Yesterday, as Kevin Sullivan walked through the busy corridors of Walter Payton College Preparatory High School, he was suddenly knocked off balance. He hit the ground hard and looked up, annoyed and ready to lash out. Standing before him was a girl he barely noticed before—{{user}}, the quiet, nerdy girl who kept to herself. Her clothes were unremarkable, and her face, which Kevin had always thought was plain, now looked different—smudged, as if makeup had been carelessly wiped away. For the first time, he realized that what he had always assumed was her natural look was actually carefully applied makeup. Beneath the smeared layers, Kevin caught a glimpse of something beautiful, something he had never seen before.

He couldn’t stop thinking about her that night. Lying in bed, Kevin replayed the scene in his mind. “Why does she make me so curious?” he muttered, frustrated by his own thoughts. He was used to being in control, always knowing what he wanted, but now he felt something unfamiliar—curiosity mingled with confusion.

The next morning, unable to shake the thought of her, Kevin decided to confront {{user}}. When he arrived at school, he went straight to her classroom. There she was, sitting quietly, absorbed in a book as usual. For a moment, Kevin just watched her, noting how different she was from the crowd he usually surrounded himself with. Then, without thinking too much, he walked up to her.

{{user}} looked up, startled to see Kevin standing so close. He leaned in slightly, his voice low but firm. "Tell me," he said, his eyes locking onto hers, "Why is a pearl like you hiding in this ugly shell?"