Chasing The Crown

Chapter #3: ❝Unfinished Business❞

The sun had already begun its descent, casting a warm, golden hue through the windows of the SSG office. Despite no longer being a part of the organization, Joshua still found himself in the familiar space, his footsteps echoing softly against the polished tiles as he entered. The scent of paper, markers, and a hint of coffee lingered in the air, a reminder of the endless meetings and long hours he had once spent here.

Rhiannon was nowhere to be found—likely still out dealing with preparations for the upcoming event—but Andrea was seated at the large conference table, her attention focused on her laptop screen. The gentle clicking of her keyboard was the only sound that filled the room until Joshua approached.

"Hey," he greeted, pulling out a chair across from her and sitting down. "How's it going?"

Andrea looked up, startled for a moment before offering a small smile. "Joshua! Di kita narinig pumasok. It's going... okay, I guess." She sighed, rubbing her temples. "Pero may konting problema na naman sa event."

Joshua raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. "Let me guess—something to do with logistics?"

"Bingo," she said, nodding. "May mali sa mga permits na sinubmit. We thought naayos na 'yon last week, pero ngayon lang namin nalaman na hindi pala."

Joshua leaned back in his chair, shaking his head. "Typical. Permits can be a nightmare." He remembered dealing with similar headaches when he was the SSG President. "Sino ang in charge ng permits ngayon?"

"Si Isabel, pero sobrang dami nang ginagawa ni Isabel para sa event. Rhiannon asked me to help fix it." Andrea's voice had a hint of frustration, but she was trying to remain calm.

Joshua nodded, understanding her predicament. "You've got a lot on your plate already, no wonder you're stressed. How can I help?"

Andrea smiled at his offer, her expression softening. "Thank you, pero hindi ka na SSG, Joshua. You don't have to get involved."

He shrugged. "Doesn't matter. I've been through this before, so baka makatulong ako." He leaned forward, glancing at her laptop. "Anong problema exactly? Maybe we can work through it."

She hesitated for a moment before turning her screen to him. "Ito 'yung issue. We need a new set of permits kasi mali 'yung napirmahan. Tapos, we have to submit everything again by the end of the week."

Joshua scanned the document, his brow furrowing. "You're right, that's a mess." He sighed, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms again. "We could try to rush the process, pero the administration won't like that."

Andrea bit her lip, clearly thinking of solutions. "We could ask for an extension, pero ang dami nang naka-schedule for next week."

"Nakaka-pressure talaga 'yan," Joshua agreed, meeting her gaze. "But you know what? I think we can still pull this off."

"Talaga?" she asked, a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

"Yeah, but we'll have to move fast. I'll talk to the admin para makita kung may loopholes or kung may pwedeng i-extend na deadlines for you guys. Alam ko pa rin naman ang galawan dito."

Andrea laughed softly, the tension in her shoulders easing a little. "Ang swerte namin na nandito ka pa rin."

Joshua shrugged again, but a small smile tugged at his lips. "Swerte ako kasi nandito pa rin ang pamilya ko. Plus, alam mo naman... I can't leave you guys hanging."

She met his gaze, her smile lingering. "Salamat, Joshua. You've always been there to help out."

"Basta para sa SSG, at sa 'yo," he said teasingly, though there was a sincerity beneath his words.

Andrea blinked, slightly caught off guard by his words, but she quickly recovered. "Uy, huwag ako. SSG lang 'yan," she joked, though her cheeks flushed a light pink.

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Before either of them could say more, the office door swung open, and Rhiannon breezed in, her arms full of folders and paperwork.

"Kuya!" she called out as soon as she saw Joshua sitting there. "Ano ginagawa mo dito?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Nag-aayos ng mga problema na dapat ikaw ang nag-aayos," he replied, motioning to the laptop in front of Andrea. "Looks like may issue kayo sa permits."

Rhiannon groaned dramatically as she dropped the folders onto the table. "I know! We're so behind! I was planning to fix that later, pero andami ko pang ibang inaasikaso."

Andrea gave Rhiannon a sympathetic look. "I was about to work on it, but Joshua offered to help out."

Rhiannon's eyebrows shot up, surprise and relief flooding her features. "Talaga, kuya? You don't have to, pero if you're offering... please do." She looked visibly less stressed now that her older brother was involved.

Joshua rolled his eyes playfully. "Of course, I'm helping. I'm not about to let you guys fail." He glanced at the stack of folders on the table. "Looks like you've got enough to deal with already."

Rhiannon plopped down into a chair beside Andrea, slumping into it with a deep sigh. "You have no idea. Ang dami nang ginagawa ng lahat, pero parang wala pa rin kaming natatapos."

"Welcome to the SSG," Joshua said with a knowing grin. "Trust me, you'll survive. I did, didn't I?"

Rhiannon smirked. "Yeah, but you made it look easy."

"It wasn't," he replied honestly, his tone softening. "Pero you're doing great, Rhiannon. Don't be too hard on yourself."

Rhiannon gave him a small, grateful smile. "Thanks, kuya. That means a lot."

Andrea, watching the exchange, felt a warmth spread through her chest. Despite the stress and challenges, there was something comforting about the way Joshua and Rhiannon supported each other. It reminded her of her own bond with her brother, Hunter.

"Okay, so paano na 'to?" Rhiannon asked, leaning forward and pointing at the permits on Andrea's screen. "Any chance we can still get this done?"

Joshua nodded. "Yeah, I'll talk to the admin tomorrow. In the meantime, you guys focus on everything else. I'll handle this part."

Rhiannon let out a sigh of relief. "You're a lifesaver, kuya."

Andrea smiled at him, her eyes filled with appreciation. "We couldn't do this without you."

Joshua waved them off, though he couldn't deny the satisfaction he felt at being able to help. "It's no big deal. Just another day in the life of a former SSG president."

Rhiannon laughed. "Well, we're lucky you're still hanging around."

Joshua chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah, well, you guys aren't getting rid of me that easily."

And as the three of them continued discussing plans for the event, the weight of the day seemed to lift just a little bit, replaced by the warmth of shared burdens and unspoken understanding.

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