Chapter 5 — Pride And Scholarship

A few days after the exam, Hoai An began to notice subtle changes in some of his classmates' attitudes toward him. The previous friendly greetings gradually faded away, a few probing eyes and whispers appeared every time she passed by.

“Did you notice anything unusual?” Hoai An asked Lan Phuong during recess, her voice was a bit worried.

"Yes," Lan Phuong nodded, her expression unable to hide her concern, "I heard a few people in Bao Tran's group of friends whispering something about you, but I'm not sure exactly what it is."

That ambiguity makes Hoai An even more insecure. She tried to focus on her studies, telling herself she hadn't done anything wrong so there was nothing to be afraid of, but the premonition of something bad that was secretly forming continued to haunt her all day.

At the end of the week, when Hoai An logged on to the social networking site reserved for students at school to check group assignments, she was stunned to see an anonymous post spreading rapidly, attracting hundreds of comments in just a few hours.

"Does anyone have the same question as me? What scholarship student got such an unusually high score? I heard that his entrance exam had an acquaintance on the jury. I wonder if there was any cheating..."

Hoai An read and reread the post, his hands shaking with anger and confusion. She had never met anyone on the admission jury, nor did she have any relationships that could affect her exam results. But the comments below the post are gradually turning that baseless hypothesis into a "truth" that many people believe.

"That's right, suddenly passing Bao Tran in the first exam, it sounds really suspicious."

"Probably running a scholarship, you can't buy anything these days."

"If you come from a poor family but go to such a good school, there must be something shady."

Each comment is like a knife cutting into Hoai An's self-esteem. She tried to calm down, typed a rebuttal comment, affirming that she had not cheated, but her comment line was quickly drowned out among a series of other negative comments, and was even sarcastically called "resisting" by some people.

On Sunday, Hoai An called Lan Phuong, her voice could not hide her worry. “Do you know who posted that?”

"I'm not sure," Lan Phuong replied, her voice was also full of guilt, "but the posting account is an anonymous account, created a few days ago. I suspect it is related to Bao Tran's group of friends, but there is no specific evidence."

Hoai An tightened his grip on the phone, a feeling of helplessness rising in his heart. She clearly understood that this was the form of oppression that Lan Phuong had warned about - not direct threats, but indirect attacks, difficult to trace to a specific culprit, but powerful enough to destroy a person's reputation in just a few short days.

On Monday, when Hoai An entered the classroom, she clearly felt that the atmosphere had completely changed. A few classmates avoided her eyes, and the previously lively conversations suddenly fell silent every time she came near. Bao Tran sat at the head of the table, not looking at her at all, but the corner of her mouth flashed a smile of satisfaction that was hard to detect.

Minh Khoi, noticing the unusual isolation surrounding Hoai An, tried to sit closer to her during recess, trying to create a peaceful atmosphere. It's usually as if nothing ever happened. “Don't pay attention to those baseless rumors,” he said, his voice sincere, “anyone who knows you will know you're not that kind of person.”

“Thank you,” Hoai An replied, her voice somewhat tired, “but I don't know how to prove my innocence when I don't know who is behind this.”

She looked towards Bao Tran, who was still calmly chatting with her group of friends as if she didn't know anything, and wondered if this was just the beginning of a series of even more difficult challenges waiting for her at this school that seemed like a life-changing opportunity.

During afternoon math class, the teacher suddenly called Hoai An to the board to solve a difficult math problem, an advanced exercise that the whole class was afraid of. Hoai An stepped up, trying to concentrate even though his mind was still confused by what had just happened. She solved the problem neatly and accurately, making the whole class admire her.

“Very good, Hoai An,” the teacher praised, “your solution is very creative, different from the usual solutions in textbooks.”

That compliment, although it should have brought joy, made Hoai An feel more worried, when she caught a fleeting look of discomfort from a few students in Bao Tran's close group of friends. She quietly returned to her seat, trying not to let those eyes affect her concentration for the rest of the class.

After class, when Hoai An was packing up her books, one of Bao Tran's close friends - a girl named Diem Quynh - deliberately passed by and lightly bumped Hoai An's shoulder, causing a few books to fall to the ground.

“Eh, sorry,” Diem Quynh said, her tone pretending to be without any sincerity, “because I saw you standing in the way.”

Hoai An did not respond, just quietly bent down to pick up the book, trying to stay calm even though she clearly understood that this was just one of a series of small provocations that she may still have to face in the near future.

“Are you okay?” Minh Khoi asked, running to help her pick up the remaining books. His eyes followed Diem Quynh's walking figure with obvious discomfort.

“I'm fine,” Hoai An replied, trying to give a forced smile, “it was just a small accident.”

But both clearly understood that it was not simply an accident, but the first sign of a hidden war that was gradually forming, where Hoai An, even though he did not want to, was forced to learn how to face and protect himself against the challenges that lay ahead at this noble school.

That night, Hoai An called to confide in Thao Nhi, recounting everything that had happened over the past week — from the anonymous post, to the hidden isolation, to even Diem Quynh's petty provocation.

"That sounds terrible," Thao Nhi said, her voice filled with worry, "do you think you should tell the homeroom teacher? At least so they can understand the situation."

“I also thought about that,” Hoai An replied, “but I'm afraid that if I report it without concrete evidence, it will only make things more complicated, and I will also be labeled a snitch and weak.”

“So what are you going to do?” Thao Nhi asked.

“I think,” Hoai An pondered for a moment before replying, “I will just focus on studying, proving with my real strength that I am not stupid. cheat. If there is concrete evidence about who is behind this, I will report it immediately. For now, I don't want to let baseless rumors affect my original goal."

“You are so strong,” Thao Nhi said, her voice filled with admiration, “I believe you will overcome it. If you need any help, just call me anytime."

After the call, Hoai An sat alone in the room, opened the notebook, wrote a new line below the previous self-reminder: "The truth, no matter how long it is hidden, will eventually be exposed. The important thing is that I have to maintain my stance and not lose myself while waiting for that." She closed the notebook, mentally preparing for the challenging days ahead, determined not to let anyone, including Bao Tran, be able to knock down the will and dreams that she had worked so hard to build.

The next morning, before going to school, Hoai An stopped by the hospital to visit his mother, who was undergoing routine dialysis. Looking at her mother lying in the hospital bed, her arm covered with wires, her face pale but still trying to smile when she saw her daughter, Hoai An became even more determined not to let any difficulties at school slow her down.

“Are you okay?” Ms. Hanh asked, her voice was weak but full of concern, "Lately I think you seem quieter than usual."

"I'm fine, mom," Hoai An replied, trying to smile reassuringly, not wanting her to worry more while her health was weak, "it's just a lot of homework, I'm trying to arrange my time more reasonably."

Ms. Hanh looked at her daughter, her eyes seemed to understand that there was something Hoai An was hiding, but she did not ask further questions, just held her child's hand tightly, conveying a silent encouragement. “No matter what happens,” she said, her voice slow but heavy, “just remember, I always believe in you. You are the strongest, most resilient daughter I have ever known."

That encouragement made Hoai An feel warm, giving her the necessary strength to face the challenges that lie ahead. She gently kissed her mother's forehead, saying goodbye to get to school on time, carrying in her heart a stronger determination than ever - no matter how difficult the road ahead is, she will not let herself fall, because behind her there is a mother who is placing all her trust and hope in her daughter's future.