Chapter 13 — The Heiress and Her Scholarship Friend

Three weeks before the official engagement ceremony, Anh Duong school launched the annual Creative Science competition - the most important event of the school year for the natural department, where teams must present a practical applied research project to a jury consisting of many famous university professors. The first prize not only brings reputation to the school but also comes with a full scholarship to study abroad with great value - the opportunity that Minh Dang has been quietly aiming for since the beginning of the school year.

Ironically, due to the team regulations based on fixed study groups from the beginning of the semester, Minh Dang and Khanh Vy were once again forced to work together, along with Bao Tram and Gia Huy, while Vu Khang, as the captain of another ambitious team, saw this as the perfect opportunity to prove himself superior to Minh Dang before the engagement ceremony.

"Our team needs a topic that's groundbreaking enough to have a chance of winning," Gia Huy said in the first group meeting, opening his laptop to present some preliminary ideas. "But time is so tight, there's only three weeks left."

Minh Dang, after a moment of contemplation, proposed a bold direction: developing a low-cost water filtration system using recycled materials, directly applied to low-income neighborhoods lacking clean water - a topic originating from what he witnessed every day in the neighborhood where he lived.

"This is an excellent topic," Khanh Vy commented, her eyes shining with excitement, temporarily forgetting the awkward distance that still existed between the two of them since their heartbreaking conversation at the park. "It is both scientific and has profound social significance. The jury will definitely appreciate it."

During the next two weeks, deadline pressure forced the group to work almost every day after school, testing many different samples of filter materials together in the school laboratory. Although both Minh Dang and Khanh Vy tried to maintain the necessary professional distance, focusing on solving a common problem gradually made the wall between them soften little by little, even though no one actively admitted it out loud.

Late one evening, when the group was left with only Minh Dang and Khanh Vy in the lab to complete the final technical report, Khanh Vy accidentally spilled a small bottle of chemicals on her sleeve, causing her to step back in panic.

"Are you okay?" Minh Dang hurriedly ran over, checked her hand under the light, and realized that luckily it was just a harmless solution used to test pH. "It's okay, it's just a test, it won't do any harm."

That sudden moment of closeness, when Minh Dang was still gently holding her wrist to check, made them both suddenly realize how close the distance between them was right now. Khanh Vy looked up at him, her eyes filled with complex emotions that had not subsided for many weeks.

"Minh Dang," she called softly, her voice trembling, "I know you think keeping your distance is the best way to protect me. But I want you to know, I don't need to be protected that way. I just need you, by my side, as a true friend, no matter what happens later."

Minh Dang let go of her hand, took a step back, trying to suppress the wave of emotions rising strongly in his heart. "I want that too," he admitted, his voice choked up. "More than anything. But every time I allow myself to get closer to you, I'm scared of what might happen next — not just for you, but for my own future."

"You're hiding something from me," Khanh Vy said, her sharp eyes looking straight at him, recognizing the unusualness in that voice. "This isn't just about protecting me from family trouble, right?"

Minh Dang was silent for a long time, struggling internally between continuing to keep it a secret or being honest with her. Finally, he decided to recount the entire menacing encounter with Vu Khang behind the garage, without hiding any details.

After hearing this, Khanh Vy's face turned pale with anger. "Does he dare to use your future education as a threat?" she asked, her voice shaking with anger. "This has really gone beyond the limit."

"I don't want you to worry any more about this," Minh Dang said, his voice filled with fatigue. "That's the reason I never told you."

Khanh Vy held his hand tightly, her eyes resolute as never before. "We will not let him prevail with such despicable tricks. Your scholarship was earned by your own ability, no one has the right to take it away just because of selfish personal calculations."

That steadfastness, although it could not completely erase the anxiety in Minh Dang's heart, still gave him a precious source of mental strength that he had never felt since Vu Khang's threat. The two stood there in the quiet laboratory, the fluorescent lights falling down, creating a rare moment of silence amidst the countless storms that lay ahead, where for the first time after many weeks of separation, they both felt that sincere connection was still intact, just waiting for the right moment to be fully acknowledged.

The next morning, when Khanh Vy told Bao Tram and Gia Huy the whole story during recess, both could not hide their extreme indignation.

"He's really too much," Bao Tram said, her voice shaking with anger, lightly pounding her fist on the table. "Using family power to intimidate a student just because of personal jealousy is no different from an abuse of power."

"We don't have specific evidence to officially denounce," Gia Huy said, his voice quieter but his eyes equally filled with frustration. "But there is a worthy way to respond — to win this competition in the most convincing way, proving that Dang's true ability cannot be extinguished by any threats."

The whole group unanimously put all their effort into the last days before the final round, taking turns staying in the laboratory until late at night to perfect the water filtration model and fine-tune every small detail in the presentation. News about the group's potential topic gradually spread, causing many other competing teams, including Vu Khang's team, to begin to clearly feel the competitive pressure.

Just two days before the final round, Gia Huy discovered an anonymous account posted an article on the school's student forum, accusing Minh Dang's group of "plagiarizing ideas" from a foreign research project announced many years ago - a baseless accusation but enough to sow doubt in the hearts of those who do not clearly understand the situation.

"It's Vu Khang's game again," Bao Tram firmly affirmed when the group held an emergency meeting to deal with the situation. "The style of that article, the way it was used, I could recognize immediately."

Instead of panicking, Minh Dang calmly proposed a solution: carefully prepare a proof of the originality of the project, including the entire research diary, day-by-day testing notes, and a confirmation letter from the instructor about the independent development of the project — an irrefutable proof against any doubts that may arise during the official presentation.

"If he wants to play dirty," Minh Dang said, his eyes more determined than ever, "we will respond with careful preparation and absolute transparency. That is the only way so that no one can deny our true achievements."

Khanh Vy, although her anger was still intact at Vu Khang's increasingly despicable tricks, also realized a rare positive thing in the midst of this crisis: it was the common pressure from the opponent that unintentionally pulled the whole group, especially her and Minh Dang, closer together in the most natural way, without having to force or calculate.

The night before the official presentation, the group rehearsed one last time at Gia Huy's house, where the living room is spacious enough to recreate a complete presentation model. When the practice session ended near midnight, Bao Tram and Gia Huy made an excuse to go buy late-night food, intentionally leaving Khanh Vy and Minh Dang alone in the living room, exchanging meaningful glances behind both of their backs.

"They made it too obvious," Khanh Vy said, laughing lightly when she realized the two friends' intentions, and the awkward atmosphere gradually disappeared.

"Maybe they're just trying to help us," Minh Dang replied, also smiling slightly, a rare feeling of relief creeping into his heart amid the past stressful days. "Anyway, tomorrow is an important day. We should rest early to stay in the best spirits."

"Minh Dang," Khanh Vy called softly before he could stand up to leave, "no matter what the result is tomorrow, I just want you to know, I'm proud of what you've accomplished, not only in this project, but throughout the difficult journey you've gone through since the day you entered Anh Duong school."

Those simple but sincere words made Minh Dang's heart strangely warm, dispelling some of the worries that were weighing him down at the threshold of an important day to come, where not only his personal honor but also his future were hanging in the balance in the face of plots that showed no signs of stopping from his opponents.