Chapter 2 — Ten Years of Love in the Dark

Everyone below said it was a pity. Luc Hanh Chu has been silent in the group for many years, rarely speaking up. He quoted a comment feeling regretful and replied: 「That's right.」 My heart pounded, I composed a very long message, wanting to confess everything. But in the end, I still didn't press the send button. On the day I graduated from college, Luc Hanh Chu and I had a big argument. Because when taking graduation photos, to avoid suspicion, Luc Hanh Chu sat next to Thuong Thanh Tuyet. Faced with my questioning, he only said:

“In my four years of college, I failed a class.”

"I'm the student body president, taking graduation photos with you is not appropriate."

Just one inappropriate sentence was enough to erase my status as a girlfriend. I said goodbye to him, that day I sat alone on the terrace all night. When Luc Hanh Chu found me at the edge of the terrace, I could hear his rapid heartbeat. His eyes were bloodshot with impatience. After that incident, we both cut off contact with Thuong Thanh Tuyet. But on that same day, Luc Hanh Chu deleted the love diary written about me. He said love has faded. I held my phone and looked at those diary pages for a long time, feeling my stomach burn. When I got off the bus, the assistant noticed my face was pale. He asked concernedly if he needed to help me upstairs. I shook my head. The lights in the house were on, Luc Hanh Chu sat on the sofa with an uncomfortable look on his face. He stared at me but didn't say a word. Not wanting to pay attention to him, I went straight to my room, intending to take a shower and then sleep. But my wrist that was pushing the door was grabbed tightly by him. Luc Hanh Chu lowered his voice:

"Thanh Tuyet is sleeping in the room, don't wake her."

I couldn't believe it, I raised my head to face him, but in his eyes there was only certainty:

“She was so drunk that she couldn't tell her home address, so I had to take her home.”

“You and she are best friends, do you still care about her sleeping in your bed?”

I said I pay attention. Luc Hanh Chu was stunned. A few seconds later, his face turned cold and his words were full of sarcasm:

“If you care like that, then go to someone's house to see your eyes and stay.”

“Let's see if your dead mother will accept that wild son-in-law.”

I looked at Luc Hanh Chu's gloomy eyes. Even if I die, I still can't believe that you could say such hurtful words to me. I smiled bitterly. Just as I was about to explain that the blind date was the object of a "childish engagement" that my mother had jokingly planned since childhood, a noise suddenly rang out in the room. Thuong Thanh Tuyet complained of a headache. Luc Hanh Chu immediately opened the door and rushed in. Through the crack in the door, I saw Luc Hanh Chu holding Thuong Thanh Tuyet tightly in his arms, softly comforting her. Thuong Thanh Tuyet secretly blinked at me, her lips moving even closer to Luc Hanh Chu's neck. I thought to myself, there was no need to open my mouth anymore. No one wants to listen either.

3

I lay on the sofa all night. When I woke up, Luc Hanh Chu gave me a peeled egg.

"You drank so much alcohol yesterday, please stay home and rest today."

In the past, every time we argued, he used such clumsy care to comfort me. I have also been touched many times by that. But today, I saw him put sandwiches and roses on another tray. Luc Hanh Chu followed my eyes, frowned and explained:

“Thanh Tuyet is a picky eater, yesterday she specifically wanted to eat sandwiches that he made himself.”

He stopped and said:

“She said she really missed the days when the three of us were in college together.”

I pulled the corners of my lips. In my heart, I clearly understand that the person Thuong Thanh Tuyet remembers is probably not me. During college, Thuong Thanh Tuyet was the only person who knew about the love story between me and Luc Hanh Chu.