I’VE BEEN HANGING OUT WITH YUXI FOR DAYS. She’s really nice to talk to—and to show off to everyone, lol. Walking with her feels like a runway, everywhere. All the eyes are on us. Although it's kind of a burdensome at first but I'm used to it by now.

“I can’t believe you haven’t dated until now.”

“I’m serious. Nainai even told me to try contact lenses instead of glasses, and they still didn’t help.”

“I still don't buy that. You must be kidding me.”

“When have I ever lied to you, jie?” She pouts and folds her arms below her chest. “I’m actually hurt.”

“Uhh, sorry. I didn’t mean it... that way.” I point at her surroundings. “Look at these people. Everyone always talks about you when you’re around, which means—“

“They don’t like me?”

I chuckle. “Really, Xiao Xi?”

“Hey that’s nice. I’m going to try calling you that now.” I nod, mentally agreeing with myself, then turn back to her, “Anyway, I’m glad that I might be useful for you in this matter.”

“You mean?”

“I’ll help you to notice the guys.”

“Notice?”

“Yeah. I know tons are dying to have your number.”

I suddenly recall something.

“Oh, this is good.” I mumble.

“What is it?”

“Valentine’s day is near, right? Just wait and check out all the guys that’ll give you things on your locker or desk. You can pick one then let’s figure some things out later together. I just wish you’ll agree to try talking to at least one—”

“But, nobody came to my desk or even my locker in the previous valentines.”

“WHAT??” My eyes are soo widened. “I thought, the problem is about you, that didn’t give any of them a chance, because, maybe you tended to assume then overthink bad stuff at first, so you pivoted?”

That's more like me.

“I actually tried lowering my standards, mentally. But still—“

“EH?? Don't do that, ever! You’re way too perfect for that!”

She grins a bit.

“Thanks, but I’ll be fine this year, jie. Just like usual.”

“I actually don’t believe in love at the first sight, at all, because I’m more into the one that shows up as we go with the flow. But you really look not fine now. I don’t want this hurt your self-esteem.” I sigh.

“Listen. I’ll visit your locker in the morning of the Val’s day, then we can meet up there if you’re free. Let's wait until lunch and see if nobody really comes.”

“Huh?”

“I don’t intend to make you date any of them that comes. I only want to make you have the confidence to raise your standard with that.”

---

And the day comes. I actually skip few of my classes just for this. I haven’t really skipped any before, so I still have 2 chances of not attending each class—that’s the campus' rule, that every student is allowed to be absent with no particular reason for 2 days, max.

I’ve prepared one box of chocolate for her, thinking that I’ll just use this to cheer her up if what she's predicted really happens today.

“Xiao Xi, are you here?”

“Lex—” She clears . “Xiao Xin Jie!” She walks to me.

Wait, Xiao Xi then Xiao Xin.

Maybe I should call her Yuxi to not confuse my own limited brain cells.

“So, which one is your locker?”

“This one.” She points at the one locked by a set of unending padlocks—like she’s hiding bucks of money there—where the others are locked by a regular password machine; people usually just peek at the crush when she/he’s opening the locker so they’ll know her/his password in college, I think.

I burst into laughter. “Really? You customized the lock?”

“Yeah. I have many things that are very very mandatory to be kept safely here, like, my journal about your case—“

“Huh? What case?"

"Many..."

I let out a heavy sigh.

"Don’t say that that’s one of the reasons you installed this?"

"Look. I assume the guys are terrified by this extra protection of yours. That’s why they didn’t get to leave anything on your locker."

"Meanwhile about your desk..."

I flash my eyebrows because I'm startled at my own thoughts.

"Don't you think that they thought you’re too godly to actually interact with?”

“You always succeed to flatter me, jie. Thanks. That really helps.”

“I wasn’t flattering you. These are really my deductions of what’s happening.” I sigh.

“Let’s remove your lock, take all the things you say important, then let’s wait there at the corner. I bet, you’ll be shocked by what happens.”

“Alright.”

---

After a few moments of me playing with my phone, she shakes my arm. “Jie, look!” She whispers.

A quite cute guy with a face resembles a certain legendary actress is looking at her locker. He seems to be really shocked that the excessive padlocks are nowhere to be found.

“See?” I mouth that to her.

“I can’t believe that guy actually thinks I exist. He’s in my class but never talked to me at all.”

“When a guy avoids you, he either doesn’t care about you or worships you. There's no in between. But since you’re too godly, then it must be the second one...” I murmur.

Another guy with a really long neck comes, and he keeps staring at the new normal lock, too.

“Oh my God! He’s supposed to be in my group before, but he asked the professor to move to another group.”

“Whoa.” I fling my arm around her shoulder. I start shaking my head because I'm adoring this girl!

“You don't know that you're actually very awesome. I’m proud!”

We both are currently hiding at the corner while sitting on the floor, with my back leaning on the wall—I don’t want to get a back pain after this. But she doesn’t lean on it like me, since she’s still too amazed by the view.

“So, have you thought about which one you want to talk to?”

“I don’t know, jie.”

“But at least, my main goal’s been achieved. Haha.” I take my box out of my bag, then hand it to her. “I actually have a box of chocolate for you. Do you want it?”

“Nooo, thanks a lot! You’re so thoughtful and I really don’t deserve that, jie!” Here she is, with the bright sparkling puppy eyes I used to see in high school.

I just chuckle to that. “Does that mean, I have to eat this myself?”

“Or you can just give it to Xiao Gui!”

“Eh no! After I gave him things, even they’re only towels, I got this in return.” I point at the bandage on my head.

She pats me. “I’m so sorry, jie. I promise I’ll finish my investigation quickly!”

“By the way, don’t you want to go back to your class now? It’s 10.”

“Ah, the class still hasn’t ended by now. I’ll wait until—“

“You skipped class??!”

“Hehe.”

She lets outs a heavy sigh. “Why was I very stupid that I acted like a loser, so you had to do this for me.”

“Come on, it’s really okay.” I grin. “I'm really happy that I can be a little help for you.”

“THANKS A LOT JIE I LOVE YOU TO THE MOON AND BACK!”

Ok that startles me.