...
It wasn't until the bell rang for the end of class that Vy and An Phong finally made their way back from the rear yard. Gone was her earlier excitement; her face now was utterly deflated.
— I really thought those were lizard eggs… Who knew they'd hatch into baby snakes? Ugh, just thinking about it gives me chills.
— Ha ha, don't worry. Thanks to you spotting it in time and reporting to the teachers, the whole school's safe now.
An Phong gave her a gentle smile and patted her shoulder as she sniffled. The scene felt strangely familiar.
A memory came rushing back. Back in first grade, after school one day, the two had walked home together along a narrow path skirting the golden rice fields. The expanse had seemed endless then, rippling under the wind—now long gone, replaced by clusters of tall buildings.
In the middle of that field had stood a strange "man," motionless under the burning sun. Being innocent and soft-hearted, Vy had skipped ahead, offering him a bottle of water and a handful of candy. But when she spoke, the "man" stayed utterly silent.
Hesitating only a moment, she circled to the front—only to realize it was nothing but a scarecrow. Terrified, she grabbed An Phong's hand and bolted all the way home. Only when they stumbled inside, gasping for air, did An Phong notice the fat black leech stuck to Vy's ankle.
That afternoon, she had burst into tears—furious at the "scarecrow man" who had tricked her, frightened by the stubborn leech. It was the very first time An Phong had seen Vy cry so hard over something… other than her mother.
Back in the present, Vy's lips were pushed out in a sulky pout that could stretch a mile. An Phong tilted his head, chuckling softly.
— You're not actually crying, are you?
— Huh? Who would cry! No way I'd cry over some scam-artist lizard!
— Scam-artist… lizard?
— Yes! It sat right on top of those eggs, looking for all the world like it was hatching its own babies. I even felt sorry for it—then boom, turns out to be a snake nest! Nearly scared me to death.
— Pfft… but anyone could tell those weren't lizard eggs…
— What!? You knew and didn't tell me!?
— I wasn't sure… I just thought they looked strange. When you said they were lizard eggs, I figured maybe… I don't know, some genetic mutation or something.
— You idiot! Genetic mutation my foot! Were you trying to turn me into a joke? Ugh, I hate you!
— Ha ha, sorry, sorry. Tell you what, on the way home I'll stop by Miss Lan's shop and get you some ice cream, okay?
— Two cones.
— Alright, two cones. Just don't stay mad.
— Hmph. Fine, I'll let it slide. Come on, let's get to class.
— Okay.
The two walked quickly toward their classroom, chatting and laughing. Vy's back still radiated a little indignation, while An Phong just shook his head, a smile lingering on his lips.
Across the yard, the bounce of basketballs had quieted, replaced by laughter and the sound of boys catching their breath. They huddled under the trees, shirts damp with sweat, passing around bottles of cold water. In the middle sat Uy Phong, his soaked hair falling into his eyes, which still gleamed with the afterglow of the match.
The boy who had earlier dared to invite him onto the court suddenly remembered something. Wiping sweat from his brow, he called out between breaths:
— Hey, Uy Phong! Why did you say you're not a champion?
The group erupted at once, buzzing like a hive.
— What!? Not a champion? But our homeroom teacher said you'd won before!
— Yeah! With skills like yours, you're just being too modest, right?
Uy Phong sat quietly, the bottle in his hand now drained. Tilting back his head, he let the final drop fall, then exhaled slowly. Setting the bottle on the cement, he finally spoke, his voice low and even.
— That…
Silence hung for a moment, broken only by the birds chirping overhead. Then, word by word, his voice weighed heavier than the afternoon heat:
— The time everyone calls me "champion"… it wasn't all me. On that last shot, I nearly lost my balance. If it hadn't been for my teammate—if he hadn't let me push off his shoulder to leap high enough to score—we wouldn't have won at all.
His eyes darkened as he paused.
— But that leap dislocated his shoulder. Even now, he still has lingering pain. So I've never seen it as a victory of my own. Without my teammates… Uy Phong is nothing.
The group fell silent. No one laughed anymore; they exchanged glances, sobered by his words. Respect swelled quietly among them. For all his skill, he wasn't arrogant—if anything, he carried a burden heavier than anyone realized.
Sensing his quiet mood, the boys rallied around with clumsy encouragements, surprised that such a memory had left a scar in him.
By the time the sweat had dried, they all gathered their empty bottles and made their way back to class. From that moment, Uy Phong had found his first friends in this new circle.
Or… not quite. His first real friend wasn't the noisy pack of boys.
It was the calm, reserved, equally distant boy who sat beside him in class—Ha An Phong.
[Hello, guys:> Thanks for reading my novel. If ya want to read and see my bonus art in chapter, you can read my book in T@pas web. It's just my small gifts for all of you~]