My third year of college ended quietly. With only one internship left, my student life was nearing its close, and a new chapter outside the dorm was about to begin. Ever since the trip to Vũng Tàu, I hadn’t heard anything more about Quốc Bảo. I guessed he was still dealing with the psychological shock from what happened with Minh Khôi that day.
In the end, Hoàng Tuấn and I officially became a couple, right in front of everyone in the room. Because of that, even when Hoàng Tuấn fucked me and the others happened to see, no one really said anything. One time, while Hoàng Tuấn was spooning me, Ngọc Lễ shouted, “Easy there, you two sluts! You’re gonna break the damn bed!” Another time, when we were fucking in the bathroom, Tùng Dương yelled from outside, “Tuấn, hurry up and cum! I still need to shower before class!”
So there wasn’t a single corner of the room where Hoàng Tuấn and I hadn’t fucked. My favorite spot was the windowsill—being lifted up, back pressed against the metal frame, legs resting on Hoàng Tuấn’s shoulders. I could feel his thick, hard cock thrusting in and out of my ass while staring at his handsome face: dry lips, sweat beading on his forehead, heavy panting mixed with lewd moans.
But once I became Hoàng Tuấn’s boyfriend, I also became more conscious about keeping my distance from other guys—especially Nhật Hào. I didn’t know what he really thought, but on the surface he stayed cheerful and kept congratulating me.
This year’s birthday was especially meaningful to me. To be honest, I’d never cared much about birthdays before. We rarely celebrated them—most of us were kids from the countryside, and birthdays always felt distant and superficial. That night, Hoàng Tuấn took a day off work and drove me around Saigon, wandering through the city after dark. When we stopped by the riverside to enjoy the breeze, he suddenly said, “Hưng, close your eyes.”
I assumed he was about to kiss me—but instead, he lifted my hand and slipped a ring onto my ring finger. It was one of a matching pair. The other one, of course, was already on his own hand.
I was so moved I couldn’t speak. “Do you like it?” Hoàng Tuấn asked.
I nodded, my heart floating in a way I couldn’t describe. No one had ever given me a ring before. Taking a deep breath, I asked, “How did you know my ring size so perfectly?”
Hoàng Tuấn held my hand and smiled. “I hold this hand every day. If I didn’t know your size, that’d be irresponsibly stupid. I also know you wear M-size T-shirts, L-size dress shirts, M-size shorts, S-size slacks, L-size underwear, M-size jockstraps, size 38 high-tops, size 39 low-cut shoes. Did I get any of that wrong?”
I always knew Hoàng Tuấn treated me well—but I never expected him to remember even the little details I’d never mentioned out loud.
Three weeks later, the company I’d applied to for my internship finally replied. I was accepted as an intern, which meant I had a place to settle down for my thesis. When Nhật Hào heard the news, he said, “Hưng, let’s celebrate tonight. My treat!”
“Let me check if Hoàng Tuấn has plans with me tonight first,” I replied.
Nhật Hào pouted. “Ever since you two became official, you won’t suck my dick anymore—that’s one thing. But now you can’t even go out to eat with me? You’re totally ditching your friends for a guy.”
I messaged Hoàng Tuấn and got a reply saying he was busy tonight—apparently an important client, so he couldn’t take time off. With no reason to refuse, I agreed to go out with Nhật Hào.
After getting his bike, Nhật Hào parked right at the gate, texting someone and smiling to himself. “What’s got you so happy?” I asked. “Texting your boyfriend?”
He shook his head. “The person I want to love has already become someone else’s ‘wife.’ I’ll only think about dating again when I meet someone like you.”
I got on the bike, put on my helmet, and as we started moving I said, “Don’t blame me. You just like flirting around—you won’t settle down until you’ve tried every guy in Saigon, right?”
Nhật Hào clicked his tongue. “See? You’re the only one who really gets me. Who else could I love?”
I smacked his shoulder lightly. His habit of teasing people only kept getting worse.
Nhật Hào drove around for a long time before turning into a wide alley. Inside that alley were smaller ones, and inside those, even narrower paths. Eventually, we stopped at a hủ tiếu gõ stall at the very end of a deep, narrow alley. What surprised me was how many motorbikes were parked around, even though the stall itself didn’t seem that crowded.
“I’m taking you to try a local specialty tonight,” Nhật Hào said. “Not just anyone can find this place.”
He wasn’t wrong—getting here felt like cutting through a maze. “So how did you find it?” I asked.
“A friend showed me.”
The vendor was a heavily tattooed middle-aged man who looked intimidating as hell. I ordered quickly—just enough to eat—afraid that if I hesitated too long, he might dunk my head straight into the broth. But the effort was worth it. The noodles were incredible, far better than anywhere I’d eaten before. Of course, the price was two or three times higher too.
“Good, right?” Nhật Hào asked.
“Yeah,” I admitted. “But the portion’s kinda small.”
“This is just a warm-up,” he said. “Gotta save your strength. I’ll take you somewhere even better next.”
The way he winked made me suspicious. I couldn’t help wondering what this “next dish” was—something soft at first, hard once you got into it, something you could suck and swallow but not chew, filling the mouth below rather than the mouth above?
After eating, I stood up, planning to head back to the bike, but Nhật Hào grabbed me. “The next place is inside here.”
He pointed toward a shabby door covered by an old, tattered curtain. Just looking at it sent a chill down my spine. I didn’t know what he was planning to do to me.
“You scared I’m gonna do something to you?” Nhật Hào said. “I only like it when it’s consensual. You know that. Come on.”
He grabbed my wrist and pulled me along.
Behind the door was a narrow, dim hallway—but at the end stood a fairly large building. Only two or three floors high, but each floor was spacious. In the lobby, there was a receptionist greeting guests. The decor looked like a bar, or maybe a slightly toned-down karaoke lounge.
When the receptionist saw us, she greeted us warmly. After Nhật Hào gave his phone number, she said, “Please hand over your phones. Photography and filming aren’t allowed here.” Then she turned to another staff member. “Take them to the third floor. VIP guests.”
“What kind of place is this?” I whispered.
“A karaoke bar,” Nhật Hào replied.
Everything might have seemed normal—if not for the “love chair” that hit me right in the face the moment I entered the room. The walls were covered in obscene drawings, all depicting men fucking each other. On the karaoke table weren’t just microphones, but BDSM gear, fox tails, bunny ears, masks, condoms, lubricant… There was no way in hell this was a normal karaoke room.
Being a VIP room, even the owner came in to greet us. The moment he saw Nhật Hào, his eyes widened and he nearly drooled.
“Wow! Hot boy Nhật Hào, and you didn’t even tell me you were coming!” he exclaimed. “I’m a huge fan—I never miss your livestreams!”
Nhật Hào sprawled lazily across the love chair. “If I told you in advance, would I get a discount?”
“Of course!” the owner laughed. “But since you didn’t, I’ll make it up to you. I’ll bring you the best two we’ve got tonight. One top, one bottom, right? The boys just finished with other clients and are resting up—give them five minutes.”
As soon as the owner left, I panicked. “What the hell is this?! I didn’t ask you to bring me to hookers! Let’s go. Now!”
“Come on!” Nhật Hào said. “We’re already here. If you don’t want to join, just sit and watch me. I already paid for the room.”
I was furious but didn’t know what else to do. I slipped out into the hallway and peeked into other rooms on the same floor. Each door had a curtain—if it was pulled aside, anyone outside could see clearly inside. Out of more than ten rooms, nine were already full-on fucking. The last one looked like they’d just finished and were cleaning up.
When I returned to the room, my heart wouldn’t stop racing. What if Hoàng Tuấn found out I’d come to a place like this? Would he be angry?
Soon, the owner returned, with two people standing behind him.
“I’ve brought you my top two escorts,” he said proudly. “Next time, let me know in advance—I’ll save the first slots just for you. These two are absolute top-tier. No complaints, ever. Come on in, boys.”
I sat slumped on the sofa, annoyed but still curious. What kind of “top-tier” escorts were they?
I turned to look.
And the moment I saw their faces, my head spun. My entire body went weak, so weak I couldn’t even stand.
Because they were Hoàng Tuấn and Ngọc Duy.
My heart went completely numb. I couldn’t say a word.
“Tuấn?” Nhật Hào cried out. “What are you doing here?”
Ngọc Duy looked even more panicked. “Why are you two here?”
The air in the room froze. None of us could breathe. My legs gave out; I could only lean against the sofa to keep from collapsing. My heart was pounding so hard I could barely control it. I forced myself to breathe, afraid I’d break down crying right then and there.
Across the room, Hoàng Tuấn couldn’t bring himself to look at me. Ngọc Duy, flustered, tried to explain.
“Hưng, let me explain—”
“What is there left to explain?” I said weakly.
My vision blurred, but everything inside my mind suddenly became painfully clear.
Why had Hoàng Tuấn immediately recognized the scent of aphrodisiacs in the Tứ Đức room that day? Because he smelled it every day at work.
Why had he never gotten jealous when I flirted with other guys? Because his body had never belonged to me alone.
Why had he done everything for me without ever insisting on being officially recognized as my boyfriend? Because he didn’t think he deserved it.
Why did he always look at Ngọc Duy with such hostility? Because he was afraid Ngọc Duy would expose this secret.
Why did Hoàng Tuấn work day and night? How could he afford a brand-new motorbike while still being a student?
He hadn’t lied to me.
The fault was mine.
I never questioned him. Never doubted him. Never asked.
I lowered my head. I wasn’t crying—but tears kept falling anyway.
Hoàng Tuấn turned toward Ngọc Duy, his voice sharp. “You told him, didn’t you?”
Ngọc Duy shook his head desperately. “No! It wasn’t me. I swear!”
“Does it even matter who told me anymore?” I shouted. “If I hadn’t come here tonight, how much longer were you planning to hide this from me?”
Hoàng Tuấn said nothing. He just stood there in silence.
Not long ago, I’d been happy. Now, the only difference between me and a corpse was that my heart was still beating.
Summoning the last of my strength, I stood up, walked over to Hoàng Tuấn, and removed the ring from my finger, placing it into his palm.
I dragged myself out of the room. Only Nhật Hào chased after me.
“I’m sorry, Hưng,” he kept saying. “This is my fault. I didn’t know it would turn out like this. I just wanted to celebrate your new job…”
I wiped my tears and said quietly,“Let’s go home.”
The entire ride back, I couldn’t say a word. My mind was a mess, my heart completely shattered. I didn’t even understand myself anymore. When I’d found out Ngọc Duy was a callboy, I’d been the one to comfort him.
Turns out, I wasn’t as noble as I thought.
Back then, it wasn’t my story.
Now that it was mine, I couldn’t find a way out.
I asked myself how I could ever accept Hoàng Tuấn again. Why had he hidden everything from me? In front of me, he never stopped saying he loved me. Yet somewhere I couldn’t see, he shared his body with countless others.
Even the ring that symbolized our love had been bought with that money.
I tried to find a reason to forgive him.
In the end, I couldn’t.
A relationship that’s never faced storms will collapse the moment trouble hits—just like a person who’s lived in peace all their life, only to be crushed by a single violent tempest, never able to stand again.