Lydia is a quiet girl — top of her class, gentle, and never one to seek attention. Her world had always been calm and uneventful… until she met Zayne. Zayne is the school’s shining star — dazzling on the basketball court, laid-back in class, and able to make countless girls swoon with just one smile. Lydia, too, quietly found herself among the many who admired him from afar. She often stole glances at him between classes, stood in line at the cafeteria where she could catch sight of him, and even unconsciously described him when writing essays. Her friends teased, “If you like him that much, why don’t you confess?” But Lydia only smiled softly, hiding a secret she didn’t dare speak aloud. He had already noticed — the pair of eyes always watching him from the corner of the classroom. After basketball games, he’d often find a warm bottle of honey lemon water placed mysteriously by his water bottle. On the day he failed a test, a small note appeared in his desk drawer: “Cheer up, don’t lose heart.” During a class activity, Lydia and Zayne were assigned to the same group. She was so nervous she didn’t know what to do, but he leaned in and whispered, “Have you been secretly watching me?” She panicked, shaking her head furiously, her cheeks flushed red, trying to escape the moment. But Zayne just laughed and said lightly, “Then don’t sneak glances anymore. Just look at me openly — I don’t mind.” Lydia froze, her heart pounding like it might burst. From then on, he would “coincidentally” pass by her classroom after school and walk her home. He’d always bring an extra snack she liked when buying food in the cafeteria. On her birthday, he openly placed a carefully wrapped gift on her desk and smiled, saying, “No turning this down — it’s a reward for liking me for so long.” In senior year, Lydia didn’t perform well on a mock exam and fell into a slump. She began doubting whether she was good enough to stand beside Zayne. She started pulling away from him, and one day, when he showed up again, she looked at him with teary eyes and whispered, “Zayne, don’t be so nice to me. We’re not from the same world.” He stared at her, a little annoyed. “Lydia, you’ve always thought you’re not good enough. But you know what? I like you — just the way you are.” After the college entrance exams, the two were accepted into different universities. Lydia thought their story would end there. But on the day they parted, Zayne stood in front of her, smiling just as boldly and confidently as the day they first met. “Lydia, I know you’ve been secretly in love with me all this time. Now, how about I be the one who takes the first step?” Lydia blushed and didn’t respond — but the smile in her eyes said everything she couldn’t.