Aria, a 16-year-old beautiful girl, had only one dream—to get into Starlight Valley School (SVS). It wasn't just any school. SVS was known for its high standards, celebrity kids, rich families, and a lifestyle far different from normal schools. It was like a world of its own, a place filled with glamor, popularity, and endless opportunities. Aria didn't wish to join SVS just because it was famous. Her reason was special.
Five years ago, when Aria was just eleven, her parents gave her a phone. That was the first time she was introduced to social media. A whole new world opened up before her, and in that world, she found a boy named Sinas. He wasn't that famous at the time, but Aria fell for his smile and the way he expressed himself in his videos. Slowly, her one-sided love grew deeper, and she found herself wishing to meet him in real life. That's when she learned—Sinas was studying in SVS.
From that moment, Aria had only one goal—study hard and get admission to SVS, just to see him. She worked with full dedication, scoring well throughout her year. But life had other plans. Right before her final exams, she met with an accident. It affected her grades, and her dreams shattered in a second. She couldn't get into SVS.
Heartbroken and slipping into depression, she found comfort in her uncle, Sam. He was like her best friend, always supporting her like an elder brother. Seeing her pain, Sam promised he would help. He said he could still get her into SVS using his influence, but it would take some time.
In the meantime, he advised her to join another school temporarily. With no other option, Aria agreed and chose Sunnyside Bloom High (SBH), a school close to SVS. It was once a good school, but its reputation had been falling. Aria thought she would just blend in quietly, without making friends, and wait for her transfer to SVS.
It was June 1st—the reopening day of school and Aria's first day at SBH. She stood in front of the huge black gate of Sunnyside Bloom High and thought to herself, "Not bad." The school was bigger than she had expected, but her mind was still stuck on SVS.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside. As she walked through the front garden toward the main building, she was surprised. She had expected the garden to be filled with laughter and students, but it was completely empty—except for an old man watering the plants. Assuming he was a poor gardener, she gave him a soft smile, and he gently returned it.
Aria's pov
I entered the main building. It wasn't as luxurious as my old school—definitely below SVS. I didn't know why, but I kept comparing SBH to SVS. As usual, SVS always wins.
I looked around, holding a form my uncle had given me. I guessed I should give it to someone and ask for directions, but there were no teachers around. I spotted a group of boys near the water filter. I waved at them, a little confused, and they waved back the same way. As I walked toward them, I noticed them adjusting their hair and uniforms. I chuckled, covering my mouth with my hand.
"Hey, guys! I'm new here. Do you know where this class is?" I asked, handing the paper to them. But instead of answering, they just stared at me.
"Hello?" I asked again, confused.
One boy pinched his friend and then looked at the paper. The two of them looked at each other, clearly excited but trying to act cool. One of them finally said, "Miss, we're classmates. Come with us."
I smiled. "Okay."
Now I understood why they were acting weird—yes, I'm pretty, and maybe they had a little crush on me.
As we reached the classroom, I stood behind them, one step away from entering. Because of their height, I guess the teacher didn't notice me. He started scolding the boys for going out. I peeked out from behind, and the teacher finally saw me. The moment he noticed me, he stopped scolding and waved me in, signaling me to come forward.
I did as he said and handed him the form. He checked it and then looked at me.
"Class, we have a new student. Please welcome her."
That was the moment I turned toward my classmates. Almost all of them were boys—except for one girl, standing at the front with a huge, bright, energetic smile on her face. Everyone was staring at me like I was some kind of celebrity.
"Introduce yourself, Aria," the teacher said.
I nodded, turned around, and began introducing myself. "Hi, guys! I'm Aria... blah blah blah..." I finished my intro, and then the teacher suddenly asked loudly, "You got 86% in your last exam?"
I was so embarrassed. Now my classmates would probably think I'm dumb.
"Yes," I whispered.
"Ohh, good!" he said.
His words confused me. In SVS, getting below 90% was considered embarrassing, but here, students whispered among themselves, and I could hear the story. Here, anyone who scores above 70% is considered a genius.
The teacher gave me a seat, and I settled down. Though he was teaching, nobody was paying attention. Everyone kept looking at me. I felt weird. Was I really that pretty?
Even the only girl in the class started staring at me. I smiled at them. Their reactions were like fans seeing a celebrity.
"Owwww! She smiled! She likes me, bro!"
"No, Jon! She's mine!"
"What a smile..."
Finally, the class was over—it was break time. I closed my book and turned around, only to see everyone still staring at me, as usual. Honestly, this was getting a bit weird and uncomfortable.
I began cleaning my desk when I noticed a boy from my class whisper something to the other girl. He looked like he was pleading with her. Then, a few other boys from the same group joined him. I watched it all, unsure of what to do.
"Hey Aria, I'm Elara," the girl said.
She had short hair dyed in pink, green, and blue. Her outfit showed she had a carefree personality. Her fair skin was dotted with cute moles, and each of her features was uniquely beautiful.
"Hi, Elara," I replied politely.
Just then, one of the boys from the group who had been staring at me shouted, "Ask her!"
Elara rolled her eyes and looked back at me. "Aria, I need to tell you something important—something you must know if you're going to study here."
I looked at her, confused.
"We've known about your arrival for a while now. See those guys over there?" She pointed at the group of boys. I turned to look, and they all waved at me with big smiles.
"They're not the gentlemen they pretend to be," she said.
I didn't really think they were, but I stayed silent and listened.
"They're just putting on an act to impress you. Did you know this school only has 100 students?"
That genuinely shocked me. The building was huge—big enough to hold a thousand students. But only a hundred?
I guess Uncle Sam was right. This school was in much worse condition than I had imagined.
"And out of those hundred, only 30 are girls," she continued. "So the girls here get princess treatment—especially pretty ones like you and me."
Suddenly, everything made sense—the weird behavior, the boys trying so hard to impress me. It wasn't just about being nice—they were probably trying to get into a relationship. Girls were rare here, so they were treated almost like celebrities.
"At first, I thought it was kind of insulting," Elara admitted, "but after a while, I realized it's actually a bit of an honor. We get what we want, and there are always boys trying to please us. But making real friends is hard, because everyone's looking to date, not connect. And trust me, there's even competition between the girls too."
"Leave it," Elara said.
I smiled at her words. From the way she talked, I could tell she was an extrovert. I liked her. Honestly, I never imagined I'd find a friend here, especially since I won't be staying long... but I guess I just did.
"What did they say to you?" I asked, glancing toward the group of boys.
"Them?" She rolled her eyes. "Just ignore them. They asked me to get your phone number, but I'm not here for that. I came because I wanted to make a new friend. I didn't expect a girl would join my class."
Her words made me smile—she was sweet, genuine.
"Come, let's go outside and look around."
I nodded, and she took my hand.
It felt... different. I've never really had a social experience like this. In my old school, I had best friends, sure, but we weren't like this—no holding hands, no warm gestures. We had our own boundaries. It was more like a study war zone there. But here... everything felt different. And when Elara held my hand, it didn't feel uncomfortable—it felt special.
After a short tour around the school, Elara and I stopped by the restroom. We both entered separate toilet cabins, still chatting and laughing softly about the boys in our class.
Suddenly, the restroom door creaked open and we heard a group of girls walk in. Without thinking, both Elara and I went quiet.
"Mira, did you hear about that new girl, Aria?" one of them said.
My ears perked up immediately. Are they seriously talking about me?
"Yeah," another voice answered. "She's definitely up to something."
Her voice didn't sound sweet or innocent—instead, it had a sharp edge, like she was trying to hide her true attitude behind a forced, almost mocking tone. It wasn't natural. More like she was putting on a persona—confident, maybe even superior—but it only made her sound fake and bitter.
Elara didn't say anything either, but I could almost feel her eyes rolling from the next cabin.
I stayed perfectly still, heart beating a little faster. I hadn't even been at this school for a full day, and somehow, I was already the topic of gossip. So this was SBH.
Maybe Elara was right—this place was a lot different than I expected.