Chapter 9 – No Escape

Huyet Minh led Thien Duc to a small café tucked away in a corner of the street, where the noise of passing traffic seemed to fade at the threshold. Inside, the glow of warm amber lights softened the silence, and the sharp scent of roasted coffee hung thick in the air, as if isolating them from the world outside.

Without a word, Huyet Minh pulled out a chair in a secluded corner for Thien Duc, then sat down across from him, unhurried. The space between them felt tight, heavy with quiet.

Thien Duc glanced around, brows furrowing, his voice edged with irritation.

"This is where you wanted to bring me? Just to sit and drink coffee?"

Huyet Minh nodded, his gaze calm yet laced with something probing.

"Yes. I wanted us to sit down and talk for a bit. No rush—just a few words, that's all."

Thien Duc blinked, momentarily unsettled.

"Talk? About what?"

Huyet Minh tilted his head slightly, his eyes locking onto Thien Duc's. His voice was soft, almost drifting.

"About you and me."

The simple sentence made the air seem to still. Thien Duc's fingers tightened on the chair, his eyes darting away, refusing that stare.

"There's nothing between us to talk about. What are you even thinking?"

Propping his chin on one hand, Huyet Minh let a faint smile curve his lips. His blue eyes narrowed slightly, as if seeing straight through him.

"Plenty of things. For example… why did you stand in front of my door for almost ten minutes this morning, tugging at your hair before you finally knocked?"

Color rushed to Thien Duc's face. He risked a glance at Huyet Minh, startled to find those eyes never wavering. His lips parted, fumbling for an excuse:

"I… was just passing by. It was on the way, so…"

He stopped himself. Even he couldn't believe the words.

Huyet Minh let out a soft laugh, cutting him off.

"Passing by, while tearing at your hair like that?"

He didn't press further, but the glint in his eyes—playful, knowing—was enough to send a flush crawling up Thien Duc's neck. What Thien Duc didn't know was that Huyet Minh had already checked his door camera that morning, watching every awkward, hesitant move that had betrayed more than words ever could.

"You might want to come up with a better excuse," Huyet Minh murmured, his tone a mixture of teasing and undeniable truth that Thien Duc couldn't refute.

Thien Duc dropped his gaze, his hand balling into a fist on the table as he muttered:

"I wasn't doing anything like that! And… you're the one who texted me to come over. Why are you interrogating me now?"

Huyet Minh's smile deepened, his voice low and deliberate.

"Because you're more interesting than I thought. You're… actually pretty cute."

Thud! Thien Duc slammed his palm against the table, trying to steady his voice, though the tips of his ears burned red.

"Hey! Stop saying weird things like that!"

Huyet Minh shrugged lightly. His tone was even, but a faint spark of amusement lingered in his eyes.

"Alright. I won't say it again. But… even if you keep denying it, I still know what's going through your head."

The words sliced through the silence. Thien Duc shot up from his seat, turning sharply to leave.

"I don't know what you're talking about! I'm leaving!"

But before he could take a step, Huyet Minh's hand closed around his wrist. The grip wasn't harsh, but firm enough to halt him, drawing him back into his seat.

"Sit down," Huyet Minh's voice was deeper now, the playfulness gone, replaced by a quiet gravity. "We're not done talking."

Thien Duc looked at him, eyes a mix of frustration and… something unsteady. He exhaled through his teeth, muttering under his breath:

"You always have to force things your way, don't you?"

Huyet Minh met his gaze, his voice slow, measured, and uncharacteristically earnest.

"All I'm asking is for a chance. Just one. Stop running from me… can you do that?"

The café seemed to fall utterly silent. Somewhere, soft music played, but Thien Duc couldn't hear it anymore. His head lowered, his hand curling tightly on his lap as his voice came out strained:

"I… I need time. I can't give you an answer right now."

Huyet Minh studied him for a moment, then slowly released his wrist. A faint smile curved his lips, neither entirely sad nor amused.

"Alright. Take as long as you need. Just… don't disappear on me."

---

On the way home, the evening breeze swept gently through the streets, carrying faint scents of food from nearby shops. Thien Duc walked alone, each step dragging. His hand drifted to his chest, feeling the too-quick thud of his own heart—every beat echoing Huyet Minh's eyes and voice as he said those two words: "Don't run."

"Am I really… not able to keep running from this?" Thien Duc whispered, the question dissolving into the wind.

---

That night, Thien Duc sat at his desk, the glow of his computer screen casting hollow light across his face. The words on the screen blurred, unreadable. He couldn't focus. His elbow rested on the desk, his hand supporting his chin as his eyes stared into nothing.

"A chance?" he muttered. "But… what does giving a chance even mean? Just staying around him? Or… actually answering his feelings?"

A sigh slipped from his lips as he leaned back into his chair. Instantly, Huyet Minh's face surfaced in his mind—the teasing smile, the occasional, inexplicably gentle look. Thien Duc shot upright, shaking his head.

"Stop thinking about it! Avoiding him will work. If I don't see him, don't talk to him… things will settle. Right?"

---

The next morning, Huyet Minh stood in front of Thien Duc's door, a bag in hand. He pressed the doorbell for the third time, but the house remained silent. The cold air tousled his hair, but his expression didn't falter.

With a quiet breath, he pulled out his phone. The screen lit up: "Calling… Thien Duc." The ringtone echoed, unanswered.

Huyet Minh stared at the screen, a faint, wry smile curving his lips.

"You're good, Thien Duc. But… I'm not that easy to shake off."

---

Meanwhile, Thien Duc sat in another café, tucked into a corner by the window. Before him, a cup of black coffee had long gone cold. His phone lay face-up on the table, glowing with a single notification: "Missed call: Huyet Minh."

He stared at the screen for a long while, a tangle of unease rising in his chest. With a small sigh, he turned the phone face-down and murmured:

"He'll give up eventually. If I just avoid him a little longer…"

But as soon as the words left his mouth, a restless tension stirred in his chest, refusing to settle. He reached for the coffee cup, but before he could bring it to his lips, a familiar voice spoke softly behind him:

"So… this is where you've been hiding?"

Thien Duc jolted, spinning around. Huyet Minh stood behind him, the bag still in his hand, blue eyes fixed on him with a look that held equal parts reproach and a strange, quiet gentleness.

"You… how did you even find me?" Thien Duc stammered.

Huyet Minh pulled out the chair across from him, setting the bag aside as he sat down. His gaze didn't waver as his voice came, low and steady:

"I rang your doorbell. I called you. You ignored both. And now here you are, sitting alone with cold coffee. Tell me… are you avoiding me?"

The air thickened instantly. Thien Duc gripped the coffee cup tighter, unease and something heavier churning inside him.

His lips parted, his voice quiet, uncertain.

"I… just needed some time alone. I'm not avoiding anyone."

Huyet Minh's brow arched slightly, though his eyes remained fixed on Thien Duc.

"Aren't you?"