Chapter 4 — The Fierce Honor Student Is Waiting for You Downstairs

The wound on his hand seemed to have stopped bleeding, but the dark crimson smear remained startlingly vivid.

"Tu Huu Van." He spoke abruptly, his voice hoarse, "Do you really... want nothing to do with me?"

This question... I froze for a moment. What did he mean by this? Did he actually think I agreed so quickly because... I still had feelings for him? Pah! Such narcissism!

"Obviously!" I answered without a shred of hesitation, "Classmate Hoac Nhan, please wake up, we are not walking the same path. If you hadn't forced me, I would have avoided you like the plague!"

As soon as the words left my mouth, a strange tightness constricted my chest. It felt as though something was amiss, though I could not quite put my finger on it. Upon hearing my reply, Hoac Nhan's expression hardly shifted, but his gaze seemed to grow even colder.

"Fine, very well." He nodded, his tone devoid of any discernible emotion, "I agree to your terms."

"So that's settled then?" I pressed for confirmation.

"Mm."

"A verbal promise isn't worth much..." I wanted to ask if we needed to sign some sort of agreement, but stopped myself upon realizing how foolish that sounded.

Sign a contract with the schoolyard boss? Did I have a death wish?

"What? Afraid I'll go back on my word?" Hoac Nhan seemed to read my thoughts entirely, the corner of his mouth curving into a mocking smile, "Rest assured, whatever I say, I always keep."

"That's good then." I let out a breath, though lingering unease still churned in my stomach.

"Well... if there's nothing else, I'm heading up first?" I asked cautiously.

Hoac Nhan said nothing, merely turning his body slightly to clear the way. Feeling as though I had just received a royal pardon, I spun around on my heel and scurried toward the building entrance like a startled rabbit. Only when I reached the landing of the stairs did I dare look back. Hoac Nhan was still standing right where I left him, the streetlamp stretching his shadow long and thin. He kept his head bowed, lost in thought. His injured hand was tucked casually into his pocket, as if the pain did not exist at all. A sudden wave of discomfort washed over me. Was his injury... truly alright? Should I... bring him some medicine? The thought flared up only to be extinguished instantly. Tu Huu Van, get a grip! How had he just threatened you moments ago? How had he called you a mere tool? Why on earth would you care whether he lives or dies? Even a saint wouldn't be this foolish! I gritted my teeth and resolutely turned to climb the stairs. Once inside my apartment, I threw myself onto the bed, pulling the duvet tightly over my head. My mind was a tangled mess of yarn. Hoac Nhan had said he wanted to take me. Even if it was fake, even if it was just for revenge, he had actually uttered those words. My heart could not help but skip a beat. Immediately afterward, I despised myself for it. Tu Huu Van, you are beyond saving! People treat you as a joke and you're still daydreaming?! But... how was I supposed to face him tomorrow? And what about my brother, and Tham Thien... What a complete mess! Tossing and turning, I rolled back and forth across the mattress, wide awake all night. The next morning, I dragged myself to school bearing two enormous dark circles under my eyes. The entire journey was spent in sheer panic, dreading that Hoac Nhan might suddenly leap out from some blind corner. Yet, from early morning study hall straight through the end of the first period, there was no sign of him. He hadn't come? Was it because of his injured hand? Or... were last night's words just said on a whim, entirely lacking in seriousness? A strange sense of loss abruptly bloomed in my chest... Pah pah pah! What on earth was I thinking! Him not showing up was for the best! Following morning homeroom, the classroom erupted into a chaotic buzz. My deskmate, Phan Hieu Le, sidled up close to me, her face practically glowing with juicy gossip: "Hey, Van Van, have you heard? Something huge went down at the KTV last night!" My heart leaped into my throat: "Wh... what happened?"

"It was your brother!" Phan Hieu Le lowered her voice dramatically, "Word is, he confessed his feelings to Tham Thien! Right in front of Hoac Nhan!"

Naturally, the news had already spread.

"And then?" I asked, feigning calmness.

"Then Hoac Nhan crushed his glass right in his hand! Bled all over the place! Apparently your brother tried to take Tham Thien home afterward, but Hoac Nhan blocked them and they almost came to blows!" Phan Hieu Le recounted it as if she had been front-row center, "It was only because Tham Thien stepped in that a fight was avoided, but judging by how things look, this feud is only getting deeper!"

My heart felt as though it were dangling by a thread: "Hoac Nhan... wasn't he hurt?"

"Hard to say, he just stormed off afterward and didn't even show up to class today," Phan Hieu Le shook her head, "Though your brother doesn't look too hot today either; he must have been furious last night."

Reflexively, I glanced over toward my brother's seat. Tu Uc indeed looked terrible, his expression dark and brooding as he stared blankly ahead. Tham Thien sat right in front of him with her head bowed, her expression obscured. The entire atmosphere in the classroom felt rather bizarre. My internal chaos deepened exponentially. Had Hoac Nhan skipped school because of his hand, or was he quietly plotting some larger retaliation? Did the words he spoke yesterday... still count? Just as my mind was drifting, the back door of the classroom was suddenly kicked open with a resounding crash. The entire class jolted, instantly pivoting to look toward the rear. Hoac Nhan sauntered in, one hand shoved into his pocket. He was still wearing the black hoodie from the night before, the hood pulled low to conceal nearly half his face. His other hand... My pupils contracted sharply. The injured hand was crudely wrapped in a messy layer of white gauze, through which faint stains of blood slowly bled. One could tell at a glance that he had bandaged it himself. Ignoring everyone, he walked straight down the back aisle toward his usual seat. As he passed my brother's desk, his stride hitched for a fraction of a second. Tu Uc also raised his head, casting a hostile glare in his direction. Sparks seemed to fly and crackle in the dead air. The whole classroom held its breath, too terrified to make a sound. Just as I anticipated a brawl breaking out right then and there, Hoac Nhan suddenly let out a faint, dismissive scoff, kept his mouth shut, and continued walking. He stopped right beside my desk. My heart instantly vaulted straight up to my throat. What was he planning to do? Was he going to announce to the entire class that I was his "tool"? I was so tense my limbs turned ice-cold, forcing my gaze downward so I wouldn't have to look at him. Then, I heard his hoarse voice, laced with a hint of playful teasing, cut through the quiet stillness of the classroom:

"Tu Huu Van."

Every single eye in the room instantly locked onto me. My scalp tingled with prickling electricity, and I wished the earth would just swallow me whole.

"Wh... what?" My voice emerged no louder than a squeaking mosquito.

Hoac Nhan leaned down, pressing in close to my ear, and murmured in a volume meant exclusively for the two of us:

"Does what I said yesterday... still stand?"

4. Unexpected Gentleness His hot breath brushed against the shell of my ear, sending tingles of both a tickling and burning sensation through my skin. My entire body stiffened, nearly launching me straight out of my chair. Was he seriously going to keep this up? Right in front of the whole class, asking me about that?! I could feel countless probing, highly curious, gossipy stares beaming down on me like floodlights. In particular, the gaze burning from my brother Tu Uc's direction felt hot enough to scorch right through my back.

"It... it still stands." I barely managed to draw breath, gritting my teeth as I squeezed out the words.

Inwardly, I cursed Hoac Nhan a hundred times over. This bastard! He did it on purpose! He absolutely did it on purpose! He clearly just wanted to watch me humiliate myself!