When all of the students have settled on their seats, the technical operators turned off the main lights. The murmuring stopped as they waited for the spotlight on the stage to be so the band could start playing the music.

The drummer has started drumming the beat, followed by the keyboard, the electric guitars, and the bass guitar; and when the spotlight was shone on that person and her bandmates. Everyone was surprised and started jibber-jabbering when they saw the performers on stage. Especially the third-year students, they were baffled by what was going on.

"Aiyamaya!"

"Haiyaaaaa!"

"Can you believe it?!"

"まじで (Majide)??"

"Oi, am I missing something? What's the meaning of this?"

The performers on the stage weren't the school's band; they were Lin Fan, Zhao Xiaotang, Lu Keran, Yu Yan, Dai Meng, and Sunrui.

The student council vice-president wasn't informed about it. She was shocked. "Did you know about this?" Roada Xu asked Dai Yanni.

"They asked permission, so I let them," Dai Yanni said plainly as she glanced at Roada Xu. "It's our last year of high school, so why not make memories?"

"I supposed so," Roada agreed; she was also curious about how will it turn out.

The day before yesterday, when Xiaotang went into the student council room, she asked Dai Yanni permission for the surprises that they were going to do. First, the key to the photography club and now this, a surprise serenade for a special someone for Lin Fan. Dai Yanni rolled her eyes at the idea, but she lowkey wanted to know where it goes. It wouldn't be a problem as long as it doesn't break any school rules like breaking any school properties or doing illegal acts, also it's entertainment for the students. She remembered Xiaotang had asked her why she was kind to permit them to do so. Dai Yanni replied, "As if I can stop you?"

When Lin Fan started to sing a romantic song; she walked down the stage to the aisle while Sunrui ran towards the third-year students' area which was at the furthest back. She signaled the light operator to drop the spotlight on her. She approached Lingzi and asked for her hand. Lingzi was baffled, she didn't expect it, and neither did everyone else. Everyone was howling in the excitement at the moment.

Lingzi was hesitant but her classmates were very pushy. They told her just to go along with it and she complied without having to restrain. She held Sunrui's hand as she was lead to the aisle where Lin Fan was waiting for her while singing the song.

When they met at the aisle, the crowd's cheering became louder. Lin Fan asked for her hand, she was very nervous but she didn't have any choice, so she gave her hand to her as they walked to the stage hand-to-hand; the spotlight was following them.

Lin Fan's singing voice wasn't audible enough because of the loud roars of the students.

Sunrui began to sprint towards the stage to prepare the bouquet of small cute dinosaur plushies; according to their source, dinosaurs were Lingzi's favorite.

Lingzi couldn't feel anything when she walked up the stage; it was like her body was floating. When they were on the stage, she can't even hear the people nor see them clearly, it was all a blur to her. The loud cheering had become a high pitch sound buzzing in her ears. She couldn't understand her feelings; it felt like her chest was tight.

Unknowingly, it was her anxiety started creeping up on her. She hated grand surprises. She hated the spotlight that was on her. She didn't want any of this. She didn't want to go on stage. She hated that her classmates had pushed her to ride along with it.

She was old enough to say no, yet she couldn't. She wanted to get angry at them for doing this without asking permission first, yet she couldn't. Moreover, she was angry with herself the most for being meek.

When Lin Fan finished singing the song, she gave the bouquet to Lingzi who was unconsciously accepting it; her face was blank. 

Lingzi wanted to break out of her own shadow suffocating her. She wanted to refuse. She wanted to open . She wanted to scold them for their unsolicited actions.

"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" The students' chants made Lin Fan blushed; she thought it was too much. So, instead, she kissed Lingzi on her hand like a prince and his damsel in distress.

Everyone was yelling and screaming and shouting about the gesture she did. It was a dreamy sight to be seen. Most of the girls wanted this kind of a surprise but Lingzi isn't one of them.

Liu Lingzi is a private person; she despises this kind of grand gesture. She hates Lin Fan, Zhao Xiaotang, Sunrui, Dai Meng, Lu Keran, and Yuyan for doing it. She thought they would just do it once in the photography club, but to be seen by everyone in the school is unacceptable for her. And when Lin Fan kissed her hand, Lingzi snapped out from her anxiety. The image of Aria Jin flashed in her mind. She was conscious of what Aria might have thought when she saw Lin Fan kissed her hand in front of everyone. It didn't mean anything to her but what about Aria? She cared about her feelings. She cared a lot about Aria Jin that it angered her that Lin Fan and her friends had put her in that kind of situation.

Lin Fan made a speech that she didn't bother listening to; she stole the microphone from Lin Fan. She sighed deeply before saying her thoughts. "Has it ever occurred to you that not all people like to be in the center of attention?" She looked at Lin Fan and to her friends. The crowd went 'ooooh' when Lingzi said it. "I hate grand surprises. Next time, inquire first before doing something like this," She gave the microphone to Dai Meng who was near the stairs and strode off the stage, walking out of the gym.

It left Lin Fan dumbfounded. She didn't have any plan B in case the surprise wouldn't go well as planned.

Xiaotang approached Lin Fan who was spacing-out of the situation. "Sometimes you lose and sometimes... You also lose," She joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Oh well, better luck next time," Dai Meng ruffled Lin Fan's hair.

"Oh my god, I sprinted for nothing?!" Sunrui regretted she said that, it was insensitive of her. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to say that!"

Yuyan and Lu Keran also approached Lin Fan to comfort her.

"Tough love huh," Yuyan patted her back.

Lu Keran looked at Lin Fan; she knew Lin Fan was trying her best not to cry. Lin Fan was embarrassed knowing she made Lingzi felt embarrassed by what she did. Lingzi has the right to be angry with her for making a grand gesture that she didn't even want in the first place.

Everyone was staggered by the incident. Lin Fan being turned down by her crush was the highlight of the event. It'll be the talk of the school for a month, an unforgettable moment to be remembered of. 

When the six girls were about to go down the stage, someone hollered them to stop. It caught everyone's attention when Bee Bee Huang walked on stage and said, "This is for you, Zhao Xiaotang!" She began to sing.

Another surprise serenade has made everyone astonished. It felt like a sudden punch in the guts that came from nowhere. The students howled again in laughter and excitement of that scene. This year was the most memorable year of their lives. The third-year students had quite entertained everyone with their amusing stunts.

"Haiyaaa, can somebody stop her, please?" Dai Meng told her friends to put an end to Bee Bee Huang's craziness. "Stop that moron, please," Her face couldn't be painted; she cringed at Bee Bee's stupidity.

"What the hell are you doing?" Xiaotang furrowed her brows in disgust. "Seriously, dude, what the hell?!" She gestured her hand at her.

Didn't Bee Bee Huang know that they weren't a match for each other since they were on the same boat? Bee Bee isn't her type because they were similar.

The lesbian vibe is manifesting.

Wasn't Xiaotang's boyish attitude crystal clear?

It baffled Xiaotang if the signs weren't clear enough for anyone. Should she cut her hair short just to make sure everyone will know? Does she have to go on the butch route just to make it obvious?

Lin Fan was supposed to be sad and shed a tear but she couldn't because of Bee Bee's antics. "I thought I was the dumbest one here," She laughed at Bee Bee's ridiculousness.

"Aiyamaya! What a fool! I'm really, really, really embarrassed for you," Sunrui shook her head in disbelief; she was upset about the situation. They were classmates since first-year and Bee Bee hangs out with them, yet, she didn't know Xiaotang's preference; or maybe she knew but didn't pay enough attention.

"Oh," Was the only word Bee Bee Huang came out from , she was completely oblivious about Xiaotang's preference. She thought she was a femme who could possibly like soft butches like her. 

Dai Meng's face turned sour, then she faced everyone on the stage and announced on the microphone. "There's a technical error, a whole lot of technical error and misunderstanding. We apologize sincerely, very, very, very sorry for the unruly performance."

Everyone was cheering, mostly saying it was entertaining for them and they had a good laugh at the show.

"Everyone, please enjoy the show for the next performance," Dai Meng gave the microphone to Xiaotang and went down the stage first. "Let's go! This is too embarrassing," She told them as Lin Fan followed her down.

Sunrui lowered her head in embarrassment as she strode down the stage going back to the third year's sitting area.

Yuyan and Lu Keran grabbed Bee Bee Huang and dragged her down the stage going to their respective seats.

"You're embarrassing us, if only we could throw you out of the building, we would," Lu Keran told Bee Bee who was smiling awkwardly.

"I can beat you anytime anywhere and you know that," Yuyan was jokingly threatening her but her words frightened Bee Bee; she apologized for her stupid actions.

Xiaotang went down the stage and gave Dai Yanni the microphone with a sour expression on her face. Dai Yanni laughed softly which made Xiaotang grunt from the embarrassment.

"What did I tell you? Memories," Dai Yanni told Roada Xu and her remarks made her laugh. Dai Yanni wasn't wrong about her intuition; she knew something like this would happen. Then, she went on the stage to wrap up the mess they've caused and announce the next performer smoothly.

It was silent in the 3A classroom; Lingzi was all alone sitting on her seat. She could hear the faint sound coming from the gymnasium. She looked at the outside view from the window as she was contemplating what happened earlier. She didn't want to go back there. Her heart was aching from the embarrassment, she felt deeply wronged.

"I'm glad you broke out from your shell."

Lingzi was startled when she heard the voice; she didn't have to look to know who it was.

Aria approached her and sat down on an empty seat in front of Lingzi; she looked at her observing her expression. She looked at Lingzi whose face lingered with sadness and shame, her eyes glistened. She didn't need to ask how Lingzi feels, she can tell by just looking at her. She knew Lingzi since they were first-year senior high school. Lingzi doesn't talk a lot but she knows her quite well. She knows when Lingzi is excited, she looks at something directly and puts a glow on her face. She knows when Lingzi is nervous, she clasps her hands and rubs her thumbs. She knows when Lingzi is confused, she furrows her brows and purses her lips. She knows when Lingzi is angry; her eyes become teary because most of the time she couldn't put her anger in words. She knows when Lingzi is lying; her eyes twitch. She knows when Lingzi is upset, her nostrils widen because she doesn't want to show a heavy sigh. She knows when Lingzi makes a mistake, she scratches her head. Lastly, she knows that Liu Lingzi has been in love with her for two years.

She wanted Lingzi to make the first move.

She wanted to hear Lingzi say those three-letter words.

She wanted Lingzi to break out from her shell one more time.

She wanted Lingzi to express how she truly feels about her.

The silence.

The lingering looks.

The unspoken feelings between them.

They were louder than voice.

And by that, Liu Lingzi was surprised; she was shaken by Aria Jin's action. 

Her best friend, Aria Jin, kissed her.

She couldn't believe it.

Aria kissed her on her lips!

Aria kissed her on a sun-kissed afternoon sunset.

It was romantic.

She felt Aria's lips lingered against hers.

It was stupefying.

Aria parted her lips from hers, she was petrified.

Was it real? Was she just dreaming? Was she deceived by her imagination? Was she hallucinating? - Lingzi keeps asking herself.

The letters sent by Lin Fan, the bouquet given by Lin fan, and Lin Fan kissing Lingzi on the hand in front of many people; they triggered her. She didn't want anyone for Lingzi, she wanted her for herself only. It took her this far for her to realize it now. Aria Jin was just observing Lingzi for almost three years that she herself was oblivious that she was the one who fell deeply in love with her.

"What was that?" Lingzi asked, she was being cautious, she didn't want to assume, it could have other meaning.

"You know what it was," Aria held Lingzi's trembling hands.

Lingzi was stuttering she couldn't express what she felt. How did Aria know she was in love with her? She never gave any hints, she was cautious. She didn't want to jeopardize their friendship that's why she buried her feelings deeply, yet, Aria still knew.

How was it possible?

"I love you," Aria wanted to hear Lingzi say those words but it was her who said the three-letter words first.

Those three-letter words that made Liu Lingzi's tears trickle down her cheeks. She's been wanting to say those since the day she realized she likes Aria. She wanted to confess her feelings but she couldn't; and now that Aria was the one who said it, she could only cry in happiness.