Xinya woke up the next morning practically glowing. She hugged her pillow, rolling side to side. "He smiled at me… he kissed me… he actually kissed me!!"
Her blush wouldn't fade no matter how much she buried her face in the blanket.
But then she sat up straight, determination in her eyes. "Okay, okay! Just because I confessed doesn't mean I can slack off. I have to keep working on my rules!"
She flipped open her notebook and scribbled down the next one:
Rule #9: Surprise him with something romantic.
She tapped her chin. "Hmm… flowers? Too cliché. A letter? Too boring. A handmade bento? …Oh no." She remembered the burnt rice balls disaster and shivered.
Then her eyes sparkled. "I know! I'll secretly decorate his locker with little notes and candies! He'll be so touched!"
Lunchtime – The Locker Hall
Xinya crouched in front of Yuxuan's locker, frantically taping little sticky notes with doodled hearts and words like 'Good luck!' and 'Have a great day!' while stuffing candy into the gaps.
She was so focused she didn't notice footsteps behind her.
"…What are you doing?"
She froze. Turning slowly, she found Yuxuan standing there, eyebrow raised, holding his lunchbox.
Her face turned crimson. "I-I was… um… attacking your locker!"
He blinked. "…Attacking it?"
"With kindness!" she blurted, thrusting her arms out dramatically.
For a long second, silence. Then Yuxuan chuckled—actually chuckled, shoulders shaking a little. "You're unbelievable."
Xinya puffed her cheeks. "Hey! I was trying to be romantic!"
He reached past her to open his locker. The candies tumbled out like a waterfall, bouncing all over the floor. Students nearby gasped and started whispering.
Xinya covered her face. "Kill me now…"
But Yuxuan bent down, picked one up, unwrapped it, and popped it in his mouth. "Sweet." He smirked. "Thanks."
Her heart skipped a beat. "Y-you actually like it?"
"Mm. Though next time, maybe less 'locker attack.'"
Later That Night – Notebook Update
Rule #9: Surprise him with something romantic.Result: Semi-success. (Candy avalanche = NOT recommended!)
She doodled a tiny chibi Yuxuan smiling with candy in his mouth. Next to it, she wrote:"But he laughed. And he ate it. That's a win!"