Chapter 1 — Pride And Scholarship

Hoai An read and reread the notification on the phone screen for the fifth time, still not daring to believe it was true. "Congratulations to Nguyen Hoai An for being accepted for a full scholarship to Royal High School this school year." Just a short line, but enough to make her heart pound like it wanted to jump out of her chest.

"Mom! I passed!" she shouted, rushing into the small room where her mother was sewing an old shirt under the yellow light.

Ms. Hanh looked up, her thin hands still holding the needle and thread, her face lit up with an indescribable joy. "Did you really get the Royal Scholarship? The school that has only had one place for the last three years?"

"Yes, that's right, Mom," Hoai An nodded vigorously, tears began to flow from her eyes with emotion, "I really passed."

Ms. Hanh put down the needle and thread, hugged her daughter, and both mother and daughter cried in bursts of happiness. During three years of middle school, Hoai An was always the best student in the school, but the dream of studying at a prestigious school like Hoang Gia was always a distant dream for a family that only relied on a small tailor shop and the increasingly weak health of a single mother.

“You know,” Ms. Hanh said, her voice still shaking with emotion, “your father, if he were still alive, would definitely be very proud of you.”

Mentioning dad, the atmosphere in the small room suddenly became a little quieter. Hoai An's father died in a traffic accident when she was only six years old, leaving her mother alone to raise the child by sewing. In recent years, Ms. Hanh's health has become increasingly weaker. The doctor diagnosed chronic kidney failure, requiring regular dialysis three times a week - a significant financial burden on the shoulders of mother and daughter.

“A full scholarship means I don't have to pay tuition, right, Mom?” Hoai An asked, trying to calculate the upcoming expenses in his head.

"That's right," Ms. Hanh nodded, "but I still have money for uniforms, books, and other living expenses. That school is full of rich kids, so it must be very expensive."

Hoai An nodded, a flash of worry flashed in her heart, but she quickly pushed it aside, telling herself she would find a way to manage, the same way she had always done all these years - tutoring children in the neighborhood, helping sell goods for the neighbor on the weekends, anything to earn a few extra bucks to help her mother.

On the first day of school, Hoai An stood in front of the gate of Royal High School, overwhelmed by the massive scale of the school. The school gate was built in the style of classical European architecture, with spacious high-rise buildings, a spacious school yard with neatly trimmed green grass, a world away from the old middle school where she used to study.

Around her, students flocked from shiny cars, wearing tailored uniforms and branded backpacks whose value was not cheap just by looking at them. Hoai An looked down at her new but simple uniform, her old shoes had been carefully sewn on the soles by her mother, a feeling of being lost began to creep into her heart.

“Are you a new student?” a voice rang out next to me.

Hoai An turned and saw a short-haired girl with a friendly face smiling at him. “Yes, my name is Hoai An, a scholarship student.”

“Oh, you're the only scholarship winner this year?” the girl exclaimed, her eyes shining full of admiration, "I heard that the scholarship entrance exam is incredibly difficult, you're so good. I'm Lan Phuong, a student of class 10A2, just like you."

Hoai An felt a little relieved at this unexpected friendliness. "Thank you. I'm a bit worried, I don't know if I can fit in, seeing everyone is..." she hesitated, not knowing how to express herself skillfully.

"Everyone is rich, right," Lan Phuong smiled, understanding immediately, "don't worry, most people here are very pleasant, only a few are a bit... special."

At that moment, a shiny black limousine slowly entered the school gate, attracting the eyes of almost everyone around. The car door opened, a girl stepped out with a confident and proud look, long hair gently curled, wearing a uniform that was more sophisticated than other students, and shiny leather shoes with famous brand logos printed on them.

"Bao Tran is here," Lan Phuong whispered, her voice a bit cautious, "the daughter of Mrs. Kim Ngan, the president of the group that owns our school. For three consecutive years, she ranked first in her grade, the most influential student in the school."

Hoai An looked at that elegant figure walking among the crowd of students bowing politely. A feeling of both curiosity and caution crept into her heart, although she could not have imagined that in just a few weeks, her path and that of that haughty young lady would collide in an unexpected way.

The opening ceremony took place solemnly in the school's large hall, with a welcome speech from the principal, followed by the introduction of excellent students of the new school year. When Hoai An's name was announced as one of the students with the highest admission achievements, the whole hall applauded, but she also couldn't help but notice a few judging eyes and whispers from the surrounding students, especially from the row of chairs where Bao Tran was sitting.

“Scholarship student?” A soft voice rang out loud enough for Hoai An to hear, "You must have studied really hard to get into this school without paying money."

Hoai An pretended not to hear, keeping the smile on his lips, but inside he couldn't help but feel guilty at those rumors. She told herself that she needed to prove her strength and not let those words affect her initial determination.

After the ceremony, Lan Phuong took Hoai An on a tour around the school, introducing each area - a large library with thousands of books, a modern laboratory fully equipped with advanced machinery, a sports area with an indoor swimming pool, and a luxurious canteen serving a variety of dishes from around the world.

“This school is truly completely different from my old school,” Hoai An muttered, unable to hide her shock.

"You'll get used to it," Lan Phuong reassured, "besides, the most important thing here is still your academic achievements. You're so good, you'll definitely prove your worth."

In the afternoon, when returning to the small house in the working alley, Hoai An told her mother about her impressive first day at the new school, not forgetting to mention the obvious difference between herself and her classmates.

"Don't let that make you feel self-conscious," Ms. Hanh said, stroking her daughter's head, "rich and poor are just external circumstances, the important thing is that you have strength and self-esteem. I believe I will do well.”

Hoai An nodded, hugged her mother, clearly feeling the familiar warmth even though the small house was somewhat colder than the luxurious school she had just left. She looked out the window, where the yellow streetlights shone into the familiar alley, silently promising herself that she would try her best, not to disappoint her mother's wishes and the precious scholarship that she had won through her own efforts.

That evening, after finishing dinner, Hoai An sat at the small study table in the corner of the room, took out the list of books and school supplies that needed to be prepared for the new school year, and reviewed it. The final number made her frown — even though tuition was completely waived, ancillary costs such as gym uniforms, reference books, and money to participate in mandatory extracurricular clubs still added up to a large amount of money for her family.

“What are you planning?” Ms. Hanh asked, entering the room with a glass of hot milk and placing it on the desk for her daughter.

“I think,” Hoai An replied, folding up the list, “I will ask to accept a few more tutors, and on weekends I can still help Aunt Sau sell like before. It should be enough to manage, Mom.”

Ms. Hanh looked at her daughter, her eyes were both sad and proud. “I wish I could take care of you fully like other families, without having to make you work so hard.”

“Mom, don't say that,” Hoai An grabbed her mother's hand, her voice was firm, “I don't find it difficult at all. I'm proud that I can take care of myself and don't need to rely on anyone. Furthermore, it is thanks to those difficulties that I have the motivation to study well to change the lives of both mother and child."

Ms. Hanh patted her daughter's head, did not say anything more, just let the tears of happiness quietly roll down her cheeks, before leaving the room so her daughter could continue her studies. Hoai An looked at her mother's shadow disappearing behind the door, then turned back to the pile of books in front of her, with a strong determination in her heart - no matter how difficult or uneven the road ahead at that prestigious school was, she would not let herself fall, but would turn her humble starting situation into motivation to rise stronger than ever.