Mirabe switched off his phone and leaned in, "He''s back in the capital, caught today''s flight."


    Shawn blinked in surprise, "Already? He told me just a few days ago it wouldn''t be this soon."


    A few days ago?


    Mirabe shot Shawn a look, "You two seem pretty tight these days?"


    Shawn chuckled, "Well, we''re neighbors. It''s good to keep things friendly. Besides,


    I think James is a solid guy, really top-notch."


    Nick had juste downstairs and caught his dad praising their neighbor, James. He couldn''t help but frown.


    An art gallery invite and Dad''s all won over. Easy peasy.


    Then his sister''s voice drifted over.


    "... Yeah, he''s pretty decent," Mirabe agreed, nodding.


    Nick nced at his sister, tempted to say something but held back. Instead, his eyesnded on the book in her hands, showcasing selections from Zhuangzi.


    A smirk tugged at his lips as he sat beside her, "When did you get into ssical texts?"


    Mirabe waved the book in front of Nick''s face, "It''s for English ss, supposed to help boost my grade."


    But really, aiming for valedictorian in the finals meant she had to brush up on her English, big time.


    Nick raised an eyebrow, "English? You''re struggling?"


    Mirabe nodded, frustration flickering in her eyes, "Big time."


    Even though she already had a guaranteed spot at Prestige College, the finals


    were still a big deal, especially if she wanted to make Mr. Hammond and Parkside High proud.


    Nick looked puzzled.


    Struggling, yet still the top of her ss at Parkside High... was Mirabe humblebragging?


    "Need some help with English?" After a moment, Nick asked, deeply thoughtful.


    Mirabe, already back in her book, murmured, "Yeah, need to dive into more readings."


    Nick nodded, "Got it."


    With that, he pulled out his phone.


    He seemed to have an idea for the perfect gift for his sister.


    Mirabe, after a pause, shot Nick a curious nce, wondering what he meant by ''got it.''


    The next morning, Mirabe found out exactly what Nick meant.


    A massive box of reading materials awaited her: international ssics, essays, short stories by famous authors, and anthologies of poems and texts essential for high schoolers.


    If it was on the high school reading list, it was probably in there. She estimated about fifty or sixty books, maybe more.


    Staring at the box, Mirabe felt a mix of awe and a headacheing on.


    Nick hadn''t expected Grady to gather and deliver all the books overnight. Seeing


    his sister dumbfounded by the box, he ruffled her hair, "Sis?"


    Mirabe looked up at Nick, almost breathless, "You bought these?"


    Nick nodded, slightly embarrassed, "Consider it a little gift from me."


    To someone who loves learning, books are the best gift.


    A little gift... Mirabe massaged her temples. First, it was three boxes of exam papers, now a box of books. It seemed Zach''s influence had firmly taken root in Nick''s mind.


    Taking a deep breath, Mirabe mentally tallied another point against a certain someone.