Long Nhật and Hạ Đan stared at each other in stunned silence. The instant they recognized one another, both instinctively wanted nothing more than to swing a fist right into the other's face. Thanh Quang, completely unaware of what had happened before, laughed in surprise and asked:

"Huh? I was about to introduce you two, but you already know each other?"

Both of them flinched and immediately looked away in different directions—neither wanted to bring up that incident again. Amid the heavy, awkward silence, Hạ Đan decided to come up with a fake reason, forcing a slightly strained smile:

"Oh... we just bumped into each other at the supermarket the other day... I didn't know he was your friend."

Long Nhật quickly followed her lead, his throat suddenly dry. It took him a moment before he could awkwardly reply:

"Yeah... that day I ran into her..."

Thanh Quang didn't think much of it and nodded, accepting that the two had simply met in passing. He smiled and began the introductions properly:

"This is Hạ Đan, my new friend. She happened to come back here for a visit, so I'm showing her around. And this is Long Nhật, my best buddy."

After that, the two of them exchanged stiff glances. Out of basic courtesy, they extended their hands for a handshake. Both reached out hesitantly; the grip was quick, tense, and thoroughly uncomfortable. They gritted their teeth, trying hard not to let it show on their faces. Quang began to sense the pressure in the air, even though he had no idea what had really happened.

"Well, since you're already here... come hang out with us anyway."

And so the three of them walked along the streets of the town, passing familiar, simple eateries and cafés that stirred a strange, nostalgic longing in anyone who saw them. Quang was the main one keeping the conversation going; Nhật and Đan responded when necessary, but both were clearly holding themselves back.Then Quang said:

"Nhật has this awesome treehouse—it's really nice. There's even a window with a view of the sea. Hey, can I come over today?" "Yeah, if you want." "Can I bring Đan along too? Đan, you free to come check it out?" "Huh?"

Hạ Đan hadn't expected to be invited to *that person's* house. She gave an awkward smile and threw in a subtle jab, thinking there was no way Long Nhật would actually agree:

"I'm not busy, but I don't know if anh Nhật will let me."

Quang smiled when he saw she was willing. He turned to Nhật:

"So... cool with it?" "...Yeah, sure. Come over."

And just like that, everything was arranged.

"How about I bring the cookies I baked this morning from home? We can share them." "Sounds good. We'll wait for you." "Alright, you two go ahead first."

Quang then pointed out the beach spot where he and Đan had met before, telling her to wait there and he'd come pick her up. After Đan turned toward her house, Nhật let out an irritated sigh and cleared his throat at Quang:

"Hey, you went to that pond again earlier, didn't you?"

He wasn't complaining about inviting Hạ Đan—he was talking about the swan pond they'd passed earlier. Quang turned quiet for a few seconds before smiling faintly and replying:

"I don't think about it anymore. It's not that river anymore anyway." "You're crazy! I told you—don't go near that pond. Every time you see it, you remember bad stuff. I don't know what's going on in your head, but sometimes I think you're still haunted by it! If you fall into depression one day, I'm not dealing with that." "I know you're worried about me, but I'm not the same as before. I've changed." "Don't try to reassure me. I already said what I said."

The silence stretched on until they reached Long Nhật's treehouse. What exactly was hidden in that pond...?

Holding the box of cookies, Hạ Đan closed the gate before leaving home. She followed the path to the beach as instructed earlier. On the way, she passed Thanh Quang's familiar house. When she glanced inside, she saw a woman in her early forties. The woman had a facial resemblance to Quang—Đan immediately knew she must be his mother. Deciding to be polite, she approached with a smile and said:

"Hello, cô ạ."

The woman looked up at Đan in surprise. Her face still carried traces of youthful beauty, but her eyes were unusually stern, carrying an unspoken sorrow:

"Who are you looking for?"

"Um... are you anh Quang's mom?" "Yes. What is it?" "I'm Hạ Đan, anh Quang's friend. I just wanted to say hello. Oh, I baked some cookies..."

Đan opened the box and offered it to her, hoping she'd try one. But the woman looked down coldly and turned back to her broom:

"Thank you for the kindness, but I won't accept it." "Uh...?"

Hearing that, Đan quietly closed the box, looking down in embarrassment. She bit her lip, blaming herself for being too forward:

"I said I'm Quang's friend... Before you spend too much time with him, it's better to limit your meetings." "Excuse me? Is something wrong?" "I'm just saying—don't ask. I don't want to hear any more gossip."

Đan was completely stunned by the harsh, accusatory tone the woman used toward her own son. Though she had no idea what had happened, she silently closed the box fully and gave a small bow:

"Then... I'll take my leave, cô ạ."

Without a word in reply, the woman turned back to her garden. Hạ Đan walked away and continued toward the beach. She wondered: Why was she so cold? Had Quang's mother always been this distant with all of her son's friends? She didn't know anymore.

...

As promised, after waiting at the spot Quang had told her, he came from the house and led her up to the treehouse. Long Nhật heard the creak of the wooden ladder—he knew she had arrived—but he didn't bother turning around. Meanwhile, Quang was guiding her up:

"Be careful. We're here."

After climbing the last step, Đan looked around the wooden house. Just as described—simple, cool, with beautiful views and a relaxed atmosphere:

"Here are the cookies, you two."

She opened the box after the three of them sat in a small circle around it. The gentle aroma of various kinds of cookies spread out—they looked delicious and appetizing:

"Wow, these look amazing. Mind if I try one?" "Anh Nhật... want to try some?" "Cookies, huh?"

He glanced down at the box with slight suspicion. Her tone wasn't exactly warm or inviting, but he couldn't ignore basic politeness:

"Yeah... sure."

After that, there was only the crisp crunch of cookies in everyone's mouths. The flavor melted on the tongue, the lingering sweetness captivating them all. Long Nhật said nothing, but his eyes couldn't deny how good they were. Thanh Quang grinned and exclaimed:

"You really made these well! You should bake more often." "I just baked them this morning while you were talking with little Nhi."

While the two boys focused on eating, Hạ Đan looked around the wooden house, lost in curiosity. She noticed the shelf in the right corner—where Nhật kept the things he collected or found:

"Anh Nhật, can I check out the shelf?" "Go ahead."

Hạ Đan stood up and curiously walked over. She browsed—books, some drawings—and then, in the left corner, she spotted a sheet of paper with English writing. She pulled it out, read a bit, and realized it looked familiar. Her eyes lit up before she turned back and asked:

"You know 'Perfect' by One Direction too?"

Both boys looked up at her in surprise. Long Nhật's eyes widened when he realized he'd left that lyric sheet out in the open. He was flustered, unsure how to respond now that someone had discovered his favorite song. Thanh Quang laughed and said:

"Oh, you left that sheet there? You know that song, Đan? He loves it. He sings it sometimes and I have no idea wha—"

Quang's words were cut off by Nhật's elbow jabbing him to shut up. Nhật awkwardly looked away before finally answering her question:

"Yeah..."

This time it was Hạ Đan's turn to be surprised. She was a huge fan of US-UK music—she never imagined someone as dry as him would know this song. For some reason, the earlier hostility seemed to vanish. She walked back over with a bright smile:

"No way! I love this song so much.""Really? Do you know the lyrics?" "Oh come on, are you challenging me to a solo? Alright, let me show you my 'skills'!"

Both boys burst out laughing at her bold challenge. Thanh Quang couldn't hide his excitement at seeing his best friend finally find someone to geek out with:

"Come on, Nhật—go for it! What are you scared of?"

Long Nhật looked up at her with a confident smirk. He stood, adjusted his shirt, put his hands on his hips, and lifted his chin:

"Think you can handle it?""Why not? Let anh Quang be the judge. Winner takes two-thirds of the cookies—the rest goes to the judge." "I'll let you go first—Verse 1. I'll take Verse 2. The rest we share." "Bring it."

Thanh Quang watched them both with excitement, nodded, and agreed to be the judge for this "vocal battle." He pulled out his phone, set up the backing track on one device and recording on another. Once everything was ready, he just needed one tap to start the music:

"Ready? 1, 2, 3..."

No more hostility or walls between them—though the earlier issue hadn't been resolved, the look in both their eyes was pure excitement and the desire to win, to prove themselves to the other. Finding someone who shared your taste wasn't hard; it was the way you enjoyed that taste together that brought you closer:

"Let's go!"