The town of Maplewood had always been too small for dreams.
Every street looked the same. Every face was familiar. Every morning smelled like fresh bread from Mrs. Green's bakery across the road. It was safe. It was quiet.
And it was the only home I had ever known.
I stood in the middle of my bedroom, staring at the pale blue walls covered in old photos. Pictures of birthdays. School events. Silly moments frozen in time.
My life.
Or at least, the life I was about to leave behind.
My suitcase sat open on the bed, half full, half empty just like I felt.
"Haru" my mom called softly from downstairs. "It's time."
Time.
That word felt heavier than it should.
I took one last look around the room. The creaky wooden floor. The small window where I used to sit during storms. The ceiling I stared at every night, wondering if there was something bigger waiting for me out there.
I never thought I'd actually find out.
I picked up my suitcase and walked downstairs.
Mom was standing near the door, holding her coffee mug with both hands. She looked calm, but I knew her well enough to see the sadness hiding behind her smile.
"You have everything?" she asked.
I nodded. "Yeah."
She stepped closer and fixed a strand of my hair, just like she used to when I was little.
"You're going to do amazing things," she said quietly.
I wished I believed that.
Just two weeks ago, my life was normal. School. Homework. Helping Mom at the bookstore.
And then the letter came.
A thick, expensive envelope with words I'd never expected to see.
Westbridge Academy.
The most elite private school in New York.
A place for billionaires' children. Future CEOs. People who were born into power.
People like me didn't belong there.
And yet… they chose me.
A full scholarship.
No explanation. No reason.
Just a single line at the bottom:
Funded by the Blackwood Foundation.
I didn't know why.
I still didn't.
"Haru" Mom said gently, pulling me out of my thoughts.
I realized I was gripping the suitcase handle too tightly.
"I'll be fine," I told her, though I wasn't sure who I was trying to convince.
She hugged me then. Tight. Warm. Familiar.
"Call me every day," she whispered.
"I will."
I promised.
But deep down, I knew everything was about to change.
Outside, the taxi was waiting.
I stepped onto the porch, the cool morning air brushing against my face. The sky was pale gray, like the world hadn't fully woken up yet.
Maybe it didn't want me to leave either.
I turned back one last time.
Mom stood in the doorway, trying to be strong.
I forced myself to smile.
Then I got into the car.
As the taxi drove away, Maplewood slowly disappeared behind me.
The bakery.
The bookstore.
My home.
My old life.
Gone.
I didn't cry.
I thought I would.
But instead, I just felt… empty.
And afraid.
New York City was nothing like Maplewood.
It was loud. Fast. Endless.
Tall buildings stretched into the sky like giants. People rushed past each other without looking. No one smiled. No one cared.
I held my suitcase tightly as the driver stopped in front of massive iron gates.
Westbridge Academy.
It looked more like a palace than a school.
Tall stone buildings. Perfect gardens. Expensive cars lined up outside.
Students stood in small groups, laughing like they owned the world.
They probably did.
My heart pounded as I stepped out of the car.
I suddenly felt small.
Invisible.
Like I didn't belong here.
"New student?"
I turned to see a tall man in a black suit standing near the gate.
I nodded.
He checked something on his tablet, then opened the gate.
"Welcome to Westbridge Academy, Miss Carter."
Miss Carter.
The name sounded unfamiliar here.
I walked inside slowly, my eyes taking in everything.
This was real.
This was my new life.
And then I felt it.
That strange feeling.
Like someone was watching me.
I looked up.
On the second floor balcony of the main building, a boy stood alone.
He was tall, dressed in black, his posture calm and confident.
Everyone else was talking, laughing, moving.
But he wasn't.
He was just standing there.
Still.
Watching.
Me.
Our eyes met for a brief second.
His expression didn't change.
Cold. Emotionless.
Unreadable.
And then he turned and walked away.
I didn't know who he was.
But for some reason…
I had a feeling my life was about to become far more complicated than I ever imagined.
And this was only the beginning.
I stood there for a few seconds longer, staring at the empty balcony.
My heart was still beating faster than normal.
It didn't make sense.
He hadn't said anything. He hadn't done anything.
He had just looked at me.
And yet, that single look made me feel exposed. Like he had seen something no one else ever noticed.
I quickly looked away, shaking off the strange feeling.
This was stupid.
He was probably just another rich student who didn't care about anyone else.
I adjusted my grip on my suitcase and continued walking forward.
Students passed by me without a second glance. Their clothes looked expensive. Perfect. Effortless. Their laughter echoed across the courtyard like they had never known fear or uncertainty.
I became painfully aware of my simple jeans and plain white shirt.
I didn't look like them.
I didn't belong here.
"Hey. You're blocking the path."
The voice was sharp.
I turned around quickly.
A blonde girl stood behind me, her arms crossed. Her expression was annoyed, like my existence itself was inconvenient.
"I'm sorry," I said immediately, stepping aside.
She looked me up and down slowly, her eyes filled with judgment.
"You're new," she said.
It wasn't a question.
"Yeah."
She tilted her head slightly.
"Scholarship?"
The word sounded different when she said it.
Not impressed.
Not curious.
Just dismissive.
I hesitated, then nodded.
Her lips curved into a small, knowing smirk.
"Figures."
She walked past me without another word, her shoulder bumping mine hard enough to make me lose balance for a second.
I swallowed the embarrassment and kept walking.
This was exactly what I expected.
People like them didn't see people like me as equals.
I reached the main entrance and pushed the large glass doors open.
The inside was even more overwhelming.
The floors were polished marble. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Everything looked expensive. Perfect.
Untouchable.
Students filled the hallways, talking, laughing, living in a world I didn't understand.
I walked toward the front desk, trying to ignore the nervous feeling growing inside my chest.
A woman with dark hair looked up at me and smiled politely.
"You must be Haru Carter."
I nodded.
She handed me a folder.
"Your class schedule. Dorm assignment. Campus map."
Dorm.
Right.
This place was so far from Maplewood that living here was the only option.
"Classes start tomorrow," she continued. "Today you can settle in and explore."
"Thank you," I said quietly.
I took the folder and stepped away.
Everything felt unreal.
Like I was watching someone else's life instead of living my own.
As I turned the corner, laughter echoed from down the hall.
A group of students stood near the lockers.
And in the center of them
Him.
The boy from the balcony.
He stood taller than the others, his presence quiet but commanding.
He wasn't laughing.
He wasn't smiling.
He just listened, his expression cold and distant.
Like he didn't belong with them.
Like he didn't belong anywhere.
One of the boys said something, and the others laughed.
He didn't.
Instead, his eyes shifted.
And landed on me.
Again.
My breath caught.
For a moment, neither of us moved.
I felt frozen under his gaze.
He wasn't curious.
He wasn't surprised.
He looked at me like he already knew me.
Like he had been expecting me.
A strange chill ran down my spine.
Then someone called his name.
"Ethan."
The spell broke.
He looked away from me without a word and walked down the hallway, his hands in his pockets.
Everyone else followed him immediately.
Like he was the center of their world.
I stood there alone.
"Ethan," I whispered to myself.
So that was his name.
I didn't know why it mattered.
I didn't know why he mattered.
But something deep inside me told me this wasn't the last time our paths would cross.
Not even close.
And somehow…
That terrified me more than anything else.