Chapter 5 — Change players in the final match

Halfway through the party, Giang Nghien Tu drank seven or eight bottles of beer. His alcohol tolerance was not high, but now he began to babble, dragging Tran Mac to ask again and again:

“Am I an asshole?”

“Yes, yes, you are the worst.” – Tran Mac replied politely.

“So why hasn't Thu Nguyet forgiven me yet?”

"I already apologized... She has always forgiven me..."

To Van Tinh tried to help him, but he pushed him away:

“Don't touch me.”

The voice was cold, completely different from the person from before. Finally, I couldn't stand it anymore and stood up and said:

“I'll go home first.”

“Thu Nguyet!” – Giang Nghien Tu staggered after me, stopping me in the hallway.

The beer vapor blew into his face, he leaned his hands on the wall, surrounding me in a tight space.

“Don't go…”

“I'm drunk.”

“I'm not drunk!” He screamed, then calmed down,

“Thu Nguyet, my phone is full of your photos... Every time I block you, I secretly open them to see...

You just posted a photo of the sky, I watched it for half a day..." As he said that, he actually took out his phone and unlocked it for me to see. In the album there is a folder with a password, the cover photo is a photo of me blowing out birthday candles when I was sixteen years old.

“The password is your birthday.” – He choked –

"I open it every day, afraid I'll forget your face...

But how could I forget? You're here—” He pointed at his chest,

“Engraved here for twenty-two years.”

The sensor light in the hallway turned off, then lit up again following his voice. In the flashing light, Jiang Nghien Tu's tears fell.

“I will change, really.”

"Don't leave me... Thu Nguyet, I only have you..."

My heart hurts like it's being squeezed. Twenty-two years of familiarity, it cannot be said that no pain means no pain. Just when I was about to soften, the comment line flashed red: 【Warning! Important knot! If you soften your heart now, it will repeat the sequence twenty years ago!】 【Female protagonist! Look at his behavior again! After drinking, I repented and woke up again!】 【He's using his tears to tie you down!】 I took a deep breath and pushed him away:

“Giang Nghien Tu, you're drunk.

Wait until you sober up before continuing."

"I'm not drunk! I'm sober!" – He grabbed my wrist so tightly that it hurt –

“Lam Thu Nguyet, I like you!

I've liked it since I was twelve years old! Is that clear enough?!” I stood frozen in place. Twenty-two years ago, it was the first time I heard those words from his mouth.

“Is that clear enough?” – He repeated, tears flowing into the corner of his lips, "Can you forgive me now?"

At the end of the hallway, footsteps sounded. Tham Tinh Ha and a few teammates had just arrived and stopped when they saw the scene before their eyes. Tham Tinh Ha frowned and stepped forward:

“Need my help?”

Giang Nghien Tu immediately turned his head, his eyes fierce:

“Go away!”

Tham Tinh Ha didn't pay attention to him, just looked at me:

"Lam, are you okay?"

“I will take her home.” – Giang Nghien Tu pulled my hand, intending to drag me away.

“Giang Nghien Tu!” – I pulled away really hard, "That's enough!"

He was dumbfounded.

“Every word I say now is because Tham Tinh Ha is here.” – I mean every word,

“You are acting, claiming sovereignty, proving that 'Lam Thu Nguyet is still mine'.

This is not love, this is possession.”

“It's not—”

“yes.” – I interrupted, “If you really love me, I won't let you go I had to cry so much.”

The hallway sensor light went out again. In the darkness, I clearly heard Giang Nghien Tu's pent-up breathing. When the light came back on, Tham Tinh Ha was still standing there, not far from me. I walked towards him:

“Captain Tham, would you mind taking me back to the dormitory?”

“Okay.” – He nodded.

We turned around and left. Just after walking a few steps, there was a desperate sound of punching the wall, along with a broken scream:

“Lam Thu Nguyet! I'm back—!”

I don't look back. Coming out of KTV, the night wind was cold. Tham Tinh Ha took off his coat and gave it to me:

“Put it on.”

“Thank you.”

"You two..." - He hesitated - "You've known each other for a long time, right?"

“Twenty-two years.” – I replied, “Nearly two-thirds of a person's life.”

Tham Tinh Ha was silent for a moment, then softly said:

“Time cannot measure everything. Some feelings are like wine, the longer they age, the stronger they become. But there are also feelings like milk, if left for a long time, it will only become sour.”

I looked at him in surprise.

“Sorry, I said too much.” – He smiled shyly –

“But you don't look well lately... I hope you take good care of yourself.

No matter what you decide, health is still the most important thing.” When I arrived at the dormitory, I thanked him again. Tham Tinh Ha waved his hand:

“It's just a small thing. Well, next week we have a friendly match with the University of Education, if you're free..."

He paused, then smiled:

“Forget it, you probably don't want to watch basketball anymore.”

“I will consider it.” – I replied.

His eyes lit up:

“So… good night.”

“Sleep well.”

When I arrived at my room, I received two text messages. One is from Zhou Macbai:

“Are you home yet? Everything tonight, just pretend you've never heard it before.

We will always be friends.” The remaining news is from an unknown number, with only three words:

“Sorry.”

3

After that gathering, Giang Nghien Tu disappeared for three days. No calls, no messages, and no sign of him standing under the dorm like before. Tran Mac said he asked for leave, no one knew where he went. To Van Tinh's eyes were red and she asked me if I knew his whereabouts. I shook my head. On Wednesday afternoon, I received a WeChat message from Tham Tinh Ha:

“There's a friendly match tomorrow afternoon, don't you really want to come watch? Our team is missing a lucky mascot!”

Attached is a sticker of a puppy making a pitiful face. I stared at the screen, remembering what he once said:

“Time cannot measure everything.”

The comment line has been very quiet these past few days, only this morning there was exactly one sentence: 【Tham Tinh Ha is looking up what flowers and movies you like.】

“What time?” – I asked.

“Two o'clock in the afternoon! Still at the old gym!” – He answered very quickly, then added:

“No need to bring water, just need someone to come.”

I sent back an OK symbol. Putting down the phone, I went to my desk.