When class ended, the room had already emptied out, leaving only a faint murmur from the hallway. Uy Phong walked in with heavy steps, his face as unreadable as ever. He only meant to grab a few books from his desk and leave.
But the moment he stepped inside, his gaze collided with Vy's and An Phong's. The two had stayed behind for cleaning duty. For a few seconds, the three of them stood frozen, the silence thick enough to make the ceiling fan's creaking blades sound deafening.
No one spoke. Each carried a pile of unspoken misunderstandings they couldn't untangle. Uy Phong's brow furrowed as he strode to his seat, yanking books out of the desk with more force than necessary. Once he had them in hand, he straightened and turned to go.
"Don't you have anything to say to us?"
Vy's voice cut through the air—short, sharp.
Uy Phong froze mid-step. His shoulders stiffened, and he slowly turned back. His face darkened, his eyes slicing from Vy to An Phong like knives. He couldn't make sense of what she was hinting at. All he knew was that his mood was already sour, and now this interrogation made his chest tighten with irritation, ready to burst.
The air grew heavier, as if one more word would ignite an argument that none of them could take back.
Just then, a boisterous voice came from the doorway.
"Hey, Phong! Wanna grab lunch with us later? Ho Nhu and An Thu are coming too!"
It was Thien Hung.
Uy Phong didn't answer right away. He only glanced at the two still standing before him, his gaze glacial. At last, he muttered quietly:
"…Sure."
With that, he shot them both a hard glare and strode out.
Thien Hung bounced after him, the two walking side by side down the corridor. It looked casual enough, but Uy Phong's air of aloofness never lifted.
Half-grinning, Thien Hung jerked his chin back toward the classroom.
"Hey, why don't we invite those two as well? Wouldn't it be more fun?"
Uy Phong stopped just for a heartbeat, his eyes narrowing. His reply was curt, voice low and cold:
"No need."
Thien Hung blinked, caught off guard for a moment, then just shrugged with a laugh.
"Alright, suit yourself."
Their footsteps faded, along with Hung's easy laughter, leaving only the silence pressing in behind them.
Back in the classroom, Vy and An Phong stood rooted, as if turned to stone. The words "An Thu" still echoed in their ears, making the air even harder to breathe.
Vy bit her lip, clutching the broom handle so tightly her knuckles turned white. Not necessary? So that's all we mean to him…
An Phong stayed still, staring out the window. His chest burned with a muddled mix of unease and doubt. So it's true… Uy Phong isn't just distant. He's cut us out of his circle entirely.
The ticking of the classroom clock went on, each beat stabbing into the tension inside them. Neither spoke, but both were burning with anger that had nowhere to go.
That evening's rehearsal only deepened the silence. Everyone went through the motions as usual, but not a word passed between them.
Uy Phong and An Phong still had to pair up as always, their movements sharp and practiced. Yet an invisible wall hung thick and cold between them. From the sidelines, Vy's stare grew sharper by the minute, as if she wanted to scream: Stay away from my An Phong, you jerk!
Break time came. Bottles cracked open, water gulped down. Vy and An Phong pulled each other into a corner to talk. Uy Phong, on the other hand, sat alone across the room, eyes glued to his phone, posture detached, as though the tension around him didn't even exist.
Then a loud voice cut through:
"Whoa, look at this! That cute junior, An Thu—she just posted pics hanging out with Uy Phong and the basketball guys!"
The boys immediately crowded around, passing the phone from hand to hand.
"Damn, she's really pretty!""Look, she's sitting right next to Phong! They look like a couple already!""For real. If they made it official, they'd be the hottest pair in school!"
The room erupted in laughter, teasing, whistles.
Uy Phong said nothing, scrolling his own phone with the same blank expression, as if none of it had anything to do with him.
Across the room, Vy went rigid. Her grip on her water bottle tightened until the plastic cracked in her hand. Rage swelled inside her: So that's how it is. You ignore us to our faces, but you've got no problem cozying up to someone else behind our backs…
Beside her, An Phong's eyes lowered, though a sharp glint flickered beneath them. I thought he liked Vy… but it's more than that. He's playing both sides…
No one spoke to defend, no one explained. Only the roomful of laughter rolled on, pushing the three of them deeper into the silence of their own breaking bonds.