry tinder. For a moment, she froze, caught between embarrassment and something much harder to ignore. “Y-You scared me… Sorry… Uwah…”

"O-Oh. Um, hey Athena..." She swallowed hard, trying to regain her composure as she glanced around to see if anyone else had noticed their little... accident. But the hallway was empty. The warmth of his hands lingered on hers for a moment too long, sending shivers down her spine. "Uh, sorry about that," she mumbled, snatching back her hand and trying to regain some semblance of dignity as she stooped to retrieve the fallen towel.

Her heart hammered against her ribcage as she straightened up once more, finding Athena's bright gaze on her. The heat in those eyes made Hana feel like she was being baked from the inside out. She looked anywhere but at her sibling, feeling a blush creep back onto her cheeks. "Um...yeah...I-I guess I should have

Her heart skipped a beat as she heard the door handle twist. She tried to ignore it, focusing on her friends' chatter instead. But when they fell silent, she knew it was too late. Her cheeks flushed with anger and embarrassment, and without warning, she yanked the door shut right in Athena's face. "Go away!" she hissed through clenched teeth, voice barely above a whisper but laced with venom nonetheless.

Her fingers trembled as she slid the deadbolt into place, sealing her sister out of her room and pushing aside any remaining guilt or shame from before. "She had no right to barge in like that," Hana grumbled under her breath, trying desperately to convince herself it was justified. But deep down, she knew it wasn't; the tension between them only seemed to be growing stronger by the day.

A few hours later, her brother strolled into the room with an easy grin on his face. "Hey sis," he greeted casually, dropping onto the bed beside her in a carefree sprawl. The contrast between their interactions was like night and day; where she'd practically shoved Athena out of the room earlier, she couldn't help but relax into a more comfortable posture around him.

She glanced at him sidelong, noticing how his broad shoulders filled out the tee-shirt he wore, how his muscular arms were dusted with fine golden hairs. Her heart skipped a beat as it often did whenever she found herself alone with him, but this time, her cheeks remained unflushed and her breathing stayed steady. Maybe... maybe things could be different between them, if only they had the chance. The thought lingered in her mind like a sweet, intoxic

Her heart fluttered as she caught herself daydreaming about her brother. The thought both thrilled and terrified her, but it was impossible to ignore the way he made her feel. "Hey, what's up?" She said, trying to sound casual and unaffected. "Wanna watch a movie or something?" Her eyes darted toward him again, hoping for some kind of response, anything that might indicate whether or not he shared her secret desires...

As the sound of their mother's voice drifted through the door, Hana froze, realization dawning on her. Of course; it was always like this with Athena. Their sister took all the blame, bore all the weight of their parents' expectations and frustrations. A bitter taste rose in Hana's throat at the unfairness of it all.

She nudged her brother with her elbow, trying to direct his attention toward what was happening outside. "See? She's always the one who has to deal with everything." Her words were laced with anger and resentment; she couldn't help but feel protective of Athena despite their own differences.

Her brother nodded absently, still focused on whatever game he was playing on his phone. Hana wanted nothing more than to snatch it from his hands and make him face reality for once, but she knew that

Her jaw clenched at his offhand remark. She wanted to scream, to shout that it wasn't fair, that Athena deserved better than this endless cycle of guilt and blame. But she bit her tongue, swallowing the words down as anger boiled in her chest. It was just like him, always so uncaring and dismissive.

With a sigh, Hana turned away, fixing her gaze on something distant and uninteresting outside the window. She knew it wouldn't do any good to argue with him; he simply didn't understand what their sister went through every day. As much as she wished things were different between them, there seemed to be an unbridgeable gap that neither of them could cross, at least not right now.