I returned to school after the summer break. Perhaps it was the excitement of seeing my friends again after months apart that made a surge of anticipation swell inside me. I pedaled my clunky bicycle through the crowded market street, turned through a few more corners, and finally reached the school gates. After parking my bike in the shed, I rushed upstairs to my classroom with an indescribable sense of joy. No matter how many school years I had started, that fluttery feeling in my chest remained as fresh as the very first time.
The moment I stepped inside, my close circle of friends was already gathered around our usual spots, chatting animatedly.
"Hey guys! Long time no see!" I greeted them.
"Get over here and spill the tea, old man!" Thanh waved, pulling her backpack toward herself and patting the seat, signaling me to sit down.
Just as I hung my bag on the rack, Tam broke the ice with breaking news from this morning's paper: "Have you guys read about the crime case this morning?"
She was met with blank stares and shaking heads. I barely even bothered to check the mailbox for the morning paper, let alone keep up with sensational news. Realizing none of us had touched a newspaper, Tam facepalmed: "It's that murder case everyone's talking about! Do you seriously not know?"
I shook my head cluelessly, while the others started to get curious. One of them chimed in, "Oh, that case! The killer was surprisingly meticulous!"
Thanh nodded in agreement: "The victim was found starved for days, dressed in rags. But weirdly enough, the perpetrator posed her body as if she were desperately running toward the door..."
"Maybe she had a secret affair with the killer, got pregnant, and then broke up with him before being murdered? Did he stage the scene like that just to imagine her running back to him?" Hoang blurted out.
His wild theory sent the whole group into fits of laughter. Hoang was always the class clown like that.
"Are you kids going downstairs for the opening ceremony or not?"
Our homeroom teacher suddenly appeared at the door, holding a thin bamboo cane about two fingers wide. She was as strict as ever... Our class was notorious for being one of the most rebellious in the grade, and even though we had a few top achievers in certain subjects, it wasn’t enough to drag our overall discipline score up.
Down on the assembly grounds, our group huddled together. Three months apart gave us endless things to talk about. Even though we texted constantly during the summer, talking face-to-face felt far more intimate. Up on the stage, the annual school performance unfolded with its usual gentle acoustic songs, making it even easier for me to tune out and drift back into our group's conversation.
Piece by piece, the details of the crime case emerged from Tam’s story: The victim's body was discovered in an abandoned house in the middle of a slum. The area was already deserted, and recent ghost rumors made sure nobody dared approach it at night — making it a perfect crime scene. The victim's body was intricately bound with wires to freeze her in a panicked pose, as if she were frantically running toward something. Her right arm reached out toward the wide-open door, her face a mix of urgency and horror...
Absorbed in the story, none of us noticed our homeroom teacher standing right behind us. She tapped me lightly on the head, scolding us for being noisy in the front row and telling us to focus on the stage. I held my head and turned toward the stage, expecting the same old dull speech from a senior teacher. But surprisingly, a completely fresh face stepped up to the microphone.
"The Head of the Student Club this year is so handsome!" a girl from the neighboring class squealed loudly.
It was Khiem — the head of the school's renowned Multimedia Club, two years my senior. Standing at an impressive 180 cm with a calm, refined aura, he effortlessly stood out in the crowd.
When the ceremony concluded, my roommate and I packed our belongings and moved into the dorms. While resting, I casually searched for more news articles regarding the victim found in the slum. Her name was Tran Hoai Thanh, residing in Alley B near the city center. The cause of death was determined to be acute cyanide poisoning. Forensic reports indicated that the abandoned house was merely a dumping ground, and the actual murder had taken place elsewhere.
Knock, knock, knock.
A sudden knock at the door pulled me out of my thoughts.
"Go open the door!" I called out to my roommate.
"Why don't you do it? I'm busy!" he grumbled back.
"How could you have the heart to make your poor, fragile old roommate get up..." I lowered my voice, putting on a pitiful, raspy tone.
That trick never failed. He rolled his eyes and went to open the door. As the door swung open, a tall figure stepped into view, leaving my roommate frozen on the spot.
Curious, I hurried over: "What's going on?"
"Routine dormitory inspection," a calm, authoritative voice echoed.
It was Khiem! He stepped into the room, scanning the space carefully. Frowning slightly, he adjusted his glasses and jotted something down in his notebook: "Room 36: Messy layout, minus 10 merit points. Unauthorized appliances found: mini-fridge, electric rice cooker, hotpot stove — minus 14 conduct points per person."
He then walked into the bathroom to check: "Toilet lid left open, toothbrushes and mouthwash cups scattered untidily across the sink..."
I covered my face, knowing we were completely doomed. My roommate nudged my shoulder and whispered a ridiculous idea: "Should we... intimidate him to see if we can get a lighter penalty?"
I was speechless. What was going through his head, trying to intimidate the powerful Club President when the two of us were completely at his mercy? Bowing down to beg for forgiveness sounded a thousand times more realistic. After a brief debate, both of us ended up bowing 90 degrees, pleading for mercy. My roommate even tried to bribe him with VIP game cards and snacks, which was met with a cold glance and an added penalty note: Additional point deduction for attempting to bribe an inspector. Before leaving, Khiem threw two brooms at us, ordering us to clean up the room immediately.
After spending the entire afternoon tidying up the mess my roommate created, our project group met up at a coffee shop near the dorms to work on an upcoming presentation. The café was only about 500 meters from campus, featuring a serene atmosphere filled with the subtle scent of lavender. Most customers sitting in the outer area were alone. Stepping further inside, I realized why: the café offered soundproof private rooms ranging from small spaces for 1–2 people to larger rooms for 5–6. After ordering our drinks at the counter, we settled into a room and worked tirelessly on our poster board, slides, and research. We were so absorbed in our work that we didn't realize how late it was until the staff announced closing time.
Back at the dorm, panic struck — I realized I hadn't done my individual homework due tomorrow morning! Pulling an all-nighter was unavoidable. If I had known, I wouldn't have drunk so much chamomile tea earlier...
At exactly 10 PM, the dormitory lights went out. The sudden blackout left me sitting in the dark with my unfinished homework. Sighing, I packed my books away and crawled into bed, telling myself to wake up early tomorrow instead.
Yet, as I lay there, sleep refused to come. Images of the morning murder case kept lingering in my mind. I got up and walked over to the window. It was a full moon tonight; the sky was dark, bathed in a soft, bright lunar glow. Although Building B blocked part of the city skyline, I caught sight of a silhouette standing quietly on the rooftop of Building B.
Under the moonlight, the person's delicate facial features looked breathtakingly handsome. His eyes were fixed intently on the glowing moon above. In that split second, my heart skipped a beat. I stood there mesmerized, gazing at him for what felt like forever, until my roommate tapped my shoulder: "Why aren't you sleeping? What are you staring at?"
I snapped out of my trance. By the time I convinced my roommate to go back to sleep and turned back to the window, the figure on the roof was gone. A strange wave of empty longing washed over me, as if I had just lost something precious...
"Damn it, we're late! Wake up right now, Ninh! Hurry up!"
My roommate's frantic shouts broke the morning quiet. I blinked at the clock: 7:05 AM!
I sprang out of bed like a rocket, frantically grabbing whatever clothes I could find. Clutching my bag, I bolted down the dormitory stairs, nearly tripping several times. By the time I reached the classroom door, my legs were trembling with exhaustion.
Class had already started. I held onto the doorframe, panting softly: "I'm... I'm sorry I'm late, teacher..."
The whole class turned and burst into giggles. Standing at the podium wasn't our homeroom teacher, but Khiem. He looked briefly surprised before regaining his composure, nodding to let me in. I scurried to my desk and buried my face in my arms, burning with embarrassment. My mind always overthought things, and this embarrassing moment was bound to haunt me all day.
"Thank you for your attention, class. As planned, each class will be designing a themed poster board. I look forward to seeing your creative ideas," Khiem offered a gentle smile before stepping out to inform the next class.
Our homeroom teacher, sitting at her desk, warmly bade him goodbye. But as soon as the door closed, her eyes snapped toward me: "Nguyen Hoang Nhat Ninh!"
I jumped out of my seat. She walked over, gently pinching my ear: "What kind of 'trouble' are you causing me today? It's only Monday morning and you're already late!"
I hung my head, stammering out quiet apologies. Luckily, she only scolded me briefly before letting it go.
After five exhausting periods, my long-awaited rest finally arrived. In this chilly weather, burying myself under a warm duvet was the ultimate bliss!
Just as I curled up under the blanket, my phone buzzed with an incoming message.
It was from Lukas — an older guy I met online whom I was extremely close with (and secretly had a crush on). The message opened with his usual gentle care: "Did my little Ninh make it home safely? Were you tired at school today, sweetheart?"
I smiled warmly, blushing as I typed back bashfully: "I just got back~ I was late today and got scolded by the teacher, it was so embarrassing. My bed is so cozy but I don't wanna sleep yet... What are you doing right now, hyung?"
Lukas sent a news link along with a message: "Good boy. Take a look at this real quick."
"Another deduction test...?" I thought to myself, pouting slightly in a cute way, though I obediently clicked the link anyway.
The images in the report were heavily blurred, but looking closely, the crime scene appeared to be a sparse forest on the outskirts of town. The woman's body was tightly entwined in sharp thorny bushes, the thorns piercing deep into her skin as if she were desperately embracing the briars. Her clothes were tattered, her long hair falling over her lowered head. Forensic results showed she died from severe internal organ puncture wounds, yet the injuries were meticulously stitched back together — hinting at a perpetrator with exceptional medical or surgical skills.
"Little Clementine, what do you think about this case?" Lukas asked.
I pondered for a moment, then typed back, blending my analysis with a needy, affectionate tone: "I guess... the killer in this case is the same as the one from the abandoned house, right? Am I smart, hyung? "
In fact, the info about the previous case had also been shared by Lukas. My hunch wasn't baseless. Both victims were vulnerable women working in the adult entertainment industry, and strangely enough, both had undergone abortion procedures at the very same clinic.
I sent my chain of reasoning over. The screen marked the message as "Read," but silence followed for several agonizing seconds.
"Did he fall asleep...?" I thought, my lips pouting slightly in disappointment.
Suddenly, my phone vibrated repeatedly:
"Spot-on deduction, my Little Clementine. You really are so smart."
"This Wednesday at 8 PM, at the bus stop. I'll be waiting for you."
My heart fluttered wildly as heat rushed to my cheeks. I buried my face into my pillow, clutching my phone tightly to hide my shy, helpless smile.
