Chapter 33: The Queen of Dodging Flirtation
If I had to trade a beautiful friendship for a fleeting romance, I would never make that trade.
Two weeks later, the kid invited me to a party again.
I put on a dress, boots, a long wool coat, and did some light makeup. Sometimes, on a whim, I'd put on makeup—not to impress anyone, just for myself. Even if the whole world didn't love me, I had to love myself. Always hold your head high and face life with confidence. That's what it means to be proudly single.
I waited downstairs for a bit before "Golden Boy" pulled up in front of me. He stood there for a moment, seemingly a little surprised by how I looked.
"It's my birthday today."
Oh my god. This was awkward. We had been friends for so long, yet I didn't even know when his birthday was. I didn't have a gift for him.
I hesitantly asked:
"What kind of gift do you like? I'll get you one later, okay?"
He smirked mischievously.
"The gift I want is simple. I'll tell you later."
I got into the car, flashing him a bright smile.
"You have a nice birth date. January 10th, huh?"
He puffed out his chest proudly.
"Of course. January is the month of geniuses, you know? And the number 10 is perfect, just like me."
He burst into laughter. I didn't know why, but I really liked his laugh. It was always wide and carefree, showing off his perfectly white teeth. The sound was so genuine and full of life that it made anyone listening feel good, too.
I had actually read an article about geniuses born in January before, but his smug attitude was really testing my patience. I had flattered the wrong person.
He held his birthday party at a large karaoke lounge.
This guy had a lot of friends. He was just the kind of person people naturally gravitated toward.
Throughout the party, even though he was busy greeting friends, he still sat beside me. His friends kept glancing at me, then at each other, whispering things. Some even gave him a thumbs-up and nodded in approval.
I felt a little out of place in this setting. To pass the time, I picked a song to sing. My voice suited sad songs, and only sad songs allowed me to sing with my whole heart.
Maybe it was a sign that my love life would always be tragic and end in heartbreak.
I lost myself in the song, pouring my emotions into every lyric:
"Searching for the smile of happiness, a lifetime of love with you...
Dreams are not just regrets of the past.
We will walk this path together,
So the winter rain won't bring more sorrow."
When I put the mic down, I finally noticed that the room had gone eerily silent.
Oops.
It was his birthday, and here I was singing a song that felt like a funeral ballad. How embarrassing.
I snuck a glance at him. His face was full of emotion. His friends, too, looked like they were still lost in the song's lingering sadness. It wasn't until the screen displayed the next song that the room erupted in loud applause.
A guy walked over to "Golden Boy," clinking beer glasses with him before leaning in and "whispering" in a voice loud enough for me to hear:
"You two look great together. Congrats, bro. Time to get your pilot's license and fly that airplane."
"Pilot's license? Airplane?"
"Golden Boy" didn't correct him. He just scratched his head and laughed before taking a sip of his beer.
What were these guys even thinking? Just because a guy and a girl hung out together didn't automatically mean it was love.
We were just two people with similar circumstances—keeping each other company when life got dull.
Me? Love him?
Him? Love me?
These brats were making me choke on my own drink. What an insult.
As the party was winding down, I pressed him again:
"So, what do you want as a gift? I'll get it for you tomorrow."
He leaned in and whispered:
"I want Vu Trang Van."
I froze.
He wasn't smiling.
Under the dim lights, his gaze was serious.
But all I felt was awkward.
I burst out laughing and patted his shoulder.
"Well, what do you want from Vu Trang Van? I've got three expensive white dresses, a Nokia phone, a Lenovo laptop, and a pile of comic books."
He still looked at me seriously.
"I want Vu Trang Van's heart."
Uh-oh.
If he had been joking, this would be easy.
But if he was serious… I had no idea what to do.
Then suddenly, he laughed too.
"You can owe me this gift for now. We'll talk about it later."
In the lecture hall, when my classmates no longer saw "Beautiful Butt" appear, they all started asking me:
"Hey, isn't BMW guy pursuing you anymore?"
I waved my hand dismissively and smiled:
"He's found himself a long-legged beauty with a big chest, someone more suitable for him."