Aria's P.O.V.

"Hey, hurry up! We're going to be late!" shouted Kai, my youngest brother, from outside.

"Yeah, just a second!" I yelled back.

I quickly grabbed my bag and rushed out of the house. I immediately grabbed the bicycle leaning against the side of the yard.

"You're so slow; I'm going to be late because of you." Kai complained, annoyed.

"Sigh, you talk too much. Just hop on already." I said, already sitting on the bike and ready to pedal away.

He immediately jumped on the back, standing on the pegs and holding onto me. I'm still saving up to buy a bike that has a seat for a passenger.

I sped up because, as Kai mentioned, we were running late. Thankfully, I'm already used to biking, and even if I pedal fast, I don't tire out easily.

When we reached the front of my brother's school, he quickly jumped off.

"Don't bother picking me up later; I have plans with my friends. Alright, I'm going in." Kai said as he hurriedly ran through the school gate.

I pedaled the bike again, speeding up because if I slowed down, I would be the one running late.

Kai is my only sibling. He is in his first year of high school, while I'm in my first year of college. It's just the two of us here, as our parents are in the province. We aren't wealthy, so we're both studying in public schools.

Despite that, I'm working hard to finish my studies so that our lives will be less difficult and we can live more comfortably.

This is our daily routine. Whenever we have classes, I take Kai to his school and then head straight to the university where I study, using my bike.

The bike is a big help to us; it was a gift from Dad when I graduated from elementary school, so it's very valuable to me. It helps us save on transportation costs since we use the bike to get to school.

I'm trying to make do with the money our parents send from the province, especially since I haven't found a part-time job yet.

When I arrived in the classroom, I was relieved to find that I wasn't late. Shortly after, our adviser arrived.

"Okay, class, listen. I have an important announcement." our adviser said, capturing everyone's attention.

"When you hear the words 'Spring Hill University,' what comes to mind? Isn't it a very prestigious school, exclusive only for the rich and privileged? But as you know, every year, Spring Hill University selects students from public universities to become their scholars and study there." the adviser continued.

Everyone knows this. That's why the competition for grades is so intense. Only one student from each section is chosen by Spring Hill University.

Whoever ranks number one in the class is the one selected to study at Spring Hill University for free, thanks to the scholarship, as long as they maintain their grades.

"And now, I will announce who the lucky student from this section is who will be able to study at Spring Hill University." the adviser said.

Everyone was nervous. Even I was nervous. I knew I had done everything to be the top one, as I believed that getting into Spring Hill University would be a great opportunity. I felt that if I could get in, I would be closer to achieving my dreams for myself and my family.

"Do you want to know who it is?" the teacher asked.

"Ma'am, please tell us; don't make us wait any longer."

"Yeah, come on."

"I think it's me."

"You? Tsk, in your dreams."

I could hear my classmates whispering. I closed my eyes, feeling overwhelmed with anxiety, gripping my pen tightly.

"Aria Avery Gozon."

My eyes immediately flew open, and I looked at our adviser. I couldn't understand what I was feeling. Did I just hear my name?

"Congratulations, because you are the top one in the class, and you are qualified to study at Spring Hill University." our adviser added.

I still couldn't believe what I was hearing. It felt like I was dreaming. Some of my classmates weren't happy and even seemed annoyed with me.

"Hey Aria! You're such a suck-up to our adviser, aren't you? What a favoritism tsk." one of my classmates yelled at me.

It was already afternoon, and I was still in the classroom finishing an assignment. My classes at Spring Hill University wouldn't start until next week, so I was still required to do the assignments while I was here.

Even though I heard him, I ignored it.

"Oh, so you're just going to ignore me, huh? Take this!" he shouted at me, and suddenly, I felt something hard hit the back of my head.

He was standing behind me. I clenched my fists tightly, trying to control my anger and stop myself from reacting. I slowly turned to face him, and when our eyes met, he quickly came over and pushed me hard, causing me to fall to the floor.

"I should be the one going to Spring Hill, not you!" he screamed at me again.

"I fought fairly! I know I deserve to be the one going to that school!" I shouted back.

He crouched down slightly and threw a punch at me, but I managed to catch his fist with my hand. I was nearly out of strength because, first of all, he was a guy, even if I fought back, he would still overpower me.

"Stop it, please." I pleaded with him.

"N-no! I can't accept this! Remember, this isn't over, Aria!" he said, almost in tears.

Then he stood up and ran out of the room. I was left sitting on the floor. His name was Aeron, the Top 2 in our section. He was smart, and our grades were almost tied.

I didn't expect to be the top 1—I thought it would be Aeron. But I know I studied hard and deserved to be the top 1. I hope he can accept that.