Chapter 3 — The Future Without Thanh Mai

The projector he had been saving money for for his birthday for two years had just arrived. Before, we imagined together that after entering college, every weekend we could curl up in our room, hug each other and watch movies all day. What a pity. Yet we haven't had time to watch it together yet. On the day of checking the admission results, I held a small congratulatory party. After arriving, Quy Trach sat down next to me. He took a necklace and put it in my hand. "It's all my fault, okay?" "I shouldn't have left you behind to celebrate my birthday with friends, it's all my fault, okay?" My fingertips stiffened. A few days ago, Phan Nhat Oanh just posted an article. The tea table was full of gifts. She opened each item in turn, including an instant camera, a large stuffed animal, a delicately packaged perfume box... Only this necklace made her hatefully pout: "The style is too rustic, I don't need it." The person filming the video smiled indulgently: "It's my birthday and you still criticize me. Is it okay if I take it away and throw it away?" I loosened my grip and let the necklace fall to the ground. Quy Trach frowned: "You've been angry for so long, isn't it enough?" Quy's mother gently patted the back of his hand. "What's wrong with you today? Why are you so impatient with An An?" Quy's father also said: "You and An An are the closest. Please explain kindly to her, she will sympathize with you." My father smiled, trying to calm the atmosphere: "Is it because An An's wishes have not been confirmed, so Tieu Quy A bit stressed?” I didn't say anything, just clicked the search button. Quy Trach suddenly looked away. A few seconds later, the application page loaded successfully. The admission announcement clearly appeared: 【Central Academy of Fine Arts - Oil Painting Department】 The adults of both families happily laughed: "I passed, An An is so good!" "Both children are in Bac Thanh, from now on we can take care of each other." But Quy Trach's face was stiff. He quickly looked at me, his eyes filled with disbelief. Amidst the bustling sound of congratulations in the room, I softly said: "You don't need him to take care of you." "I broke up with Quy Trach." The atmosphere immediately froze. I looked at Quy Trach: "I've changed my wish again. Your little girlfriend probably won't be able to pass the exam anymore, right?" He tried to force a smile: "An An, stop joking. What's wrong with changing your wish? Isn't your girlfriend me?" I slightly curled my lips: "Qui Trach, I met Phan Nhat Oanh." "You refuse to break up with me because you want her to continue being the third person?"5 "Which Phan Nhat Oanh?" Quy Trach Trach stared at me. "Who said such nonsense to you?" "Tham An, we have been together for so many years, don't you have any trust in me?" I said nothing. His eyes turned red uncontrollably. How can I not trust him? From childhood to adulthood, we shared everything in life, knew each other's door passwords, and understood each other's little habits. I trust him so much that I can entrust important matters like registering my wishes to him. Why did we accidentally lose each other? I also hope all of this is fake. But the place deep inside my heart was punctured, reminding me to stay awake. He gave a piece of his life to someone else. Therefore, the complete picture belongs to me and he can never put it together again. I swallowed the sour taste in my throat and asked: "Isn't it because of Fan Yiying that you changed my wish to become the Chinese Academy of Fine Arts?" "Just because you wanted her to go to college in the same city as you, you pushed me to Hang City, more than a thousand kilometers away." "It was you who changed it, I forgot."

What?" "Change your wish?" My father's face changed. "Change what wish?" "An An, didn't you pass the entrance exam to the Central Academy of Fine Arts? Why did you tell Tieu Quy to change your wish?" Quy's mother looked at Quy Trach and then looked at me. "An An, is there a misunderstanding between the two of you?" "A Trach always wanted to go to university in the same city as you, how could he change your wish to become the Chinese Academy of Fine Arts?" Quy's father also said: "Yes, changing wishes is not a small thing." "An An, if you are angry with A Trach because of your birthday, then he must admit his mistake." "But the matter of wishes is not a small thing." Can't talk nonsense. If there is a misunderstanding, let's talk clearly." I shook my head: "There is no misunderstanding." "After I found out, I changed my wishes." "Quy Trach, before going abroad to visit you, I asked you to help me register my wishes. But what about you? What did you do?" Quy Trach looked at me, a bit panicked. "An An, listen to my explanation." "I don't know who told you..." "No one initiated the relationship between you and me." I said softly: "I saw it with my own eyes." "Qui Trach, do you still want to continue to lie to me?" Without waiting for him to speak, I slammed the phone down on the table. The screen was displaying Phan Nhat Oanh's personal page.