Xu Zhinian first saw He Jiayan on an utterly ordinary evening.
She was sitting in the classroom when she heard a noise by the back door. She looked over and spotted him in the crowd at once.
He was dressed casually, and there was something especially clean-cut about him that set him apart from the other boys.
The early autumn breeze stirred the hem of his shirt, carrying a hint of chill. Suddenly, that ordinary evening felt meaningful.
Xu Zhinian never expected to get close to He Jiayan. She was content to watch him quietly from the corner.
But before she knew it, they had many chances to spend time together. Then came the confession-wall incident...
Xu Zhinian: "Friends?"
She asked the person in front of her, unable to believe what she was hearing.
He Jiayan: "Yeah. What, did you not think of me as a friend?"
He asked her in return, just as incredulous.
But fantasy eventually gives way to reality. A bubble can only ever be a bubble.
She once saw him acting flirtatiously with another girl.
And when she learned the truth behind his kindness toward her, she left without hesitation and began again.
Still, she never regretted having that experience.
Because of him, her ordinary, colorless youth gained a little brightness.
By graduation, Xu Zhinian had come to terms with everything.
At last, she could smile at him without reservation and say:
"He Jiayan, happy graduation."
When did I start liking him?
To be honest, I don't know.
If I had to give a specific time, perhaps it was the day I first met him?
I suppose it was love at first sight.
Before I met him, "love" was just a noun to me. But after that, everything changed.
It became a verb, and I felt what it meant to love someone. It was so vivid.
But all I could do was hide in the shadows and let that feeling quietly bloom.
Those days in the dark were not pleasant. I was often sad.
Of course, because I could see you so often, I felt I could endure all that darkness.
He Jiayan, I... like you.
2020.9.17
[Note]:
The heroine is quite sensitive and insecure early on, but she'll grow over time.
Theme: Coming to terms with the past and growing
