Chapter 3 — Contract of the Heart

The school canteen at this hour was almost empty of students, with only a few groups left studying or waiting for the school bus. Thảo Nguyên chose a table in a hidden corner, far from the counter, where there were few people passing by, then placed a glass of peach tea in front of Việt Anh that she had just bought on the way, as a way to apologize in advance for what she was about to say.

"Drink," she pushed the glass of water towards him, "consider me thanking you for taking the time to listen to me."

Việt Anh looked at the cup of tea, then looked at her, his eyes still remaining cautious. "Just get straight to the point. I'm not used to beating around the bush."

Thảo Nguyên took a deep breath. She had rehearsed in her head all the way from class to the cafeteria, but when it was time to actually speak, all the prepared words suddenly disappeared.

"Okay, I'll be blunt." She turned the glass of water in her hand, looking down at the table instead of looking directly at Việt Anh. "The thing is... yesterday I lied to my grandmother that I had a boyfriend. And in my confusion, I accidentally said your name."

There was such a long silence that Thảo Nguyên had to look up to see Việt Anh's reaction. He was looking at her with the expression of someone who had just heard an equation that had no solution.

"You said my name," he repeated, his voice slow, as if trying to make sure he hadn't heard wrong. "To your grandmother. That I'm your boyfriend."

"That's right." Thảo Nguyên nodded, her face hot with embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I know it sounds very strange and sudden, but at that time my grandmother kept asking, and I was so tired of being forced to go on blind dates for the past few months, so my mind went blank, the first name that popped up was..."

"It's my name, because you just read the school newspaper with my picture." Việt Anh finished his sentence, his voice unable to hide something between amusement and annoyance. "Sounds strangely reasonable."

"I know this is too much," Thảo Nguyên quickly continued, afraid he would get up and leave before hearing the end. "But I don't intend to ask you to do anything long term. My grandmother is about to celebrate her seventieth birthday, about four months away. I just need to... maintain this lie until after that party. Then I will think of a way to tell her that we broke up."

"Why do I have to do this?" Việt Anh asked directly, without beating around the bush. "You and I barely know each other. Do you think I have enough free time to act out someone else's lie?"

This was when Thảo Nguyên needed to play the most important card. She sat up straight, looking straight into Việt Anh's eyes.

"I overheard your conversation with those two guys in the club earlier," she said. "About the opening speech for next week's funding presentation. You're having trouble with it, right?"

Việt Anh's expression stiffened slightly, clearly not liking his weakness being mentioned so directly by others.

"That has nothing to do with—"

"It's relevant," Thảo Nguyên interrupted, her voice more certain as she felt she was on the right track. "I'm the editor-in-chief of the school newspaper. I wrote essays that won city awards two years in a row. I can help you write not only next week's speech, but anything you need throughout this semester — essays, speeches, even..." She paused for a second, her eyes gauging his reaction. "Even a personal essay for your study abroad application, if you're preparing for that."

This time, Việt Anh's reaction was much clearer — a moment of shock flashed across his usually calm face, before he could hide it.

"How did you know I was applying to study abroad?" He asked, his voice a bit wary.

"I don't know for sure," Thảo Nguyên answered honestly, "just guessing. Your Robotics Club just won the regional award, and Mr. Hùng often brags in council meetings that you are the best student in the natural class. With achievements like that, a scholarship to study Engineering is the most reasonable path. Besides—" she smiled a little, "—the way you reacted just now confirmed it for me."

Việt Anh remained silent and did not deny. He rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes looking into the distance as if he was seriously considering something.

"Okay," he finally said, his voice slow. "It's true that I'm applying for a scholarship to the Robotics Engineering program at a school in Germany. I passed the application round easily because my scores and competition records were good. But the interview round requires a personal essay, and then a face-to-face interview with the admission committee, where they evaluate the ability to express and think critically, not just technical knowledge."

“And that is your weakness,” Thảo Nguyên said, not sarcastically but with genuine understanding.

"That's right." Việt Anh nodded, his voice less defensive for the first time since the beginning of the conversation. "I can solve a robot motion optimization problem in half an hour, but when it comes to writing a five-hundred-word paragraph about myself, I can sit all evening without coming up with a sentence that I find satisfactory. Ms. Hạnh once said my essay read like... a mistranslated technical report."

Thảo Nguyên laughed lightly at that analogy, and for the first time she saw Việt Anh also slightly curl his lips, although he quickly regained his usual serious look.

"Then," she said, feeling like she was facing a real opportunity, "we can help each other. I'll help you write your essay, prepare you with presentation techniques, and how to tell a story to convince the interview panel. In exchange, you just have to play the role of my boyfriend in front of my family, for about four months, until after my grandmother's birthday party."

"What exactly does it mean to play the role of boyfriend?" Việt Anh asked, his voice so matter-of-fact that it made Thảo Nguyên a little confused because she hadn't thought through the details.

"That means... come to my house to eat sometimes, meet my grandmother a few times, maybe appear with me at a few family occasions. That's all, nothing too much." She spoke quickly, afraid that if she was late, he would have time to think of enough reasons to refuse. "At school, there's no need to make anything public unless it's necessary."

Việt Anh was silent for a long time, his fingers lightly tapping the tabletop in a steady rhythm, like the habit of someone calculating a complex problem in his head.

"If I agree," he finally said, "I need to make sure the essay and mock interviews are effective. I don't have time to waste on this if it won't really help my application. The essay is due in six weeks, the interview is scheduled for the end of the semester."

"I promise to be as serious as possible," Thảo Nguyên replied immediately, a feeling of relief starting to creep into her chest. "We can make a specific study schedule, two sessions a week, I will prepare a proper curriculum, not an impromptu one."

"Okay." Việt Anh nodded, then looked straight at her, his eyes unusually serious. "But I have one condition. Everything between us must be clear, with specific limits, and things must not go beyond the scope of a fair exchange agreement. I don't want to get into unnecessary emotional troubles."

His words made Thảo Nguyên pause slightly. For some reason, an indescribable feeling arose in her heart - both mildly insulted and completely in agreement.

"Don't worry," she replied, trying to keep her voice calm, "I have no intention of doing so. This is just a contract that benefits both parties. When the deadline expires, everyone will go home, no further complications."

"Well then," Việt Anh stood up, holding out his hand as if to shake hands to confirm the agreement, a somewhat formal and strange gesture in the deserted cafeteria space. "I agree. But I want all terms to be written clearly, to avoid misunderstandings later."

Thảo Nguyên looked at the hand held out in front of her, then looked up at Việt Anh's funny, serious face, and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Are you really going to make a contract?"

"I'm a technician," he replied, his voice calm and without a hint of joking. "Every agreement needs clear writing to avoid future risks. This is the basic principle."

Thảo Nguyên shook her head and smiled, but still reached out to shake his hand, the handshake was short and firm, as if sealing an agreement that neither of them could have foreseen how far it would take them.

"Okay, then see you this Saturday," she said, "I will draw up the specific terms, you can look over it and then we will officially sign it."

"Saturday," Việt Anh nodded in confirmation, then put his backpack on his shoulder, turned and walked towards the club room, his gait still straight and calm as always, as if the conversation just now was nothing special.

Thảo Nguyên sat alone in the middle of the empty cafeteria, watching his back disappear down the hallway, feeling both relieved that she had found a way out for her lie and at the same time filled with a vague, nameless worry - as if she had just walked through a door behind which was something much bigger than what she could imagine right now.