I Mistook the School Heartthrob for My Stepbrother

On the first day of school, I practically bounced out of the luxury car, more excited to attend class than I had ever been in my life.The reason was simple. Thanks to my mom’s efforts, my good days were finally about to begin.Half a year ago, she said she wanted to go overseas for a break. She transferred me a sum for living expenses and left without hesitation.At the time, I didn’t think much of it.Who would’ve thought my mom was actually that capable? The moment she made her move, she landed herself a billionaire husband—the richest man in Kingsford.The day after my sophomore final exams ended, my mom shockingly woke up early just to call me.“Sweetheart, pack your bags. Mom’s about to upgrade our entire lives.”And just like that, I transferred from some nameless high school on the outskirts of Kingsford to the city’s top international academy.I ran my fingers over my brand-new uniform and couldn’t stop grinning.A blue cropped blazer paired with a pink-and-red plaid skirt. Ev

That evening, after surviving an entire aerobics workout, I was hungry enough to eat an entire cow. With absolute determination, I grabbed the black card my mom gave me and headed to the food street beside the park.“Hey, how much for the grilled squid?”“Six bucks a skewer.”“Six!?”I was stunned. Were prices in Kingsford actually this terrifying?Still, I had to maintain my nouveau riche image.“Do you take cards?”“Nope.”In the end, I still wound up buying a discounted sandwich from the convenience store.“Ding dong. Welcome.”The robotic voice announced another customer entering.“Arya?”I tilted my head and looked up in surprise, sauce still smeared around my mouth.“Bro!”Running into my billionaire stepbrother here of all places felt like a deeply concerning issue worth serious investigation.“Bro, be honest with me… your family didn’t go bankrupt or something, right?”“Hm?”Michael paused for a second before laughing softly.His laughter sounded like wind chimes—clear and rid

For several days in a row, I avoided seeing Michael intentionally.I stopped leaving the classroom during breaks and went straight home after school every day.Originally, I thought I could keep avoiding him like this forever.Unfortunately, I forgot about the Mathematical Modeling Club I’d signed up for earlier.Sky sent me a message. We’d exchanged contact the night we ate together.“Club meeting tonight. We’re assigning tasks, so don’t forget to come.”I stared at the message for two seconds before replying with a simple okay.A second later, another message popped up from him.“Did you and Michael fight or something lately?”What the hell?I frowned at the screen, completely confused about what he meant.Sky immediately followed up with a dog-face meme.“Michael said you seem kinda mad lately. I told him there’s no way someone as tiny as you could stay angry for long. You’re not his girlfriend.”I knew Sky was messing with me again.Since he couldn’t see my expression, I rolled my

The monthly exams arrived right on schedule.By evening, as the sun dipped behind the western hills, the final subject finally came to an end.The second the exam finished, Mandy practically sprinted over to me.“Oh my god, the language section was brutal this time! I swear even actual foreigners wouldn’t all pass that thing.”She wasn’t wrong.The moment the exams ended, complaints erupted everywhere about the insane difficulty spike this time around.As for me, I stayed unusually quiet.Without saying much, I packed my bag and hurried home because my mom was coming back today.“Honey! Give your mom a hug!”The second I walked through the door, my mom wrapped me in a huge embrace.Only then did I notice the man standing behind her.It was her new husband, Richard High.A gold watch gleamed on his wrist, the perfect picture of understated old-money wealth. Suddenly, I could absolutely see where Sky got his weird personality from.Richard himself seemed surprisingly easygoing.“I heard