She was an introvert, he was an extrovert.

 It stayed that way throughout all the years they had known each other. They weren't close, merely just classmates that sometimes exchanged a word or two if needed. He never asked her about her day, and neither did she.

Zhang Yixing was the type of boy that everyone regarded as an easygoing and sociable boy. He was nice to everyone, big or small. If someone was ever in a downcast mood, he was always the one that tried to make them smile. His presence was always hard to ignore whenever he entered a room. Constance always thought he emitted a special type of aura. She thought about it last year when it was his birthday. He had made an announcement to the class and brought out cupcakes he had iced himself the night before. The delectable pastries were decorated with sloppy baby blue frosting and rainbow sprinkles. When the boy had approached her desk with the messy sugary treat, he had fumbled with the napkin; his clumsy hands trying to separate it from the stack he was holding. She could only watch in silent amusement as he  finally placed the cupcake on her desk with the napkin sitting on the bottom. Before he had the chance to shuffle over to the next student, Constance worked up her might to mumble out a soft "Happy Birthday", her eyes not quite leaving the lopsided frosting. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed how Yixing had paused for a second, before giving her his infamous dimpled smile.

"Thank you."

On the way home that day, Constance couldn't stop applauding herself for piping up first. Although it was merely just two words, it felt like she had recited the entire dictionary in front of him. The encounter had only been for a collection of a couple of seconds, but it replayed like an old film in her head for the rest of the day. It wasn’t until she was underneath the sheets of her bed, that a sudden thought struck her mind, why did this matter so much to her? 

---

That had been less than 3 years ago.  Now everyone was older, and perhaps, more mature. Constance was a silent observer, she watched as girls around her started to talk about makeup, and the newest skincare routines. The boys garnered interest in things such as online gaming and videos, leaving behind their hand figurines and trading decks. It was inevitable. People changed. Trends came and went. Yet, there was one person that didn't seem to act any differently than how he was before. Yixing.

She was always observing people, and he wasn't an exception. It was no way in any sort of a creepy way. It wasn't her fault that her eyes wandered whenever there was a long tedious lesson and she suddenly became more interested in her classmates that were beside her. You could even call it a talent of hers. When someone's mood changed, she sensed it right away. Whether it be from the telltale sign of tense shoulders or a forced smile, she could tell. Being a wallflower definitely had it's benefits. Constance didn't mind being a supporting character in a classroom full of people desperate for attention. In fact, she took pride in her silent nature. There was something peaceful and tranquil that she enjoyed in a quiet setting. Yixing was quite the opposite. Every time he entered their class in the morning, everyone would get rowdy and the atmosphere would be filled with ambient noises. Just like how it was back in middle school.
Constance didn't mind, it was just how he was and she wasn't about to be the one to stand in front of his joyous  presence. 

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Constance worked at the local movie theatre on the weekends. She was in charge of cleaning up the discarded popcorn bags and soda cups after people left the screening rooms. She liked her job. No one ever asked her to man the cash register or ticket booth, mainly because the one time she did, the line had s out for a whole block because she had become so fluster