Hai Lin returned home, kicked off her shoes, and headed straight to her room like a girl on a secret mission.
She opened her drawer—empty.
With the precision of a museum curator, she slipped the pink sticker into a small plastic cover and placed it inside. The very same one that had once been stuck proudly to Sun Shian's forehead.
She smiled.
Treasure secured.
Buzz!
Her phone vibrated. A message.
Li Zeyan: "I don't want to be your friend. Don't send a request."
Hai Lin rolled her eyes so hard they almost fell out of her head.
"Mistake, mate," she muttered. "Like I wanted to be your friend."
---
The next morning, she woke with a start when she heard her mom shout, "Hai Lin! It's 8:30!"
She launched herself out of bed like a startled cat and ran face-first into the wall.
Bonk.
"AGHHH—MY FACE!"
But it was only 7:00 a.m.
She was officially awake, bruised, and betrayed.
Once dressed, she headed downstairs just in time to see someone ride past her house.
Sun Shian.
Their eyes met. He smiled—no, laughed—and pedaled away.
Hai Lin clutched her heart. Oh no… did he laugh because I looked pretty? Or…?
Her sister Hai Xueyan stepped out right after, took one look at her, and burst into laughter.
"Why are you laughing?" Hai Lin asked, squinting suspiciously.
"Go look at yourself," Xueyan said with a smirk before going away.
Hai Lin didn't think much of it and headed to school.
---
In class, things felt weird.
Why is no one talking to me? Hai Lin wondered. Is it real or just in my head?
She sank into her chair.
Then came Li Zeyan. As usual, he slouched over his desk, ready for a nap—but paused when he saw her.
He stared.
"What?" she frowned.
"Your eye. It's red and swollen." He blinked. "You look ugly."
And just like that, he laid back down.
Hai Lin flushed. So... senior laughed because I looked funny?!
Defeated, she went to the infirmary to get ice for her poor eye.
On the way back, she spotted Sun Shian coming out of his class.
Abort mission!
She ducked behind the wall, holding her breath like a spy dodging lasers. When the coast was clear, she dashed to class.
Only to see… her phone in Li Zeyan's hand.
"Why do you have my phone? Give it back!" she demanded.
Sun Lingmei, a girl sitting nearby, narrowed her eyes. "Yeah, Zeyan. Why do you have her phone?"
Hai Lin had a bad feeling.
Li Zeyan stood and said, "Come outside."
Sun Lingmei's expression twisted.
Hai Lin followed him out cautiously.
"Are you the BrownEyes account that sent me a request?"
Her soul left her body. Oh no. He knows!
"W-well... I mean… it was an accident—!"
"Do you like me?" he asked, completely serious.
"WHAAT?! NO! Where did that come from?!" Hai Lin shouted.
"You requested me. Isn't that because you like me?"
Before Hai Lin could even scream again, a sharp gasp came from the hallway.
Lingmei. Of course.
"I don't like you!" Hai Lin flailed. "I mean—I do NOT like you like that!"
Li Zeyan just smirked, handed back her phone, and strolled right past Lingmei—who looked like she might bite a wall.
Hai Lin stared at the ceiling.
Why does my life feel like a live drama with no pause button?