Chapter 11 — Pride And Scholarship

Bao Tran came home that night with a heavy heart, unable to hide her gloomy expression from her mother. Mrs. Kim Ngan, who is keen on recognizing the smallest changes in her daughter, asked right away during dinner.

“What is it that makes you so sad?” she asked, putting down her chopsticks, her sharp eyes observing her daughter.

Bao Tran hesitated for a moment, not wanting to reveal her true feelings, but in the end she couldn't hide it. “It's nothing, Mom,” she replied, trying to sound casual, “it's just school stuff.”

Mrs. Kim Ngan looked at her daughter for a long time, then skillfully asked a few more questions, gradually exploiting information about Minh Khoi openly expressing his feelings for Hoai An in front of the whole school. Her face flashed with an unpleasant expression, though she tried to hide it.

“That guy Khoi,” she muttered, her voice thoughtful, “Mr. Tuan's son, an important partner of our group.”

The next morning, Ms. Kim Ngan proactively arranged a meeting with Mr. Tran Tuan, Minh Khoi's father, in the name of discussing a new business cooperation project between the two companies. The meeting took place at a luxurious restaurant, the atmosphere was intimate but contained hidden intentions.

“Mr. Tuan,” Mrs. Kim Ngan said, after discussing the main business issues, her tone turned more friendly, “I heard that your Khoi and my Tran are in the same class.”

“Yes, that's right,” Mr. Tuan nodded, “the two of us seem to get along well, often exchanging lessons.”

"That's great," Mrs. Kim Ngan smiled, her eyes sparkled with a hint of calculation, "our two families are also cooperating closely in business. If the two children have feelings for each other in the future, it will be a beautiful relationship, full of both love and meaning."

Mr. Tuan, although he did not completely understand the deeper intention behind this statement, politely responded with appropriate polite words, not expecting that this seemingly innocuous conversation would create an invisible pressure on his son in the near future.

That night, when he got home, Mr. Tuan happened to recall the conversation he had with his wife during dinner, not noticing that Minh Khoi was sitting right there, hearing the whole story. "Mrs. Kim Ngan seems to like you very much," he said, looking at Minh Khoi, "she even hinted about you and her daughter later..."

Minh Khoi was stunned, the chopsticks in his hand stopped halfway. “What do you mean by that?” he asked, his voice somewhat tense.

"Dad was just telling the story," Mr. Tuan replied, not noticing his son's change in attitude, "she seemed to want her two families to bond more closely in the future."

Minh Khoi was silent, a vague feeling of worry arose in his heart. He clearly understood that, even though his parents had not officially set any specific demands, the hidden pressure from the business relationship between the two families could make his sincere feelings for Hoai An much more complicated, especially when he knew that Mrs. Kim Ngan was not someone who easily gives up what she was determined to pursue.

"Dad," Minh Khoi spoke up, trying to keep his voice calm, "I want to make it clear, I don't have any feelings for Bao Tran. I just consider her as a classmate."

Mr. Tuan raised his eyebrows, somewhat surprised at his son's unusual seriousness. “I don't force you to like anyone At all,” he said, “I was just recounting what Mrs. Kim Ngan said. Don't think too much.”

“I understand,” Minh Khoi nodded, even though he still couldn't completely get rid of the anxiety that had just formed, “but I want you guys to know, I already have someone I truly care about.”

Minh Khoi's mother, sitting nearby, listened to the entire conversation and curiously asked more. “So who do you like? Are you in the same class?”

Minh Khoi hesitated for a moment, then decided to be honest. “Yes, it's a friend named Hoai An, a scholarship student at the school. She is very talented, hard-working, and has admirable determination."

Minh Khoi's parents looked at each other, unable to hide their surprise at this information, but no one was in a hurry to object. “If you like him because of his personality, because of who he is,” his mother said after a moment of thinking, “then we respect your choice. Just focus on your studies and don't let your emotions affect your future."

Those open words made Minh Khoi feel somewhat relieved, although he still couldn't help but worry about how Mrs. Kim Ngan might react if she knew clearly about his true feelings for Hoai An, instead of her own daughter.

The next morning at school, Minh Khoi told Hoai An the whole story during recess, his voice somewhat pensive. “I think, you should know this,” he said, “Bao Tran's mother seems to want to nurture the relationship between our two families. I don't want to hide anything from you.”

Hoai An listened, a new worry arose in his heart. “So what are you going to do?” she asked, her voice somewhat cautious.

“I've made it clear to my parents that I don't have any feelings for Bao Tran,” Minh Khoi replied, his eyes steady, “and I've also made it clear that I like someone else. I don't want to let the pressure from my family's business relationship decide my feelings."

That decisiveness touched Hoai An, but she also couldn't help but worry about Minh Khoi. “I'm afraid this will cause difficulties for you,” she said, “the business relationship between our two families is so important, if because of me it affects your father's business…”

“Don't worry about me,” Minh Khoi interrupted, his voice firm, “my parents respect my choice. Business relationships are an adult's matter, love is my matter, those two things should not be mixed together."

That affirmation helped Hoai An feel more secure, but she still couldn't completely get rid of the feeling of insecurity about what might happen next, especially when she clearly understood that Mrs. Kim Ngan was a person with great influence, not only in her business but also in the school she was studying, where her academic future still depended on that valuable scholarship.

At noon, after school, Hoai An happened to meet Bao Tran in the hallway. They both stopped for an awkward moment. For the first time, Bao Tran did not say sarcastic words or show an arrogant attitude as usual, just silently looked at Hoai An with a complicated, unpredictable look.

“Hello,” Hoai An spoke first, trying to break the oppressive silence, “are you ready for team practice?”

“Okay,” Bao Tran replied curtly, but did not leave immediately as usual, her eyes hesitated as if she wanted to say something but couldn't find the right words. fit.

“Do you have something to say?” Hoai An asked, sensing an abnormality in the other person's attitude.

"Nothing," Bao Tran shook her head, quickly regaining her familiar pride, "I was just thinking about practice. We should put aside personal conflicts to focus on the school team."

That statement, although still cold, was the first time Bao Tran proactively mentioned cooperation instead of confrontation, making Hoai An surprised. “I agree,” she replied, nodding, “for the sake of the school's flag, we should put aside our personal matters to try together.”

Bao Tran nodded, did not say anything more, turned and walked away, leaving Hoai An standing there with a feeling of both relief and curiosity at this sudden change in attitude, although she was not sure whether this was a sign of true reconciliation, or simply a temporary truce under the pressure of the upcoming competition.

That afternoon, the Olympic team's first practice session took place in a private classroom for excellent students, with the guidance of Mr. Quang. In addition to Hoai An and Bao Tran, three other students were selected to join the team, forming a group of five people who will practice together throughout the coming weeks.

"This year's inter-school Olympic competition has four main subjects," Mr. Quang explained, "Math, Physics, Chemistry, and English. Each person on the team will be in charge of a specialized subject, and must support each other in the team competition."

Hoai An and Bao Tran, without saying it out loud, both implicitly understand that they will have to work together more closely than ever in the coming weeks, regardless of the personal conflicts that still exist. The first practice session took place in a somewhat awkward atmosphere, but both showed the necessary seriousness and professionalism.

“Hoai An, try solving this problem,” Mr. Quang said, pointing to a difficult problem on the board.

Hoai An stepped up and solved the problem neatly and accurately. Bao Tran observed from below, unable to deny her admiration for her opponent's sharp thinking, although there was still a bit of competition in her heart that could not be completely eliminated.

“Your solution is quite interesting,” Bao Tran suddenly commented, her voice no longer sarcastic as before, “but I think we can shorten it one more step.”

Hoai An looked at Bao Tran, surprised by this constructive suggestion, but quickly realized it was a reasonable suggestion. “You're right,” she replied, nodding, “thank you for pointing it out.”

That brief moment of academic exchange, although small, marked the beginning of a completely new relationship between the two - no longer simply jealous opponents, but gradually forming a mutual respect based on true ability, a fragile but promising foundation for greater changes to come in the future.