Chapter 45: Childish?
Truth be told, seeing the pile of love letters Minh Nhat pulled out of his desk every day, Toan Phuong was well aware of his own appeal. His earlier question was merely a way to test Kieu Ly.
He cheerfully asked again:
"Do you like that type too?"
Kieu Ly turned her gaze toward the distant horizon and replied:
"My ex-boyfriend was that type."
Toan Phuong hadn't actually intended to ask about her ex—he just wanted to know if he was her type. But now that she brought up her ex, curiosity got the better of him.
"But I got dumped," she added. "He said I was too dry, only knew how to bury myself in studying."
Toan Phuong pondered that for a moment—it wasn't entirely wrong. But still, he liked that kind of focus and seriousness.
"And," she continued, "he wanted a girl who was willing to give herself fully, someone good at making love. So, I got cheated on."
"What?!"
Toan Phuong was so shocked he nearly gasped aloud. He hadn't expected Kieu Ly to speak so openly about something so intimate. Even more surprising was that someone would end a relationship over that.
Kieu Ly turned and gave a faint, sorrowful smile:
"I just wanted to save that sacred feeling for marriage. Was that wrong?"
She paused briefly, then added:
"But it doesn't matter anymore. He wasn't worth it."
Seeing Toan Phuong standing there stunned, speechless, Kieu Ly chuckled:
"Why am I telling you all this, anyway? Such personal stuff... You're still a kid, you shouldn't have to hear this."
A storm surged inside Toan Phuong's chest. A kid?
A kid who, in his dreams, often found himself imagining Kieu Ly in ways he could never confess aloud.
If she ever found out, she might quit tutoring him immediately.
"Next year, you'll be in 12th grade," Kieu Ly said, her eyes drifting off again. "Make the most of these final school years. Don't waste them. Once they're gone, you'll never get them back."
Her words felt like they weren't just meant for him, but for herself as well.
Toan Phuong, noticing her sudden wave of emotion, asked curiously:
"Why do you sound like you're about to leave?"
Kieu Ly nodded gently:
"The school's sending me to the UK for a one-year study program."
Toan Phuong's face changed instantly.
He never imagined that after such a long break, she would return only to bring such news.
Kieu Ly, who lived for her career, was probably overjoyed to have this opportunity to study abroad.
But for him, the news hit like a bolt of lightning.
The starry sky above suddenly seemed to turn pitch black.