Later that day after returning home from school, Jasper sat quietly, a newspaper spread across his lap.
His eyes moved carefully from one section to the next.
Not casually.
Not out of curiosity.
But necessity.
The Wright Family.
One of the biggest names in Dragon Scale.
Luxury hotels.
Real estate.
Influence that stretched across the entire city.
Jasper paused on their listing.
Working for them—even in a small position—could change everything.
But then—
His eyes shifted.
A headline caught his attention.
“Wright Family Suffers Loss — Young Master Confirmed Dead.”
Jasper frowned slightly.
David Wright.
Killed just a few days ago.
In the Red Light District.
He leaned back slightly.
“…Yeah… not happening.”
Even he knew better than that.
A family like that, grieving?
Now wasn’t the time to show up asking for a job.
He turned the page.
The Chen Family.
Another powerhouse.
He skimmed through the listing—
Then stopped again.
Another headline.
“Chen Family Member Brutally Attacked — Condition Critical.”
Jasper’s expression darkened slightly.
“…Beaten half to death…”
Left in the hospital.
Between life and death.
He stared at the page a little longer this time.
That wasn’t normal.
Not for people like them.
Two powerful families.
Two major incidents.
Back to back.
Something felt off.
But Jasper shook his head.
“…Not my problem.”
He couldn’t afford to think about things like that.
He needed money.
Needed stability.
Needed a way forward.
That left—
One option.
The Green Family.
Owners of Green Real Estate.
Connected to Green Royalty Group.
Stable.
Untouched.
At least for now.
Jasper stared at their listing.
“…Would they even take me?”
He was young.
No connections.
No backing.
Just grades.
Work ethic.
And desperation.
He let out a slow breath.
“…Doesn’t matter.”
He folded the newspaper.
Set it aside.
“I’ll apply anyway.”
Because at the end of the day—
He didn’t have the luxury of hesitation.
And without realizing it—
That single decision…
Was about to change everything.
The next
Jasper’s alarm buzzed softly in the early morning silence.
For a moment, he didn’t move.
Just stared at the ceiling.
Thinking nothing.
Or maybe too much.
“…Five more minutes,” he muttered.
Then he sighed, sat up, and swung his legs off the bed.
No time to waste. This story is hosted at g.com.
Not today.
Because today mattered.
The water ran cold for a few seconds before warming up.
Jasper stood under the shower, letting the heat wash over him.
Tired muscles.
Heavy thoughts.
But his expression stayed steady.
Focused.
Today wasn’t about him.
Today was about her.
He finished quickly, dressed in his school uniform, and looked at himself in the mirror.
A plain boy.
Worn edges.
Tired eyes.
But his hand tightened slightly.
“…It’ll work out.”
He reached for the small wooden box sitting carefully on his desk.
Ornate.
Polished.
Delicate carvings along the edges.
He held it like it mattered.
Because it did.
Inside—
A diamond-encrusted necklace.
Something he had worked for endlessly.
Five jobs.
Sometimes six.
Late nights.
Exhaustion.
All compressed into this single moment.
The streets of Dragon Scale City were already alive.
Cars moving.
Students walking.
Life continuing as always.
Jasper moved through it all quietly.
Box held carefully in his hand.
Close to his side.
Protected.
People passed him without noticing.
Or worse—
Not caring.
But he didn’t mind today.
Because in a few hours—
He would give it to Clarissa Jones.
And maybe—
Just maybe—
Things would change.
Maybe she would stop hiding him.
Maybe she would finally acknowledge him in public.
Maybe—
He wouldn’t be just someone she called when it was convenient.
His fingers tightened slightly around the box.
“…She’ll be happy.”
He said it softly to himself.
Like a promise.
Like something he needed to believe.
As he continued walking toward Dragon Scale High—
Jasper didn’t notice the small crack forming in that belief.
Not yet.
But it was there.
Waiting.
Classes went on like any other day.
Lectures.
Notes.
Assignments.
The usual rhythm of Dragon Scale High.
But Jasper wasn’t fully present.
Not really.
His attention kept drifting.
Again.
And again.
To the same place.
💔 Clarissa Jones
Seated a few rows away.
Perfect posture.
Perfect appearance.
Surrounded by the usual group of popular students.
At first glance—
She looked normal.
But every time Jasper looked her way—
Something changed.
A glance from him.
Then—
A reaction from her.
A faint sneer.
A look that lingered just long enough to feel intentional—
Then gone.
Like he was… inconvenient.
Jasper blinked.
Just once.
“…Huh.”
He told himself not to read into it.
So he looked again later.
Same result.
Except this time—
It wasn’t just Clarissa.
Her attention wasn’t even on him.
It was on someone else.
Michael Frost
A student from a wealthy family.
Not top-tier elite like the Greens, Chens, or Wrights—
But still rich enough to matter.
Confident.
Relaxed.
The kind of person who never worried about money.
And Clarissa—
Was laughing at his jokes.
Leaning slightly toward him when she spoke.
Eyes soft.
Voice different.
Not cold.
Not distant.
Warm.
Jasper watched for a second longer than he meant to.
Then looked away.
“…Right.”
He muttered quietly.
Back to his notes.
Back to class.
Back to pretending he didn’t see it.
But the feeling lingered.
Something wasn’t adding up.
Not loudly.
Not dramatically.
Just small things.
Glances that lasted too long.
Reactions that didn’t match what he expected.
Moments that felt slightly… wrong.
But Jasper pushed it aside.
Because today wasn’t about that.
Today was about lunch.
The box in his bag felt heavier than usual.
Not physically.
But in meaning.
He exhaled slowly.
“…Just wait.”
Lunch would fix everything.
At least—
That’s what he told himself.
After what felt like an eternity of classes—
The bell finally rang.
12:00 PM.
Lunch.
Jasper didn’t hesitate.
He stood up immediately, already reaching for his bag.
His heart was steady—but fast.
Not from fear.
From anticipation.
Today mattered.
He moved quickly through the hallway, down to his locker.
The school buzzed around him.
Laughter.
Conversations.
Clattering footsteps.
But he barely noticed any of it.
He opened his locker.
Carefully.
Almost gently.
Inside—
The small ornate wooden box.
He lifted it out like it was something fragile.
Something important.
Because it was.
He closed the locker.
And for a moment—
He paused.
A faint smile formed.
“…Alright.”
Then he started walking toward the lunchroom.