Suzhan Yue watched Jiangyx Jiang stride into the classroom, chest puffed out and head held high, brimming with confidence. She tiptoed after her, slipping behind the classroom door.

Honestly, even she was stunned by Jiangyx’s transformation after makeup.

She remembered last night—Jiangyx crouched against the wall, shrouded in darkness, looking utterly broken. Suzhan Yue had hesitated for ages, unsure how to comfort her.

Until she heard Jiangyx whisper:

“Yueyue.”

“Hmm? I’m here, Axue.”

“…Do you have someone you like?”

“Huh?”

Suzhan Yue froze, pondering the question before answering honestly:

“Well… yes. My parents, my siblings, the butlers and maids at home, teachers and classmates who’ve cared for me since childhood, uni friends… oh, and you, Axue. I like all of you!”

“Not *that* kind of like, silly.”

Jiangyx burst into a mix of tears and laughter, utterly disarmed by the girl’s innocent airheadedness.

“…Let me rephrase. Is there someone who feels… special to you?”

“Special?”

“Yeah.”

Shivering slightly, Jiangyx curled tighter into herself. Her gaze drifted to the moonlight spilling through the balcony glass—a milky glow—and she murmured:

“It’s… someone who feels different from everyone else.

“You noticed them ages ago, but didn’t understand your own feelings back then. You just thought they stood out. Made your heart race.

“You’d search for them in crowds. Felt off if they weren’t there. You’d pick at their flaws, craving any excuse to talk to them. But their words could also make you furious—as if they were your worst enemy.

“And only later did you realize why they felt so special…

“Because you liked them.”

Jiangyx’s voice was so tender, Suzhan Yue felt it resonate deep within. She memorized every word, tracing them in her mind to find someone who matched the description.

Then—a boy surfaced in her thoughts.

The one she hadn’t named earlier.

Suzhan Yue fell silent. Her own heart began thumping wildly. Jiangyx didn’t notice her quietness, continuing softly:

“I’ve heard them say how wonderful it is to like someone—every move they make tugs at your heart, every moment feels different because of them. You want to share everything with them. Life feels… meaningful.

“They were right… but I never thought the person I liked… might not be mine.

“Funny, isn’t it, Yueyue? I’ve liked him since forever. Cared so deeply… yet I never understood my own heart. Couldn’t be honest about my feelings.

“I kept thinking: *Wait. Just wait. Wait until I’m ready. Until I’m better. Until I’m so confident he’d never say no. Then I’ll confess.*

“…But no one waits forever.

“By the time I was ready to tell him… he was already holding someone else.

“I don’t want this… If it’s like this, why did I have to see him? Meet him? Like someone who isn’t mine…

“Is liking someone… really this painful?”

Suzhan Yue heard Jiangyx’s voice tremble, thick with unshed tears. She ached to reach out, to stroke the girl’s hair hidden in the shadows. But words failed her.

She pictured the boy from her memories—his sharp wit at the bar, his cutting remarks that had left such an impression. Though it might hurt Jiangyx, she gathered her courage, mimicking his tone:

“So… you’ll stop liking him now?”

Jiangyx went utterly still. Holding her breath. Listening.

Suzhan Yue’s voice wavered, but she took a deep breath, forcing calm:

“Axue… you say you like him. But you also said he doesn’t know your feelings, right?”

“I… I did tell him…”

“Did you say it *to his face*?”

“…”

“I… I don’t really understand love or liking someone.

“But… if it were me? I’d fight to keep that special person close.

“Tell them everything. Demand to know their heart. Not just watch from the shadows while they’re with someone else—without ever trying.

“Sometimes… things deceive us. Especially words and actions. One side of the story can’t reveal the truth.”

Suzhan Yue’s lips curled upward. She shifted tone, pouring her conviction into the words:

“You have to act. See for yourself. Feel it. Tell them what’s in your heart. Only then will you know their true feelings.

“So, Axue.

“Before you give up…

“Why not try once more?

“Pour out your emotions. Your feelings. Your love. Fight for it.

“Don’t you want to try?”

Silence stretched. Suzhan Yue’s chest tightened—had she said the wrong thing? Failed to soothe her roommate’s heartache?

Then, Jiangyx’s whisper floated back:

“Yueyue.”

“I’m here.”

“…Tomorrow morning… can you do my makeup?”

“…Huh?”

“I’m… not good at this stuff. But I want to look my best. To face that idiot…”

Suzhan Yue glimpsed Jiangyx burying her face in her knees, shy. After a long pause, Jiangyx’s voice firmed with resolve:

“…I’ll confess to him.

“Even if he rejects me again—I’ll tell him everything I feel. No regrets this time.

“So… I’ll dress to stun. So gorgeous he can’t look away…

“…His eyes on only me.”

Jiangyx fell silent. As if those words had drained her courage. Suzhan Yue wondered if she’d truly go through with it tomorrow.

But Suzhan Yue wasn’t worried.

A satisfied smile touched her lips. She lay back on her bed, eyes closing as she murmured:

“He will.

“Because I’ll make you the most beautiful girl he’s ever seen.”

And she did.

Her family’s personal stylist had taught her well. By dawn, Jiangyx’s transformation left them both breathless.

Heels clicking, Jiangyx dashed out of the dorm. Suzhan Yue chuckled, tidying the makeup scattered across the room before chasing after her.

She caught up just in time to see Jiangyx pause outside the classroom. The girl took three deep breaths under the stares of passersby, then strode in with perfect composure.

Suzhan Yue hid behind the doorframe, peeking out slightly, curious.

*Would Jiangyx succeed? And who… who was this boy she liked?*

Her smile froze.

Inside the dead-silent classroom, Jiangyx stood before a boy. Clear as day, she declared:

“Let’s go on a date.”

A beat of silence—then the room erupted in cheers.

Suzhan Yue stared at the boy’s stunned face. Her own heart plummeted into chaos.

*Why…*

*Why him…*

*…of all people.*