《The Vampire’s Bloodbound》 Chapter 1: The Corpse of Hoang Anh Tuan Nam had never imagined that one day he would become the most famous student at Nhan Hoa High School. It seemed that nearly every student in the school, both boys and girls, would whisper and glance at him whenever he walked past. Nam never wanted this kind of attention. He had always been a quiet, reserved person, slightly introverted. He preferred blending into the crowd rather than standing out. In fact, Nam truly cherished the silence and peace of being an invisible presence in his old classroom. As a transfer student at Nhan Hoa High School under a scholarship program, Nam only wished to keep a low profile, focus on his studies, maintain his excellent academic record, and perhaps collect a few more national awards from his 11th-grade year until graduation. But life never gives us exactly what we want. Ever since Nam unintentionally became the first person to discover the corpse of Hoang Anh Tuan, his life had turned a new page¡ªone that was far from ordinary. He still vividly remembered that morning in early September. Nam left his rented room at 6:30 AM, when the sun was already high in the sky, radiating its bright heat. After over a month of living in Nhan Hoa Town, Nam had grown accustomed to the coastal climate. The salty scent of the sea no longer bothered him. As he walked through a deserted street corner, he suddenly caught a faintly strange scent mixed with the ocean breeze. The smell¡­ it was metallic, sharp¡ªlike iron. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Squelch¡­ Nam¡¯s shoe stepped onto something sticky. Lifting his foot, he looked down at his white-soled sneakers in shock. Blood¡­ So much blood! Nam couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. Just ahead of him, a 10th-grade student, Hoang Anh Tuan, lay on his back, arms spread wide like the wings of an eagle. Blood gushed from his throat, which had been torn open into a gruesome, gaping wound. The crimson liquid soaked his white school uniform, pooling beneath him in a dark, glistening puddle. Blood had even splattered onto the walls surrounding the alley where his body had fallen. Nam had never imagined that a human body could spill out so much blood. Tuan¡¯s handsome face¡ªthe very face that had made so many female students swoon¡ªwas now an unnatural shade of gray. His once captivating, mysterious black eyes, framed by long lashes, had become dull and lifeless. Death had transformed the boy into something eerily beautiful, like a Greek statue, his straight nose and thin lips frozen in time. Hoang Anh Tuan had only enrolled in 10th grade this August, yet within a month, he had won over nearly every female student in his year with his charming smile and gentlemanly demeanor. Even girls from the 11th and 12th grades were infatuated with him. Rumor had it that a fan page dedicated to him had been created by his admirers on Facebook. And speaking of his heart¡­ The most horrifying detail Nam noticed was the gaping hole on the left side of Tuan¡¯s chest. His heart was missing¡ªripped out completely. Judging by the scattered, mangled flesh around the corpse, it had likely been crushed into an unrecognizable mess. Nam nearly gagged at the sight of the torn remains strewn across the ground. Whoever had committed this brutal, monstrous act¡­ could not have been human. Chapter 2: Suspect Number One One might have expected that all suspicion would naturally fall on Nam, following the classic detective trope: The culprit is always the first to return to the crime scene. But fortunately for Nam, the prime suspect at the moment was Nguyen Nhat Vuong, a student from class 11D, the same class as Nam, simply because he arrived at the scene right after him. To students who thrived on sensational gossip, Vuong had too many logical motives to be the perpetrator. Before Hoang Anh Tuan set foot in this school, Vuong was the undisputed heartthrob among male students. Last year, with his 188cm height and broad shoulders, Vuong was the ideal image of masculinity¡ªadmired by the boys and swooned over by the girls. Yet, in just a month since the new school year began, his throne had been usurped by Hoang Anh Tuan. Tuan possessed a delicate, almost fragile beauty, exuding a refined charm that starkly contrasted Vuong¡¯s muscular build. Compared to the new star of the school, Vuong¡¯s impressive physique suddenly seemed crude¡ªalmost gorilla-like. No one had ever witnessed any open hostility between the two boys. There was no solid evidence of an underlying rivalry for popularity. However, their respective fan groups had done a great job of destroying any chance of peace between them. With every small disagreement, TikTok live streams would be filled with fans from both sides bashing each other. Unfortunately for Vuong, his fan club was larger¡ªand much louder¡ªon social media, making him seem like a bully constantly picking on younger students. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°So, did you see Vuong doing anything suspicious when he arrived at the scene, Duong Son Nam?¡± Vo Viet Dzung from class 11B, better known as Dzung the Nerd, lowered his voice dramatically, imitating a professional detective. ¡°I¡¯ve already told everything to the police during their questioning. And just call me Nam, you don¡¯t need to say my full name like that.¡± Nam recalled that day when the local police questioned him under the supervision of his landlady, who acted as his legal guardian since Nam was only 17 years old. By law, any questioning of a minor had to take place in a comfortable, supervised environment. Nam¡¯s landlady, authorized by his parents, played the role of a guardian so well that she politely but firmly dismissed the officers within an hour, cutting the interrogation short. ¡°Vuong called the police instead of an ambulance, right? Only the killer would know for sure if the victim was already dead! That makes him the most suspicious person!¡± Dzung the Nerd adjusted his glasses, perfectly mimicking the famous manga detective he idolized, before delivering his bold conclusion. ¡°You¡¯re too obsessed with Detective Conan!¡± Nam sighed. ¡°I think anyone who saw that scene would immediately know that the victim had no chance of survival.¡± Nam¡¯s face paled, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. The horrifying image of Hoang Anh Tuan¡¯s hollowed-out chest, his lifeless body lying in a pool of blood, flashed in Nam¡¯s mind again. ¡°Hmph. I think you¡¯re covering for Vuong. Are you his accomplice, Nam?¡± Dzung the Nerd leaned in dangerously close, making Nam even more anxious. His stomach churned; his breakfast threatened to escape through his throat. ¡°If you want answers, why not just ask me directly?¡± A cold, sharp voice cut through the interrogation. ¡°Why are you asking Nam? The guy threw up all over the crime scene and then fainted. He doesn¡¯t remember a damn thing.¡± Vuong had appeared behind them¡ªwithout a sound. He leaned in, staring straight into Dzung the Nerd¡¯s eyes with a chilling, deathly gaze. Nam had never seen Vuong look this terrifying before. Chapter 3: The Memorial Ceremony Dzung the Nerd jumped in shock. If he were a cat, he would have leaped two or three meters into the air out of sheer fright. ¡°N-No! Nothing! I think¡­ I think I¡¯ve got all the information I need! I¡¯m heading back to class. Bye!¡± Like a flash of lightning, Dzung the Nerd bolted toward the 11B section, nearly tripping over several plastic chairs along the way. Vuong flopped down onto an empty chair beside Nam. His cold, menacing aura faded as suddenly as it had appeared, as if it had never existed in the first place. ¡°That¡¯s great! If you have any more questions, don¡¯t hesitate to ask me directly, okay?¡± Vuong called out to Dzung the Nerd¡¯s retreating figure, then flashed a dazzling smile, revealing a set of perfectly white teeth. A mischievous glint flickered in his eyes. ¡°How are you holding up today, bro?¡± Nam was still thinking of an answer when a commotion erupted from the next row of classes. Someone had fainted. The sun blazed mercilessly, and there wasn¡¯t a single cloud in the sky. Even though it was only 7:30 AM, the temperature had already climbed to 37¨C38¡ãC. Despite the heat, Nhan Hoa High School insisted on holding the weekly assembly outdoors, as scheduled. However, instead of the usual musical performances, today¡¯s event was a memorial ceremony for Hoang Anh Tuan. A heavy cloud of grief loomed over the 10th-grade students. Many female students, unable to control their emotions, began sobbing quietly as the school¡¯s brass band played a funeral march. When the solemn melody ended, the band retreated backstage, and several students stepped forward to share their memories of Hoang Anh Tuan, making the ceremony even more heart-wrenching. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. The combination of sorrow, scorching heat, and the suffocating crowd was too much for Nguyen Xuyen Chi, a student from class 11C¡ªshe suddenly collapsed on the spot. ¡°Hey! Everyone, step back and give her some air! And you two tall guys over there¡ªwhere¡¯s your chivalry? Carry the girl to the infirmary, now!¡± The booming, authoritative voice of the P.E. teacher, Nguyen Tung Bach, rang out across the assembly ground. He was pointing directly at Nam and Vuong. Although Nam was only 1m78, which was 10 cm shorter than Vuong, he still stood taller than most of the male students around them. ¡°Sorry, sir, I¡¯ll have to decline. I¡¯ll leave this to you instead!¡± Vuong¡¯s blunt refusal made Nam¡¯s eyes widen in shock. At Nam¡¯s old school, no student would have dared speak to a teacher like that, not even to someone as young and easygoing as Mr. Bach. ¡°But I¡¯m not allowed to touch female students.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t like touching female students either. Hmm, maybe I should file a petition to the school requesting longer skirts for the girls.¡± Vuong had perfectly pinpointed the real issue that was making both him and Nam uncomfortable. ¡°Are you insane, Vuong? I forbid you from submitting that petition!¡± ¡°Oh? So that¡¯s why you¡¯re not allowed to touch female students, huh?¡± Seeing that the two of them were too busy arguing instead of actually helping, Nam ran off to fetch a stretcher from the infirmary. With great care, he and Vuong lifted Chi onto the stretcher, making sure her uniform stayed in place. The moment they set Chi down in the infirmary, Vuong vanished. So the most sought-after boy in school was actually shy around girls? Chi stirred slightly on the bed, a tear still clinging to her eyelashes. It seemed that she, too, had been one of Hoang Anh Tuan¡¯s admirers. Inside the infirmary, nurse Nguyen Thu Trang carefully checked Chi¡¯s temperature before grumbling at her. ¡°I¡¯ve told you before¡ªyou need to take your medicine on time. At this rate, even if you do, your body won¡¯t react fast enough. I¡¯ll have to give you an injection. Nam, step outside for a moment.¡± ¡°No! I don¡¯t want a shot!¡± Chi whimpered in panic, clutching onto Nam¡¯s arm as he turned to leave. ¡°If you don¡¯t take the shot, you¡¯ll turn into an ugly monster. Do you want that?¡± Nurse Trang resorted to a childish scare tactic, and it worked. Chi reluctantly agreed, but kept a death grip on Nam¡¯s arm. As the needle pierced her arm, Chi let out a wail¡ªwhile at the same time, Nam winced in pain as her nails dug deep into his flesh. It was unclear who was suffering more. Unlike Chi, who was free to cry out, Nam had to silently endure the pain. Only when the entire injection had been administered did Chi release Nam¡¯s arm and slowly drift off to sleep. Nam glanced down¡ªhis arm was now covered in deep red nail marks, though at least they hadn¡¯t drawn blood. Girls¡­ were truly terrifying creatures. Chapter 4: Nguyen Nhat Vuong’s Secret As soon as Nam stepped out of the infirmary, his face twisted in frustration upon seeing that Vuong was still waiting for him in the hallway. ¡°I already promised not to tell anyone, so can you stop following me, Vuong?¡± Nam was beginning to suspect that his newfound fame wasn¡¯t just because of the Hoang Anh Tuan incident¡ªVuong had something to do with it too. Lately, Vuong had been sticking to him like glue, almost everywhere he went. Maybe Vuong wanted to make sure no one else cornered Nam for questioning, the way Dzung the Nerd had earlier that morning. ¡°If you keep doing this, people will get even more suspicious.¡± ¡°Suspicious about what, bro? I¡¯m just heading back to our classroom.¡± (Hmph, such a smooth liar.) Nam recalled the moment he stood before Hoang Anh Tuan¡¯s mutilated corpse. Vuong hadn¡¯t shown even a hint of fear. Instead, he had pushed Nam back to get a better angle for photographing the crime scene with his iPhone 16 Pro Max. Vuong stepped carefully, ensuring that no evidence was disturbed. As he reached the body, he took close-up shots of every wound on Tuan¡¯s corpse. But the action that truly made Nam¡¯s skin crawl was when Vuong lifted the dead boy¡¯s lips, inspecting his teeth closely, snapping several photos as he did so. Even that wasn¡¯t the most unsettling part. Vuong leaned down, bringing his face dangerously close to the gaping wound in Tuan¡¯s throat. Then, he sniffed deeply, as if trying to memorize a scent. Aside from the overpowering stench of blood and the ever-present salty sea breeze, there was a faint floral fragrance lingering in the air¡ªdelicate, almost imperceptible. Nam couldn¡¯t identify which flower it belonged to. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Noticing that Nam had been watching his every move, Vuong suddenly stood up and moved swiftly toward him. He raised a finger to his lips. ¡°Shh.¡± The early September sunlight bathed Vuong¡¯s face, accentuating his sharp, chiseled features. Nam¡¯s breath caught in his throat. For a fleeting moment, he noticed something strange¡ªVuong¡¯s pupils, subtly almond-shaped, just like those of a cat. Paired with the eerie smile Vuong flashed at him, Nam felt a wave of nausea and unease washing over him. His legs trembled, as though he were standing in front of a deadly predator. Suddenly, everything went black. The world around Nam vanished into darkness¡ªVuong, Hoang Anh Tuan¡¯s corpse, the entire scene. When Nam regained consciousness in the middle of the night, he found himself lying in a hospital bed inside a private clinic somewhere in town. He had no idea how he got there. His breathing was labored, and a splitting headache pounded against his skull. He was burning up with a fever, yet his whole body felt ice-cold. The night air by the sea was far colder and more humid than the daytime, and Nam wasn¡¯t used to it. It was no surprise that he had fallen ill. Huddled beneath the thin hospital blanket, shivering, Nam felt a deep melancholy settle over him. He was far from home, sick and alone, with no family to take care of him. He longed to go home. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be sad about. Stay strong.¡± Muttering to himself, Nam drifted back into a fitful sleep. In his fevered dream, Nam felt a gentle presence approaching his bedside. A small, warm hand pressed lightly against his burning forehead. Then, the person climbed onto the bed, wrapping slender arms around him from behind in a soft, comforting embrace. It felt so real. The human brain was truly amazing, Nam thought. Even in a delirious state, it could simulate sensations with such vivid accuracy. He could feel the warmth, inhale the intoxicating scent of lilies lingering in the air. And then, a voice¡ªas clear and delicate as an angel¡¯s whisper¡ªmurmured into his ear: ¡°It was just a nightmare. Forget everything you saw this morning.¡± The next day, Nam dismissed the dream as nothing more than a fever-induced hallucination. But the scent of lilies still lingered in the room when he woke up. And judging by the way Vuong twitched his nose the moment he stepped into the hospital room to pick Nam up after completing the discharge paperwork, it was clear¡ª Nam hadn¡¯t been dreaming at all. Chapter 5: The Mysterious Epidemic The first official week of the semester at a new school, in a new class, had passed¡ªbut not peacefully. A series of strange events had left Nam feeling exhausted and drained by the time the weekend arrived. Today, he allowed himself to lazily sprawl out on his bed, soaking in the fresh morning air. He focused on positive thoughts, trying to push away the horrifying images that had plagued his mind over the past few days. Forget it. Nam ordered his brain to comply. Forget the corpse of Hoang Anh Tuan. Forget Vuong¡¯s cat-like pupils and his dangerous smile. And let Dzung the Nerd think whatever he wants. Oh, and Chi from 11C too¡ªpretty girl, but those nails were terrifying. As for the angelic voice¡­ That was different. That fever dream¡ªthe one filled with the intoxicating scent of lilies¡ªwas the only thing Nam didn¡¯t want to forget. It had been a rare moment of comfort in his recent lonely and uneasy days. A sudden ambulance siren echoed from the distance, shattering the tranquility Nam had been enjoying. The wailing siren grew louder, closing in. It might even be heading toward his building. Nam¡¯s rented room was on the rooftop of a seven-story mini apartment complex. It was affordable for his family, but not ideal for his health. The drastic temperature changes between freezing nights and blazing hot days were especially brutal up here. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. The ambulance siren stopped right in front of Nam¡¯s apartment complex. Curious, Nam pushed open his door and stepped onto the rooftop balcony, peering down at the scene below. Sure enough, an ambulance had parked directly in front of the building. Squinting, Nam tried to focus. His eyesight had worsened lately, probably from playing video games in the dark for too many nights. The back doors of the ambulance flung open, and a team of medical personnel in full-body protective suits¡ªhead to toe, CDC-style¡ªjumped out. Their movements were swift and precise, more like special forces soldiers than typical paramedics. The urgency in their actions, combined with their extreme caution, reminded Nam of the COVID outbreak years ago. But COVID had long since been reduced to a seasonal flu. Patients could recover at home without needing forced quarantines or emergency extractions like this. So what the hell was happening here? Nam didn¡¯t have to wonder for long. The medical team was ¡®escorting¡¯ a patient¡ªthough ¡®escorting¡¯ wasn¡¯t the right word. It was more like they were forcibly capturing him. The ¡°patient¡± was also wearing a protective suit, but his arms were tied behind his back, and he was being dragged toward the ambulance with brutal force. And he was not cooperating. The man thrashed violently, struggling to break free from the paramedics¡¯ grip. His hands were restrained, but he still had one weapon left¡ªhis teeth. Like a rabid animal, he snapped his jaws wildly, trying to bite anyone who got too close. Then, suddenly, he froze. For a moment, Nam thought he had come to his senses, that he had decided to comply. But something was off. His entire body locked up, muscles rigid and stiff for a few unnerving seconds. Then, he doubled over, his body convulsing. He started coughing violently¡ªand then, vomited a massive amount of blood. The dark red liquid splattered onto the nearest paramedic¡¯s protective suit. The man collapsed, his entire body seizing uncontrollably in the puddle of his own blood. The medical team remained calm. They restrained him even tighter, strapping him down onto a stretcher before shoving it into the ambulance. The sirens wailed again as the vehicle sped away, disappearing from sight. Nam¡¯s eyes widened. His breathing quickened. His stomach churned. His heartbeat pounded like a drum against his ribcage. What the hell was that?! Chapter 6: A Call from Mom The ringing of Nam¡¯s phone made him jump. He pulled it out and glanced at the screen¡ªit was his mother. ¡°How are you doing?¡± she asked gently. Nam and his parents had agreed that unless it was an emergency, they would only call or text on weekends so that he could learn to be independent. It was a good arrangement. Nam wasn¡¯t much of a talker, especially with adults¡ªeven if they were his own parents. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ still the same, Mom.¡± He didn¡¯t dare tell her the truth about everything that had happened over the past week. As the son of a military officer, Nam was not allowed to show weakness or fear in front of his parents. ¡°The landlady told me there¡¯s a dengue fever outbreak in Nhan Hoa Town. Four or five people have already died. Remember to sleep under a mosquito net and buy some insect repellent.¡± ¡°Set your alarm and wake up early so you don¡¯t miss breakfast at school.¡± ¡°You should start cooking your own meals. Stop eating out at street stalls¡ªit¡¯s not sanitary.¡± ¡°Be careful with your spending. Budget wisely.¡± ¡°Be selective about your friends. Not everyone out there is kind-hearted.¡± ¡°Write down everything I just told you, or save it in your phone so you don¡¯t forget.¡± ¡°Oh, and the semester¡¯s first academic assessment is coming up. Study hard and do well!¡± This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. His mother¡¯s nonstop reminders made Nam¡¯s head spin. He robotically responded with a series of ¡®yes, Mom¡¯ and ¡®okay, Mom¡¯, but honestly, he barely registered half of what she said. ¡°Have you gotten used to living on your own yet?¡± That question stirred something deep inside Nam. The longing to go home hit him hard. There was no place like home. At home, Nam¡¯s room was bigger, and it had air conditioning.He had a younger brother in 9th grade, so it wasn¡¯t as lonely¡ªeven though both of them were quiet by nature. And the best part? He could always enjoy hot, delicious, homemade meals that were fresh, clean, and made with love. ¡°I¡¯m used to it now. I¡¯m doing fine.¡± Nam lied¡ªand his mother didn¡¯t notice. Or maybe she did notice, but chose to ignore it. ¡°Alright, then. If there¡¯s anything important, text me later. Goodbye, honey.¡± With that, she ended the call. Nam was left staring at his phone, drowning in regret. Regret for choosing to attend Nhan Hoa High School. Compared to his old school, Nhan Hoa had far superior facilities. The school was located in the heart of the wealthy coastal town, which thrived on tourism. With a vast campus of 5 hectares but only around 400 students, the school had spacious learning environments. Each grade level had only four classes: A, B, C, and D. Within a 100-kilometer radius, Nhan Hoa was the only high school that had its own sports stadium, multipurpose arena, performance stage, indoor swimming pool, a massive library, and dozens of extracurricular clubs with fully equipped computer labs. Beyond its international-standard facilities, the school was also renowned for academic excellence. Every single student who graduated passed the national university entrance exam. Every year, the school produced dozens of top students who won national and international competitions. Without a full-ride scholarship, Nam would have never been able to afford tuition at such a prestigious private school. Just one month of tuition here was equivalent to his mother¡¯s entire monthly salary as a senior teacher¡ªand that didn¡¯t even include additional fees. His parents always told him how lucky he was, but luck alone wasn¡¯t enough. They expected him to push himself harder. Maintaining his previous academic achievements wasn¡¯t enough¡ªhe had to win national-level math competitions to secure a guaranteed path to university. But after everything that had happened during his first week, Nam wasn¡¯t sure anymore. Was attending Nhan Hoa High School really a stroke of luck? Or was it a terrible mistake? Chapter 7: Best Friend? ¡°Hey Nam, can you do me a favor?¡± A cute-looking girl, most likely from Class 11A, ambushed Nam as he was standing in line at the cafeteria. ¡°Can you help me with something?¡± Her cheeks flushed pink as she shoved a small rectangular box into Nam¡¯s hands. The bottom of the box was warm, and it smelled amazing¡ªfreshly cooked food. ¡°I worked really hard to make this bento lunch for Vuong. Can you give it to him for me?¡± Nam frowned. ¡°Why me? You should give it to him yourself.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re Vuong¡¯s best friend! If I don¡¯t ask you, who else would I ask?¡± ¡°Whatever. It¡¯s none of my business.¡± Nam immediately shoved the bento box back into her hands. Ever since Vuong had started sticking to Nam, girls had repeatedly forced gifts onto him, hoping he would deliver them to Vuong. But Vuong never accepted any of them. Which meant Nam had to return them, and more often than not, the gift-givers refused to take them back. Worse, they reacted dramatically, leaving Nam to waste his time calming them down. So now, Nam had decided to reject them upfront, avoiding unnecessary trouble. ¡°Hmph! You¡¯re awful, Nam! No wonder you¡¯ll be single forever!¡± The girl from 11A shrieked, startling Nam. Then, she stormed off, leaving a cafeteria full of students staring at him with curiosity. At first, Nam used to get nervous when girls overreacted like this¡ªespecially when it made it seem like he was the bad guy. But now? He was used to it. Nam took his lunch tray from the cafeteria staff and picked a seat by the window. He placed his food down and started counting in his head. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. One, two, three¡­ Before he even reached ten, Vuong appeared at his table. After the two finished eating, Vuong suddenly asked: ¡°Tifa or Aerith?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°From Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Who would you pick, bro?¡± ¡°Tifa.¡± Vuong grinned. ¡°Knew it. You like girls with¡­ great personality.¡± Nam nodded. ¡°Aerith¡¯s eyes are pretty, but I prefer Tifa¡¯s wine-colored eyes.¡± Vuong chuckled knowingly. ¡°No, bro. I wasn¡¯t talking about her eyes. I meant her personality.¡± Nam blinked in confusion. ¡°Wait¡­ if personality isn¡¯t about her character, then what is it?¡± Vuong winked mischievously, flashing a smug smirk. ¡°Ha¡­ you¡¯re still so naive, bro.¡± Even when acting like a complete flirt, Vuong still looked annoyingly handsome. Other guys could try their best to be charming, but they still wouldn¡¯t come close to Vuong¡¯s natural charisma. ¡°I¡¯d pick all of them¡ªTifa, Aerith, Yuffie, Jessie. They¡¯re all hot.¡± Nam started suspecting that the school¡¯s most popular heartthrob actually preferred 2D and 3D girls over real ones. During their lunchtime chats, Vuong would go on long tangents about games. But instead of talking about gameplay or storylines, he mostly focused on graphics¡ªespecially the design of female characters. ¡°Hey, Vuong! You¡¯ve got a pool match tonight against a senior from 12th grade. We¡¯re betting on you!¡± A group of rowdy-looking guys passed by, interrupting Vuong¡¯s one-sided discussion about video game girls. Vuong cheerfully turned to Nam and asked: ¡°Bro, you coming to watch me play tonight?¡± ¡°No, I have to study.¡± ¡°Study for what?¡± ¡°The start-of-term assessment.¡± ¡°Ohhh! That¡¯s news to me.¡± The school and teachers had reminded them about the test all week, yet it seemed like Vuong hadn¡¯t registered any of it. Nam sighed. ¡°Do you even know what subjects we¡¯re being tested on and when?¡± ¡°Not a clue. Tell me, bro.¡± ¡°Tomorrow morning. Math and Literature.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Nam narrowed his eyes. ¡°Have you studied anything?¡± ¡°Nope, no time for that.¡± Vuong casually listed off his schedule: ¡°4 PM, Kickboxing practice. 7 PM, pool match with the 12th graders. 9 PM, online game match with the 10th graders. 11 PM, night out¡­¡± Nam felt a headache coming on. ¡°A night out? At 11 PM? Are you going out with ghosts or something?¡± ¡°Take a guess, bro.¡± ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re really not going to study at all?¡± ¡°I never study for tests.¡± Vuong said this with complete confidence. The next morning, Vuong strolled into class yawning, clearly exhausted from his wild night. It looked like he hadn¡¯t skipped a single activity from his packed schedule. Meanwhile, Nam was tense, nerves on edge as he prepared for the test. But Vuong? He looked completely relaxed. Not only that¡ªhe was also the first one to finish the test and turn in his paper before anyone else. Chapter 8: The Mysterious Seat During the morning Literature class, as soon as homeroom teacher Nguyen Kim Oanh stepped into Class 11D, her expression darkened. Her demeanor instantly put the whole class on edge. She stood at the podium, her voice stern as she called out: ¡°Nguyen Nhat Vuong!¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± Vuong replied with a grin. ¡°Yes, what? Ma¡¯am, what? Take that ¡®yes¡¯ back to your seat right now. How many times do I have to catch you taking someone else¡¯s spot?¡± ¡°But, teacher, no one¡¯s sitting here right now.¡± ¡°That seat belongs to Nguyen Ho Thu.¡± ¡°But she hasn¡¯t come to class yet, has she?¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean you can take it. Go back to your own seat now, or I¡¯ll make you write lines for punishment.¡± Vuong let out an exaggerated sigh and dragged his feet back to his own desk at an agonizingly slow pace. ¡°Move faster so I can start the lesson already!¡± Ms. Oanh snapped impatiently, but Vuong¡¯s pace remained unchanged. His seatmate, a girl, looked pleased to have him sitting next to her again. But Vuong? He sat right at the edge of the desk, leaning as far away from her as possible. And because the student at the desk next to his was also a girl, Vuong was trapped between two female classmates¡ªhis worst nightmare. His back and ears turned bright red. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Nam had to hold back a laugh. For someone who openly simped over 2D and 3D girls, Vuong¡¯s absolute terror of real-life women was hilarious. Once everyone had settled down, Ms. Oanh finally began the lesson. At least Vuong still respected and listened to her. Because in other classes¡ªespecially with easygoing teachers¡ªVuong never stayed in his assigned seat. Instead, he would move to Nam¡¯s desk, using the excuse that he wanted to help Nam be more social and cure his introversion. But to Nam, all it did was cramp his space and annoy him. Nam enjoyed having a desk all to himself, enjoying the freedom to stretch out comfortably. But with Vuong squeezing in, the desk felt tiny and suffocating. And since Vuong was left-handed, his elbow constantly bumped into Nam¡¯s arm, messing up his writing. Nam had complained multiple times, but Vuong refused to switch to his right hand. So, at this point, Nam just wanted his missing desk partner, Nguyen Ho Thu, to return and reclaim her seat, forcing Vuong back to his own. In fact, thanks to Ms. Oanh¡¯s scolding, Nam had just learned her full name. She had been absent since August, meaning she had even missed the start-of-term assessment¡ªbut for what reason? For years, the gender ratio in Vietnam had been heavily skewed, with more boys than girls being born. As a result, Nam had spent his entire school life sitting next to other boys¡ªwhich got old really fast. So, for the first time, he actually had a female deskmate. Naturally, he was curious about her. At lunch, Nam decided to ask Vuong. ¡°What does Nguyen Ho Thu look like?¡± Considering Vuong¡¯s fear of real girls, Nam didn¡¯t expect much from his answer. But Vuong was grinning like an idiot. He definitely knew her. And judging by that smug, suggestive smirk¡ªthe one Nam found absolutely repulsive¡ªit was going to be something dumb. ¡°You¡¯re one lucky guy, bro. Baby Thu has an amazing¡­ personality.¡± Nam frowned, confused. Vuong chuckled and added: ¡°Not her eyes, you idiot.¡± Chapter 9: The Luckiest Guy There was still more than a month before Vietnamese Women¡¯s Day (October 20th), but the boys of Class 11D at Nhan Hoa High School had already gathered to discuss plans for their class¡¯s tribute to the female students. During today¡¯s lunch break, the entire group took over several tables in the cafeteria, turning them into a makeshift meeting space. ¡°I¡¯ll go over the necessary preparations for this year¡¯s 20/10 event.¡± Class president Vu Quang Duc glanced at a checklist and read aloud: ¡°Class decorations, buying flowers, writing cards, placing flowers in the girls¡¯ desks¡­¡± He frowned as he read further. ¡°We have a class fund for these expenses, but to get better flowers, we¡¯ll each need to chip in a little. Minimum contribution: 100,000 VND per person.¡± After speaking, Duc immediately sent a bank QR code to the boys¡¯ private Telegram group for Class 11D. ¡°Wait, hold on. That¡¯s my bank account, Duc. Did you send the wrong one?¡± Vuong looked at him, confused. ¡°Nope. I¡¯m assigning you as treasurer.¡± Vuong hesitated. Duc seized the moment to flatter him. ¡°Let¡¯s be real¡ªno one in this school manages money better than you. If anyone can make this fund grow before we need to spend it, it¡¯s you. I mean, you¡¯re the ¡®Numerology Genius¡¯ for a reason, right?¡± ¡°Or,¡± Vuong grinned mischievously, ¡°the fund could also vanish in a single afternoon if I bet on the wrong lottery number. Think carefully, bro.¡± Duc immediately ignored the comment and moved on to another topic. ¡°Nam, you¡¯re in charge of decorations. Got any ideas yet?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll send a concept sketch by September 20th.¡± ¡°Good, I¡¯ll put your name and deadline in the Excel sheet¡­ The other tasks, like writing cards, are simple. Here, check the second sheet and pick which girls you want to write a card for. If some girls don¡¯t get picked, I¡¯ll cover those along with Du, our class secretary.¡± Duc waited as the guys scrolled through the list, choosing names. Then, he suddenly grinned in a way that was way too enthusiastic¡ªa stark contrast to his usual serious class leader persona. ¡°Haha! Now, this is the highlight of our 20/10 event this year. Whoever came up with this idea is a genius.¡± He pulled out a pink cardboard box, decorated with ribbons, hearts, and glittering gemstones¡ªall faded, scratched, and peeling, as if it had been passed around too many rough hands. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Each of you, draw three names from the box. I¡¯ll explain the rules after.¡± Once everyone had drawn their slips, Duc continued. ¡°Our class is the last to draw, so we¡¯re at a slight disadvantage. This game involves the entire school¡ªall three grades, mixed together. The three names on your slips are your ¡®princesses¡¯¡ªthe girls you must take care of from now until 20/10.¡± A low murmur spread across the group. ¡°Pay attention¡ªeach slip includes not just the name and class, but also the specific date when you must start ¡®caring¡¯ for them. Stick to the assigned dates; otherwise, we¡¯ll have multiple guys trying to take care of the same girl at the same time. You can choose to focus on just one, or rotate between them week by week according to the schedule.¡± ¡°Or¡­ I could just not take care of anyone at all. That¡¯s my decision.¡± Vuong grumbled, flat-out rejecting the whole thing. (Called it.) Nam had expected this reaction from Vuong. Vuong was only interested in 2D and 3D girls from manga, anime, and games¡ªreal girls didn¡¯t exist in his world. ¡°Come on, Vuong, you have to do something for the girls.¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather do a pole dance.¡± ¡°Okay then. I¡¯ll sign you up for a pole-dancing performance in front of the whole school for the music segment of the event.¡± ¡°WHAT?!¡± ¡°Your choice, bro¡ªeither take care of the girls or pole dance.¡± ¡°But¡­ but¡­¡± Duc grinned wickedly¡ªhe had won this negotiation. ¡±¡­You need to line up and get their breakfast and lunch from the cafeteria every day. Occasionally, check in on them via text. Every now and then, buy them small gifts or bubble tea. On 20/10, you¡¯ll get them a bigger gift, depending on your budget¡­¡± ¡°Hold on! What if they don¡¯t like us? What if they don¡¯t want us taking care of them?¡± A nervous-looking boy, clearly not confident in his chances, timidly asked. ¡°That¡¯s why you get three names. More chances for someone to say yes. But if a girl outright refuses, we have to respect her decision.¡± Duc¡¯s tone was surprisingly understanding. The boys of 11D immediately started chattering excitedly, comparing the names they had drawn. ¡°Did anyone get their crush?¡± ¡°Damn, I hit the jackpot! All three of mine are seniors from 12th grade!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do this¡ªmy girlfriend will kill me!¡± ¡°Why only three names? We still have five weeks until 20/10. Should¡¯ve been five!¡± ¡°If all three of my slips have the same name, does that mean we¡¯re destined for each other?¡± ¡°What happens after the event? Do you think we¡¯ll end up dating them?¡± ¡°Yeah, keep dreaming, dude.¡± Overall, most of the boys seemed satisfied with their picks. Only a handful looked miserable¡ªincluding Vuong, who had been frowning the entire time. Duc turned to Nam. ¡°So, who did you get?¡± Nam glanced down at his slips. ¡°I got¡­ Nguyen Kim Ngoc, Nguyen An Nhi, and Nguyen Yen Nhi. Wait, An Nhi and Yen Nhi¡ªaren¡¯t they twins?¡± Unlike the other guys, Nam hadn¡¯t drawn any classmates from 11D. All three girls were from Class 11A, according to the slips. Since Nam hadn¡¯t even memorized the faces of the girls in his own class yet, it was no surprise that he had no idea who these three were. ¡°Damn, Nam, you¡¯re one lucky bastard.¡± ¡°Dude, swap one of them with me!¡± The boys of 11D erupted, cheering for Nam. Apparently, he had drawn the three most beautiful girls in the entire school. Since last year, no one had been able to dethrone Kim Ngoc, An Nhi, and Yen Nhi as Nhan Hoa¡¯s reigning beauties. Only one person didn¡¯t seem thrilled¡ªVuong. Instead of congratulating Nam, he simply gave him a look of pity. As if Nam had just been sentenced to suffer in the deepest levels of hell. Chapter 10: A Wind of Autumn Time flew by in the blink of an eye, and just like that, half of September had already passed. Over the past weekend, a light drizzle had brought some relief to the sweltering coastal heat of Nhan Hoa Town, making the air cool and pleasant¡ªfinally, it felt like autumn. The ocean breeze occasionally swept through the streets, carrying golden almond tree leaves into the air. At times, this created a breathtaking scene¡ªa flurry of falling leaves, like something out of a romantic dream. Of course, to the sanitation workers, it was less of a dream and more of a nightmare¡ªhaving to clean up all that ¡®romance¡¯. Autumn had long been considered the most beautiful season in Vietnam. Throughout history, poets and musicians had immortalized its fleeting beauty in timeless verses and melodies. Even Nam, a supposedly logic-driven math nerd, couldn¡¯t help but pause for a moment, stunned by the crisp, azure sky of an early autumn morning as he stepped out of his apartment. And it wasn¡¯t just Nam¡ªit seemed like everyone was caught in a daydream, lulled by the autumn air. About halfway to school, Nam suddenly heard a loud scream from afar. ¡°AAAAAHHHH!¡± A girl with fluffy, shoulder-length hair was riding a bicycle far too big for her, screaming her lungs out¡ªor maybe even crying in terror¡ªas she came barreling down the slope behind Nam like a lightning bolt. She was probably still learning how to ride, given that she had zero control over her speed and no clue how to use the brakes properly on a steep road like this. Luckily, at this early hour, there were no cars or pedestrians around. She had the road all to herself, which significantly reduced the chances of an accident involving others. Somehow, she managed to keep her bike going in a straight line as she whizzed past Nam¡¯s position. But at the end of the slope, the bicycle suddenly wobbled, veering side to side before crashing headfirst into a brick wall nearby. BANG! It sounded painful. Without thinking, Nam rushed over. After such a spectacular crash landing, the girl wasn¡¯t moving at all. (Oh, that¡¯s my school¡¯s uniform.) As he approached, Nam saw that she was lying face-down, completely still, with her oversized bicycle pinning her down. Her backpack had burst open, sending books and papers flying everywhere. Her face turned beet red when Nam got closer. Frantically, she waved her hands, as if trying to shoo him away. It seemed like she was more embarrassed about her clumsy accident than she was concerned about any injuries. Nam had to hold back a chuckle at her childish behavior. Without another word, he lifted the heavy bicycle off her, propped it against the wall, and then crouched down to check on her. For a fleeting second, Nam¡¯s heart pounded harder than ever. He was momentarily dazed¡ªcompletely taken aback by her large, bright brown eyes, shimmering like a crystal-clear autumn lake, framed by long, delicate lashes. It took every ounce of mental effort for Nam to snap out of it and regain control of his thoughts. ¡°Are you okay? Can you stand?¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m fine.¡± The girl scrambled to her feet, completely ignoring Nam, as she hurried to gather her scattered books and shove them back into her bag. (How rude!) Nam thought to himself as he caught the badge on her school uniform confirmed that she was a 10th grader at Nhan Hoa High School. Honestly, if it weren¡¯t for her school uniform, people might have mistaken her for a middle schooler. Even standing upright, she was tiny, barely 1m53 at most. Her round face still held traces of youthful innocence, with rosy cheeks and smooth, fair skin. The girl rushed over to her bike, quickly hopping back onto the seat¡ªa clear sign that she wasn¡¯t actually injured. Before pedaling off, she hesitated, turning back toward Nam. ¡°T-Thank you¡­!¡± She awkwardly stammered out her gratitude. But before Nam could respond, she had already sped away¡ªeven though it was way too early to be in such a rush. And yet, her steering was still shaky. This time, she didn¡¯t jump off¡ªshe carefully dismounted, as if trying to hide some pain. Nam walked over, gently grabbing the handlebars from her hands. Then, he sat on the seat himself, causing the girl to stare at him in confusion. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a ride to school. Hop on.¡± At his offer, her cheeks flushed pink again. Her soft pink lips curled slightly¡ªalmost forming a smile. Her eyes, already captivating, seemed to shine even brighter. She didn¡¯t say anything, but she climbed onto the back seat, resting her tiny hands lightly on the hem of Nam¡¯s uniform for balance. From behind Nam, a faint floral scent drifted through the air. It was soft, delicate, carrying a sense of peace and familiarity¡ªthe exact same lily fragrance he had noticed that night when he was burning up with fever in the hospital. Nam let out a sigh. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The girl¡¯s voice reached him from behind. Now that she was no longer stammering in nervousness, her true voice was revealed¡ªchildlike, yet astonishingly clear and pure, like the voice of an angel from his dream. ¡°Nothing¡­¡± Nam murmured, almost to himself. And with that, they rode in silence, passing through golden showers of falling leaves, beneath the crisp, breathtaking autumn sky. ¡­ That was just the first surprise of the day. The second was seeing Vuong actually sitting in his assigned seat from the very first period¡ªfor once. Even though he was still trapped between two real-life girls¡ªnot 2D illustrations or 3D models¡ªhis mood seemed noticeably better than usual. He even winked at Nam and gave him a thumbs-up. And how surprising it was when Nam followed Vuong¡¯s gaze¡ªhis deskmate had finally returned after being absent for so long. That meant no more elbow bumps from Vuong¡¯s ridiculously long left arm, which had ruined Nam¡¯s handwriting countless times. And for once, Nam could fully focus on class, without being distracted by Vuong¡¯s never-ending comedy routine. The third, final, and most shocking surprise? Turns out, Nguyen Ho Thu was none other than the girl with those clear brown eyes, looking just like a middle schooler, whom Nam had given a ride to school on his bicycle this morning. Chapter 11: Who Are You Calling ‘Little Sis S?n Nam was unsure how to properly address H? Thu upon seeing her again in class. That morning, judging from the emblem on her uniform and her petite frame, S?n Nam had assumed she was a 10th grader, leading him to act like an upperclassman toward a younger student. Unexpectedly, it turned out that H? Thu was the same age as him and was actually his classmate in 11D. S?n Nam thought he should have been more careful with his assumptions. Just because someone wore a uniform with a 10th-grade emblem didn¡¯t necessarily mean they were actually in 10th grade. Perhaps they hadn¡¯t grown significantly over the past year, so they saw no need to buy a new uniform just to waste money. The school didn¡¯t require it, after all. As S?n Nam made his way to his seat at the back of the class, he felt heat rushing to his cheeks, and his limbs suddenly felt completely out of place. He was so embarrassed that he wished he could just dig a hole and disappear. S?n Nam reassured himself that he wasn¡¯t as shy around girls as Nh?t V??ng. He was only feeling awkward because of his mistake about H? Thu¡¯s age. It wasn¡¯t his fault she looked so young. Honestly, if she sneaked into a middle school and sat in an 8th-grade class, no one would question it. ¡°Hello¡­ H? Thu.¡± S?n Nam greeted her softly, hesitating a little as he approached his desk¡ªhis desk that was no longer just his. Thu was leaning against the window, absentmindedly watching the leaves drift in the wind across the schoolyard. At the sound of S?n Nam¡¯s voice, she slowly turned, and the sweet scent of lilies filled the air as her wavy hair moved with her delicate frame. H? Thu smiled and nodded in response. When she lifted her gaze to meet S?n Nam¡¯s, her deep brown eyes shimmered¡ªlike a crystal-clear autumn lake. In that moment, S?n Nam finally understood why her name was Nguy?n H? Thu. ¡°You¡¯re D??ng S?n Nam, right?¡± ¡°Just call me S?n Nam, little sis.¡± H? Thu frowned, her lips pressing together, and the small hand resting on the desk clenched into a fist the moment S?n Nam misspoke. ¡°Who are you calling ¡®little sis¡¯¡­?¡± H? Thu¡¯s voice was low and firm, making no effort to hide her irritation. Girls at this age generally disliked it when boys their age tried to act like older brothers. H? Thu was no exception. ¡°Then, what month were you born in?¡± ¡°August. 2008.¡± Her response was curt and devoid of any subject pronouns. She emphasized the year as if to make it clear that they were the same age, warning S?n Nam not to act superior. ¡°I was born in February. 2008. Sixteen years ago, when I was already walking, you might not have even started crawling yet. Clearly, I¡¯m older.¡± H? Thu¡¯s mouth fell open, her eyes widening as if she had no immediate comeback. After all, when it came to infants, even a one-month age difference could mean drastic disparities in weight and development. A six-month gap? That was a big deal¡ªif they traveled back in time. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Not to mention, I¡¯m at least 25 centimeters taller than you.¡± Even S?n Nam was surprised by how smoothly he managed to spin his words. It wasn¡¯t like he wanted to act superior¡ªhe would have preferred to address H? Thu as an equal. But since he had already put on the ¡°big brother¡± act that morning, it felt awkward to change it now. Luckily, the bell rang just then, signaling the start of class. The students scrambled to settle down before the teacher arrived. Nhan H¨°a High School students were known for their strong discipline and respect for their teachers. S?n Nam hurried back to his seat, silently thanking the bell for rescuing him from this painfully awkward situation. He reminded himself to be more mindful next time and to make sure he didn¡¯t get on H? Thu¡¯s nerves. He quickly took out his books, notebooks, and pencil case, arranging them neatly so that they wouldn¡¯t encroach on H? Thu¡¯s side of the desk. However, he couldn¡¯t help but notice that H? Thu¡¯s desk was completely empty. There was no sign that she intended to take out any books or prepare for the lesson. She couldn¡¯t have forgotten her study materials¡ªthis morning, S?n Nam had seen her scrambling to pick up her books and stationery after they scattered everywhere when she crashed her bicycle straight into someone¡¯s fence. H? Thu kept surprising him. Not even ten minutes into the lesson, and she was already covering her mouth, stifling yawns. Her head bobbed up and down like a chicken pecking at grain, looking almost comically drowsy. After struggling to stay awake for a while¡ªclearly without much success¡ªshe gave up entirely and surrendered to Hypnos, the god of sleep. Slowly, she slumped onto the desk, resting her face on her slender arms, and drifted off. Judging by her steady breathing, she was deeply asleep. Very deeply asleep¡ªright in the middle of class. Could this have been her plan all along? After all, she hadn¡¯t even bothered to take out her books from the start. But her nap wouldn¡¯t last long once the teacher noticed. The math teacher was standing on the podium, a spot that gave him a clear view of the entire classroom. It wouldn¡¯t take him long to realize that one student had completely checked out¡ªby sleeping through his lecture. ¡°Do you all understand this part?¡± The teacher finished writing a few lines on the blackboard, then turned around, scanning the students¡¯ faces to check if they were following along. His gaze lingered on S?n Nam¡¯s desk longer than on the others. He had noticed something unusual. But contrary to S?n Nam¡¯s expectations, the teacher said nothing. Instead, he continued teaching as if there was a perfectly attentive, diligent H? Thu sitting beside S?n Nam, listening intently and taking notes. At his old school, a situation like this would have earned the student a piece of chalk flung expertly from the podium as a silent but effective warning. It seemed like all teachers had impeccable aim, to the point where S?n Nam sometimes wondered if throwing chalk was a mandatory course that education students had to train and test for in university. Glancing sideways, S?n Nam confirmed that H? Thu was indeed still sleeping soundly. Meanwhile, the teacher continued his lecture, occasionally shooting a reluctant glance toward their desk, but ultimately choosing to ignore the situation altogether. H? Thu shifted slightly in her sleep. Her round face, still carrying traces of childhood innocence, remained nestled against her arms but was now turned toward S?n Nam. Her slightly parted lips exhaled a gentle breath, carrying the faint fragrance of lilies, stirring a strange feeling in his mind¡ªone that made it even harder to focus on the lesson. At this point, S?n Nam wasn¡¯t sure who was causing him more trouble¡ªNh?t V??ng or H? Thu. At least Nh?t V??ng sat quietly during lessons taught by strict, no-nonsense teachers. But H? Thu? She slept through every single class. And, oddly enough, not a single teacher attempted to wake her. Even Miss Vy Oanh, their homeroom teacher and Vietnamese literature instructor¡ªrenowned for her discipline and strictness¡ªsimply ignored H? Thu during her lessons. A giant question mark formed in S?n Nam¡¯s mind. Was he hallucinating? Or was it possible that the teachers simply didn¡¯t perceive the situation the way he did? Chapter 12: Run While You Still Can ¡°Bro! Are you there? Where¡¯s your soul gone? Get back here right now, S?n Nam!!!¡± Nh?t V??ng¡¯s incessant snapping fingers near S?n Nam¡¯s ear yanked his mind back to the school canteen. His breakfast was still sitting in front of him, waiting to be finished, though by now it had nearly gone cold. ¡°Man, you¡¯ve only been sitting next to H? Thu for a few days, and you¡¯re already this spaced out? If you were stuck between two girls on both sides like I am, I don¡¯t even know what would happen to you. Women truly are the ultimate pain, huh?¡± Nh?t V??ng shot S?n Nam a look of understanding and sympathy. In the moderate lighting of the canteen, his pupils appeared round and perfectly normal, just like anyone else¡¯s. S?n Nam couldn¡¯t help but wonder¡ªwhat kind of past experiences had Nh?t V??ng gone through with real, flesh-and-blood women to make him abandon them entirely in favor of 2D and 3D girls? And could those experiences have anything to do with the strange abnormality in Nh?t V??ng¡¯s eyes? Plenty of male students at their school were into girls from manga, anime, and games. Rumor had it that there were entire clubs and private chat groups dedicated to sharing hidden artwork and exclusive clips. But no one else seemed as outright afraid of real-life girls as Nh?t V??ng. Ironically, Nh?t V??ng possessed a strikingly handsome face, a tall and well-proportioned physique, and a confident, composed demeanor. His obvious fear and hesitation around girls were always misinterpreted by them as an ¡°arrogant, aloof, high-class aura,¡± much like those cold, untouchable CEOs in romance novels. This only made him even more attractive, increasing the challenge and appeal of ¡°conquering¡± him in their eyes. ¡°And now, you¡¯ll have to take care of the Femme Fatale group too. Kim Ng?c and the Song Nhi twins will drain you dry. By the time you go home for T?t, your parents might not even recognize you anymore. Listen to me, bro! Run while you still can! Our school offers a Homeschooling program, you know!¡± The way Nh?t V??ng spoke in his usual humorous manner made it hard for S?n Nam to tell whether he was joking or giving a serious warning. But one thing was certain¡ªthis wasn¡¯t the first time Nh?t V??ng had mentioned Homeschooling. He had first brought it up when he picked S?n Nam up from the hospital and drove him back to the boarding house where he was staying. But obviously, choosing a study program wasn¡¯t something a teenager like S?n Nam, still dependent on his parents, could decide on his own. His parents, like many other ¡°Tiger Parents,¡± were immensely proud of their reputation for strict, rigorous discipline. They were well-known for demanding absolute effort and perseverance from their children, never allowing them to quit under any circumstances. Yet, Nh?t V??ng had never been able to provide S?n Nam with a truly convincing explanation for his actions when he stood before Ho¨¤ng Anh Tu?n¡¯s corpse in early September. And S?n Nam simply couldn¡¯t believe that Nh?t V??ng¡¯s title as an ¡°associate collaborator¡± with the Nhan H¨°a Town Police would grant him the kind of authority necessary to gain such detailed, meticulous access to a dead body. The police officers had confirmed Nh?t V??ng¡¯s position when they took S?n Nam¡¯s statement. But even so, the whole thing still felt far too surreal. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. So, no¡ªone or two dead bodies, no matter how bizarre, weren¡¯t enough to make the son of a military officer¡ªsomeone raised in a family with three generations of revolutionary tradition¡ªflee home like a cowardly deserter. ¡°H? Thu isn¡¯t a problem at all. You once told me I was lucky to sit next to her, remember? She sleeps peacefully through morning classes¡ªno chatting, no touching, no bothering her deskmate.¡± (Unlike you, Nh?t V??ng.) S?n Nam spoke, then sighed. Suddenly, a faint blush started creeping up his cheeks, betraying the fact that, in reality, sitting next to H? Thu came with plenty of issues. ¡°Hehehe. Oh really, bro?¡± Nh?t V??ng smirked, a knowing grin spreading across his face, making S?n Nam feel like an idiot. Why was he blushing, anyway? It felt as if every nerve in his brain was firing at full capacity, desperately trying to steer Nh?t V??ng away from the topic of ¡®H? Thu.¡¯ ¡°Alright, class is about to start. I¡¯m heading back¡ªare you coming too?¡± The amusement on Nh?t V??ng¡¯s face faded as he sighed, stood up, and followed S?n Nam back to class. His deskmate had already taken up most of the middle space, and with no room left to shift away, he was stuck right where he was. As S?n Nam returned to his seat at the back of the class, he saw H? Thu resting her head on her arms, gazing out the window at the drizzling rain. ¡°Hey, H? Thu.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± She lazily waved her delicate fingers in acknowledgment but didn¡¯t bother turning around to properly return the greeting. ¡°You didn¡¯t ride your bike to school today, did you, little sis?¡± As soon as the words left his mouth, S?n Nam clapped a hand over it. Damn it, he slipped up again. But once spoken, words couldn¡¯t be taken back. ¡°HEY! S?n Nam! That was uncalled for!¡± H? Thu shot up, hands on her hips, her brown eyes flashing, brows furrowed in anger, and her face burning red. She was doing her best to look fierce, hoping to intimidate him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was wrong.¡± And for some inexplicable reason¡ªperhaps under the influence of some divine being¡ªS?n Nam dared to reach out and ruffle H? Thu¡¯s hair a few times, as if comforting a sulking child. Given their height difference, no matter how much she tried to act intimidating, to S?n Nam, she still looked like a little kid throwing a tantrum. ¡°P.E. class. We¡¯re settling this. You¡¯re dead meat.¡± With that, H? Thu plopped back down onto her chair, spun away toward the window, and continued staring outside. The rich scent of lilies filled the air again. But barely five minutes into the lesson, and she was already asleep¡ªagain. This time, she didn¡¯t even pretend to fight off Hypnos¡¯ embrace. Today¡¯s schedule was relatively light, and the teachers were noticeably more lenient. Fortunately for her, she was small, seated at the very back near the window, and completely shielded by the tall students in front. This allowed her to sleep through the entire morning without even bothering to stand for greetings whenever the class monitor, V? Quang ??c, gave the signal. It was almost as if she was conserving energy for the upcoming duel. S?n Nam sighed. A part of him wished he could turn back time and undo his careless words. But another part of him was absolutely thrilled by H? Thu¡¯s challenge. Ever since elementary school, S?n Nam had spent most of his time buried in books, constantly preparing for math competitions, winning every kind of award from local to city-level. The words ¡®duel¡¯ and ¡®challenge¡¯ had always sparked excitement in him. But this time, the battlefield wasn¡¯t math¡ªit was Physical Education. And that was not a subject where S?n Nam held the advantage. He was about to let out another sigh, but before he could, H? Thu grabbed his wrist and dragged him down to the field. Behind them, Nh?t V??ng laughed like a farmer with a bountiful harvest and made no move to help, ignoring S?n Nam¡¯s desperate, pleading gaze. Chapter 13: The Death Race Class 11D sluggishly made their way to the outdoor multi-purpose stadium for their Physical Education lesson with Mr. T¨´ng B¨¢ch. Every student wore the same weary, lifeless expression, as if they had been soaked in water for too long, like oversteamed dumplings. With only one more P.E. period before lunchtime, the entire class just wanted to get it over with as quickly as possible so they could rush to the canteen for lunch and then take an early nap. Even after warming up with a lively flash mob routine, the students of 11D showed no signs of enthusiasm. Perhaps the dreary weather had something to do with it. The morning drizzle had stopped, but the sky remained overcast and dull, casting a heavy mood over everyone. ¡°Wow, 11D, you all look so miserable today! Alright then, let¡¯s finish this game quickly, and I¡¯ll let you out early.¡± Mr. T¨´ng B¨¢ch¡¯s words failed to spark any joy in the students. Everyone knew that whenever he called something a ¡°game,¡± it was just a regular sports drill, disguised under a more fun-sounding name. ¡°I have a game for you all¡ªit doesn¡¯t have a name yet. The rules are simple: you¡¯ll run around this stadium at least once¡ªa full lap is 400 meters. After that, anyone who still has stamina can keep running until they can¡¯t go on anymore. The last person standing on the track will be the winner.¡± A collective groan of protest rose among the students. ¡°Oh? The moment I explained the rules, I came up with a name for it. This game will now be called¡­ The Death Race! And to make things more interesting, I have a prize for the winner!¡± Mr. T¨´ng B¨¢ch waved a white envelope high in the air. Through the thin paper, a faint glimpse of a rectangular blue banknote could be seen inside. Instantly, the students perked up. Real, tangible cash had a way of motivating even the laziest of them. ¡°Sir, I think this game might be a bit unfair for the girls.¡± Class monitor V? Quang ??c cautiously raised his concern. ¡°Girls? Where? I don¡¯t see any girls in this class.¡± Mr. T¨´ng B¨¢ch dramatically looked around before continuing, ¡°I only see female warriors¡ªthe descendants of the great Tr?ng Sisters, Lady Tri?u, Tay S?n Female Generals, Madame Nguy?n Th? ??nh and these warriors are more than capable of crushing you boys like tiny quail eggs!¡± He clenched his fist toward the female students, making them jump in surprise. Only H? Thu responded to his rallying cry. She tightened her own tiny fist and shouted, ¡°Yeah!¡± The students of 11D collectively dropped out of the race after exactly one lap¡ªjust enough to meet the bare minimum requirement. Only two runners remained, fiercely chasing each other on the track. From the sidelines, S?n Nam could hear his classmates¡¯ ¡°super encouraging¡± cheers, directed specifically at him. ¡°Give up already, S?n Nam!¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Quit it, man! Let us go eat lunch in peace!¡± ¡°Dude, beating a girl isn¡¯t even something to brag about!¡± ¡°Losing to a girl won¡¯t kill you!¡± ¡°Come on, S?n Nam, just let her win¡ªit¡¯s almost October 20th!¡± Despite their ¡®wonderful¡® words of support, something inside S?n Nam ignited. A fiery determination surged through him. His pace slowed as he passed the group of classmates standing by the track. ¡°There is no ¡®boy¡¯ or ¡®girl¡¯ on this track. Only competitors. If I give up now, that would be disrespecting both H? Thu and you guys¡ªmy loyal audience. I will never stop!¡± Panting heavily, he delivered his speech with a conviction that left the entire class stunned. This was the most fired-up they had ever seen him. Just then, H? Thu sprinted past where he had paused to speak. She stuck her tongue out at S?n Nam teasingly. Seeing her taunting gesture, S?n Nam spun around, refocused, and broke into a run again, gradually increasing his speed. ¡°You idiot!!! H? Thu is three whole laps ahead of you! How the hell do you plan to catch up?!¡± Nh?t V??ng screamed until his throat nearly gave out as he watched S?n Nam, drenched in sweat, charging after her. ¡°Mr. T¨´ng B¨¢ch said: The winner is the last one standing on the track. And that winner is going to be meeeee!¡± S?n Nam roared toward Nh?t V??ng. Despite P.E. class officially ending, H? Thu and S?n Nam were still locked in an intense race. The students of 11D, starving, yet captivated, stayed to watch. Some even recorded and sent clips to their friends in other classes, causing a growing crowd of students to gather around the stadium instead of rushing to the canteen as usual. ¡°For the love of god! Can you two stop so I can go have lunch with my girlfriend?¡± Mr. T¨´ng B¨¢ch pleaded desperately every time they passed him, but neither of them showed any signs of stopping. Up in the stands, Nh?t V??ng seized the opportunity to start a betting pool on who would give up first. Then, out of nowhere, a massive cat bolted onto the track, right as the two racers were running side by side. The audience gasped. Some students even leaped onto the field, trying to catch the cat, only for it to panic and dash around unpredictably. ¡°Ow¡ªOW! Damn it!¡± The cat launched itself onto S?n Nam¡¯s shoulder, sinking its claws deep into him. Refusing to let go, it clung to him as if he were its last refuge from the chaotic crowd. But with every step S?n Nam took, the terrified feline dug its claws in deeper. The sharp scent of blood filled the air. It was his. He could feel the warm liquid trickling down his back, mixing with sweat. The stadium fell eerily silent. Some students froze in place, strangely still. ¡°S?n Nam, you¡¯re bleeding! Stop running and come with me to the infirmary right now!¡± H? Thu had caught up to him. Even after countless laps, her breath remained steady, her floral scent unchanged. But her usually childish voice wavered, trembling with fear. ¡°No.¡± Stubborn as ever, S?n Nam refused to stop. ¡°Please, stop! I¡¯m begging you!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like losing.¡± ¡°Fine! Then I¡¯ll stop running! You win! But after that, you HAVE to come to the infirmary with me!¡± ¡°Noooo!¡± ¡°Then tell me, what do I have to do to make you stop?¡± ¡°Just say ¡®Senpai, please stop.¡¯ That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°W-WHAT?!¡± Blood and sweat dripped onto the track beneath him. S?n Nam noticed that H? Thu had wrinkled her nose slightly, as if trying to block out some kind of toxic fume. He could only hope it wasn¡¯t because his body odor had turned unbearable after all this running. Several female students had jumped down from the stands, rushing toward him. He assumed they wanted to help remove the cat from his shoulder, but H? Thu didn¡¯t seem to think it was that simple. ¡°S¡­Sen¡­Senpai!¡± In the end, she gave in. Her face turned crimson, her lips quivering as she forced herself to say exactly what he wanted. ¡°Good girl. Now, say the rest.¡± ¡°S¡­Senpai, please stop!¡± She cried out, her wide brown eyes shimmering like crystal. Tears had already begun welling up, threatening to spill. ¡°I¡¯m begging you, Senpai!¡± Since he hadn¡¯t fully stopped¡ªonly slowed to a light jog¡ªH? Thu pulled out her final weapon. And it worked like a charm. S?n Nam came to a complete halt the moment she pleaded in that heart-wrenching voice. ¡°Ha. I won.¡± As the realization of his victory sank in, the world around him suddenly spun. His vision blurred. Before him, there weren¡¯t just one, but three H? Thu. His body swayed dangerously. And then, he collapsed face-first onto the track, unconscious. The cat frantically shifted from his shoulder to his back, as if it had finally found the perfect owner. Chapter 14: The Lost Cat ¡°Why are you just standing here, bro?¡± Nh?t V??ng smacked S?n Nam hard on the shoulder, making him wince in pain. The scratch wounds from the claws of the oversized cat that had appeared during the race with H? Thu still hadn¡¯t fully healed. Not only did his shoulder hurt, but S?n Nam¡¯s whole body ached. His legs, in particular, felt extremely sore and weak due to muscle strain. He finally understood the pain the little mermaid endured with each step in Andersen¡¯s fairy tale. To make up for the physical pain and mental effort he had put in to defeat ¡°the descendant of Tr?ng Tr?c and Tr?ng Nh?,¡± in addition to the promised reward envelope, Mr. T¨´ng B¨¢ch also gifted S?n Nam a voucher for 50% off the membership fee at the Kickboxing Club. And S?n Nam nearly passed out when he opened the prize envelope: another discount voucher¡ªthis one for 50% off the Parkour Club membership. Both rewards felt more like invitations to hell for a bookworm like S?n Nam, who rarely engaged in any physical activity. ¡°This is the results board for the beginning-of-year quality assessment.¡± S?n Nam briefly explained to Nh?t V??ng why he had been standing frozen in the first-floor hallway for so long. Clearly, Nh?t V??ng wasn¡¯t very interested in exams or grades. It didn¡¯t take long for S?n Nam to find his name among the nearly 400 students on the results board. He was the only one at Nhan H¨°a High School with the last name D??ng. He figured it was because the town of Nhan H¨°a was geographically close to the former capital, Hu?¡ªhome of the Nguy?n royal family, which ruled Vietnam from 1802 to 1945¡ªso the majority of students here bore the surname Nguy?n. Normally, the Nguy?n surname accounts for about 31.5% of Vietnam¡¯s population, but the proportion at Nhan H¨°a High was abnormally high¡ªmaybe up to 70%. S?n Nam focused on the names and classes of the top 10 students in Grade 11, ranked from highest to lowest: ? Nguy?n Thanh Tr¨¤ ¨C 11D ? Nguy?n Quy?t Chi?n ¨C 11A ? Nguy?n Nh?t V??ng ¨C 11D ? Nguy?n Xuy?n Chi ¨C 11C ? D??ng S?n Nam ¨C 11D ? Nguy?n Kim Ng?c ¨C 11A ? Nguy?n An Nhi ¨C 11A ? Nguy?n Y¨ºn Nhi ¨C 11A ? Nguy?n Nhan Th¨¤nh ¨C 11B ? Nguy?n H? Thu ¨C 11D S?n Nam frowned. He had just noticed something strange¡ªnot only was Nh?t V??ng ranked third despite seemingly never studying, but¡­ ¡°H? Thu was absent until mid-September and missed the assessment entirely¡ªso how is she in the top 10?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask ¡®your girl¡¯ yourself? He he!¡± ¡°And Thanh Tr¨¤¡¯s the top scorer in our class 11D, but I¡¯ve never even seen her before?¡± ¡°She¡¯s doing Homeschooling. See? You don¡¯t need to study at Nhan H¨°a to get high marks. Homeschooling is your ticket to survival¡ªaway from the deadly girls of this school.¡± Once again, Nh?t V??ng brought up Homeschooling. Say what you will, the guy was persistent¡ªbut not particularly persuasive. ¡°Hey Nh?t V??ng, how much money did you make off my ¡®life¡¯ the other day?¡± ¡°Hehehe. A decent amount, bro.¡± ¡°How much, exactly¡­?¡± S?n Nam pressed until Nh?t V??ng finally revealed the amount he had won from the Death Race bets. It was quite a big number¡ªunderstandable, since Nhan H¨°a was full of rich kids. S?n Nam had to admit: Nh?t V??ng truly lived up to his title of ¡®Numerology Guru¡¯. Of course, S?n Nam didn¡¯t want a cut of the winnings. He just wanted to prove to Nh?t V??ng that having him stay at Nhan H¨°a benefited Nh?t V??ng more than he realized. ¡°Excuse me, are you D??ng S?n Nam from class 11D? Can I ask you something?¡± A gentle, soft female voice called from behind S?n Nam and Nh?t V??ng. At the sound of a girl, Nh?t V??ng immediately froze, put on a cold, indifferent expression, and turned away. His fear of girls kicked in, giving him the aloof vibe of some arrogant CEO character. He left S?n Nam behind¡ªalone with Xuy?n Chi, a student from class 11C¡ªthe girl who had fainted during the memorial for Ho¨¤ng Anh Tu?n. It wasn¡¯t ideal to keep blocking the results board and interfering with other students trying to check their names, so S?n Nam and Xuy?n Chi moved toward the canteen area to talk more comfortably. ¡°So, what did you want to ask?¡± Seeing that Xuy?n Chi remained silent, even though she was the one who approached him first, S?n Nam had to speak up, breaking the awkward silence between them. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°Back when you and Nh?t V??ng took me to the infirmary, I never got the chance to properly thank you two.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°Thank you. And please pass my thanks to Nh?t V??ng too.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯ll let him know.¡± Xuy?n Chi fell silent again for a moment before continuing. ¡°During the race¡­ when you were running with that small, cute girl¡­¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± S?n Nam was starting to get impatient with how hesitant and shy Xuy?n Chi was being. ¡°There was an orange cat that jumped down onto the field¡­ and then climbed up onto your shoulder.¡± ¡°There was a cat, but I don¡¯t remember what color it was.¡± S?n Nam shivered as he recalled those sharp claws. A bratty cat like that? Yeah, probably orange. Still, he was grateful¡ªit had, after all, helped him win against H? Thu. ¡°That orange cat was mine. His name¡¯s Orange¡­¡± ¡°Wait, how did you even bring a cat to school?¡± ¡°The place I rent doesn¡¯t allow pets¡­¡± ¡°Ohhh.¡± ¡°So I left him with the school canteen staff. The cooks agreed to let him stay in the kitchen to help catch mice.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°Do you know where Orange ran off to afterward?¡± It took a while, but finally Xuy?n Chi got to the real reason she came. ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°What?¡± Seeing how sad she looked, S?n Nam tried to recall the embarrassing sequence of events that took place after he collapsed on the track. If he remembered correctly¡­ it was H? Thu and Nh?t V??ng who hoisted him onto the stretcher and dragged him to the infirmary. Orange, at that time, had moved onto his stomach and refused to budge. Nurse Thu Trang hadn¡¯t been there¡ªprobably off on her lunch break. Oddly enough, Nh?t V??ng didn¡¯t seem afraid of H? Thu the way he was with other girls. Normally, he¡¯d be scrambling for an excuse to escape if left alone with a girl. Then came the moment where H? Thu personally peeled off S?n Nam¡¯s sweaty PE uniform. She had to wipe down his upper body all by herself¡ªbecause Nh?t V??ng refused to touch another guy. Meanwhile, Nh?t V??ng just stood there cuddling Orange and grinning wickedly¡­ without lifting a single finger to help. (That lazy devil¡­) After that, H? Thu carefully disinfected the scratch on S?n Nam¡¯s shoulder with alcohol, like a trained nurse. Then she struggled to dress him in a loose-fitting hospital gown. In his semi-conscious state, S?n Nam couldn¡¯t control his reactions. He even screamed out loud when H? Thu jabbed him with a rabies vaccine¡ªaccording to the label on the box. She made him read out the expiration date before administering it, just like proper vaccination procedure. Then she even managed to find a vein in his arm to hook up an IV drip. By then, S?n Nam was so drained he couldn¡¯t even open his mouth to ask whether H? Thu was legally certified to do any of this. Once it was all done, she ordered Nh?t V??ng to take his blood-stained uniform and medical supplies and destroy them immediately. It felt wasteful¡ªand weird. Now S?n Nam would have to buy a whole new PE uniform. Wait. A full uniform means shirt and PANTS. Which meant¡­? Nope. He wasn¡¯t going to think about that. He was NOT thinking about that. Anyway, where had Orange gone by then? Half-asleep in the infirmary bed, S?n Nam had opened his eyes just a crack a few times. He remembered seeing H? Thu nodding off in a chair next to him. Curled up in her lap was a giant, fluffy yellow-orange ball of fur with half-lidded eyes and a soft, steady purring. By the time nurse Thu Trang returned to take over the infirmary, H? Thu¡ªand the cat¡ªhad vanished. ¡°Hic¡­ hic¡­¡± Suddenly, Xuy?n Chi covered her face and burst into tears¡ªright in the middle of the canteen. Every curious eye turned toward their table. ¡°Hey, calm down! Please don¡¯t cry. People are staring!¡± ¡°Hic hic¡­ Orange is everything to me!¡± No matter how panicked S?n Nam got, begging and coaxing her to stop crying, Xuy?n Chi just wouldn¡¯t stop. For cat lovers, a missing pet was worse than losing a limb. ¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯ll take you to talk to H? Thu. She might know something about Orange!¡± That was what S?n Nam said to comfort her¡ªbut the truth was, he had no idea where H? Thu was right now. He¡¯d never once seen her show up at the canteen, whether for breakfast or lunch Chapter 15: The Search At Nhan H¨°a High School, students in the morning session attended core subjects like Math, Literature, Foreign Languages, History, Physical Education, National Defense Education, Career Guidance, and Experiential Learning. These were all held in fixed classrooms, in a traditional style meant to strengthen class unity. But in the afternoon, students moved between classrooms to attend elective subjects based on their individual schedules. Perhaps because H? Thu had chosen a different combination of electives from S?n Nam, he had never once seen her in his afternoon classes. ¡°Honestly, I have no idea where H? Thu is right now. I also don¡¯t know which classes she takes in the afternoons¡­¡± S?n Nam hesitated as he tried to gently persuade Xuy?n Chi. ¡±¡­You should wait until tomorrow morning, then come ask her in class 11D.¡± ¡°But Orange might give birth today. Her belly¡¯s so big already¡ªI can¡¯t wait that long. You have to help me find H? Thu right now.¡± Seeing how determined Xuy?n Chi was, S?n Nam sighed. The number of sighs he had let out since transferring to Nhan H¨°a probably matched the sum total of all the sighs he¡¯d taken in his entire life. Dragging his sore, aching body, he followed Xuy?n Chi to the Academic Affairs Office¡ªonly to find it was closed for the lunch break. He dared to call the teacher in charge of the office, asking for H? Thu¡¯s schedule, but she flatly refused, citing the policy of student information confidentiality. (What if I broke in and accessed the info from their computer?) That idea was immediately dismissed. If caught, expulsion would be guaranteed¡ª100%. Suddenly, a name flashed through S?n Nam¡¯s mind. If he called that guy, he¡¯d probably find out where H? Thu was right away. But if he relied on D?ng Detective for this, then the ¡°game¡± would become way too easy. Worse, that guy might ask for some kind of information trade¡ªit wasn¡¯t worth it. He also considered calling Nh?t V??ng, but odds were high Nh?t V??ng would just tease him until he died of embarrassment. But strangely, S?n Nam genuinely wanted to find H? Thu on his own this time, without anyone¡¯s help. He wandered aimlessly down the hallway, and somehow his feet brought him back to class 11D. Xuy?n Chi trailed behind him, still worried and persistent. That morning, the scent of lilies from H? Thu had been more intense than usual, along with her obviously sulking expression, which had made it impossible for S?n Nam to focus in class. Now, that familiar floral scent still lingered faintly in the air. As he stepped into the classroom, it hit his nose and sparked an idea¡ª This was starting to feel like a game to him. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Xuy?n Chi! We¡¯re going to find that little fox.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a cat, S?n Nam¡­¡± S?n Nam didn¡¯t bother correcting himself. Instead, he closed his eyes tightly, temporarily cutting off his sense of sight to sharpen his sense of smell. He began tracing the lingering scent of H? Thu, starting from their shared desk, moving blindly toward the door like someone groping through the dark. ¡°Uhh¡­ What are you doing, S?n Nam? Hey, watch the table!¡± This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Xuy?n Chi¡¯s warning came a bit too late. He bumped into a few desks and chairs, and he could already imagine the bruises that would show up later. Out in the hallway, walking got easier¡ªno obstacles. He could just follow the wall with one hand. ¡°Careful¡ªthe stairs!¡± Though her warning was late again, thankfully S?n Nam only missed a single step. By some miracle of ancestral protection, he managed to regain his balance without tumbling down the staircase. As the scent of lilies grew stronger, S?n Nam knew he was going the right way. (Heh, this game¡¯s too easy!) Confident he had reached the final checkpoint, S?n Nam opened his eyes¡ª And jumped in shock to find himself standing right in front of a door labeled: Kickboxing Club. The kickboxing room was thick with the overpowering scent of lilies¡ªso strong it felt suffocating, like it could kill someone. It seemed to reflect the emotional state of the girl who carried that fragrance. S?n Nam had never stepped into a gym or boxing room before, so he was a bit overwhelmed upon entering and seeing all the walls lined with gleaming mirrors. The training room was divided into two sections by a central runway. At the end of it stood three tires of increasing size. S?n Nam wondered what on earth tires were used for in a place like this. On the right side was a rack filled with dumbbells, neatly arranged in pairs from 2kg to a whopping 50kg. On the floor, there was also a long barbell, already loaded with three 10kg plates on each side. To the left, near the wall, hung three punching bags suspended from the ceiling. Judging by how worn and scratched they looked, people here trained hard. This side stood out even more with its proper boxing ring¡ªcomplete with four-tension ropes. And on that ring stood H? Thu, alone. Her hair was tied into a high ponytail, and she wore an all-black outfit consisting of shorts and a sports bra. Thump. Thump. With a pair of oversized boxing gloves¡ªcomically large against her slim arms¡ªshe delivered punch after punch, left, right, knees, and a series of powerful kicks to a poor, battered training dummy. ¡°Oh wow¡­ So admirable.¡± Xuy?n Chi stared at H? Thu in awe. ¡°More like terrifying,¡± S?n Nam muttered. ¡°I¡¯m not talking about what she¡¯s doing. I¡¯m talking about how she looks.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°She¡¯s so petite, but her proportions are perfect¡ªtiny waist, long legs, curves in all the right places. Especially¡­ those assets of hers. They¡¯re totally captivating.¡± ¡°Uh-huh¡­ H? Thu has pretty eyes.¡± ¡°Sigh. Has anyone ever told you that you¡¯re totally green and na?ve, S?n Nam?¡± Xuy?n Chi looked at him like she truly pitied his innocent soul. ¡°Hmm¡­ Nh?t V??ng said that once.¡± ¡°Ohhhh! And look¡ªH? Thu even has visible abs! Why are you turning away, S?n Nam?¡± Xuy?n Chi squealed in excitement, then quickly moved behind S?n Nam and began shoving him toward the ring. ¡°Can you ask her about Orange for me? Please?¡± She stammered. For someone this shy, she might even be more introverted than S?n Nam himself. H? Thu paused her routine and leaned against the ropes when she noticed them. Her slender brows furrowed when she saw S?n Nam. ¡°H? Thu...¡± There was a slight hesitation in how S?n Nam addressed her. ¡°Where¡¯s that orange cat from the other day, little sis¡± The air grew tense all of a sudden¡ªbut S?n Nam stood his ground. ¡°Hmm¡­ if you come up here and spar with me, I¡¯ll tell you!¡± As if to intimidate him, H? Thu leapt into the air and delivered two spinning kicks straight to the training dummy¡¯s head. (Great. At this rate, my next stop won¡¯t be the infirmary¡ªit¡¯ll be the cemetery.) ¡°Go, S?n Nam! I¡¯m cheering for you¡ªgo get Orange back for me!¡± Xuy?n Chi shouted, enthusiastically pushing him forward. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go up there?! I don¡¯t wanna die!¡± ¡°Hic hic¡­ You¡­ you yelled at me. You¡¯re so sexist!¡± Now trapped between two demons¡ªone constantly demanding duels, the other crying at the drop of a hat¡ªS?n Nam wanted nothing more than to run straight out of this hell room. Thankfully, H? Thu seemed to feel a little guilty at the sight of Xuy?n Chi¡¯s tears. She gracefully jumped down from the ring and landed smoothly. Then she took off her boxing gloves and gently patted Xuy?n Chi¡¯s shoulder in a comforting gesture. ¡°You better apologize to her. Now!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± S?n Nam had to dig deep, using every kind of logic¡ªdeductive, strategic, even reverse thinking¡ªbut still couldn¡¯t figure out what he¡¯d done wrong. ¡°Sorry, Xuy?n Chi!¡± Just to get this over with, he gave in. He thought about Nh?t V??ng¡¯s fear of girls and silently prayed to the ancestors that he wouldn¡¯t end up the same way. ¡°I left the cat at a friend¡¯s house. After school, I¡¯ll take you there to get him.¡± ¡°Can we go now, H? Thu? Orange is about to give birth!¡± ¡°Xuy?n Chi¡­¡± H? Thu pursed her lips, probably to hold back a laugh. ¡°Male cats can¡¯t give birth.¡± ¡°But his belly is huge!¡± ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s got a big belly. And big balls too¡ªnot like someone else¡¯s¡­¡± H? Thu trailed off mid-sentence and turned to look at S?n Nam with the most mischievous, wicked smirk he had ever seen. Immediately, S?n Nam was reminded of the incident at the infirmary¡ªwhen H? Thu had ordered Nh?t V??ng to destroy his blood-stained PE uniform. His face began turning bright red¡ªlike a fully ripened tomato. Women really are the root of all pain. Chapter 16: Femme Fatale Last Saturday, all the stress S?n Nam had been carrying because of the girls in his life seemed to be cleansed away¡ªthanks to him immersing himself in sketching ideas for classroom decoration. There was a bit of nervous anticipation as he clicked ¡°Send¡± on the email to class monitor V? Quang ??c, CC¡¯ing the rest of the 11D boys. At the end of the first school day of the week, class monitor Quang ??c came to give S?n Nam direct feedback. ¡°Whoa, your idea for decorating the class for Vietnamese Women¡¯s Day is seriously awesome, S?n Nam. But I feel like it¡¯s kinda complicated and has too many handcrafted details. Do you think we can pull this off in just a month?¡± Quang ??c looked at his phone calendar, clearly concerned. ¡°Oh wait¡ªit¡¯s actually just three weeks left, because the classroom has to be fully decorated a week before the event. So that¡¯s by October 13th!¡± ¡°I think I can manage. As long as you guys each help with a part.¡± S?n Nam was confident in his crafting skills. To him, DIY was practically a game. ¡°If you need to buy supplies, just ask Nh?t V??ng to cover it, and don¡¯t forget to get receipts to hand over to V?n D?, the class secretary.¡± Quang ??c grinned and showed him a figure on an Excel spreadsheet. ¡°Thanks to you and Nh?t V??ng, our class budget has grown like crazy. We can afford top-quality materials without asking anyone to chip in.¡± ¡°Hehe, if S?n Nam accepts that boxing challenge from H? Thu, we might even have enough money to treat the class to Haidilao!¡± Somehow, the story of H? Thu challenging S?n Nam to a boxing match had reached Nh?t V??ng¡¯s ears¡ªeven though S?n Nam swore he hadn¡¯t told a soul. And since Nh?t V??ng always ran away at the sight of Xuy?n Chi, it was probably H? Thu who spilled the beans. ¡°Sigh¡­ we¡¯re not even in the same weight class.¡± S?n Nam sighed yet again. A quiet unease fluttered in his chest like a butterfly, stirring feelings he couldn¡¯t quite define¡ªand whatever they were, they weren¡¯t pleasant. ¡°D??ng S?n Nam, class 11D?¡± A girl¡¯s voice rang out from the classroom doorway. It was melodic, smooth as a song¡ªbut carried a terrifying authority that sent chills down every guy¡¯s spine. Four tall boys suddenly froze like startled deer facing a pride of lionesses. ¡°It¡¯s the Femme Fatale trio. You¡¯re dead, S?n Nam!¡± Nh?t V??ng¡¯s face turned ghostly pale. If his ¡°system¡± were visible, his Fear-of-Girls meter would¡¯ve maxed out instantly. Even normally confident guys¡ªlike the slightly flirtatious class president Quang ??c¡ªshowed unmistakable signs of dread. And V?n D?, the class secretary who rarely spoke, didn¡¯t even dare to breathe too loudly. From the door of class 11D, three tall, elegant, and stunningly beautiful girls were walking toward S?n Nam. Their stride was smooth and graceful, as if the classroom had become a catwalk. They moved in perfect formation, just like contestants in a beauty pageant¡ªwith the most eye-catching one at the center. As a group, they gave off a dazzling mix of confidence and charm like Victoria¡¯s Secret models¡ªyet at the same time, there was something dark, alluring, and almost deadly about them, reminiscent of Exit Eden. ¡°Ugh, why aren¡¯t you even a little handsome, huh, S?n Nam?¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. The center girl, Nguy?n Kim Ng?c, tossed her carefully styled reddish-brown curls and leaned in close to speak, her voice as sweet as it was mocking. Even though she wore flat ballerina shoes, she wasn¡¯t much shorter than S?n Nam. Her endlessly long legs made her Nhan H¨°a uniform skirt look shockingly short. ¡°But he¡¯s tall, his skin¡¯s smooth, and he¡¯s kinda cute in his own way,¡± chimed the two girls flanking her¡ªidentical twins, speaking almost in unison. One had pastel pink hair, the other a soft sky blue¡ªclearly the famous twins An Nhi and Y¨ºn Nhi. S?n Nam still didn¡¯t know which was which. ¡°If you¡¯d like, we can give him a full makeover.¡± ¡°Eh, I guess he¡¯s passable as is.¡± Kim Ng?c clicked her tongue, then fixed S?n Nam with the piercing gaze of a seasoned predator. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± She grabbed S?n Nam by the tie and dragged him along like her personal servant. Behind her, An Nhi and Y¨ºn Nhi smiled slyly and followed like a pair of stylish shadows. ¡°Damn, S?n Nam¡¯s one lucky guy.¡± ¡°If it were me, I¡¯d bring a leash so they could just clip it onto my neck.¡± ¡°I¡¯d crawl behind those girls any day, no hesitation.¡± A few of the guys still lingering in class 11D couldn¡¯t help but comment in awe. (Bunch of hopeless simps.) But S?n Nam didn¡¯t feel lucky at all. He wasn¡¯t exactly the type who enjoyed being manhandled. ¡°W-Where¡­ where are we going?¡± S?n Nam stammered, addressing Kim Ng?c. ¡°To the canteen!¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s lunchtime, duh.¡± ¡°But¡­ why do I have to go with you guys?¡± Suddenly, silence. Complete, total silence. Even chatterbox Nh?t V??ng shut his mouth. You could hear a mosquito buzzing by. ¡°You drew our names in the ¡®Take Care of the Girls¡¯ lottery for Vietnamese Women¡¯s Day, remember, S?n Nam?¡± Kim Ng?c tugged sharply on his tie, making him cough as it squeezed against his throat. ¡°So starting today, you¡¯re responsible for taking care of our breakfasts and lunches.¡± ¡°I¡¯m gonna pass. There¡¯s no rule that says I have to participate.¡± ¡°Wow. That¡¯s bold, S?n Nam. No one¡¯s ever said NO to us before. Guess we¡¯ll have to punish you. Let¡¯s go!¡± Utterly helpless, S?n Nam followed the Femme Fatale trio. He had no idea what fate awaited him. ¡°Wait!¡± Just as the group reached the canteen, class monitor V? Quang ??c mustered all the courage he had to speak up. As class monitor, he felt it was his duty to protect S?n Nam. ¡°There¡¯s still a week left before the official start of the ¡®Take Care of the Girls¡¯ event for Women¡¯s Day on October 20th. You¡¯re breaking the event guidelines. We¡¯re supposed to take care of you girls according to schedule to avoid overlap or conflicts.¡± ¡°Heh. Let me ask you this, then¡ªwhat exactly is the purpose of this ¡®Take Care of the Girls¡¯ event?¡± ¡°To honor and appreciate Vietnamese women for their contributions to family, society, and the country.¡± Quang ??c replied confidently, full of conviction. ¡°So you honor and appreciate women by forcing us¡ªyoung, innocent girls¡ªto follow some schedule dictated by a bunch of patriarchal men?!¡± Kim Ng?c emphasized every word, her voice rising and falling like she was using vibrato, adding an almost theatrical intensity. ¡°You let yourselves decide our fates like we¡¯re cattle, drafting names as if we¡¯re prizes to be claimed. You rob us of our right to choose, right on the very day you claim to celebrate women. The irony is astounding. Where¡¯s gender equality? WHERE IS IT?!¡± Class monitor Quang ??c was stunned into silence by her sharp, relentless logic. He couldn¡¯t answer a single word. Kim Ng?c¡¯s fiery speech had shattered his confidence. Her bold, compelling argument¡ªso precise, so intense¡ªbrought the entire canteen to thunderous applause from both boys and girls. An Nhi and Y¨ºn Nhi exchanged a quick glance, then started chanting in perfect rhythm: ¡°Kim Ng?c! Kim Ng?c! Kim Ng?c!¡± And just like that, the entire canteen joined in, shouting her name in unison for a full five minutes. Kim Ng?c smiled like a queen, radiant with victory¡ªas if she had just been crowned Miss World. She raised both hands to her cherry-red lips and blew a flurry of kisses to the crowd, while students playfully reached out, trying to ¡°catch¡± the invisible kisses floating through the air. And then, her expression shifted at lightning speed. One moment she was the picture of elegance and grace, the next she transformed into a brash, barking witch as she turned back to Quang ??c. ¡°Now move aside so we can eat lunch! GO!¡± Quang ??c bolted. Whether or not he would one day develop the same girl-phobia as Nh?t V??ng remained to be seen. And so, from that moment on, no one dared stand in the way of Kim Ng?c and the deadly twin duo, An Nhi and Y¨ºn Nhi, as they carried out their ¡°punishment¡± of S?n Nam. Chapter 17: We Want To Eat You The Femme Fatale trio led S?n Nam up to the second floor of the canteen. This upper level was only about half the size of the main floor. S?n Nam had never been up here before¡ªnaturally, sitting downstairs made more sense since it was closer to the food counter. At first glance, the second floor was decorated far more luxuriously than the first, with deep tones of brown, red, and black, and gold-accented patterns. But because of that, the place gave S?n Nam a stifling, oppressive feeling. It lacked warmth and felt more like a sinister lair than a cafeteria. It was like he had walked into a gothic horror movie, the kind with cults and rituals. ¡°Those rooms over there are reserved for the Board of Directors and school administrators only. Regular teachers aren¡¯t even allowed in without an invitation,¡± Kim Ng?c said, pointing at a set of ominous black doors tucked into the far corner of the second floor. ¡°We¡¯ll sit here.¡± The group stopped at a table positioned right in the center of the floor, beside the railing. From here, S?n Nam could see almost the entire first floor below. Even though there were plenty of empty tables, no other students had come up. S?n Nam and the Femme Fatale trio were the only ones here. ¡°This is our favorite spot,¡± the twins said in perfect sync once again. S?n Nam just wanted lunch to be over. He didn¡¯t want to be cast as the bullied victim in this bizarre musical directed by Kim Ng?c, who insisted on being both director and lead actress. ¡°So, what do you girls want to eat? Just tell me and I¡¯ll go queue up at the counter.¡± S?n Nam decided to take the initiative¡ªmaybe if he stayed ahead of them, he could maintain some control. ¡°We want to eat you.¡± This time, it wasn¡¯t just An Nhi and Y¨ºn Nhi speaking in unison¡ªKim Ng?c joined them in harmony too. The eerie a cappella sent chills down S?n Nam¡¯s spine more than it stirred any kind of flirtation. ¡°Just kidding. You¡¯re all skin and bones. Not exactly appetizing!¡± The girls burst into laughter together. S?n Nam couldn¡¯t tell if his face was showing too much fear, but Kim Ng?c suddenly changed her demeanor. Still, he kept his guard up. Who knew what this trio might pull next? ¡°We brought lunch from home. The food at this school is impossible to eat¡ªtoo many carbs and calories.¡± The twins pulled out three 500ml bottles from their bags and placed them on the table. The liquid inside was a dark, vivid red¡ªalmost disturbingly so. ¡°It¡¯s just a smoothie¡ªwatermelon, beetroot, and red dragon fruit. Not BLOOD, okay?¡± An Nhi and Y¨ºn Nhi exaggerated the word ¡°BLOOD¡± with mischievous expressions. S?n Nam didn¡¯t find it funny. At all. ¡°Here, smell it.¡± S?n Nam¡¯s face twisted like a monkey who just bit into a chili pepper. Along with the fruity aroma, there was a faintly metallic scent¡ªalmost like iron. ¡°Smells like iron, huh? An Nhi, you forgot to wash the knife again before cutting the fruit.¡± Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°Still tastes fine though, doesn¡¯t it, Y¨ºn Nhi?¡± ¡°Ugh, and you forgot the apples too, An Nhi!¡± Now S?n Nam had it figured out: pink-haired An Nhi was the scatterbrained one, and blue-haired Y¨ºn Nhi was the nitpicky critic. ¡°You girls seriously drink only that for lunch?¡± ¡°We have to keep our figures, duh. You go ahead and grab some real food. Get extra meat. You need to put on weight, S?n Nam!¡± Kim Ng?c giggled, then called after him: ¡°Your punishment is still waiting right here, so don¡¯t you dare run off. Be back soon!¡± When S?n Nam returned to the table with his lunch tray, he suddenly lost all appetite. Nearby, someone else had joined the second-floor canteen seating: Nh?t V??ng. He was sitting at a table not far from the Femme Fatale group, chatting loudly and cheerfully. And the person sitting across from Nh?t V??ng? None other than H? Thu. The same H? Thu who, up until now, had never once shown up in the canteen¡ªnot for breakfast, not for lunch. Since the day S?n Nam was brought to the infirmary by Nh?t V??ng and H? Thu, he had already suspected that Nh?t V??ng could interact normally with her. Unlike with other girls at Nhan H¨°a, he didn¡¯t seem the least bit tense or scared around H? Thu. But S?n Nam never imagined Nh?t V??ng would be bold enough to have lunch with H? Thu like this. ¡°Fox and Gorilla are getting loud. Want us to go chase them off, Kim Ng?c?¡± The twin sisters turned to ask Kim Ng?c for permission. S?n Nam nearly burst out laughing¡ªthose nicknames for H? Thu and Nh?t V??ng were ridiculously accurate. ¡°Let them be! This floor doesn¡¯t belong to anyone.¡± Kim Ng?c¡¯s luscious red lips curled into a sarcastic smile, revealing shiny white teeth and slightly sharp canines. An Nhi and Y¨ºn Nhi¡¯s faces turned sour¡ªit was clearly bothering them, especially as the noise from H? Thu and Nh?t V??ng¡¯s table grew more chaotic. The two of them were now arguing loudly over food like a pair of bickering grade-schoolers. ¡°Give me back my beef, Nh?t V??ng! Why are you eating from my plate instead of yours?¡± ¡°You¡¯re so stingy, H? Thu! The amount of food you packed could feed three or four people. Girls who eat that much will never find a husband!¡± Nh?t V??ng shoved a slice of beef into his mouth and chewed obnoxiously, letting the juices drip from the corners of his lips. ¡°Mmm! This beef¡¯s practically raw¡ªstill bleeding!¡± ¡°That¡¯s myoglobin, and it¡¯s delicious. If you can¡¯t appreciate it, give it back!¡± ¡°Too late. Want me to throw it up for you?¡± With his tall build and long limbs, Nh?t V??ng had a physical advantage. H? Thu tried jumping around him to snatch her food back, but it was useless. She bounced around him like an annoyed little sprite¡ªequal parts pitiful and hilarious. From how casually and playfully they argued, it seemed obvious: Nh?t V??ng and H? Thu were closer than just classmates. S?n Nam sometimes forgot that he had only transferred to Nhan H¨°a this school year, for grade 11¡ªand came from a completely different town. The kids here had likely grown up together, from preschool to elementary to middle school. ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°S?n Nam!¡± ¡°Can you please stop staring at them?¡± Kim Ng?c hissed. Her tone was sharp, unmistakably angry, even though her beautiful face remained perfectly composed. ¡°Oh. Sorry.¡± S?n Nam replied blandly¡ªhis mind still wandering toward the chaos at H? Thu and Nh?t V??ng¡¯s table. ¡°Would you peel these apples for us, then?¡± The Femme Fatale girls had finished their red, iron-scented fruit smoothies. Now, their pretty lips were stained a bright crimson. The twins pulled several shiny red apples and a small knife from their bags and placed them on the table. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know how to peel fruit.¡± S?n Nam admitted honestly. ¡°Do you know that Vietnam¡¯s gender ratio is seriously imbalanced right now? There are too many men. If you don¡¯t learn to peel fruit, you¡¯re going to end up single forever!¡± Cornered by Kim Ng?c, S?n Nam reluctantly picked up the knife. He tried to summon memories of his mom peeling apples, mimicking her movements. In the distance, H? Thu and Nh?t V??ng were still locked in their never-ending food quarrel. ¡°Give me back my milk!¡± ¡°Told you¡ªno amount of milk will make you taller. It just throws off your proportions!¡± ¡°Nonsense! What part of me is disproportionate, huh?¡± ¡°Seriously? That thing¡¯s grown at least five centimeters just over summer break!¡± ¡°Shut up! You¡¯re so rude!¡± Distracted by their bizarre conversation, S?n Nam lost focus. The knife slipped¡ª ¡ªand sliced deep into his index finger. ¡°Ow! That hurts!¡± Blood poured from the cut, running down his hand and staining the half-peeled apple with bright red blotches. He dropped both the knife and apple in a panic, flailing his hand to ease the pain. Blood splattered across the table, and the sharp, metallic scent of iron quickly filled the air. Then, something strange happened. Kim Ng?c, An Nhi, and Y¨ºn Nhi froze like statues. Their nostrils flared as they inhaled deeply. Their eyelids fluttered¡ªclosing halfway¡ªthen slowly opened in sync with their breaths. It was as if they were savoring the scent of something delicious, something so mouthwatering that even the smell alone was enough to tempt the senses. Far off, H? Thu and Nh?t V??ng suddenly stopped arguing. And in that instant, S?n Nam could feel it¡ªall their eyes were locked onto the warm, crimson blood still trickling from his fingertip.