Waking Up From A Dream, The Person Beside My Pillow Was No Longer There|✔️

6: Deskmates

The movie soundtrack began playing, Quach Phuong and Tan Duat remained silent.

The theater was dark, and only the flickering light from the screen, with its intensity constantly changing with each scene, illuminated the room.

As Quach Phuong watched the young couple Lu Kham Duong and Lang Nhat Nghieu in the movie, she couldn't help but be reminded of the past.

This Lang Nhat Nghieu indeed resembled her in many ways.

It was ten years ago when Quach Phuong first met Tan Duat.

That year, Quach Phuong, thanks to her excellent entrance exam results, easily got into the city's top high school and even received a full scholarship.

In her entire life, her academic achievements were her only pride. In other areas, she felt that she was always at a loss.

But then she thought that if she hadn't done so well on her exams at that time, she might have gone to a different school. In that case, Quach Phuong would never have had the chance to meet Tan Duat, and she wouldn't have loved him for ten years.

At fifteen, Quach Phuong studied in the same school and the same class as Tan Duat. What was even worse was that she ended up being his deskmate.

Initially, Tan Duat was just like any other rich kid who used his privileged position to act out without any regard for rules.

Tan Duat wasn't good at studying. Out of the six school days in a week, he only attended class for three. His grades were at the bottom of the barrel. Then, she heard rumors that Tan Duat had used the backdoor to get into the school, which only worsened her impression of him.

What she despised the most were people who relied on their higher starting points to be lazy and irresponsible. But, deep down, Quach Phuong wished that she could be like Tan Duat one day, free to do as she pleased, without having to worry about what others thought. That was why she worked so hard, harder than anyone else.

There was a saying in the world: "God gives you what you hate the most." Not long after school started, the homeroom teacher had arranged for Tan Duat to sit next to her, hoping that she could tutor the weaker student, and that they could make progress together.

At that time, Tan Duat had no objections. With an arrogant look, he carried his bag and walked over to where she was, and sat down.

He even said: "Classmate, we may sit close but our hearts are distant. Don't try to get close to me; I already have someone I like."

Back then, Quach Phuong had thought he was not only a poor student, but also very shameless. She really wanted to laugh, and in fact, she did.

Tan Duat was so embarrassed that he became angry:, "What are you laughing at? Let me tell you, the person I like is Ngo Nhan Tinh from class 12-1 next door. After graduation, I'm going to marry her."

Quach Phuong nodded, and replied, "No girl would marry someone with such poor grades and a limited knowledge of the law like you. When you graduate, you'll only be 18, which isn't old enough to register for marriage."

Tan Duat was left speechless: "..."

Quach Phuong felt that the Tan Duat during their high school years was the best version of him. There was something endearing, rebellious, and passionately youthful about him. He was the complete opposite of the quiet and reserved Quach Phuong, like a disruptive note that turned her whole life upside down.

The Tan Duat ten years later had become mature and composed, but he was excessively cold. His coldness gradually froze her heart day by day, eventually filling it with despair, and sorrow.

After the day they switched seats, Tan Duat continued his irregular attendance. Sitting next to her, he didn't say another word, only silently resting his head on his arms to sleep. There was a moment from those times that still made Quach Phuong's heart uncontrollably race whenever she looked back on it.

Under the ever changing spring sunlight, faint yet warm, Tan Duat lay down with his head tilted, revealing half of his angular face. His long eyelashes were like fan blades. He basked in the light, a layer of iridescent glow covered his body. The sight was so beautiful that it was hard to put into words.

Quach Phuong could feel her face heating up, and her heart fluttering strangely. For a moment, she truly thought Tan Duat was an angel.

Perhaps Quach Phuong and Tan Duat would maintain this 'neither too close nor too distant' relationship as deskmates, until graduation. But as luck would have it, one day, Tan Duat placed a notebook in front of her, and made a serious proposal.

"Classmate Quach, I need you to tutor me and help me conquer the battlefield. If my grades improve, I'll definitely reward you handsomely."

Quach Phuong looked at him skeptically: "Are you serious?"

Tan Duat: "Absolutely serious!"

Later on, she found out that Tan Duat had been criticized by Nhan Tinh. Nhan Tinh said that her ideal type was a knowledgeable man. And coincidentally, Tan Duat didn't have a speck of it.

Since then, Quach Phuong began to supervise Tan Duat's study routine 24/7. Every day, besides working part-time and handling her own homework for the early university entrance exam, she had to find study materials suitable for Tan Duat's foundation.

It wasn't a big deal, because Tan Duat had only lost his roots. She just had to teach him from the beginning. However, she soon discovered that Tan Duat was actually very good at learning; teaching him was easy, but he was lazy in his daily studies. Moreover, it wasn't that Tan Duat was bad at every subject; Quach Phuong affirmed that he was better than her in English, and could even communicate fluently in the language.

As time flew by, Quach Phuong and Tan Duat's relationship evolved from a distant deskmate bond to a closer friendship. Occasionally, Tan Duat would turn to chat with her for a few sentences, teasing her beyond the usual dullness. He had said that she only knew how to bury herself in her studies, as if she was killing her youth.

But Tan Duat was wrong, because of him, Quach Phuong's youth was thoroughly beautiful. But the next ten years were completely dark.

As the movie reached the scene where Lu Kham Duong faced disciplinary review, in front of the entire school, he admitted to writing love letters to Lang Nhat Nghieu, Quach Phuong suddenly smiled at this scene, then turned to ask Tan Duat: "Tan Duat, the time we spent being each other's deskmates, could that be considered friendship?"

Tan Duat turned his head indifferently, and asked in a noncommittal tone: "What do you think?"

"I think if we hadn't gotten married, maybe you and I could have maintained a friendship. At the very least, it wouldn't be as cold as it is now," Quach Phuong's face showed no clear expression, though the light in her eyes was somewhat dim.

Tan Duat responded, neither quick nor slow: "Yeah, maybe so."