Chapter 4 — It Turns Out It's Still You

The door separated me from the outside, I could only hear screams and the sound of heavy objects hitting the door. Every sound that rang out made me cry in fear. A moment later, there was a knock on the door outside. "It's me." His voice lowered. I just dared to open the door. Luc Da looked at me, stunned for a long time, perhaps because my appearance was so pathetic right now. “Why are you still going back to class so late?” “I forgot to bring my access card.” I sniffled, letting him see me like this was unbearably humiliating. “Do you know it's dangerous for a girl to come home alone like this?” He sighed, "What if I don't follow?" His voice started to lose patience. “I can't go out without a card.” My voice choked up, “I have no friends.” I was soon isolated by the girls in class. From dating Giang Thu, then breaking up, then sitting at the same table with Luc Da. The girls in class all called me fox spirit. I have no friends. He froze, not knowing what to say. A moment later he walked over and helped me zip up my uniform. I reflexively dodged. After that, we said nothing more. I tried to wash my face, adjust my clothes and then leave. 13 Luc Da followed me to the front of the classroom. “Where is the access card?” He climbed up to the window and asked me. “In the Math book.” It was dark outside, the darkness from before had not yet disappeared. But he was already inside, I could only wait under the window. His voice suddenly rang out from the classroom: "Do you want to come in?" I looked at him, not understanding what he meant. “It's very dark outside, I'm afraid you'll be scared.” As he spoke, he climbed out and sat on the window sill, reaching out to pull me. I hesitated for a few seconds, still giving him my hand, feeling the pull from his hand, I was pulled up. This is the first time in my life I climbed a window. He jumped down first, then held out his hand to help me. I awkwardly jumped down, because I was nervous, I unconsciously clung to his waist. "Don't... don't cling there, it tickles..." As soon as he finished speaking, I also fell straight onto him. My whole body fell on top of him, causing him to fall to the ground. He cried out in pain, but still stretched out his hand to support me, not letting me hit the chair. “Why are you so stupid?” "Sorry." I don't understand why I'm sorry, I just feel like I was stupid and did the wrong thing. All the self-pity that was pent up tonight, in that moment it exploded, I couldn't help but burst into tears. “I didn't scold you.” He seemed confused, sighed, pulled me closer: "Okay, you cry." So I kept that stupid position, resting my head on his chest and crying for several minutes. Tears, snot, and nose were all over his shirt. “Do you know I'm clean?” He pointed at his uniform. "Sorry." I quickly stood up to find a tissue. “I really owe you.” He also stood up, took off his uniform and threw it to me. It was very difficult to find paper in the dark, so I had to listen to him. After wiping my tears, I went back to my seat, took out my access card, and sat there quietly shedding tears again. “Crying again?” He is helpless. “I'm scared…” I'm really scared, still haunted. I don't dare to think, if Luc Da hadn't arrived on time, what would happen to me right now. “Don't be afraid…” He sighed, sitting down next to me. “Why do they like to bully me?” I muttered. “This is not your fault!” He looked at me very firmly: "Because those kids' brains are naturally underdeveloped, their hair hasn't grown enough yet, so they think they can bully others and be powerful." “The more scared you are, the more patient you are, the more they dare to do it.” “Um.” My tears flowed again. Having finished speaking, he stood up and finally gently picked up my loose hair. “Tie like this?” “Let me do it myself.” I quickly stopped it. “I tie mine, boy

Your crying doesn't affect each other." “So… just tie one.” I choked up, feeling that forcing both sides would make it too difficult for him. A normally fierce person like him, from head to toe, exudes stubbornness. He has never lowered his voice to anyone like this. When it comes to helping me tie my hair, it's really unreasonable. “It's okay, both sides look nice.” 14 He patiently waited for me to finish crying, then took me to the school gate. I thought he was going back to the dorm. Unexpectedly, he told me to wait at the traffic light. Not long after, he climbed the wall and ran out. “What are you doing climbing the wall? There's no need to take me home." His liver is really big. “I went online… who brought you?” “What if the teacher catches you?” “Don't be afraid, it's not the first time.” On the street, he wore a hoodie, his hands in his pockets, walking quietly next to me, his whole body still exuding an uncomfortable coldness. After walking a while, I realized: "There is no internet shop on this street." “That place is so tight, you just don't know.” “Uh…” We started chatting casually. “Those people… didn't do anything to you?” He finally opened his mouth to ask, his face somewhat awkward, making the atmosphere even more awkward. “They…” I tightened my hem, “Took a picture of me.” He was stunned. I won't say anything more. He angrily took out a cigarette. “Don't be afraid, I'll take care of those photos for you, and take care of those kids too.” Processing? What to do? I was a little worried inside. After saying that, he continued to follow me, remaining silent the whole way. Until I got to my door. “I'm home.” "YES." He didn't even wait for me to say goodbye, he turned and left. The streetlights stretched out his back, endlessly long. In that moment, I suddenly felt... maybe he wasn't a bad person. But as soon as I turned around, I saw Giang Thu. He stood at the door, quietly looking at me. “You and that guy already know each other?” He's seen it all. I didn't answer, just turned around and walked in. He began to lose control of his emotions. “You learned bad habits with him, are you just coming home now?” I stopped, turned around, smiled and asked him: "Do you know what happened to me tonight?" He froze, his lips trembling: "He... what did he do to you?" At that moment I was both amused and angry. “Giang Thu, you are just my brother, please know your limits.” After saying that, I didn't pay attention to him anymore, went back to my room, and locked the door. My mother hasn't come home yet. These days she works the night shift. Actually, I don't know how to tell her this story. Since I was little, I didn't have a father and my mother raised me alone, so I was often bullied. Every time I told my mother that I was being bullied, her first reaction was always: "Don't go and cause trouble with people, hold back a bit, don't make a big deal out of it." There are no men in our family. If someone bullies me, I'm just a woman. If something happens, I won't be able to protect my children. So San San, good boy, you must learn to be patient." I always keep those words in my heart. When my mother's ex-boyfriends stared at my legs, her first reaction was: "Why are you wearing a skirt? Don't wear it again in the future, people won't look." But, girls my age all wear dresses. I'm really jealous. But I can't. I can only wear sweatpants, covering myself from head to toe. My classmates all said I was a monster. From childhood to adulthood, I was always scolded as a shrinking turtle, a coward, and without friends. Giang Thu was the first person I liked, and also the first person who stood up to protect me. I thought I had the whole world. But then the whole world pushed me out of its arms. I used to think that all my life, I had to live like my mother said. But today, Luc Da told me, this is not my fault

I. He said: "Don't be afraid, you have to protest. The more afraid you are, the more others will bully you." Having lived to the age of 17, someone told me that principle for the first time. Just thinking about it makes me feel bitter. Everyone said Luc Da was a bad student and a scoundrel. But to me, he's not. He is the person I want to be friends with the most in this life. 15 I finished showering and lay in bed when my phone suddenly received a text message. In it write a QQ account and password. "I've registered for you, the password is your name plus your birthday." It's Luc Da. I quickly downloaded QQ, and as soon as I logged in, I saw the name he gave me: "The crying rabbit." Contacts only have one friend. His name is "LuY". “Are you still crying?” The profile picture flashes, the message is immediately sent. "Are not." I've never talked to anyone on QQ, I always feel like I have to find the topic myself. “Do you go online to play games?” I asked him. “Same as that.” “So do you like watching movies?” “For now.” I really don't know how to talk. Or try introducing movies to him? “What kind of movies do you like?” “Go find out for yourself what movies 17 and 18 year old boys like to watch?” Huh? Is he calling me stupid? “Action movie? American?” I tried asking. "Japan! You lost, don't ask anymore. Go to sleep." “Yeah.” I really wasn't suitable for conversation, so I turned off the phone and went to sleep.