I knew who this person was the moment my eyes met his.

He was very popular back in middle school while I was just an average student.

He was the center of attention, completely surrounded by students at all times.

But I could only ever steal a gaze once in a blue moon.

Everything changed when..

My grandmother happened to pass away on the night of my visit.

The time when I stood by the door, looking at the nurse pulling a white cloth over her pale, expressionless body. I knew my world had come to an end as I stood motionless by the door, not knowing how to comprehend the situation.

I ran out of the hospital with all my might.

The outside world were pouring heavily.

The clouds, full of anger and loneliness, were spitting drop of rain towards the people as it were poison.

Salty tears that mixed with the bitter rain and my clothes drenched under the rain. I didn’t want to face reality.

Souls scattered across the city, were bustling through the streets, not stopping to look at me. In their eyes, I was another one of those spoiled brats, throwing a dramatic tantrum.

It was not long before I found myself on the ground, not running anymore.

I fell.

I sat on the pavement with dirty, old footprints stamped all over. I didn’t feel any pain. I was too scared to cry.

...***...

Under the dark, starless night that rained heavily.

As I slowly comprehend the departure of my grandmother. I noticed raindrops stopped falling on me. There was a guy beside me.

Despite my awful state, I recognized his face.

He was holding an umbrella to shelter me from the rain.

I never thought we would meet when I was in a miserable state.

“Cry,” he said. “I will lend you my shoulder.”

I could hold the heartbreak no longer and leaned on his shoulder as I grief poured out in a flood of uncontrollable tears.

I sobbed silently on his shoulders as he patted lightly on my back.

After a night of sobbing, he offered me a napkin. We sat under the roof and listened to the sounds of the raindrops pattering on the ground.

That night, he accompanied me and listened to my story. Though it was a short night, I was very grateful for him.

...***...

“Why is there a first aid kit in my locker?”

“Oh, I saw a boy put that in your locker but I didn’t see his face.”

The only person who knew I was injured…

My feelings for him grew.

That was the beginning of my one-sided crush.

...***...

“Umm, is Senior Jin here?”

“Oh junior, you didn't know? He left today.”

How foolish of me to think I’d be able to meet him as I willed. After all, we both have different lives.

I continued to live my life, trying to forget him.

As the time flew, I was in college.

But who knew we would have met again in my second year of college.

Is it a…

Coincidence? Fate?

Perhaps, Destiny.

Presenting to you, One-sided Crush.

By Larazy

Spring had arrived. The season of growth and new beginnings.

The second year of college had begun.

A yellow cab arrived, the door opened wide and a girl stepped out from it.

She was in her late teens and didn't seem to care much about her appearance. Her figure was carved nicely yet covered by a sweater way too big for her dainty body — thin black leggings, white sneakers that were covered in faint dirt.

Dark brown, silky hair that reached her shoulders and bangs covered almost her untrimmed eyebrows. Many would state that girls that do not wear makeup looked sickly and unloved. This was the complete opposite. She was ethereal. Her rosy cheeks, puffy eyes and glossy lips.

She would be the most beautiful and pure girl in the world.

What made her even stunningly attractive was her pale green, jade-like eyes looking at the vast world around her. Her eyes told a painful story which explains her domineering, powerful aura.

She was me, named Lin Qi.

...***...

As I stepped out of the cab, a sudden gust of wind swept over me. The aroma of a familiar city I’ve once stepped foot on was the smell of fumes, fumes and paint...

I felt spirinted to be back again.

I thanked the driver for the ride and made my way to the entrance gate.

An enormous, bold word was carved on the painted wall.

Hua Xia College, was written.

“QiQi!”

A girl yelled and ran towards me.

How to describe her?

A beauty queen would come to mind.

The wind ran through her black hair that flowed under her shoulder. She was a weird combination of cute and intelligent. She had an immaculate style, glossy pink lips, long lashes giving her a stunningly beautiful face. Her face could capture hundreds of men’s hearts.

That was it.

She was my close friend, Su MeiYao.

MeiYao gave me a welcoming, warm hug and set both her hands on my shoulder. Shortly, she was inspecting every part of me.

“Oh my darling! It’s been a month since we last met. Did aunty fatten you up?”

I gave her a sickly look.

Her words made me recall unwanted, old memories.

Last winter, I returned to my parents’ home. As soon as I reached home, my mother started whipping out dishes after dishes and topped up my big bowl with different sorts of food every meal.

“Qi, you are so skinny! Mummy cooked all your favorite dishes. Here, eat more!”

“Qi, this is the chicken soup the neighbor brought to me this morning.”

“Qi, this is a lotus cake my friend bought in Shanghai.”

“Qi, eat this.”

“Qi, eat that.”

This was my life for the entire holiday.

Thinking back about all the unstoppable feasting made me feel nauseous.

MeiYao laughed after I told her my insufferable, horrid story.

“Aunt cares so much for you and gave you-“

Peals of laughter burst from within her.

I felt piqued.

“If you keep laughing, I will leave you alone.”

“Okay okay.”

She assured me that she won’t laugh again.

She wiped her tears and took a deep breath before she placed both her hands on my shoulders again.

“QiQi, I found something interesting today!”

Her eyes glowed and her face lit up.

“There are a few transfer students in our school”

I didn’t show any interest in my face. The reason being, transfer students were common in college.

"And I heard there is a freaking handsome man amongst them. He just came back from the USA and he is super rich!”

She squealed in joy and was hopping up and down.

“I heard he is so hot that everyone is crowning him as the King of HuaXia!”

How handsome can he be to be able to snatch the title, ‘The Honorable King of HuaXia’ from YuChen, the number one charming man?

Su MeiYao continued to babble the looks of the newly transfer student.

“If your boyfriend hears about this, I wonder how he would react haha.”

She flicked her long brown hair, giving it a neat swing around the air.

“Fine!”

She crossed her arm and winked at me.

“Come on, you've been single for so long. Please just a glimpse? You won’t regret it.”

Though she elaborated her words clearly, I felt her words had a hidden meaning behind it.

“No thanks. I don’t chase. I attract”

I rejected her with my signature quote.

MeiYao sighed.

“I pity the boys that you rejected.”

I gave her a murderous glare.

“Fine! Fine!”

She cleared her throat.

“What is his name again? Ji something.. Oh! Jin”

“If you forgot his name, leave it be.”

“Ah! Jin BaiYi!”

His name gave me a fright.

W-W-What?

Jin BaiYi?

That popular kid in middle school?

My senior?

My crush?

What! Why is he here?

I panicked. My hands started sweating.

My inner thoughts told me to calm down.

QiQi, you gotta calm down. Maybe he is just another man who had the same name as him.

Yea right…

“Even his name sounds so handsome!” said MeiYao with a dreamy voice. “Oh yea I almost forgot about this!”

She came closer.

“There is a basketball battle today! I heard students saying that some jealous dudes requested to compete with our handsome king.”

Her tone went from exuberant to annoyed.

“Such a bully!” she complained.

“Basketball battle?”

I wondered who was so foolish to carry out such a childish act.

“Wanna take a look? I think the battle is starting soon.”

I set my thoughts back to reality.

“Nah, I’m busy. I haven’t done my report assignment yet."

"Oh come on. Please! I don’t want to be alone.”

She grasped my arm and swung it alternatingly.

“Ask FengLin or TongTong to accompany you.”

“They went missing. Oh please big sis? Pretty lady? Boss? Can’t you see this poor lady begging you?”

She puckered her lips and begged me.

Students were glancing at us as they passed by us. In their view, they may think I was bullying her.

I didn’t want to be the bad guy.

I finally came to an agreement, and she joyfully let go of my arm.

“Yes! Love ya!”

“Go away.”

I joked with her, and we both threw back our heads and let out a not loud but not soft, humorless laugh.

“Oh! It’s going to start soon. Let’s go.”

MeiYao dragged my arm and pulled me towards the sports field.

...***...

When we arrived at the basketball field, the place was packed with students.

“Umm, is he that famous?”

“Of course! You don’t know how hot he is!”

“Have you seen him yourself?”

She hesitated for a moment before she replied.

“Well..err, no ,but he is very handsome I heard! If you stay with me, maybe you can see him yourself.”

Simultaneously, she grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the bleachers where we found two empty seats at the corner in the third row.

“Lucky for us,” said Su Meiyao, and we sat.

I noticed that more than half of the students were girls.

Perhaps fan girls.

How charming is he to manage to appeal to almost every girl on his first day of school?

In the basketball court, three guys playing basketball had occupied most of the space and ugh...Gu ChenSian?

What the hell!!?

Gu ChenSian was sitting on two layers of a bleacher, across the court, chatting and laughing with his friend.

An unbalanced jaw, small eyes, fat arms, mole on his right cheek, bleached hair, short, his fashion sense is distasteful. Just the slight of that *** makes me nauseous.

"Hey YaoYao, why didn’t you tell me that scumbag was here too?"

"Oh, Gu ChenSian? Haha...I forgot to tell you that."

"You did that on purpose, didn’t you?"

How did I know?

Well, she wasn’t the best liar.

She laughed awkwardly and diverted her eyes elsewhere from my stare.

“Sorry. I knew you wouldn’t come if I told you that he is going to be here.”

MeiYao glanced back at me with a lifted eyebrow.

“What? You still hate him even though the ‘thing’ happened last year?"

"He disgusts me."

...***...

Back when I was in my freshman year,

Gu ChenSian confessed to me countless times. Though I had rejected him, he foolishly carried on with pursuing me.

He would often mention that he had fallen for me at first sight and saying that he truly loves me.

The fact that he repeatedly confessed to me, revolted me even more.

Why so?

It all happened one late night.

After returning back from dinner with my girl-friends, I was walking down the streets and spotted him sexually harassing a girl.

The girl was a few years younger than me. A high school girl, judging by her uniform.

Gu ChenSian gripped the young girl's arm as she was struggling to pull away from him.

Looking at his absurd behavior, I couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.

I stomped towards them and gave him a big slap on his ugly face.

“What are you doing!”

I glared at him with raging eyes. My body was burning from anger.

He stood there, shocked as he analyzed what I did to him.

That day, I gave him a warning to stay away from me and the young girl.

To tell the truth, it was amusing to see him panicking as he hurriedly fled.

The young girl told me that he had been harassing her for quite a long time.

Damn.

I should have slapped his freakin’ face harder!

Back to reality...

The world had turned upside down when the sound of chit-chat was filled in with hysterical, annoying screams and cheers.

Girls from the first and second row were screaming out his name.

Everything was ear splitting.

To think the field had become an amusement park.

Sitting in the last row of the bleacher, I scanned through the crowd and spotted the recently crowned-to-be-the-king.

He entered through the side door followed by a couple of guys.

Although, I can’t see his face clearly due to him facing the opposite way, I could definitely agree that he was alluring and good-looking.

...***...

Gu ChenSian approached the newcomer. He stood on his toes as he barely reached Jin BaiYi’s chin.

“I have been waiting for you," He sneered at him.

"I thought you chicken out since I waited for you for a long time.”

His buddies laughed loudly.

Jin BaiYi stood motionless and showed no sign of attacking him.

"What an asshole!"

I could hear Su MeiYao complaining angrily beside me. Concurrently, a man stood up.

"Run away, my ***! I think the one who would run away is you!” The man spat at Gu ChenSian.

He was a few centimeters shorter than Jin BaiYi. Short black hair and fairly light brown eyes. His red-white jacket that imprints the words ‘The Bull King’ was draped over his white shirt.

I knew him. Su MeiYao’s boyfriend, Lu KaiJing.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?"

Lu KaiJing remained indifferent and talked back to him.

"Oh, what did I say?"

Visible veins were revealed on Gu ChenSian forehead. He raised his clenched fist and punched Lu KaiJing.

Before he could touch him, his buddies restrained him.

“Oh you wanna fight? Bring it on!”

Lu KaiJing pulled his sleeve up, revealing his bare arm.

Guys from different sides tried to restrain their friends from fighting. However, they were still able to verbally provoke each other.

As the two guys quarreled, Jin BaiYi turned around, revealing his full face.

The moment my eyes met him, I instantly knew who he was.

I nearly collapsed from my seat.

Senior Jin?

Why is he here?