Spring Flourishes in All Its Splendor

Sang Qing of Class 1, Grade 7 always hides under the camphor tree during the ten-minute break, secretly gazing at the hallway of Class 1, Grade 8 on the second floor. That's where Han Lin is: a boy with his pants cuffs rolled up, always carrying a mix of tobacco and sunshine in his scent. He's the center of attention in a corner of the sports field, a name countless girls whisper about, and the secret Sang Qing hides on the backs of her scratch paper and between her failing test papers. She remembers the way his bangs fell over his brows as he bent to pick up a basketball. She remembers the breeze that made her heart race when his uniform sleeve brushed her arm. This is a story about a secret crush, like plants in early spring quietly putting out new shoots in a corner no one knows about, its grandeur visible only to the one who feels it.