That evening, Jake had barely stepped through the front door when Aliya appeared in the hallway as if she had been waiting for him specifically.
"Why do you look happy?" she demanded.
Jake blinked once. "Hello to you too."
She folded her arms. "I have been watching you. You've been smiling at your phone all week."
"I have not."
"You did yesterday."
"I saw a meme."
Aliya dismissed that instantly. "You don't smile at memes. You exhale slightly."
Jake stared at her. "You observe too much." She pointed at him in triumph.
"Aha. Defensive behavior." Their mother's voice floated in from the kitchen. "Aliya, let him breathe."
Aliya ignored the instruction for at least three more seconds and leaned closer. "Did she agree to date you," she asked in a conspiratorial whisper, "or did you win the lottery?"
Jake answered without missing a beat. "Yes. I won the lottery. First prize. And i'm buying you nothing."
Aliya gasped as if genuinely wounded. "You'd abandon your only sister like this?"
"Yes."
She narrowed her eyes, then broke into a grin. "Fine. When you become rich and famous, I'll tell everyone embarrassing stories about you."
Jake moved past her toward his room. "You already do that for free."
She followed him halfway down the hall. "At least buy better bread tomorrow. If you're secretly rich, contribute to society."
Jake stopped at his door and looked at her. "You contribute nothing."
Aliya placed a hand on her chest. "I contribute vibes."
That got him. Slightly, but enough for the corner of his mouth to lift before he stepped into his room and closed the door behind him.
----
Later that night, he sat at his desk and opened his trading account again.
121,660 VM.
Jake leaned back slowly, letting the reality of it settle without trying to force it into something bigger or more poetic than it was. "The loan is cleared now and I still have more breathing room."
'But how i'm I gonna explain it to my parents when the time comes? Bet the first thing they are gonna ask if it's illegal money.' Jake laughed ironically as he imagined the scene of him explaining to his parents how he got his money.
He closed the app and set the phone down. By next week, he wouldn't be having the pressure of the bill and he could trade without anything weighing on him.
"And once that happened, things would start moving faster and not just financially." He leaned back in the chair and looked up at the ceiling, his thoughts already turning toward tomorrow's session.
Tomorrow meant more opportunities, more precision and more room to build. Outside his window, Aurelia City hummed under the night lights, restless and alive. Inside, Jake felt the shape of his life continuing to shift.
He wasn't patching holes anymore. He was climbing. And very soon, the height difference between him and the life he used to live would be too large for anyone around him to ignore.
---
Wednesday afternoon heat clung to the city like a second skin.
Jake stepped out of the taxi near the Sun-Shine commercial district and adjusted the strap of his backpack before looking up at the glass storefront ahead of him. The building's polished surface reflected traffic, pedestrians, and the glow of late afternoon sunlight sliding across the street.
He stood there for a moment. Not hesitating. Just recalibrating.
A month ago, walking into a place like this would have required a small internal battle. He would have checked his bank balance three times, calculated how many meals the purchase might cost him later, and probably convinced himself he didn't actually need anything
Now the situation was different. He still checked his balance, but for a different reason. Jake pulled out his phone and opened his banking app quickly.
Bank balance: 42,600 VM
Trading account: 121,660 VM
The numbers looked steady, almost ordinary on the screen. He locked the phone again and slipped it back into his pocket. "Alright, let's go make my first purchase." he murmured.
Then he pushed the door open and walked inside.
Cool air greeted him instantly, washing away the heat from outside. Soft instrumental music played quietly from hidden speakers, and the faint scent of polished wood mixed with the sterile smell of new electronics.
The store was sleek without being intimidating. It was the kind of place professionals visited when they needed reliable tools rather than flashy toys.
Jake moved slowly between the display tables.
Laptops lined the counters in neat rows. Tablets glowed beneath bright lights. Accessories hung along the walls like carefully arranged ornaments. He wasn't here to show off nor was he here to celebrate.
His current laptop had served him well, but it sounded like a jet engine whenever he opened multiple charts and took so long to boot that he sometimes lost early setups waiting for it to catch up.
'If I'm going to treat trading seriously—if I intend to grow this capital into something meaningful—I need equipment that kept pace with me.'
A sales assistant approached with a polite smile. "Looking for anything specific?"
Jake nodded slightly. "I'm looking for a laptop. One that's fast processing, reliable but it shouldn't be flashy."
The assistant's smile widened with professional enthusiasm. "Of course. For work or study?"
"Both."
Near a corner stood two other female sales agents and they were observing Jake as he interacted with the sales agent. "Does Alice really think someone like that could afford anything in an Apple Store?" Said one of the female agents.
"I don't know about this one Sarah. He seems way too composed to be a prankster. And kinda cute too, I wouldn't mind serving such a customer either." The other sales agent replied as she stared at Jake.
"Cute faces are not gonna pay for your commission Mary, it's just a waste of time and energy."
Mary did not respond and just kept looking at Jake, maybe even wishing she was the one attending to him right now.
Jake was guided to a display table where several models waited side by side. The assistant explained specifications: processors, memory capacity, storage speeds, cooling systems.
He listened carefully, asked a few precise questions—not enough to seem obsessive, but enough to make it clear he understood what mattered.
Eventually, his attention settled on one machine.
A newly released fourteen-inch MacBook Pro powered by the latest M5 chip. Clean design. Powerful internals. Quiet operation. Everything he needed. The price tag sat beneath it was 15,599 VM.
Jake looked at the number calmly.
A month ago, that price would have been an impossible luxury. Today, it was simply the cost of upgrading a tool. "I'll take it," he said.
The assistant, Alice, blinked once, then nodded quickly."Great choice."
"Would you look at that, he went for the most expensive one available," Sarah said as if waiting for something funny to happen. "Bet he forgot his wallet or is having bank issues."
"You really need to start judging people based on their style of dressing." Mary said with a bit of irritation and hoped Jake would prove Sarah wrong.
"Just wait and see." Sarah said with anticipation and Mary shook her head.
"Would you like to swipe?" Alice asked. "Yes please, Jake said as he took out his card and swiped. The payment went through and Alice couldn't help but smile as she Wrapped the laptop for Jake. "Thank you for shopping with us."
"That smile suits you, you should smile more." Jake said with a smile as he picked the laptop and proceeded to the exit leaving Alice blushing.
"You see? Not everyone has to wear labels to be able to afford things." Mary said with a satisfied smile. Though she kind of regretted not getting close to Jake.
Sarah snorted but said nothing as she simply returned to her work.
---
Twenty minutes later, Jake stepped back out into the street with the boxed laptop in one hand.
The sun had lowered slightly, softening the heat and turning the glass buildings around him into mirrors of shifting gold.
He walked toward the taxi stand slowly. Yet the feeling sitting in his chest was unmistakable. It wasn't anxiety but satisfaction.
This purchase hadn't been emotional spending. He hadn't bought it because he wanted to feel rich or prove something to anyone. It was a calculated upgrade. A tool that made sense for where he was going.
Still, as he glanced down at the bag again, he couldn't help muttering under his breath. "Damn. I could get used to this. Pretty sure I could have gotten her number if I tried."
By the time Jake reached home, the sun had dipped low enough to stretch long shadows across the living room floor.
He stepped inside quietly and placed the laptop box on the dining table before heading toward the kitchen to grab a glass of water.
He had barely taken the first sip when a voice called out from the hallway.
"What's that?"
Jake closed his eyes briefly preparing himself for the conversation he was about to have. Footsteps approached rapidly.
Aliya appeared in the kitchen doorway, already staring past him toward the box on the table. Her expression moved from curiosity to suspicion in less than two seconds. "…Jake," she said slowly.
He turned toward her. "Yes?"
She pointed dramatically at the box. "Explain."
"It's a laptop."
"I can see that," she replied. "Why do you have it?"
"I bought it."
"With what money?" she asked instantly.
Jake leaned casually against the counter. "My money. I thought we had established that I won the lottery."
Aliya narrowed her eyes and walked toward the table like an investigator approaching critical evidence. She leaned down and saw the brand label printed on the box. Then she read the model. Then she froze. Slowly, very slowly, she turned back toward him. "…Jake."
"Yes?"
"That is not a cheap laptop."
"No, it isn't."
Silence filled the kitchen. Aliya walked back toward him and stopped a few steps away. "Are you secretly rich?"
Jake nearly laughed. "No."
"Are you illegally rich?" she pressed.
"Also no."
"Then how—"
"I've been trading," he said simply.
She blinked twice. "Trading… trading?"
"Forex," Jake replied. "Gold mostly."
Aliya stared at him as if he had just announced he had joined a space program. "You're telling me you bought that"—she gestured wildly toward the box—"with trading money?"
"Yes."
"How much have you made to be able to afford such a laptop?" she asked immediately.
Jake took another sip of water. "Enough."
"That's not a number."
"It's the only answer you're getting for now."
Aliya groaned loudly and dropped into a chair. "This is torture. My own brother is having a financial glow-up and won't include me."
Jake picked up the laptop box and started walking toward his room. "Finish school first."
"I just started first year and you know it," she shouted after him. "Plus you are still in school too!"
"Well, finish successfully then," he replied with a soft laugh. A cushion flew down the hallway behind him but it missed.
---