After bombing my SATs, I changed my number, deleted my socials, and ghosted everyone I knew. Eight years later, at our high school reunion, the class president leaned in and whispered a secret: "Finn Sterling had a crush on you." I spent days digging through boxes until I found my old phone and logged into the messaging account I had abandoned years ago. And there it was. A message sitting quietly in my inbox, unread for eight years: "Which college are you going to? Can I come with you?" But now? Finn Sterling is a world-famous superstar. 1 The sun was brutal today. I felt dizzy from the heat, and if you looked closely, you could probably see steam rising from the pavement. Traffic was a nightmare. To avoid being late, I bailed out of the cab and sprinted the rest of the way to the airport. Thirty minutes until Finn Sterling’s flight landed. He was the big shot our company spent a fortune to sign—a red-hot A-list celebrity. He was also my high school classmate. Two days ago, at the reunion, I laughed off the class president's secret. "Finn Sterling? Having a crush on me? Yeah, right! That wouldn't even happen in a fanfic. He's Finn Sterling. If every one of his fangirls just spit once, I’d drown." Anyone could like me, but not Finn. We were never on the same wavelength. High school Finn probably couldn't stand me. 2 Finn Sterling was number one in everything. He dominated the trending topics, had zero scandals, and was the golden boy for every major brand. But he was an anomaly in the entertainment industry—focused solely on acting, never doing commercials. So when he suddenly agreed to collaborate with our company, it sent shockwaves through the industry. Countless massive corporations were lined up ahead of us, but he chose us. My boss was so excited he called emergency meetings all night. Somehow, the task of picking him up from the airport fell on me. The boss patted my shoulder earnestly. "Sarah, you have to take good care of Finn. Whatever he says, goes. Make him feel the warmth of home while he works with us." I thumped my chest and promised, "Don't worry, boss. I'll do my best." I said it with confidence, but inside, I was freaking out. In my memory, we weren't close in high school. We barely interacted. But I was terrified of him because he looked scary as hell. Finn didn't talk much. He always slouched in the back row, chin resting on his hand, dark eyes, high nose bridge, looking at people with indifference. That was high school Finn. 3 Stepping into the airport, I checked the time. Just made it. But what I didn't expect was the crowd. It was packed. Fans everywhere. Before I could even process it, someone started screaming. "Finn's here! My god! My god!" "Ah! It's really him! He's so handsome!" "He looked at me! He looked at me!" I sighed. The charisma of a top star was no joke. Finn was popular even in high school. Even though he always had a face like someone owed him money, that face was blessed by the gods. People couldn't help but look at him. I was drawn to him too. But every time I looked, he'd avoid my gaze and frown slightly. After a few times, I stopped looking. I figured I should know my place. In high school, I was the class academic rep, but I was the type who only knew how to study hard. Since childhood, the phrase I heard most was: "Sarah, you have to work hard. You have to work harder than everyone else. We don't have connections. Only by studying hard can you compete for a future with those who were born at the finish line." So my childhood was dull. I didn't know if I was happy, I was just used to it. Like this was how I was supposed to be. My classmates called me a nerd behind my back. So at the time, I thought someone like Finn must hate a student like me the most. Lost in my memories, the screaming around me suddenly stopped. A shadow fell over me. I looked up. The handsome man in front of me merged with the face in my memory. Unlike the brashness of his youth, he was now composed and elegant. Security and staff surrounded him. Finn looked relaxed. He extended a hand to me, his cool voice hitting my ears: "Hello, I'm Finn Sterling." I reached out dumbly. He didn't remember me. Makes sense. I was basically invisible in high school. But the moment our hands touched, Finn chuckled softly. His large hand enveloped mine. Finn rarely smiled on screen, so the fans around us went crazy again—screaming, shutters clicking like machine guns. Despite the noise, I heard him clearly. He said, "Sarah, long time no see." His lazy tone made my heart tingle. Maybe it was the heat, but my face was burning. I wiped the sweat from my face and whispered, "Long time no see, Finn. I'm the pickup personnel from Zenith Group." 4 We left the airport, but the luxury car the company sent was stuck in traffic. The sun was blinding. Suddenly, Finn took a step forward, his shadow shielding me from the glare. I looked up at him. His expression hadn't changed much. I had to admit, he'd changed a lot. The guy who used to be so arrogant was now so steady. When we finally arrived at the company, Lily and her team were already waiting in the conference room. Lily, the hottest actress of the moment. Seeing Finn, Lily immediately stood up and greeted him familiarly. She'd worked with Finn on three dramas, all as leads. Even though they weren't romance dramas, plenty of people online shipped them. This time, they were collaborating on our company's perfume commercial. Seeing them talking together, I had to admit, they looked good. With everyone present, the boss called a meeting. After some pleasantries, Finn suddenly spoke up. "Mr. Sullivan, my assistant is on leave for a while. I was hoping your company could arrange a staff member to fill in temporarily." Finn was a VIP. A small request like this had to be granted. The boss scanned the room and met my eyes. I suddenly had a bad feeling. No, boss, please no! I'm scared, don't pick me! I frantically winked and shook my head at him. But he acted like he didn't see it and pointed right at me. "How about Sarah? I heard you were in the same high school. You should be familiar with each other." Familiar my ass. We barely spoke. Bad memories of high school flashed through my mind. I slammed the table in panic, my voice loud and firm: "I'm not worthy!" Finn looked up at me, danger in his eyes. "Reason." Realizing everyone was staring, I stammered an excuse. "I feel like someone of Mr. Sterling's status deserves a more excellent assistant. My abilities aren't up to par." I sat down nervously. The room was silent. Everyone looked at Finn. Finn leaned back in his chair, tapping his long fingers on the table, his tone indifferent. "Mr. Sullivan, I'm a nostalgic person. I like working with old classmates. If your company can't even show this much sincerity, there's no need to continue our cooperation." He was talking to my boss, but his eyes were fixed on me. I squirmed in my seat. At this point, the boss didn't care if I lived or died. He beamed at Finn. "Of course, of course. It's Sarah's blessing to be Mr. Sterling's assistant. Don't worry, Sarah is just modest. She's very capable. She'll do her best to make Mr. Sterling feel the warmth of home here." Meeting adjourned. Finn stayed in his seat. I tried to sneak out with the crowd, but as I passed him, he grabbed my wrist. Finn said quietly, "We were in the same class. Do you have to avoid me like the plague? Sarah, you hid from me in high school, but we're not in high school anymore. Tell me why." I took a step back. People were watching. One photo and I'd be trending. But Finn wasn't letting me go. He leaned in closer, his voice seductive. "Hm? Old classmate?" I looked down, avoiding his eyes. My face was probably redder than a monkey's butt. Seeing me cower, Finn tutted in displeasure. His hand slid from my shoulder to the back of my neck. The cold touch of his watch sent shivers down my spine. I struggled uncomfortably and looked up at him. Finn's face was terrifyingly dark. I heard him grit his teeth. "Your boss said you have to do your best to make me feel the warmth of home. Sarah, nothing less will do." 5 I've always bowed to life's pressures. After flunking the SATs, I went to a mediocre college. Getting into Zenith Group was dumb luck. To keep my job, I gave Finn a sweet smile. "Of course, Finn. I'll do my absolute best to make you feel at home. It's an honor to be your assistant." I looked him sincerely in the eyes. We were very close. Finn suddenly looked away uncomfortably. "Yeah, well, it's not like it has to be you, but since we're old classmates, it's better to be familiar." I nodded outwardly, but inside I was screaming. Familiar? We barely spoke! He frowned every time we made eye contact! I didn't know him at all! But since I was his personal assistant now, I had to learn his preferences and habits. I stayed late to organize the info. By the time I finished, it was dark. I shut down my computer and got up to leave. In the hallway, a familiar figure caught my eye. Finn. In the dim light, he was leaning against the wall, a cigarette in his mouth. The metal lighter in his hand glinted cold. He occasionally checked his phone, the screen's faint light casting shadows on his face. I called out, "Finn?" He turned, instinctively snuffing out the cigarette. "Off work?" I nodded. "Why are you still here?" Finn explained awkwardly, "Oh, your company is huge. Lost track of time touring." Lame excuse. Only an idiot would believe that. But I didn't dare call him out. "Yeah, it is pretty big." Silence. I looked calm, but I was practically shredding my bag strap. Awkward. What to say? Finally, Finn spoke. "Heading home? I'll drive you." I waved my hands, refusing a bit too loudly. "No need! No, really. I'll just grab a cab. Don't want to trouble you." Finn looked at me and chuckled softly. He pinched the back of my neck and guided me forward. "Old classmates. No trouble. Don't overthink it. I drove, it's on the way." 6 Just like that, I was in Finn's car. My first time in a luxury ride. But before I could even tell him my address, Finn started the car and drove straight towards my place like he already knew where it was. He actually found it! He parked right downstairs. I was about to ask how he knew where I lived, but Finn spoke first. "Sarah." "Yeah?" Finn didn't look at me. His gaze was fixed ahead, hands on the steering wheel like he was bracing himself. "Do you still use that QQ account?" I was confused. "Which QQ account?" (Note: In this localized version, QQ refers to an old messaging app popular back then, like how Americans used AIM or Kik). "The one in the yearbook." Finn turned to look at me. If you looked closely, there was nervousness hidden in his dark eyes. I shook my head. "Nope. After the scores came out, I changed everything." Finn seemed to let out a long breath. He muttered, "So you just stopped using it. You didn't intentionally..." "Huh?" I was confused. "What?" Finn looked at me, unable to hide the smile in his eyes. "Sarah, I wanted to take it slow with you, but I changed my mind. We're adults. Being coy is ridiculous." I was even more confused. "Finn, what are you talking about?" Finn leaned back in his seat, relaxed. "Go home and log into your old account. You'll understand." 7 Finn was being cryptic. As soon as I got home, I tore the place apart looking for my old high school phone. I couldn't remember the username or password, or even the phone number tied to it. An hour. It took a full hour to find the old phone. It was in a small box, covered in dust. Inside the box, besides the phone, were my high school certificates. Seeing these things again made me sigh. I was actually a great student in high school. I worked harder than anyone. While others played, I studied. I was always first in exams. My parents were proud. But the SATs... I choked. Everyone expected me to ace it, but I bombed. I wasn't surprised though. I knew it the moment I walked out of the exam room. I knew how bad my mental state was. I was too nervous. Everyone's expectations were crushing me. Everyone told me to do well, or I'd be letting them down. My hands shook uncontrollably during the test. I hyperventilated. I kept checking the clock, terrified I'd run out of time. I left huge chunks of the test blank. I didn't dare tell anyone. My parents had high hopes. When the results came out, they signed me up for a prep school to retake the year without even asking me. They looked at me with disappointment. "Do you know how much we sacrificed for your education? Sarah, you've disappointed us so much. Do you know how much face we lost?" That's when I realized my grades were the only thing about me they cared to show off. Everyone assumed I'd retake the year. But that summer, I quietly packed my bags, changed my number, cut off everyone from high school, and had my first real fight with my family. I went to an average college, but I was happy. It was the first time I chose my own life. Do I regret it? Not at all! I'd do it again. I was a teenager. I deserved to be happy. Grades weren't everything. I missed out on a lot, and I didn't want to do it over.
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