Chapter 1: Stranger in the Afternoon Sun

Late autumn. The scattered trees across the field shed their leaves like a slow rain.

Minh Yen clumsily carried an old hand drum from the music room to the schoolyard, preparing for an upcoming performance. She walked slowly, eyes fixed on the drumhead, mentally reviewing the rhythm as she walked. And then—

“Thud!”

A sudden collision at the corner of the schoolyard sent the drum rolling across the ground.

— “I’m sorry…” – She bent down in a fluster, not daring to look up.

— “…Be more careful.” – A deep male voice, not annoyed, but calm.

Minh Yen looked up.

A boy with dark hair covering his forehead, one earbud dangling. He bent down to pick up the drum and handed it back to her without meeting her eyes.

— “Thank you… I wasn’t paying attention…” – Yen mumbled.

— “Mm.” – He replied simply, then walked away.

Moments later, his figure faded into the crowd, leaving Yen standing there, holding the drum.

Yen was a quiet girl—unremarkable, gentle, the type of person who easily faded into the background of bustling freshmen crowds. Her family had been there with her from the moment she applied for university until she received her acceptance. They protected and shielded her from all the bumps in life—that's why she became timid, a bit “out of tune” in the lively college environment.

From the very first days, Yen had gotten used to going to school alone, eating lunch alone, and quietly listening to the laughter of some distant group of friends. She didn’t hate it—it was just… sometimes, a little lonely.

Weeks passed. She began trying to fit in. A few classmates chatted with her. A few times, she was invited out for coffee. But Yen still felt like a baby bird—hesitant to open her heart. She tried to start conversations, but her voice was too soft, her eyes always avoiding—every effort fell into silence.

Until one day…

“Come watch the basketball game with me! Our class is playing against the graphic design majors!”

“I don’t want to…” – Yen hesitated.

“Come on, we’re just cheering! You stay in the dorm all the time, don’t you get bored?”

Her classmate insisted so much that Yen eventually gave in. She didn’t know that this reluctant “yes”… would become the beginning of something very different.

The basketball court was bustling. Cheers, bouncing balls, and the golden light of the afternoon sun blended together. Yen sat quietly in the back, heart beating faster than usual from the surrounding energy.

“Hey hey, that’s Thien Duy!”

“OMG, look at him shoot! So cool!”

Yen tilted her head slightly. A group of girls nearby were pointing at a guy wearing jersey number 8 – tall, light brown hair, calm eyes, and confident steps. She heard the name: Thien Duy.

That’s the boy from this morning.

He wasn’t flashy, but there was something captivating in his cool demeanor and skilled technique. Every time he jumped to shoot, the sunlight hit just right—like a scene from a movie.

Yen quietly followed his every move. For a moment, her cheeks flushed. She didn’t know if it was the cheering, the sunlight, or the way Thien Duy slightly furrowed his brow then smiled gently after every point he scored.

Halftime came. Duy sat down by the court, wiping sweat while a few girls chatted with him, offering water and towels.

Yen clutched the bottle of water in her hands, her heart pounding like a drum. She stood up, intending to walk over.

“Maybe I shouldn’t… there are too many people…” – she thought.

But she still took a few more steps. As she approached, she saw another girl casually sit down next to him, handing him a towel. They laughed together.

Yen stopped. Her eyes turned slightly sad.

She quietly placed the bottle on a stone bench nearby, next to a small folded note.

“Great game. You played really well.”

No name.

She left nothing behind—just the trace of someone who had passed by.

She turned around and quickly walked toward the gate, as if afraid of being seen.

Unbeknownst to her, a few minutes later, Thien Duy picked up the water bottle from the bench, opened the note and read the short message, glancing around with a puzzled but faintly amused expression.

At that moment, she didn’t know that… that boy—Thien Duy—would become the one to make her heart gently tremble, as deep and resonant as the first notes she ever learned to play.

The sunlight was dazzling.

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