Chapter 46: Reluctance to Part
Toan Phuong hesitantly asked,
"Studying abroad? When are you leaving?"
"I'm flying out in August," Kieu Ly replied. "So I'll only be tutoring you until the end of June."
Toan Phuong froze, closing his eyes as he took a deep breath, trying to stay calm.
Only until the end of June—that meant their time together was almost up.
Sensing his sudden silence, Kieu Ly teased:
"Feeling sad? You should be happy to finally get rid of the monster."
Toan Phuong blushed and replied awkwardly:
"What monster? How did you know?"
"Well, one time you left your phone on the table to get water, and I saw a message pop up that said, 'Studying with the monster again?' I figured that was your nickname for me."
"That was only at the beginning. I don't call you that anymore," Toan Phuong quickly explained, embarrassed.
"Then what do you call me now?" Kieu Ly grinned, still teasing.
She wasn't offended—just playing along. After all, hadn't she used to call him "little devil" behind his back, too?
"Kieu Ly."
Toan Phuong answered seriously, his voice low and filled with emotion.
Hearing her name from him, spoken in the soft, refined accent of a Hanoi boy, Kieu Ly felt something flutter in her chest. His calm, mellow tone drifted through the air, carried gently by the wind. Her heart skipped a quiet beat.
Kieu Ly looked off into the distance. Somehow, she too felt an indescribable sadness. A lingering attachment she couldn't quite explain.
"I'll talk to your mom before I leave today," she said. "After this, someone else will tutor you. But no matter who it is, you still have to try your best to get into Foreign Trade University, okay?"
Hearing that made Toan Phuong feel even more disheartened. He didn't want Kieu Ly to leave like this.
He turned toward her and gently took her hand, as if afraid she might disappear at any moment.
"Kieu Ly…"
If he had the courage, he would've pulled her into a hug—held her tight so she couldn't go.
Surprised, Kieu Ly glanced down at her hand to remind him to let go. Realizing this, Toan Phuong quickly released her and said:
"Don't leave me."
After a brief silence, he added:
"You haven't left yet. Why don't you teach me extra lessons this summer?"
Seeing him so downcast, like a child who had just lost something precious, Kieu Ly suddenly couldn't bear to say no.
"You really don't want a different tutor?"
Toan Phuong nodded firmly.
"They might even be better than me, you know," Kieu Ly said gently.
But Toan Phuong responded with steady conviction:
"I don't need a better tutor. I just need you."
Hearing those words, Kieu Ly felt a strange mix of happiness and unease rise within her.
Outside, the breeze from the lake came in waves, sweeping away the summer heat. The sky above was a perfect blue, not a single cloud in sight. Somewhere in the trees, cicadas chirped in chorus, their endless song stirring the heart.
On the wind-swept balcony, a boy and girl stood in silence, gazing up at the moon.