Chapter 43: The Enchantress
Kieu Ly took time off from teaching to prepare for her exams, and those were also the days Toan Phuong drifted around like someone who had lost his soul.
He arrived at school early, propping his head up with one hand, staring blankly out the window. The desire to get into Foreign Trade University grew stronger in him by the day. If he could get into Foreign Trade, he could see Kieu Ly at school every day.
But he was only in 11th grade. To get into Foreign Trade, he would have to wait more than a year.
Just thinking about that made him sigh heavily, like a little old man.
A while later, Minh Nhat appeared and greeted him in his usual way. Then, without hesitation, he reached into Toan Phuong's desk and pulled out a stack of letters.
Ever since Toan Phuong's academic performance had improved, the number of love letters he received had grown steadily. Handsome, rich, and smart—what girl wouldn't fall for that? Unfortunately, Toan Phuong always remained indifferent to the letters.
Minh Nhat, on the other hand, had mediocre grades, an average appearance, and came from a well-off but not outstanding family, so hardly any girls paid attention to him—even though his parents were somewhat well-known in the entertainment industry.
One would think that having parents in showbiz meant he'd inherit good looks, but alas, his parents had resorted to plastic surgery to stay relevant in their careers. As a result, all he inherited was a plain, forgettable face. Someday, he planned to get plastic surgery too, to break into the entertainment industry.
Sometimes, he was jealous of Toan Phuong. Toan was blessed with a good family background and looked like a superstar. But Toan's dreams were opposed by his parents, while Minh Nhat's were fully supported by his own. Such was fate.
Minh Nhat cheerfully opened the letters and read them, growing more and more excited. When he opened a beautifully designed blue envelope, he shouted:
"Dude, you even got a letter from Thuy Tien, the hot girl from grade 10!"
Toan Phuong kept his chin rested on his hand, still staring out the window, lazily replying:
"Hot girl? Not even close to Kieu Ly."
Minh Nhat gaped in shock:
"Kieu Ly?"
Then he rubbed his arms dramatically and said:
"You used to call her a monster all the time. Since when did you start calling her Kieu Ly? Gives me the creeps."
Toan Phuong remained lost in his window-gazing trance. Seeing this, Minh Nhat vaguely sensed that his best friend was no longer the same. Lately, Toan Phuong had stopped coming over to his house to write music together, and instead had been studying diligently at home.
Honestly, Minh Nhat felt like his friend had been bewitched by a fox spirit. But then again, getting involved with girls could be fun. Proof of that? Just reading Toan Phuong's letters on his behalf was enough to make him absurdly happy.