Ha An Phong had always been a shy, timid child.
When he was three, his family moved closer to a kindergarten for convenience. And on that very first day in the new neighborhood, he met the girl who would change his entire childhood—Ngoc Vy.
Unlike the reserved boy, Vy was fearless: loud, mischievous, afraid of nothing… except, perhaps, her formidable mother.
Her given name included the word "Le"—"tear"—but An Phong had never once seen her cry, except for those rare times when she was scolded by her mom or grandmother. Even then, her tears seemed more like an act, loud and exaggerated, more of a tantrum than true weeping.
Once, curious, An Phong asked:"Why does your name have Le in it when you never shed a tear?"
Vy placed her hands on her hips and laughed."Because my mom named me wrong! She should've called me Fist instead."
An Phong nearly choked on his own laughter. In his head, the name popped out fully formed: Dinh Fist Ngoc Vy. Just the thought made him want to burst out laughing. Still, he decided he preferred her real name—it had been part of his world for so long, it felt irreplaceable.
Time, as always, swept by in a blur.
From kindergarten until now, when both of them were about to graduate high school, they had remained inseparable. People often joked that the two were "glued together" and would inevitably become a couple someday. But neither Vy nor An Phong paid any attention. For them, being together simply meant what it had always meant: walking side by side, sharing joys and sorrows. That was enough.
And so, even in their daily routines, the two remained in step. Every morning, one could see an old Honda Cub rattling along the road—sometimes Vy at the handlebars with An Phong riding pillion, sometimes the other way around. Everyone in the neighborhood was used to the sight. Their route to school passed by a thirty-story apartment complex, and after so many mornings, even that building had become a silent witness to their shared schooldays.
Vy loved that building. Every day, on their way to class, she would chatter about how one day she would find a boyfriend—or a husband—and live in one of those apartments. Listening, An Phong would only smile quietly, picturing them both working hard, saving money to buy a place there. And if it wasn't enough, maybe he could ask his mother for help. As for his father… haizz, that wasn't an option.
Yet sometimes, in those moments of daydreaming, a strange question crept in: Years from now, would Vy still want to live with me? Or would I even want to stay by her side forever?
The thought had barely formed before Vy's chirpy voice pulled him back to reality. A new week had begun—school life never allowed much time for idle wondering.
That Monday, like every other, they went to the canteen together for breakfast. The smell of hot noodle soup filled the air, steam rising and stinging their eyes. But they had barely sat down when the atmosphere suddenly buzzed with excitement: news of a transfer student, announced personally by the principal.
"Hey, I heard he came back from studying abroad. Strange that the principal herself is introducing him—it's never happened before.""Word is he's almost six-foot-two. Looks like a model.""But why transfer in senior year? Weird, right?""Maybe he got kicked out overseas and had to come back?"
Vy's eyes widened with curiosity. She leaned in, straining to catch every word, while An Phong tapped his chopsticks lightly on her head, expression calm.
"Eat. The noodles are getting cold.""Aishh, don't tap my head with chopsticks! You'll make me stupid.""Really? Didn't seem like you were very smart to begin with…""Hey!"
Vy glared, then slurped her noodles with a loud suuurp in protest. An Phong frowned and laughed at the same time. They continued eating, though Vy kept sneaking glances around, whispering questions, while An Phong stayed focused on his bowl—his look saying, Why are you so nosy? The noodles are going cold. Vy clenched her jaw, wanting to scold the dumpling-faced boy across from her.
After breakfast, they went back to class, dropped off their bags, and joined the rest of the students carrying plastic chairs down to the courtyard for the weekly flag-raising ceremony.
The ritual was the same as always: raise the flag, sing the anthem, sit down and listen to reminders from the teachers.
Vy sat right in front of An Phong, yawning. She tilted her head back slightly, covering her mouth, and whispered:"Hey, what if the rumors this morning were fake? The ceremony's almost over and no one's been introduced.""Who knows. You're really that curious?""Of course! The girls said he's like some mysterious prince—brilliant and unreal. Who wouldn't be curious?"
An Phong didn't reply. He simply glanced down at his friend fidgeting like a restless caterpillar on her plastic chair. His lips curved faintly, and his gaze drifted upward through the lush green canopy, where soft golden sunlight filtered through. The sky was clear, the breeze light—everything so peaceful it felt like a blessing to begin the week.
But that peace didn't last long.
An Phong was still lost in the shimmering leaves when a strong hand suddenly grabbed his arm and shook him so hard his head rattled."What the—!?"
Before he could recover, Vy's bright face filled his vision, her voice bubbling over the loudspeakers."Hey! The principal just said—he's going to be in our class!""Huh? Who—what are you talking about!?"
Seeing his confusion, Vy let go of his arm and leaned in with a triumphant grin."Hoang Uy Phong. A transfer student from Canada. He's going to be our new classmate!"
An Phong blinked. A strange feeling stirred in his chest—not the excitement that lit up Vy's eyes, but something else. A restless, uneasy throb, faint but undeniable.
Was it just his imagination… or did this mean something more?