Her wish was simple: she hoped that in the coming year, Eden Anderson would stop liking Lucas Powell.

Following the academic competition, the deadline to submit major declaration forms had arrived. Under the relentless pressure from her mother, Eden ultimately checked the box for STEM. For the month following the submission, she abandoned her interest in the humanities, pouring every spare second into the sciences.

She was trying to prove a theory—that if she dedicated all her time to physics, chemistry, and biology, her grades would inevitably skyrocket. Every high-stakes midterm and every mundane practice problem became a litmus test for her own potential.

Yet, the results were always underwhelming. She had sought security through these metrics, only to find that they were exactly what stripped it away from her.

"Eden?" Shelby Rivera waved a hand in front of her face, snapping her out of a daze. "Are you possessed by an academic ghost or something?"

Eden managed a weak laugh and shook her head.

"It's New Year's Eve tonight. You should take a break," Shelby said. "We have the afternoon off. Why don't we go out?"

"Just the two of us?"

"I wanted to invite Molly Lee, but she said her cousin just had a baby and she’s heading to the hospital to see her nephew. I ran into Julian Smith this morning, and he mentioned he wanted to go out too. I figured the more, the merrier, so I told him he could tag along."

"That sounds fine," Eden replied.

That afternoon, Eden and Shelby stood outside the boys' dorm waiting for Julian. Almost every boy who walked past slowed their pace, their gazes lingering on Eden, heads swiveling as they passed.

"Man, you’re like a celebrity on the street," Shelby teased. "Honestly, you and Lucas should just wear sunglasses and masks to stop causing a riot everywhere you go."

"Eden!" Julian emerged from the dorm, waving as he spotted them. "Hey, Shelby!"

"Let’s go," Shelby said, her voice full of anticipation. "Where are we headed?"

"My place?" Julian suggested.

"..."

"Is your dad home?"

"Yeah."

"Then count me out. No way." Shelby looked genuinely repulsed.

"Look, my dad knows you’re leaning toward the humanities, which is exactly why he told me to drag you over there. Get it?"

"Julian Smith, you set me up! You said we were going out to have fun, not to get a lecture!"

"Eden, you should come too," Julian added. "My dad said he wanted to have a chat with you."

"With me?" Eden blinked, surprised.

Julian nodded.

In the study of Julian’s home, Eden sat across from Joseph Smith.

"Decided to stick with STEM?" Joseph asked.

Eden paused, then gave a slow nod.

"I’ve been tracking your exam scores for the last six months. Honestly, your strengths lie in the humanities.

"Sometimes, when the noise around us gets too loud, we stop hearing our own inner voice. In critical moments like this, you have to learn how to cover your own ears.

"Come on, cover your ears," Joseph said with a perfectly straight face. "Now, answer me again: are you sure about the STEM track?"

Eden couldn't help but laugh. "To be honest, I’ve always wanted to pursue the humanities, but my parents won’t hear of it. Especially my mother." She added, "And my homeroom teacher doesn't support it either."

"Alright. Anything else?" Joseph pressed.

Eden shook her head.

Suddenly, Joseph pulled out his phone and handed it to her. "Here, add your mother’s number to my contacts. Go ahead and switch to the humanities track next semester. I’ll handle the rest."

Eden took the phone, a strange, warmth blooming in her chest.

"Thank you, Mr. Smith," she said, handing the phone back after saving the number, her voice thick with sincerity.

"Don't mention it. Now, go have some fun with the others." Joseph patted her shoulder.

Eden nodded, smiling, and turned to head out. But as she pushed the door open, she collided with a familiar figure standing on the threshold.

Their eyes locked. For a fleeting second, the air seemed to freeze. Eden stared, breathless, before quickly averting her gaze. She stepped aside, letting Lucas Powell pass, and slipped out of the room.

"Lucas? You here?" Joseph’s voice echoed from inside. "Are you set on the STEM track?"

Eden stood outside, her feet rooted to the floor by the sound of their conversation.

She heard Lucas chuckle. "Don't tease me, Mr. Smith. I’m definitely taking STEM. I’m useless at the humanities."

"Eden is switching to the humanities," Joseph said. "Looks like you’ll finally be taking the top spot."

"Sir, my ego isn't that big. Ranking first or second—it doesn't change anything for me," Lucas replied. "But for her, it’s different."

"Oh? How so?" Joseph asked, intrigued.

"You see how quiet she is every day? She carries more than anyone realizes. The pressure she’s under… most people would’ve cracked. She holds it all together like she’s made of steel. To tell you the truth, I’m actually quite happy to lose to her."

Eden’s fingers curled unconsciously at her sides.

"Eden! I just sliced some fruit, come have some!" Shelby called out from the living room.

Eden answered and hurried toward the living room, leaving the conversation behind.

After dinner, Shelby suggested they head to the city square to watch the fireworks. Because guests were arriving at his house, Julian stayed behind, leaving only Eden, Shelby, and Lucas to walk to the plaza.

The square was packed. The trees were strung with glowing, multi-colored lights, and the vendors were bustling, selling handmade trinkets and sparklers. Shelby ran over to buy three, keeping one for herself and shoving the others into the hands of Eden and Lucas.

"Sparklers! One for each of us! Lucas, didn't I tell you to bring a lighter? Come on, light them for us!" Shelby urged.

Lucas pulled a lighter from his pocket and leaned in to light Shelby’s sparkler, wishing her a Happy New Year.

"Happy New Year!" Shelby shouted, spinning in circles with her glowing light.

Eden felt a smile tug at her lips, but as she turned, she found Lucas standing right in front of her. He wished her a Happy New Year, then shielded the flame with his hand to light her sparkler.

Just as she opened her mouth to respond, a group of kids chasing each other slammed into her. A child holding a lit sparkler lunged forward, and Eden, caught off-balance, stumbled. She didn't fall, but her hand brushed against the burning rod, and her own sparkler hit the concrete, dying out.

Lucas grabbed her wrist instantly to steady her. He didn't let go, his eyes fixated on the angry red burn on the back of her hand.

"Thanks," Eden’s breath hitched. She pulled her wrist back as soon as she regained her footing.

"What happened?" Shelby ran over.

"It's nothing," Eden smiled at her. "I accidentally dropped mine. I’ll go buy another one."

"Get me one too while you’re at it," Shelby chirped.

"Sure." Eden turned toward the stall. Her heart was hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird—all because he had held her wrist for those few seconds. The "Happy New Year" she had been waiting to say remained caught in her throat, swallowed back down into the silence.

As she finished paying for the new sparklers, she heard Shelby calling from across the square.

"Eden! Over here!"

"Why’d you move?" Eden asked as she approached.

"Lucas said it was too crowded with those kids running around. He said it was safer over here, and less crowded too. He told me you burned your hand—are you okay? Let me see!" Shelby grabbed her hand.

"I'm fine," Eden said, scanning the area. She didn't see Lucas. "Where's he at?"

"Oh, he got a call. Said he had something to take care of and rushed off. Probably Molly Lee, right? She’s back, so they’re probably meeting up to ring in the New Year together. They do it every year," Shelby said.

Eden didn't reply. Her vision blurred slightly.

Shelby used her lighter to ignite the sparkler. The golden fire hissed and sputtered, blindingly bright against the dark night. Eden watched silently as it burned down to the wire.

As the seconds ticked away, the crowd turned toward the massive clock on the nearby building, chanting the countdown. At the stroke of midnight, countless fireworks exploded simultaneously, cascading across the ink-black sky like a brilliant, torrential downpour of colored light.

Eden looked up, watching the display, and made her first wish of the new year.

Her wish was simple: she hoped that in the coming year, Eden Anderson would stop liking Lucas Powell.