The purpose of this study is to investigate whether, and in what ways, high school students’ aesthetic sensibility, critical thinking, and creative thinking develop through the ‘Reading English Literature’ course. To this end, this study adopted a mixed-methods approach. Thirty-nine students participated in response-based activities over 17-week period. Pre- and post-instruction competency assessments were administered, and paired-samples t-tests were conducted to examine changes in the three target competencies. In addition, classroom observations and individual interviews were conducted with 16 participants to explore students’ experiences and perceptions. The results revealed that the three competencies developed through close and dynamic interaction. Critical thinking and creative thinking evolved in a complementary relationship, grounded in aesthetic sensibility. Overall, the findings suggest that the competency-based ‘Reading English Literature’ course can help students grow into intellectually and emotionally mature individuals equipped not only with language proficiency but also competencies in deep thinking and empathy.