hanghai University of Finance and Economics was still bathed in the early autumn sunshine, the ginkgo trees turning a gentle yellow, swaying softly with each breeze. This morning, Thiên Kim wore a white shirt paired with a light beige pleated skirt, her hair loosely tied with a cream-colored ribbon – she looked like a delicate symphony amidst the campus scenery. Her eyes, as clear as an autumn lake, sparkled with the brightness of a girl who had just been dropped home by her close older brother the night before. She smiled lightly when anyone greeted her, still the same warm and radiant Thiên Kim.
During the break between classes, Kim took out her phone to text Tư Hạ and ask where she was, so they could grab a snack together, but she didn’t get a reply. That was strange. Usually, Hạ would reply immediately. She decided to go look for her around building E, where Tư Hạ had her class. As she walked down the second-floor hallway, Kim froze when she heard a familiar voice coming from the room to the left – the door wasn’t completely closed. It was Tư Hạ’s voice. Kim lowered her head slightly, slowed her pace, trying not to make a sound.
"I told you, I’m just hanging out with Thiên Kim to get closer to Khánh. A girl like her, living in a shell, being spoiled – so boring."
The words cut through Kim’s chest like an invisible knife. Her heart gave a slight pang, but her face remained neutral as she stood quietly outside the half-closed door. Inside the room, there wasn’t just Tư Hạ. A man’s voice, hoarse and lazy, responded:
"If you can win Khánh over, let us know, but that guy is tough. The other day, I saw him personally pick Kim up. If you slip up, it’s all over."
"No worries," Tư Hạ laughed, her voice sweet like honey but as cold as ice, "That stupid girl trusts me completely. Quang and I are making a plan. After all, Kim used to love him. A little nudge, and she’ll fall."
The other guy, Quang – Kim’s ex-boyfriend, spoke with a sneer:
"It’s fun playing with her. The little bit of leftover feelings she has for me, I can dig them up whenever I feel like it."
They all laughed. The sound of laughter clawed at the beautiful memories Kim had once thought were real. But Kim didn’t walk in. She didn’t cry, nor did she get angry. She simply turned around and walked back to class. The classroom on the third floor became quiet again after the break. Kim sat in the last row, by the window that was slightly open to let the cool autumn breeze in. Outside, the ginkgo trees were starting to turn yellow, and the scene was tranquil, as if it didn’t know that in the heart of that girl, a storm had quietly passed by. She had heard everything. Every word, every sentence from Tư Hạ’s familiar lips, each one like a cold blade slicing through the trust that had been built over nearly a decade.
"I never really wanted to be friends with her."
"Kim? She’s just a stepping stone. I’m only hanging out with her to get close to Khánh."
"Still thinking about that Quang guy? It’s just a game. A person like Kim, always thinking others are as good as herself... She’s so stupid."
But then, she still smiled. Not a single tear, not a trace of hurt on her perfect face.
That afternoon, Tư Hạ walked up to Thiên Kim as if nothing had happened.
"Kim, do you want to go get some cake after school?"
Thiên Kim smiled lightly, her eyes still as gentle as always.
"Sure. Just pick a place."
Kim walked ahead, her eyes brushing past Hạ like a breeze. But deep within her gaze, a coldness had already been ignited. For the first time in this relationship, she wasn’t sincere anymore. She wasn’t angry. She wasn’t sad. She just felt pity – pity for someone she had once considered a close friend, who had now turned herself into a pawn. Still the same voice. Still the same gaze. But deep inside her, Kim had already made a decision. She wouldn’t say a word. She wanted to see how long those three would keep up the act.
Everything seemed as if it had never happened. Or at least, that’s what they thought. Only one person knew better than anyone else: The storm had never come quickly.