Chapter 2: The rose and the wild flower
During this time, a senior from another class frequently showed up around me—"accidentally." It was obvious he was trying to make an impression on me. And no, not on Duyên—on me. He was always friendly to me, but when he saw Duyên, he only nodded in greeting.
Every time, I would stare straight into his eyes, wondering if something was wrong with them. Could he really not see the school beauty standing beside me?
Of course, I still only had eyes for Hải Anh.
I even suspected that this guy was using me as a bridge to get close to Duyên. But then again, maybe not. I had my own qualities too, after all.
One fateful day, I overheard a conversation in the boys' restroom.
"Why are you wasting your time chasing after Vân? If you're gonna go for someone, go straight for Duyên. Or are you just using Vân?"
"You're such an idiot. Duyên is way too hard to pursue. I have to take the long route. Ignore her for now, make her curious, then she'll start paying attention. First, I'll get close to Vân, then naturally, I'll get close to Duyên. Vân is like a mid-range apartment—easier to afford than a luxury one. And if I can't get Duyên, well, at least I'll have Vân."
"Damn, dude. That's messed up. You're being too greedy—it's gonna backfire on you."
So that was his game. Not only was he using me to approach Duyên, but he also wanted to keep me as a backup plan.
What a scumbag.
I wanted to storm into the restroom and cut off his you-know-what right then and there. But let's be real, I wasn't about to do that. Just the thought of it made me queasy.
Back in the dorm, I collapsed onto my bed, ripped open a bag of chips, and stuffed my face, still cursing that bastard under my breath. I knew I wouldn't be able to eat or sleep in peace if I didn't get my revenge.
Duyên climbed down from her top bunk, sat next to me, and said,
"Lately, Dương has been texting me a lot. I don't know what he's up to. I thought he was interested in you."
I sat up, my resentment flaring.
"Don't mention that bastard's name to me again."
Vy, from the bed next to mine, chimed in,
"Who's this bastard? Tell me, and I'll handle him for you."
I shot her a look.
"No need. I'll take care of him myself—without using violence."
I told Duyên everything I had overheard. Even her usual gentle expression twisted in disgust. That night, we sat in the dorm courtyard, scheming our revenge with Vy.
In the following days, we began our revenge plan. Duyên and I deliberately set traps for our target. Every time he showed up, I would glance at him with a sweet smile, while Duyên, instead of being indifferent and cold, acted a bit more charming. That guy, every time he came to my room, brought a lot of food, and sometimes even invited the whole dorm to eat at student cafés. The girls in my room would munch away while praising how handsome and considerate he was, saying he would make a great son-in-law for our dorm.
Blinded by infatuation, Dương was completely caught up in our scheme. Outwardly, he was warm and friendly with me and polite with Duyên, but secretly, he was sending sweet messages and chatting with Duyên. When he invited Duyên to a fancy restaurant, she agreed but said she would come later. So, our whole dorm went ahead and enjoyed a feast at his expense, eating happily right in front of his shocked face. His face turned pale, but he had to force a smile. Duyên played her role well—when it was time to pay, she even pretended to hesitate and offered to split the bill. If he had the audacity to accept, I was ready to chime in: "Oh no, none of us brought any money." Watching him empty his pockets, then excuse himself to withdraw cash from an ATM, I felt a bit satisfied.
After that, he wised up a little. Realizing he was spending money but getting nothing in return, he backed off. I still felt like he hadn't suffered enough, but I had no desire to deal with him anymore, so I let it go.
I came to understand a simple truth—between a rose and a wildflower, people will always choose the rose. But that's okay; life has many other meanings.
That wildflower will still be happy with what it has, still clinging to the rose, sharing joys and sorrows—except on those damn special occasions. On those days, when we went out together, Duyên would receive countless flowers and gifts, while I… nothing.