Current life

Ah-choo! This year's winter is really cold! My face was covered in mud, but finally, I finished the rough labor. It seems like I should take a bath. My feet walked across the tiles, about five steps. I fumbled around, turning my head left and right. Ah, there it is, finally found the soap. I turned on the shower, letting the water relax me in the bathroom.

After a while, I was done bathing. I grabbed my clothes and dressed neatly, ready for the afternoon class. But something felt strange—it was tickling the top of my foot. Something long and weird. My face turned pale, my complexion green with fear. I looked down and realized—it was a centipede!

Startled, I kicked my foot as far as I could, slamming my body against the bathroom door. "Thud!" The sound echoed terribly. I shut my eyes tightly, shaking my foot to make sure the centipede was far away. Haha, stupid centipede! But wait, I looked again… It seemed I had completely destroyed the bathroom door.

"What's going on?!" My mom's voice shouted from outside.

Oh no! If mom finds out, I'll definitely get scolded. In a hurry, I dashed into the study room, grabbed my bag, and ran out like the wind. My mom was still yelling:

"Giang! You've ruined this house again!"

On the way to school, the autumn weather seemed so pleasing. Gentle sunlight, cool breezes—it was just like "bun dau with shrimp paste," a perfect combination. I skipped along past the rows of trees, watching the yellow leaves fall lightly. The sky was blue, birds chirped melodiously, and the fresh air lifted my mood.

In no time, I arrived at school. Walking past the familiar gate, I climbed up to the second floor and stepped into my classroom. The drumbeat sounded loud, signaling the start of the lesson. I adjusted my books and uniform, ready for today's class.

But time crawled so slowly. Boring, so boring. I couldn't understand if it was because I was bad at studying or if it was the environment, but I just couldn't focus.

Ah, it reminds me of Einstein's saying: "When you sit with a beautiful girl for two hours, it feels like two minutes. But when you sit on a hot stove for two minutes, it feels like two hours." My eyes glanced at the clock—only two periods had passed. There were three more to go. Sigh. It seemed like the third and fourth periods would be Literature class. Oh, words couldn't describe my misery. I buried my face in my arms.

During recess, my classmates chatted, sharing stories, forming friendships of youthful days. But me? I sighed and clicked my tongue in frustration. I was mad at myself for oversleeping on the first day of school. I had been careless, and when I arrived, the only empty desk left was at the back of the class.

Though it was the only desk, with a class of 42 students, there was no way anyone would be left alone. At that moment, I was glad that someone would sit with me. But then, the sound of footsteps. A male teacher entered with my homeroom teacher. They whispered something, then looked at me and the class before announcing:

"Class, one of your classmates has transferred to another school. So now there are only 41 of you."

I was speechless, stunned. Thinking back, I should've set an alarm for 3 a.m.

As I kept my face buried, I suddenly smelled a faint, sweet fragrance. Lifting my head, I couldn't believe my eyes. In front of me was… a goddess.

Her skin was as white as snow, lips a delicate pink, stealing every gaze with envy. Her fox-like eyes, harmonious and pure, captured hearts effortlessly. Wait, she seemed to be walking towards me to start a conversation. My body—MY BODY! It froze. Her lips were so beautiful. It seemed like she was speaking to me:

"Hi! My name's Mai. What's your name?" Her voice was as gentle as wind chimes, making my heart race wildly.

I stammered, unable to form a coherent word.

The drumbeat rang out again, shattering the dreamy moment. Mai stood up, walking gracefully. Before leaving, she turned back and waved, her eyes smiling.

"Goodbye!" Her voice was soft, like a melodic tune.

I sat there, as if turned to stone. While I was still daydreaming, a sharp voice interrupted:

"Class, stand!"

I didn't notice and stayed dazed. When I finally looked up, I caught the piercing gaze of my Literature teacher.