Extreme confidence and extreme shyness are often two ends of the same horseshoe.
The reason he couldn’t ask her out wasn’t because she was “out of his league,” but because he believed he was inferior to her. In reality, he isn’t.
To anyone reading this: you are neither inferior nor superior to anyone else. You are simply a product of your environment. As the saying goes, a man is a slave to his environment. But that doesn’t mean he’s trapped by it. You can improve if you choose to. You won’t improve if you convince yourself that who you are now is all you’ll ever be.
If we’re being honest, Xu Jin isn’t the naturally gifted one — Xu Shi’an is. What sets Xu Jin apart is her complete focus on her goals, which is why her academic record looks far more impressive. Shi’an doesn’t care much unless it’s strictly necessary. The same applies to the guy who never spoke to her: he’s aiming for a place just as good as Xu Jin’s, yet he still sees himself as unequal — not because he is, but because of his own perceived inferiority.
And unless he breaks that mental wall, he will remain inferior — not in reality, but in outcome.
I don’t even know why I wrote this, honestly. But reading the comments reminded me of what I struggled with in middle school, and how much I hated that mindset. If anyone reading this is dealing with something similar, I hope this helps, even a little.