The road home was filled with starlight and cool breezes; her mind was calm, yet her heart pounded wildly. How long had it been since Hạ Đan last felt anything like this? Having a friend like this was wonderful. She smiled as she approached the gate to her house, reaching for her key to unlock it—when suddenly an arm yanked her unexpectedly. The pull was swift and strong, dragging her into the nearby shadowy bushes. Of course, she was shocked and panicked; on pure instinct, she flung the hand away. But the person had no intention of letting her go.

It was a boy, and he wasn't wearing any disguise—probably not harboring truly malicious intent. But when she looked at his face, she didn't recognize him at all. This wasn't anyone she knew.

"Who are you?!" 
"Shut up! I haven't finished talking to you yet."

She frowned in confusion. What the hell? She'd never met this guy before, so why was he cursing at her like she'd made an enemy of him?

"Do I know you?" 
"I don't need to know you, and you don't need to know me. Just answer: since when have you been friends with Quang?" 
"Not long ago. Why are you asking?"

Hạ Đan's mind was a whirlwind of confusion and bewilderment. This guy even knew Thanh Quang?! He only nodded, but his expression showed no sign of letting it go.

"Ah... not long ago..."

Suddenly his hand shot out, grabbing both of her cheeks and lifting her face. The grip wasn't painfully tight, but it was firm and unyielding. Her hands immediately flew up to pry his away, but this guy was clearly strong. His lips moved in a whisper before he spoke louder:

"Again... Let me tell you something: stay the hell away from him. Don't think I don't know what you're really after. You two are in the same gang, huh? Oh, so you're Quỳnh Giao's little sister, right? Aren't you ashamed of yourself?"

That was it—she couldn't hold back anymore. She dug her nails into the arm that was gripping her face and scratched hard. He yelped in pain and jerked his hand back. Their eyes locked in mutual fury:

"Are you crazy?! Did you forget to take your meds or what?" 
"You...!" 
"Yeah! Me! Crazy as hell. We're just normal friends—what the hell are you doing? Don't come bothering me again."

With that, she turned and stormed off, heading straight into the house and slamming the gate shut behind her. The boy outside clutched his scratched, reddened arm, turned on his heel, and muttered as he walked away:"What kind of girl is that strong...?"

...

The sun was high overhead; it was just past noon. At this hour the wind usually picked up, gusting through the open window where Hạ Đan and Ngọc Nhi were sitting. The little girl was engrossed in her brand-new Lego set, eyes glued to the instruction booklet before turning back to the castle she was building.

"Is that Princess Ariel Lego?" 
"Yes! Last time I did really well on my midterm, Mom rewarded me. She said if I keep studying hard in fourth grade, she'll reward me again."

Đan smiled—how adorable children could be in moments like this. From the kitchen drifted a faint, sweet aroma: the cookies she was baking. She was just waiting for them to finish.

"Đan, play the piano for me please?"
"Hm? Oh, sure."

Just as she was about to pull out the chair and sit at the piano, her phone suddenly rang, cutting through the moment. She walked over, checked the screen—and her eyes lit up when she saw the caller's name: