Chapter 14 — Elections and Hearts

Ms. Ha read Phuc's report in silence, her solemn face revealing no emotion, although Ngoc could clearly see her fingers gripping the page tighter than usual.

"I understand," Ms. Ha said after reading, folding the paper carefully. "Thank you for handling this carefully, without hasty conclusions. I will discuss directly with Huy, along with the presence of another witness teacher to ensure fairness for both sides."

"What will you tell Huy?" Ngoc asked, her voice still a little worried.

"I will ask directly, give her a chance to explain," Ms. Ha replied. "If it's really her, I want to hear from her the reason behind this action, before deciding on the appropriate form of punishment."

That afternoon, while Ngoc and Khang continued their normal campaign activities as if nothing had happened - following Ms. Ha's advice to avoid causing unnecessary disturbances before the official conclusion - Gia Huy was called to the Student Council advisory room.

Before that, at booth No. 3, Ngoc and Khang still tried to maintain a normal appearance and continued to answer students' questions about the two projects, even though their hearts were both heavy when they knew Huy was facing that important conversation somewhere else in the school.

"Do you think Huy will admit it?" Ngoc quietly asked Khang while cleaning up the stall after recess.

"I'm not sure," Khang replied, his eyes looking distantly towards the administrative building where the consulting room was located. "But I hope, no matter the outcome, at least we know the truth, so we no longer have to live in doubt and speculation like the past few days."

Ngoc nodded in agreement, her eyes also looking into the distance, her heart filled with mixed emotions between hope for vindication and a vague worry for the fate of her classmate who once stood on the same stage with her, raising their own dreams and ambitions.

Huy entered the room with an expression trying to stay calm, but his hands trembled slightly when he saw Ms. Ha sitting with Mr. Tran Quoc Bao, his homeroom teacher of class 12A3.

"Please sit down, Huy," Ms. Ha said, her voice gentle but serious. "I have something to ask you."

Huy sat down, his heart pounding in his chest. "What do you want to ask?"

"Do you know anything about the anonymous post on Confession NTT related to Ngoc's scholarship?" Ms. Ha asked directly, her eyes carefully observing every expression on Huy's face.

"I... I don't know anything," Huy replied, his voice slightly broken, his eyes avoiding looking directly at Ms. Ha.

"What about the edited message that spread in the 12th grade chat group a few days ago?" Ms. Ha continued, her voice still calm but no less decisive.

Huy was silent and did not answer immediately. Teacher Bao, sitting next to Ms. Ha, spoke softly. "Huy, the teachers are not here to punish you right away. We just want to hear the truth from you. If you have done something wrong, it is always better to honestly admit it and fix it than to continue to hide it."

The silence lasted a few more seconds, then Huy suddenly lowered his head, his shoulders shaking. "I... I'm sorry," he said, his voice choked up, the tears he had been holding back for so long finally spilling out. "It's true you did it. Both times."

Ms. Ha and Mr. Bao looked at each other, no Too surprised by the confession but still unable to hide his heavy heart. The small room was silent for a long time, only the steady sound of the ceiling fan spinning and Huy's soft sobs breaking the silence.

"Just take your time, no need to rush," Ms. Ha said, pouring a glass of water and pushing it towards Huy. "Drink some water and calmly tell me the story."

Huy held the glass of water with trembling hands, took a small sip, trying to regain composure. He continued, his voice broken but becoming clearer with each sentence. "I started out just planning to write a vague comment, I didn't think it would spread so quickly. But when I saw that everyone believed it, I... I couldn't stop. I was afraid that if I stopped, all suspicions would turn towards me."

"What about the cut message?" Mr. Bao asked further, his voice still maintaining the necessary calmness.

"I saw Ngoc's phone on the table backstage on Idea Day," Huy confessed, looking down in shame. "I was just going to check it out, but then I saw that text message, and I thought that if I cut it together, it would be enough to shake the image of the 'perfect couple' that everyone has for you two. I knew it was completely wrong, but at that time I couldn't think clearly, only jealousy and despair overwhelmed my reason."

"Why did you do that, Huy?" Ms. Ha asked, her voice softer, without any reproach.

Huy looked up, his face full of tears, and told the whole story - from the middle school years of being ridiculed by his friends because of his difficult family background, to the feeling of being lost when he saw Ngoc and Khang being loved and supported while he himself always seemed to be overshadowed despite his best efforts.

"I just want to be recognized," Huy sobbed. "I thought if I won the election, people would no longer look at me with pity or contempt. But when I saw that I was so far behind, I... I couldn't control myself anymore."

Ms. Ha was speechless before that story, a deep sympathy crept into her normally serious eyes. "Huy, I understand the feeling of wanting to be recognized is something everyone desires. But the path you chose to achieve that has seriously hurt others, and yourself."

"I know," Huy nodded, his voice still choked. "I'm willing to accept any form of discipline. I just... I'm sorry for hurting Ms. Ngoc and Mr. Khang."

Teacher Bao put his hand on Huy's shoulder, his voice was warm. "The fact that you honestly admitted your mistakes as soon as you were asked is an important step, Huy. It shows the teachers that, even if you make mistakes, you still have a conscience and know how to distinguish right from wrong. That is a valuable thing that needs to be recognized."

Ms. Ha nodded in agreement. "Regarding the specific form of discipline, I will need to report to the school board to make an official decision, following the correct procedure. But I promise, everything will be handled fairly, not to punish you to vent anger, but to give you the opportunity to realize your mistakes and grow from there."

"I also think," Mr. Bao added, "that you proactively admit it, instead of letting the school have to investigate the truth, will be a mitigating factor when considering the form of punishment. That's what teachers always encourage in any student — daring to take responsibility for their actions."

Huy nodded, feeling that some of the burden of guilt had been relieved by the incident that unexpected understanding from the two teachers, who he thought would only look at him with stern judgmental eyes.

Huy nodded, wiped his tears, a strange feeling of relief crept into his heart amidst fear and shame - the feeling of someone who finally dared to face the truth after many days of living in torment and fear.

"Can I... apologize directly to Ms. Ngoc and Mr. Khang?" Huy asked, his voice small but sincere.

"That's a good idea," Ms. Ha smiled slightly, her eyes full of encouragement. "But let me arrange a formal meeting, in the presence of the teachers, to make sure everything is done properly and fairly for all parties involved."

Huy nodded, feeling like a huge burden seemed to have been relieved somewhat after finally daring to tell the truth that he had hidden all these days filled with torment and fear.

Before Huy left the room, Ms. Ha called him again, her voice gentle but serious. "Huy, I want you to remember one thing: mistakes don't define you, how you face and correct those mistakes is what's really important. I believe, if you truly learn the lesson from this, you will become a much stronger person than you are now."

"Thank you," Huy said, bowing deeply, his voice still choked but his eyes were less gloomy than when he entered the room.

Teacher Bao saw Huy out the door and patted his student's shoulder. "From now on, if you have any pressure or difficulty, don't keep it to yourself anymore, Huy. The teachers and friends around you are always ready to listen, as long as you open your mouth."

Huy nodded, walking out of the consulting room with a complicated feeling — both relieved to finally let go of the hidden burden, worried about what was to come, but most of all, for the first time in weeks, he felt like he no longer had to bear it all alone in the dark.