My eyes were half-closed as I trailed behind the three of them on our way to school. When I tripped over a rock and nearly fell flat on my face, the drowsiness instantly disappeared. Only then did I realize I wasn't even halfway there yet.
Where were the others? I looked around.
Hearing the morning news playing nearby, I panicked when I realized it was already seven o'clock. Without thinking, I sprinted toward school.
Hic hic, the school gate was shut. What now? Should I bawl my eyes out right in front of it? But I didn't have any tears left to cry—my eyes had been red since yesterday. Going home wasn't an option, and climbing the wall? My legs were way too short.
What should I do?
Ah! I remembered in Anh Hùng, once, Lâm Phong was late for school, so he wandered around outside, exploring the world beyond the school walls. That was how he met good people and, later on, the love of his life. Hehe, maybe I'd meet my own Lâm Vũ in real life!
I downed the milk carton and the donut I'd brought from home, feeling full of energy, then confidently set off on a lap around the school.
But I didn't meet anyone.
Should I go another round?
By now, the milk and donut were long digested. Squatting outside the school, I lay down under the shade of a giant crape-myrtle tree and—strangely enough—slept like a baby.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE, CHUN?"
A sharp yell was followed by the sound of panting. Phong rushed toward me, stopping just a step away. Sweat dripped from his forehead, splattering onto my shoes.
"…Sleeping."
"YOU DITCHED SCHOOL?"
"I don't know… Where are Yến and Mai?"
"We went inside as usual, but you never followed. We thought you just went to the bathroom. Where the hell have you been?"
"How'd you get out here?"
"Forget me—explain yourself first!" Phong dodged my question.
"Hic hic…"
I burst into tears, clutching onto Phong's shirt. I had no idea how I'd managed to lose sight of them on such a familiar route. But at this moment, I just felt… safe.
"You're impossible!"
Phong plopped down on the grass, not even bothering to use his shoes as a cushion like I did. I wiped my tears with one hand while the other was already wrapped tightly in Phong's grasp.
"What now?"
I reached out and plucked a leaf that had landed on his buzz-cut hair.
"What do you mean 'what now'? We skip class, obviously."
"But—"
"You think you can climb that five-foot-tall gate?"
Behind the school was a gate for teachers who lived on campus. But for someone as clumsy as me, trying to squeeze through those iron bars would probably end with my backpack getting shredded. So, I followed Phong's lead.
For the first time in my life, I skipped school.
And it was for a boy.
To avoid being seen by Aunt Vân, our downstairs neighbor who worked nearby, Phong dragged me into a comic book store run by some middle schoolers.
It was my first time reading Doraemon. Actually, I wasn't reading—I was just looking at the pictures while Phong read aloud, since I was terrible at spelling.
"N…o… No-b… i… bi-t… a… No-bi-ta…"
I didn't get the hype. To be honest, there were too many words, and I couldn't keep up. But Phong loved it—he laughed so hard he nearly fell over.
"You're even dumber than Nobita."
Oof. That hurt my pride. I snatched the book and started flipping through the pages, trying to guess the story from the pictures. But in the end, I just passed out on the table.
When we returned the comics, the shop owner scolded us relentlessly because I had drooled all over the book. Actually, if she hadn't seen me sleeping with my mouth wide open, she wouldn't have known. But Phong had fallen asleep too instead of keeping watch, so there was no denying it.
By the time Yến and Mai came out of school, we casually joined them, pretending we'd just finished a grueling four periods of class. Yến walked quickly, avoiding eye contact. I had no idea what was up with her.
"Has our family photo been printed yet?"
Phong threw an arm around Yến's shoulder as they walked ahead, looking just like my cousin Hải Anh and her boyfriend. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but after a few moments, Yến was smiling again. Occasionally, Phong glanced back as if making sure I hadn't wandered off and gotten lost.
"Why are you clinging to me?"
"Uh…"
I had been sticking to Mai Mít like glue, refusing to let go no matter how much she protested.
When I got home, I was thrown face-down onto the bed. My dad stood behind me, holding a broomstick high in the air.
The neighbors got to it first—through the thin walls, I could hear the loud SMACK SMACK of a spanking session next door. In my house, Grandma and Grandpa usually stopped my dad from hitting me, so most of the time, the whip was just for show.
But today was different.
Skipping school was a major offense.
So getting a whipping was inevitable.
This time, I mostly screamed but didn't actually cry. My dad only stopped when he saw Phong peeking through the door.
"Say it out loud for Chun's family to hear!"
"…I… I'm sorry, Chun… because…"
"Because what? Speak up!"
Uncle Dương brought the cane down on Phong's backside.
"Because… I… encouraged Chun… to skip class…"
For the first time ever, Phong referred to me as "Chun" instead of "you." His eyes were brimming with tears, just like mine. But honestly, we were only crying because of the pain—it was just a natural reaction. Inside, we both felt completely at ease.
Through my tear-blurred vision, I saw Phong more clearly than ever before. Suddenly, my lips stretched into the widest smile.
For some reason, my heart felt incredibly full.
Outside, the rain pattered gently against the window.