The glass-and-wood door swung open, and the soft jingle of wind chimes echoed. Three student silhouettes stepped inside, leaving behind the bustling pedestrian street.
Before them stretched a long line of customers waiting to order.
"Whoa, it's packed!" Đức Minh exclaimed, his eyes darting around the café.
The newly opened café was exactly as rumored—crowded from wall to wall. The place was filled with young faces: students in uniforms, college kids with backpacks, stylish couples snapping photos for check-ins. Warm golden lights draped over wooden tables, while the rich aroma of coffee blended with the scent of pastries, filling the air with cozy sweetness.
Hoàng Nam let out a low whistle.
"Crazy crowded!"
After waiting a few minutes for the line to ease, Thiên Ân's group finally reached the counter. The cashier, finishing up the previous order, looked up—and froze for half a second. Standing before her was a boy with a face delicate as a porcelain doll. A cool, aloof aura surrounded him, enough to make her heart skip. She quickly regained composure and smiled brightly.
"What would you like to order?"
Đức Minh scanned the menu and spoke first.
"One Espresso, please."
Hoàng Nam flipped through the options and decided.
"Macchiato milk tea for me."
Then came Thiên Ân's soft, clear voice:
"I'll have a chocolate mousse and a hot cocoa."
The cashier nearly lost her composure at the sound. She smiled even wider.
"That'll be 275,000 VND in total."
"I'll pay," Đức Minh said, adjusting his glasses. "You guys can pay me back later."
Both Hoàng Nam and Thiên Ân nodded in agreement. After paying, they grabbed the receipt and went to find seats.
As they walked through the café, a few girls kept glancing toward their direction. Đức Minh and Hoàng Nam knew perfectly well who the stares were meant for—and it certainly wasn't them.
Meanwhile, the one being watched—Thiên Ân—seemed completely oblivious. He followed calmly, indifferent to the attention.
They finally spotted a small corner by the glass window with a clear view of the square outside, where people flowed past like a river.
"Lucky us!" Hoàng Nam grinned. "Didn't think such a nice spot would still be open."
The three sat down. Đức Minh rested his chin on his hand, teasing:
"Thiên Ân, seriously, you're the type everyone falls for at first sight."
Thiên Ân turned and looked at him as if he were speaking to... a lunatic.
Đức Minh froze under that blank stare, at a loss for words.
Just then, two female students approached. Both looked shy, but they had clearly mustered up some courage.
Hoàng Nam frowned.
"Can we help you?"
The girl with long hair and a sweet face stammered,
"Um... could we get your web chat ID?"
She was looking at Thiên Ân.
Without hesitation, Thiên Ân replied coolly,
"Sorry, I don't have my phone with me."
The girls immediately understood they'd been turned down. A little disappointed, but still thrilled just to have seen such an angelic face, they smiled politely and walked away—leaving Hoàng Nam and Đức Minh utterly ignored.
Their faces twitched. Both wanted to smack their clueless friend who clearly didn't appreciate his own luck.
Hoàng Nam burst out,
"Shit! Thiên Ân, you were literally using your phone during break time! Now you say you don't have one?"
Thiên Ân took a sip of his cocoa, calm as ever.
"If you liked them so much, why didn't you ask for their ID?"
Hoàng Nam choked on his words.
"They were into you, not me! What, do you want me to embarrass myself for fun?"
Đức Minh could only give an awkward laugh, wisely staying out of their hopeless back-and-forth.
Just then, their order arrived.
The rich scents of coffee and chocolate filled the air, mingling with the cozy warmth of the café.
Đức Minh took a sip of his espresso and sighed.
"School's ending soon... who knows when we'll get to hang out like this again?"
Hoàng Nam nudged him with a grin.
"Come on, man. Ever heard of texting? You talk like it's some dramatic farewell."
Đức Minh smirked.
"Hey, I'm just being sentimental about youth, alright?"
Then he turned to Thiên Ân.
"You still haven't picked a university, right? Why don't you come with me? My dad wants me to apply to the University of Economics, and I think you'd definitely get in."
Thiên Ân was happily devouring his chocolate mousse, looking perfectly content with the day. He took another sip of cocoa before replying,
"I haven't thought about it yet. I'll decide later."
"Alright, but if you do, tell me." Đức Minh nodded.
Hoàng Nam propped his chin on his hand.
"I'm probably going for Sports University. No way I can keep up with you two academically."
Đức Minh chuckled.
"Yeah, I won't argue with that."
At that moment, an excited shriek came from a nearby table of girls.
"AAAA! There's a concert this weekend at Lyra Hall! Kudo Shizuka's performing—oh my god, I'm dying!"
"And Kitaro too! It's all over MelodyWeibo!"
Hoàng Nam leaned closer and whispered,
"Hey, Đức Minh, are they... famous?"
Đức Minh nearly choked on his coffee.
"You're kidding, right?!"
Hoàng Nam shook his head. Thiên Ân merely lifted an eyebrow, equally clueless.
Đức Minh groaned dramatically.
"You guys are hopeless. In the Eastern Continent's music scene, Kudo Shizuka is basically a living legend. They call her The Eternal Diva. Not just because of her timeless beauty, but because her voice can move millions to tears."
He continued passionately,
"She was born into the Yamato family of traditional musicians, raised among the sounds of koto and shamisen. But she didn't let tradition cage her. She fused that classical style with Western opera, creating a sound that's completely her own. When she performed Silent Eternity at the Eastern Continent Music Festival, the entire hall gave a standing ovation. People said her voice carried the very soul of the East. She's also the youngest artist to ever win the Crown of Harmony."
Hoàng Nam blinked.
"Wow... sounds intense. Uh, what's the Crown of Harmony?"
Đức Minh groaned, clutching his head.
Thiên Ân also tilted his head slightly, clearly just as lost.
"It's the most prestigious award in the entire music industry," Đức Minh explained, exasperated. "Basically the Nobel Prize of musicians. If you win it, you're at the absolute peak of the art. Got it?"
Both nodded rapidly like bobbing chickens.
"What about Kitaro?" Thiên Ân asked.
"Oh, he's known as The Violin Prophet," Đức Minh said with growing excitement.
"He was born in the snowy mountains, the son of a violin maker. Grew up surrounded by the scent of wood and strings. At seventeen, the world already called him the Ice Prodigy of the Violin. He owns The Lady Blunt, a true Stradivari treasure. When he performed Frozen Sonata, the entire hall went silent. People said it wasn't just music—it was a prayer made of sound. That piece stayed at the top of MusicNet World's Top 100 for two years straight, turning Kitaro into a living legend."
Both Thiên Ân and Hoàng Nam stared wide-eyed.
Đức Minh grinned triumphantly.
"But hearing me talk can't compare to seeing them live. Oh, by the way... I already have tickets."
He waved his phone, showing off the electronic ticket.
"My dad knows people in the industry—these were super hard to get. I'm taking both of you with me. Of course, my family's coming too."
Hoàng Nam and Thiên Ân nodded eagerly. You'd have to be insane to refuse such an offer.
"Oh, right," Hoàng Nam suddenly remembered, "I heard there's one more performer, but no one knows who it is."
"Probably some mysterious genius trying to make a surprise debut," Hoàng Nam said half-jokingly.
Thiên Ân simply took another sip of cocoa, his eyes calm as still water.
He didn't seem the least bit interested in that so-called "mystery performer."