Chapter 1

An hour before the college application deadline, I jolt awake in my hotel room in Chanont.

My girlfriend, Evelyn Keate, and my adopted brother, Marvin Needham, are nowhere to be seen.

I immediately call them, reminding them to get their applications in before the deadline.

To my surprise, they burst out laughing.

"We're already back home, and we got our applications in last night. You still haven't submitted yours?"

I can hear my parents criticizing me in the background.

My mom said, "He's always like this. He's so careless that he doesn't even take his own future seriously."

"Marvin has always been so much easier," my dad remarked.

Laughter and chatter fill the other end of the line, while I begin to shake with panic. I almost miss the deadline.

After receiving our exam results, the three of us agree to apply to the same college.

Marvin can't make up his mind, so Evelyn patiently indulges him and says, "There's no rush. We'll take our time and help you pick."

However, she casually brushes me off. "Just go with whatever we choose and enjoy yourself in Chanont for the next few days."

Just then, my phone buzzes. Evelyn sends me the application code for Solridge University.

"Hurry up, or you'll miss the deadline."

I stare at the application page, my eyes stinging with tears.

My score is much higher than theirs, and I can get into a better college. It turns out that the compromise I'm making doesn't matter to anyone at all.

With one second left before the deadline, I click the submit button and apply to Harburt University, the school farthest from home.

The three of us are one too many, so I choose to walk away.

Chapter 1

When I rushed home from Chanont, my family was chatting on the couch.

A large plate of cherries sat on the coffee table. My girlfriend, Evelyn Keate, picked out a few of the biggest ones and placed them into the hand of my adopted brother, Marvin Needham.

"These are sure to be sweet. Try them," she said.

When I was at home, we never had fruit this expensive.

At the sound of the door opening, all four of them turned to look at me.

Evelyn let out a sigh, and the first thing she said was a complaint. "You always sleep in. We left, and you didn't even notice. You're the one who insisted on going on this graduation trip in the first place."

I gripped the handle of my suitcase, my fingertips numb.

I was indeed the one who wanted a graduation trip, but I chose Olsgen as the destination.

It was only after I arrived at the airport that I found out Evelyn had bought three tickets to Chanont, all because Marvin wanted to see the northern lights.

I had spent eight hours waiting in the freezing wind just to make Marvin's wish come true. Yet the moment he said he was tired, they abandoned the trip and left.

Marvin stood up and walked toward me.

"Chris, it's all my fault. I woke up late. We were in such a hurry that we forgot about you. I'm sorry."

Marvin then turned to Evelyn with a playful glare and said, "Come on, you apologize too."

Evelyn, who had never been willing to admit fault to anyone, gave in at his urging. "Sorry, okay. I was wrong, Your Highness."

But the person she kept looking at was Marvin.

My parents laughed and joined in to tease me.

"Evelyn helped you through the entire application process. Don't go bullying her once you get to college," my mother, Grace Ross, said.

"I'm used to it, Grace." Evelyn shrugged.

Only then did she seem to remember my application and say, "Chris' score is probably a little lower than Marvin's. But if he applies to Solridge University too, he should be able to get in. He might just have fewer choices when picking a major."

They all assumed I couldn't compare to Marvin. But in fact, I had performed exceptionally well on the SAT, scoring far higher than the two of them.

Back then, I had sent Evelyn a screenshot of my score and asked her to help me figure out which major I could apply for at Harburt University. Even now, she still hadn't replied to me.

Yet she had made a 36-page presentation for Marvin, listing every college he had a chance of getting into.

Marvin draped an arm around my neck, putting on an innocent smile.

"If we all end up at Solridge University, we can look out for each other. Besides, the weather there is warm all year round. I can play basketball in my jersey every day," he said.

Evelyn looked at him with a fond smile.

But no one remembered that I was allergic to UV rays, and hot, humid weather made my eczema flare up. I couldn't stay anywhere too hot.

All they remembered was how great Marvin was at basketball.

I sat on the couch and contacted a senior on Harburt University's forum.

At the same time, Evelyn and Marvin sat close together, browsing Solridge University's forum and discussing their upcoming college life with my parents.

After a while, their laughter slowly died down.

Evelyn finally looked back at me and casually asked, "You applied to Solridge University? Is your score enough?"

"Of course." I placed my phone face down on the coffee table and said, "It's more than enough."

Chapter 2

After dinner, my parents brought out two suits they had prepared for Marvin and me.

"Your dad and I spent a long time picking these out. You can wear them to your graduation party. Go try them on," Mom said.

Marvin smoothly took the paper bag with the luxury brand logo and kissed Mom on the cheek. "Thanks, Mom!"

I could only take the cheap plastic bag and calmly said, "Thanks, Mom."

Five minutes later, Marvin and I came out of our rooms in our new suits. Everyone's eyes immediately fell on my adopted brother.

Evelyn's eyes lit up, and her cheeks instantly turned red. "Marvin, you look so handsome in this."

Marvin couldn't hide the smile on his face, but he still tried to sound modest. "Mom, Dad, you really didn't have to spend so much. I would've been fine wearing off-the-rack clothes like Chris. It's not like anyone could tell the difference."

The atmosphere in the living room suddenly turned awkward.

I stood there in a suit that didn't quite fit, the rough fabric scratching against my skin and making me uncomfortable.

Mom cleared her throat and said, "Off-the-rack clothes can be expensive too. This one costs 80 dollars! Besides, it's just for one occasion. There's no need to waste money."

Yet, I could clearly see the price tag on Marvin's suit. It was over 3,000 dollars.

As always, Evelyn stepped in to smooth things over. "Chris, Marvin is the younger one. Let him have this one. Yours looks good on you too."

My parents immediately agreed.

"Yeah, you can wear it after Marvin's done with it. That way, it won't go to waste," Mom said.

Growing up, I only ever wore Marvin's hand-me-downs. Whenever I complained, my parents just brushed it off by saying, "You look good in anything." In reality, those ill-fitting clothes were always so tight that I could barely breathe.

Watching Marvin in his new suit, my parents couldn't stop praising him.

"Marvin's tall and well-built. This suit looks perfect on him."

Standing beside him, I felt as though I were wearing rags.

Marvin laughed. "Come on, Mom, Dad. Say something nice about Chris too, or he'll get jealous."

My father, Roger Needham, fell silent for a moment before finally saying, "Chris has always been so understanding."

Being "understanding" was the only compliment they ever had for me.

That night, as Evelyn was leaving, she turned back and reminded me, "Pack us some lunches for tomorrow's graduation ceremony. Marvin doesn't like takeout."

Then, she walked away without waiting for a response. She had gotten used to treating me like Marvin's lackey.

Marvin got to spend his days on the basketball court, while I was expected to cook, wash dishes, and put up with people joking that I was nothing more than a lackey.

And all I ever got in return was a casual "You're so understanding".

I went back to my room and started packing my things.

Winters at Harburt University were colder than at Solridge University, so I threw the thin secondhand clothes out of my suitcase and packed warmer clothes instead.

I didn't want to come back to this home again.

Chapter 3

The next day, at our graduation ceremony, I was set to give a speech as the student representative.

My homeroom teacher, Lauren Jackson, looked proud and touched.

"You did exceptionally well on the SAT. All your hard work paid off. Now, go up there and share a few words with other students."

I thanked her deeply before walking up to the podium.

But when I talked about how much my parents had done for me, I realized they weren't even looking my way. Instead, they were listening to Marvin practice a foreign language and showering him with praise.

"Marvin, that's wonderful. We'll be relying on you whenever we travel abroad," Mom said.

I'd always excelled in foreign languages, yet they had never praised me once.

Just as I was about to continue, my phone on the podium buzzed. It was a message from Evelyn.

"Ms. Jackson only asked you to give a speech because you were class president for three years. There's no need to drag it out. Wrap it up already. Marvin's getting tired."

In an instant, I couldn't get another word out. My eyes blurred with unshed tears, and my nose stung.

I set the microphone down, gave a hurried nod of thanks, and hurried off the stage.

When it was time for the graduation photo, I deliberately saved a spot beside me for my parents and Evelyn.

The next thing I knew, I had been edged to the side as Evelyn pulled Marvin into the center.

"Marvin loves taking pictures. He should be in the middle."

When the photos were printed, half of my body was cut out of the frame.

Ms. Jackson looked at me with sympathy and asked, "Do you want to ask your family to take another photo?"

I gripped my pants and forced a bitter smile, shaking my head.

"Thank you, Ms. Jackson, but there's no need."

…

The next day, everyone was getting ready to attend the graduation party.

Before we left, Mom stopped Marvin and me. "These cards are for your living expenses. I've put some money on each of them."

Then, she turned to me and added, "Spend it wisely."

Watching her hunched back as she walked away, a warmth spread through my chest.

I was about to get into the car when Marvin opened his mobile banking app and said, "Whoa, there's 100 thousand dollars in here! Chris, check yours. Mom specifically told you to spend your money wisely, so yours must be even more than mine, right?"

I hesitated slightly before checking my balance. When the amount appeared on the screen, I froze.

There was only 3,000 dollars in the account, not even a tenth of what Marvin had received.

Staring at the pitiful amount for my living expenses, I checked my other account. It contained the 30 thousand dollars I had saved from working part-time during school breaks for tuition.

But no matter how many times I refreshed the app, the balance remained zero.

Just then, Evelyn came back to get something she had forgotten.

I grabbed her arm, my eyes red.

"Where did the money in my account go? You're the only other person who knew my password," I confronted her.

Evelyn froze for a moment, looking uneasy.

"Marvin cares about his appearance, and your parents have always given him the best. So I used the money to buy him a pair of designer basketball shoes.

"But you're not like him. You're practical, and you've never minded wearing secondhand clothes. We're going to the same school anyway. You can just make do with what you have. It's not like you need much money."

I suddenly burst out laughing, almost like I had gone mad.

Evelyn knew better than anyone how much effort I had put into saving that money. She knew how badly I wanted to live independently and move out of that house.

Yet, she still took the last bit of hope I had been holding onto and crushed it without hesitation.

Chapter 4

By the time the graduation party was about to begin, everyone realized I wasn't in the car.

Mom called me and said, "You're dragging your feet again. Get a cab and get over here right now."

I said nothing and took a cab to the venue.

The moment I pushed open the doors to the banquet hall, I froze.

My diary entries were being projected on the massive screen at the front of the room.

"Evelyn gave the last bowl of chowder to Marvin today, even though I'm the one dating her."

"Ever since Marvin joined our family at eight years old, I feel like Mom and Dad don't love me the same way anymore."

And it didn't stop there. My entire body went cold. I rushed forward and yanked the projector's plug from the wall.

"That's my diary!" I shouted.

Marvin immediately looked like he was about to cry.

"I thought it was a speech you wrote for the party. I only played it while we were waiting for you and kept the guests entertained."

Before I could respond, my parents looked at me as if I were the one who had done something wrong.

"It's just a few pages from a diary. Do you really have to yell at your brother like that?"

Dad glanced at the screen and scoffed. "No wonder you didn't do as well on your SAT. Instead of putting your energy into studying, you spent all your time keeping track of everyone else's faults. When did you become so sensitive?

"If Marvin and Evelyn hadn't compromised for you, you'd be going to some college in the middle of nowhere alone. Let's see how you'll feel then."

The guests around us began whispering.

"A high school kid worrying about romance instead of his future? He's got his priorities all wrong."

Evelyn's face immediately fell when she heard that.

"So, this is what you spend your time on when you're not studying?"

The embarrassment on her face was impossible to miss.

I knew she wasn't ashamed of what had happened to me. She was embarrassed to be loved by someone she wasn't proud of.

I swallowed the bitterness in my throat and looked at them.

"You were the ones who read my diary without permission. I didn't do anything wrong." My voice choked a little.

Marvin's eyes started to redden as he grabbed my hand and pressed it against his own face.

"Chris, I know this is my fault. Please don't blame Mom, Dad, or Evelyn. They didn't know anything…"

Before I could react, my parents immediately stepped in front of him, trying to protect him.

The disappointment in Evelyn's eyes cut deeper than anything she had said.

"Do you really have to embarrass yourself in front of everyone? Leave first."

Dad quickly chimed in, "That's right. Go home and cool off. Think about how you're going to apologize to Marvin."

"I don't know how I ended up with such a son," Mom said.

Instead of defending myself, I looked at them one last time, grabbed my diary, and ran out of the banquet hall.

Once I got home, I listed everything I couldn't take with me for sale online and put everything else into a small suitcase.

On the way to the airport, Evelyn finally sent me a message.

"Your parents have calmed down. Come back and eat something. No one will make you dinner tonight. Marvin wants to explore the places near Solridge University before school starts. Come back now so we can discuss when to leave. Don't make everything about yourself."

Right before the plane took off, I finally replied to her, "I'm not going to Solridge University."

After a moment, I added, "Evelyn, we're over."

Then I blocked all four of them.

…

After the party ended, the guests gradually left.

Evelyn stared at her unanswered messages, feeling strangely restless.

Ms. Jackson called my parents to offer her congratulations.

Mom answered the phone, and her voice rose in shock. "What? Chris is going to… Harburt University?"

Just then, Evelyn's phone buzzed with two incoming messages. When she read them, all the color drained from her face.