Leaving the modest boarding house hidden deep inside a narrow alley, I moved in with Duy Long and Ngọc Lễ into a mini–apartment-style room in a more “upscale” apartment complex. The place was bright and airy, filled with sunlight, the bathroom was clean, and it had a refrigerator and washing machine—everything we needed. We cooked and ate downstairs, then slept together on the loft above. The only downside was that there was no balcony; if we wanted one, we would’ve had to pay an extra million a month.
What made me happiest was that even after being apart for so long, once we reunited, the bond between us “sisters” was still just as close as before. I had thought Duy Long and Ngọc Lễ would keep clinging to Nhật Hào until the day he got a girlfriend, but it seemed that obsession alone couldn’t be exchanged for food on the table. We had all graduated by now. Making a living came first—love could wait.
That day, for reasons I couldn’t quite explain, I suddenly brought up the past and casually asked, “So… you two really had the heart to leave Nhật Hào behind and move out like that?”
Ngọc Lễ replied, “Oh please! I’ve got a boyfriend now—who would still want him? Back then I must’ve been under some kind of spell to like him!”
Duy Long added, “That scheming, two-faced bastard—who’d even want him?”
Hearing that, Ngọc Lễ quickly nudged Duy Long. Duy Long acted as if he’d accidentally let something slip and hurriedly covered his mouth. But I had already seen and heard everything.
I asked, “What do you mean by that? Did he trap you or something?”
Duy Long hesitated, “It’s not that… but… um… I don’t know if I should tell you.”
I replied, “What’s there not to tell? There was nothing between me and him anyway.”
Duy Long began, “That day, Lễ and I went up to the rooftop and heard Nhật Hào and Ngọc Duy up there.”
I asked, “Heard what? Moaning?”
Ngọc Lễ said, “Moaning would’ve been better! We heard them talking, and it made us want to rush out and punch the shit out of them!”
I blurted out, “What? Was it really that serious?”
Duy Long continued, “We found out about what happened between you and Tuấn…”
It had been so long since anyone mentioned that name. Hearing it again so suddenly stirred my emotions into a tangled mess. Even though it was long over, thinking about it still made my chest ache.
I forced myself to stay calm and said, “So what? That’s all in the past. There’s nothing left to be afraid of. Just tell me everything.”
Duy Long went on, “Actually, that night, it wasn’t a coincidence that you ran into Tuấn at his workplace. Ngọc Duy and Nhật Hào planned it together. They deliberately set things up so you’d catch Tuấn in the act, because they knew that with your personality—and Tuấn’s—you two would definitely break up.”
I gave a bitter smile, “What did they gain from doing that?”
Duy Long answered, “Hào liked you—you knew that. But what you didn’t know was that Ngọc Duy was just as obsessed with Tuấn as you were.”
Ngọc Lễ cursed, “Fuck, what a slutty piece of trash! That night you defended him so hard, and behind your back he pulled such filthy tricks!”
I was cooking at the stove and almost lost my footing. One person I had treated like a younger sibling, another I had considered a friend—yet in the end, they joined forces against me.
Duy Long continued, “Originally, after the breakup, Tuấn would move out while you stayed. That way, Hào would benefit—it’d be easier for him to get close to you. But he didn’t expect you to move out to live with your new lover instead. Then Hoàng Tuấn moved in, and the one who benefited was still Ngọc Duy. As for Nhật Hào—he got nothing. A total loss. That’s why they argued so loudly that night. Lễ and I heard everything.”
After hearing all that, I was flooded with emotions, yet I didn’t know which one to show. I had always believed I was clear-headed and rational, never imagining that I had been someone else’s pawn without even realizing it. I took a deep breath; the aroma of food from the stove filled my nose. I silently plated the food, set it on the table, and said, “Let’s eat.”
Ngọc Lễ stared at me blankly, “What? Are you seriously this emotionally numb, bitch?”
I smiled, “Then what do you expect me to do now?”
Duy Long snapped, “Go find them and settle the score! Damn it! You and Tuấn were doing so well—those assholes barged in and ruined everything. How is that not unforgivable?”
As I set out the bowls and rice, I replied, “I don’t even know whether I should blame them or not. In the end, everything I learned was the truth. They did scheme, yes—but they didn’t fabricate anything. On the contrary, the person I loved back then was the one who deceived me, deliberately hiding such a huge truth.”
Duy Long was furious, “Fine, maybe you’re not wrong. But think about it another way. If things hadn’t blown up, you and Hoàng Tuấn wouldn’t have broken up. After graduation, he would’ve found another job. Your relationship would’ve turned out perfectly!”
Ngọc Lễ added, “I think Long’s right! Do you really think they weren’t doing it on purpose? They knew we were about to graduate, yet they rushed to expose Tuấn. Saying it wasn’t intentional—who would believe that? They were afraid Tuấn would quit that job, and you two would live happily ever after. They couldn’t stand that!”
I smiled, “Just eat. What’s done is done. There’s no fixing it now. What’s the point of blaming anyone? If there’s still fate between us, we’ll meet again somehow. If not, then it’s just destiny.”
Throughout the meal, Duy Long and Ngọc Lễ kept giving me side-eye. They kept calling me emotionally numb. But honestly, that was truly how I felt. Even if I stormed off in rage to confront them now, the relationship that had already fallen apart wouldn’t return to how it once was.
Speak of the devil, and the devil appears—after not contacting me for a long time, Nhật Hào suddenly texted me, “Are you free this evening? Let’s hang out.”
I agreed without hesitation. Of course, I had no intention of doing anything to Nhật Hào—but there were things that needed to be said, and it was time to settle them once and for all.
At 7 p.m., a familiar figure I hadn’t seen in a long time pulled up in front of my boarding house. I looked left and right carefully before daring to get on his bike. If Duy Long and Ngọc Lễ saw us, they’d probably tear us apart and toss us into a salad bowl. After not seeing him for so long, Nhật Hào only looked more handsome—simple clothes, yet undeniably eye-catching, a living example of the saying “fine clothes suit the person.”
The area around my new place had no shortage of places to eat or drink, but what I liked most were the nearby parks. In the late afternoon, locals came out to exercise, jog, and chat. At night, a few couples would sit on the stone-edged concrete planters, whispering to each other. There were only one or two streetlights in the distance. The atmosphere was quiet, romantic, dim—and carried a faint sense of something “ambiguous,” yet ordinary.
After eating late into the night, Nhật Hào and I rode into the park, each holding a large smoothie we’d just bought from a drink vendor near the roundabout. As soon as he sat down next to me, he started rambling, “It’s been over a year since we last met! How do you keep getting cuter? You haven’t aged at all since the first time I saw you!”
I laughed, “And your mouth’s gotten slicker and slicker! Must’ve sucked a lot of dick this past year!”
Nhật Hào tilted his head back proudly, “Oh please, don’t underestimate me! I only let others suck my dick. You’re the only one I ever suck, okay!”
I replied, “Then someone like me—who’s sucked plenty of other people’s dicks—deserves to be looked down on, right?”
Nhật Hào laughed, “I wouldn’t dare!”
I said, “Oh, but you dared. If you didn’t look down on me, why did you use me as a chess piece on the board between you and Ngọc Duy, letting my feelings get trampled on like that?”
Nhật Hào suddenly fell silent. His laughter vanished. His emotions were swallowed by the darkness, like a thief caught red-handed under a spotlight—struck head-on before he could even react.
I said nothing more, simply focused on sipping my smoothie. After a long while, Nhật Hào finally let out a sigh and said, “So… you know everything?”
I replied calmly, “If you’re going to argue, do it over text. Don’t shout on the rooftop. Walls have ears.”
Nhật Hào burst out, “How could I not be angry? You clearly stayed with me—so why did he try to push you out of the dorm? I couldn’t accept it!”