
HAN TRINH AND ANH DUONG
Chapter 1: A New Beginning
The school bell rang loudly, signaling the end of classes on a sweltering early summer day.
Amidst the bustling crowd, a small figure was still diligently packing up her books. It was Linh,
an 11th-grade student who had just transferred to the advanced class at the beginning of the
school year. The new environment, new teachers, and the heavy pressure of coursework
sometimes made her feel suffocated.
Linh leaned against the balcony, looking down at the schoolyard where golden sunlight danced
on the leaves. Her immediate goal was clear: to study hard for the IELTS English proficiency
test and aim for the HSA (High School for the Academic Excellence) exam next year. Thinking
about her dream of wearing the majestic police uniform, Linh found renewed motivation to strive
each day.
"Hey, what are you thinking about? You look so absent-minded?" – Vy, her close friend and
deskmate, interrupted Linh's thoughts.
"Oh, I was just thinking about my upcoming study plans. There's so much homework lately, I'm
afraid I can't handle it," Linh sighed, gently tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.
Vy patted her friend's shoulder, smiling encouragingly, "If you can't handle it, then nobody in this
class can. Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Oh, by the way, there's a get-together with
alumni this afternoon, are you going? I heard there are some really great people from the
engineering field."
Linh shook her head slightly, "I probably can't go, I have to go home to help Mom and look after
my younger sibling."
Chapter 2: The Generation Gap
In the evening, the small house became cozy with the playful laughter of her younger sibling.
Linh helped her sibling with their homework while flipping through her English vocabulary book.
Linh's life, though not overly affluent, was peaceful and filled with love.
Deep down, Linh always harbored a secret longing, a figure she'd met by chance during her
volunteer days. He was two years older than her, currently a sophomore at a prestigious
technical university. Every time she remembered his tall stature, nearly 1.8 meters, and his
warm smile, the sixteen-year-old girl's heart would skip a beat.
However, Linh understood that the gap between them wasn't just two years of youth, but a long
road ahead. He had entered adulthood with grand ambitions, while she was still struggling with
her books and her goal of overcoming her own limitations.
Instead of letting her thoughts distract her, Linh chose to turn them into motivation. She told
herself she had to work hard at sports, determined to reach her target height of 1.60 meters by