"He is late again?" A woman around the age of 22 glanced toward the clock hanging on the wall of her rented apartment as she clenched her fist tightly, feeling that even though it was 8 a.m. now, her brother still had not returned home.
Of course, he always told her he was working the night shift to earn some money and support her, but it was unnecessary, given that with her scholarships and good marks in her studies, she would soon graduate from the elite academy, which was the number one academy in the city.
Once she graduated, it wouldn't be hard for her to find a job and support her little brother, who decided not to study and told her that he would work instead of her, even though she also worked part-time in a café and a small store.
"Sister, I am home!" The young man slowly entered the room using his key. Through the gap of the door, he looked toward his elder sister, who was preparing food a moment ago but dashed towards him before using a kitchen utensil, she hit his head.
"Oww, it hurts, you bully! I even brought a dress for you!" Rubbing his head, Raj felt it was unfair to be hit, even though he had brought a dress for his sister with the money he earned today. Given his luck, he chose a dress that cost him 29 IC, but it was far less precious than his sister's happiness.
"Huh? A dress?" Amrita felt confused and suspicious at the same time as she saw the bag he held, which belonged to an expensive brand, not something from the local streets. She took the bag and glanced at the dress while trying to find its tag.
"You will not get it; I threw it," Raj said, moving toward the dinner table. He took a seat and looked at the food prepared for him before starting to gobble it up, being hungry after a night of trying to scam five clients and finally getting the fifth one to believe his words was tough.
"What? Tell me, how much did it cost?" Amrita displayed her anger as she glared at her brother while folding her arms and tapping her feet, wanting to hear how much he uselessly spent on a costly dress when she could have just purchased some discounted ones from street vendors.
"8 IC," The young man informed, lifting his right hand while focused on eating. Suddenly, his sister approached him and pinched his ears, causing him to grit his teeth, knowing he was about to hear her rants again.
"You idiot! Why this much? You should have saved it or at least bargained to make it up to 4 Imperial Crowns!" She couldn't believe that her brother could be this foolish to purchase a dress without bargaining and buy something so expensive for her.
"Just take it, sis, and go to the academy, or you will be late." Hearing his sister's nagging, Raj gestured with his hand, glancing at her and signaling toward the clock, which caused Amrita's eyes to widen before she sprinted toward the door, taking her academy bag. With toast in her mouth, she dashed out while adding, "Once I come back, you're dead!"
"Yeah, yeah," Raj scratched his ears before finishing his food. He stood and moved toward his room. Arriving, he tightly closed the door and locked it before moving near his bed, pulling it aside.
He sat on the floor and lifted the wooden floorboard to reveal a box. He took the keys, opened it, and revealed several bills of 10 IC and more.
'Now it will be 600 IC,' He thought, putting the remaining 50 IC he had inside the box, locking it, and covering the floor. Finally, he had been able to collect this much money after working for more than three years.
A loud voice caused her to lift her gaze and look toward a man with distinct pink hair and the same colored eyes, making him different from others. While waving toward her, he passed through the crowd, apologizing as he collided with a few of them.
"Lin, are you kidding me?" Amrita looked at how this man was embarrassing her while coming towards her, placing her hand near her waist and shaking her head as if already used to his antics, she waved back.
"Oh, what's in there?" Tilting his head, Lin inquired as he looked at the white bag that she was placing inside her school bag.
As Amrita folded her hands and proudly looked upward, declaring, "It's the dress that my brother purchased."
"What? Really? Show me," Lin said, taken aback that he was also thinking of presenting her with a dress. He took her bag as both of them moved forward and noticed the dress from a popular brand, causing him to form a teasing smirk as he nudged her shoulder. "You got rich, huh? I bet it costs no less than 20 IC."
"Wrong." Amrita lifted her finger as she shook it, feeling proud that her brother had chosen a dress that appeared costlier than it actually was. However, she was still determined to give him a piece of her mind when she went back home.
"Then how much?" Lin inquired as they entered a building belonging to the art and culture department.
As both of them made their way towards their classroom, which wasn't far away, they entered together.
"It's 8 IC," Amrita firmly declared, feeling proud, as she folded her hands with a proud smile.
"Wh-what?! Really—" Lin exclaimed in surprise, but before he could finish his words, they heard a mocking voice directed toward him.
"Isn't it just adorable how someone can be so broke that they think an 8 IC dress is a trophy?"
As the taunt reached their ears, Lin and Amrita glanced toward a trio of women. They were all chuckling, with one of them grinning condescendingly, her smirk indicating a sense of superiority.
"Y-you!" Lin burst into anger as he clenched his fist, clearly wanting to confront that woman, but he was halted by Amrita's hand blocking him from approaching them.
"What is happening here?" Out of nowhere, a gentle and serene voice came from behind Amrita and Lin. They turned to see a young woman in a tidy academy uniform, her long black hair straight and cascading down to her waist. She regarded them with her unreadable eyes before shifting her gaze to the three women, whose faces had grown pale.