Ever since Ha Vi Phong transferred into her class, Thinh Thinh felt as if she had been pulled into a whole new orbit. She didn't know what to do except for small, clumsy gestures to show she cared. Sometimes it was deliberately "coincidental" passing by him, other times lending him a pencil during class duties, or helping him fetch his things.
One afternoon, after a scorching gym class, she noticed Ha Vi Phong sitting on the grass, drenched in sweat. She quickly ran down to the cafeteria and bought him a can of soft drink. Shyly, she held it out to him, her voice barely above a whisper:
"Um... here... you can drink this."
While the rest of the class busily tidied the yard, Tinh Yen, standing a little distance away, let out a soft laugh. She sauntered closer, her voice syrupy sweet but hiding a sting beneath her words:
"Oh, Thinh Thinh, you're so thoughtful! Before, when I saw you taking care of Dinh Loi bit by bit, I thought you two had something going on. And now Vi Phong... you really know how to pay attention to everyone, don't you?"
Thinh Thinh felt a sudden flush creep across her cheeks. She wanted to protest, but the words stuck, caught in her throat.
Seeing this, Tinh Yen tilted her head, putting on a faux protective expression, her voice dripping with fake gentleness:
"Oh, I was just saying. Don't take it the wrong way, Thinh Thinh! You're just too enthusiastic, always worrying about everyone so it's easy for people to misunderstand."
Then, Tinh Yen smoothly pulled a bottle of Fuji mineral water from her bag and placed it in front of Ha Vi Phong. She fixed him with a sparkling, self-satisfied gaze, as if she alone knew how to care properly:
"Vi Phong, drink this. Even a guy has to take care of himself a bit, you know? You can't always make your friends run around for you."
She smiled lightly, her eyes shining with mischief. She wanted to prove she was thoughtful, but also to see how Thinh Thinh would react in front of Ha Vi Phong. A little curiosity, a little competitiveness, Tinh Yen truly enjoyed these tiny games.
In an instant, Thinh Thinh, holding a cheap soft drink, suddenly looked like the clumsy girl clinging from one person to another, while Tinh Yen, with her pristine bottle of water, shone like a refined, elegant young lady.
One afternoon, Thinh Thinh was sent by Mrs. Lieu (her mom) to the corner store to pick up a few things. Thinking it was a quick trip, she didn't bother changing out of her home clothes, she wore her simple loungewear, flimsy plastic sandals on her feet, and her long hair hung loose and tangled, not yet brushed.
As she rounded the corner and looked up, her heart nearly leapt out of her chest. There was Ha Vi Phong, standing not far away. The late afternoon sun shone down, making him even more striking.
"Oh no, oh no!" – Thinh Thinh panicked.
For a moment, she felt like a startled kitten, fumbling nervously. She clutched her bag of groceries and spun around, running as fast as she could, not daring to glance back even once.
She told herself that Ha Vi Phong probably hadn't even noticed her.
The next morning in class, as Thinh Thinh timidly hugged a stack of books and walked past, Ha Vi Phong suddenly called softly:
"Hey, Lieu Tam Thinh."
Startled, she whipped around, eyes wide with worry. Vi Phong propped his chin on his hand, a faint smirk playing on his lips, his tone teasing yet curious:
"Am I really that scary? Why did you run away like you'd seen a ghost yesterday?"
Thinh Thinh's entire body flushed hot, her heart racing uncontrollably. She panicked, shaking her head, clutching the books to her chest like a shield:
"No... no, it's not that."
"I... I just... I was dressed so messy, that's all..."
Her voice trailed off, shrinking as she lowered her head to the desk, wishing she could disappear entirely.
Ha Vi Phong's eyes glimmered with a barely contained smile as he watched her.
Before Thinh Thinh could react further, Tinh Yen's voice chimed in from a nearby desk, dripping sweetly like honey:
"So you ran from Vi Phong... because of your messy outfit?"
She covered her mouth with a delicate hand, laughing lightly as if teasing without a care, but her eyes held a sharp, calculating glint.
"Well, I guess that makes sense. Girls can feel insecure if they don't pay attention to their appearance, especially when standing next to someone as striking as Vi Phong."
In just a few casual words, Tinh Yen had skillfully put Thinh Thinh in an awkward, flustered position.
The scene suddenly shifted, morphing into a familiar setting.
The same street, the one that held countless memories between her and him, bathed in the dim glow of wavering yellow streetlights, shadows stretching silently.
"We're over. I don't feel anything for you."
Next to Ha Vi Phong stood a girl, her forehead slick with sweat, eyes vacant. She collapsed onto the street, her arms still clutching at someone in a hopeless, desperate grasp.
"Is this because Dinh Loi came looking for you and caused trouble? Because I wasn't there that day, you're like this now, right? Tell me... please, just tell me..."
Ha Vi Phong turned slightly, showing only his back. He didn't respond.
Choking back her sobs, Thinh Thinh continued:
"I'm sorry... Actually, I was trapped back then..."
But he seemed too impatient to listen. Suddenly, his hand flung coldly from hers:
"Stop. Enough. You need to understand clearly that I told you, I have no feelings for you. So you should go home."
He rode away on his bike, leaving behind a shadow on the roadside, lifeless, silently enduring each icy drop of rain. Tears welled at the corners of her eyes, her heart constricting in painful waves... wave after wave.
Her hands trembled slightly, gripped by a fear as if her entire world had collapsed, as if she had lost the only lifeline amid the vast sea of people.
"I'm breaking up with you. I don't feel anything for you."
Those words echoed endlessly in her mind, drilling deep into every vein, every neuron, spinning her thoughts into a dizzying spiral. Each syllable cut sharply into her fragile heart, which throbbed weakly under the weight of unbearable pain and despair.
How could he say it so easily?
Could the past three months mean nothing to him, just summed up in a single "I don't feel anything"?
Were all those tender, emotional moments they shared nothing but lies, just a facade?
Her mind spun out of control, everything collapsing at once, the effort, the hope, the struggle... all of it reduced to nothing more than his cold words: no feelings at all.
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