Ch. 1 : Her secret

My name is Lin Lu and I am 16 years old. I enrolled in this school to stay close to my crush, our middle school class president.

I looked at the map that my friend had drawn for me. Studying it carefully, I walked forward and followed the path that my friend had drawn out for me on the map. Suddenly, I banged into something hard. Looking up, I saw a guy around my age looking at me over his shoulder. With his brown hair the same shade as mine, chestnut brown eyes, snd his strong jaw, he was quite good-looking... but not as handsome as my Gou Feng, I thought to myself. He glared at me and said,"Watch where you're going, bookworm." "I'm sorry-", I quickly stuttered in reply, but before I could finish my sentence, he had already ignored me and walked away.

Everything that I had ever wanted, everything that I had hoped for; happiness heartbreak, and that fated meeting... All of it began in my 16th spring, amid so many blooming cherry blossoms.

"Lu Lu, did you know? The "Cutest Boy in School" has finally been decided on!" exclaimed Dai Dai. Dai Yi Xin was my best friend and we have been best friends for 4 years now. She had also come to this high school with me. With her bob cut dark brown hair and had purple eyes, she was energetic and athletic. "It's Xia Yi! He even beat our class president, Gou Feng! First-year, Class 5, 183cm tall, super smart and apparently insanely hot!!!"she continued. Lin Lu looked up at Dai Dai with disinterest written across her face. "So this is what you use your class notebook for?" Dai Dai smiled and replied,"Well, studying is important and all, but that's not all there is to the springtime of our youths! Besides, everyone has a boy that they like, don't you?"

Lin Lu avoided looking at Dai Dai and said,"Uh...not really, no... I don't really want to waste time on stuff like this..." "Oho?" replied Dai Dai with an eyebrow raised. Veeeerry suspicious, she thought.

As she looked around, someone caught her eye. "Wait! Isn't that Gou Feng playing badminton over there?" Dai Dai got up and waved to Lin Lu and said,"I gotta go cheer him on! Watch my food for me, yeah?"

Lin Lu stared at the badminton court where Dai Dai was cheering Gou Feng on. In a trance, she muttered,"Gou Feng... Dai Dai, I actually do have a boy that I like... And it's him, the class president. If I could just tell him the words "I like you" someday, that'd be enough."

Suddenly Lin Lu heard a rustling sound above her. She stood up and looked back, only to see the boy whom she had bumped into before. He was perched in the tree and covering his ear with a hand. Lazily looking at Lin Lu, he complained with contempt,"Ugh, you're so loud..."

Lin Lu jumped out of shock and exclaimed,"Eh?! W-w-who are you?" The boy in the tree ignored her and continued,"If you like him, just go tell him! Don't sit around muttering to yourself and disturbing other's sleep." Lin Lu blushed slightly and covered her mouth. Crap! He heard everything! she thought. Putting her hand down, she glared at the boy and threatened,"I...I'm warning you, you better not tell anyone! Or else..."

The boy jumped off the tree and lightly landed on his feet. Lin Lu, alarmed, took a few steps backward. With a mischievous smirk on his face, the boy leaned forward and asked,"Yeah? Or else

what, then?" With the boy leaning so close to her, Lin Lu felt uncomfortable. She blushed with embarrassment and said loudly,"Or else...or else I'll never forgive you!" The boy grinned and replied,"Haha, you really think I care about this kind of girly nonsense?"

My biggest secret, one I've kept hidden for the last 3 years, was discovered by THIS kind of person. He doesn't even wear his uniform...he must be some kind of delinquent... He wouldn't sat anything, would he?

Just as Lin Lu was about to have a panic attack, Dai Dai announced,"Lu Lu! I'm back!" as she jogged towards Lin Lu and the boy. Seeing Lin Lu with a boy, Dai Dai was a little confused. "Eh? W-w-who are you?" she asked hesitantly. Suddenly recognising the boy, Dai Dai smiled widely and said,"Hey, aren't you Xia Yi? Do you too know each other?" Lin Lu and Xia Yi looked at each other in silence. A few moments later, Xia Yi turned around and walked away. "Heh, later." he said as he waved at the two girls.

Dai Dai sighed dreamily and said,"Wow, if I had to choose between the two, I think I'd prefer a bad boy like Xia Yi over a nice guy like Gou Feng..." Glaring at Xia Yi as she watched him walk away, Lin Lu huffed,"What's so attractive about a guy like that...?"

As Dai Dai continued to dreamily look at Xia Yi walk away, Lin Lu turned to look to her right. Seeing two girls talk to her crush, Gou Feng with ease, she sighed quietly to herself. Will I ever be able to talk that easily with the class president? she thought.

- Class Time -

"Everyone sit up straight now!" shouted the teacher. A ball of paper flew and hit Lin Lu's head. "Hey!" she exclaimed. Looking to her left, she saw Dai Dai pointing at the paper ball and mouthing, Just for you--. Unfolding the paper ball, Lin Lu read the note on it. Let's go grab some smoothies at that new place. They are having a big special today! Lin Lu smiled. She wrote a reply on the paper and passed it back to Dai Dai.

Dai Dai quickly opened the note. Sorry, I got after-school classes. Let's go some other time--. Dai Dai looked at Lin Lu disappointedly and gloomily put the note under her desk.

- After school in the art room ad the sun is setting -

As Lin Lu sketched a drawing of her and Gou Feng together, she thought : Even though mum wants me to study medicine, I just really want to draw! Also, in my first art class was where I met him for the first time...