Like a Storm

Starts posting on September 10~

Secret male crush | Bittersweet pining and push-pull tension

When the middle school entrance exam results came out, He Yunchu squeaked into Anjiang's best high school, No. 1 High, and became deskmates with Zhou Qi'an, the top student in the grade. Her parents were so delighted they practically burned incense in thanks.

On the first day of school, He Yunchu gave little gifts to everyone around her. Everyone happily accepted theirs, except Zhou Qi'an, who waved hers away without saying a word.

In the second week, He Yunchu enthusiastically invited her deskmate to her birthday party. Zhou Qi'an frowned. "Are we even that close?"

A month into school, He Yunchu asked Zhou Qi'an to play cards with her at the sports meet. Zhou Qi'an shook his head firmly. "I need to study."

A year into school, He Yunchu chose politics, while Zhou Qi'an chose biology. Their paths went their separate ways.

"Starting today, you'll be losing such a great deskmate as me, you know."

When Zhou Qi'an looked up, all that remained in the world was He Yunchu's retreating figure.

--

At first, He Yunchu often asked him questions online, but gradually she did so less and less.

Without He Yunchu beside him, Zhou Qi'an's world grew quiet, and he found himself unused to it.

But he could always hear news about her from other people.

After the college entrance exam, Zhou Qi'an went to great lengths to find out which university He Yunchu had applied to, and managed to get into the same one.

It was pouring that day. Zhou Qi'an went to her dorm with an umbrella, only to see her sharing one with the senior she often talked about.

Zhou Qi'an couldn't say when he had lost his own umbrella.

He only remembered that day's storm came fiercely, then vanished without a trace.

Like his love, which came to nothing.

Warm, sunny extrovert x taciturn, reserved bookworm

*A secret crush in youth is like a storm. The one who isn't loved has nowhere to hide when the downpour comes.

Blurb screenshotted on 2026.3.29

Theme: A straight guy's guide to secret love