10 minutes before:
A few hundred meters away from the school, Mansa was on her way to the bookstore, and there was Kee chasing behind.
Kee: (runs to Mansa and screams) Mansa aaaaaa, MANSAAAAA!
Mansa: (turns her head and waves at Kee) What, what happened? Why are you here?
Kee: (sighing, laughing, and saying) I forgot to ask you guys what you want to eat…..
Come along, I also want to buy some books.
Mansa: (looking at Kee with suspicious eyes) What's going on? Have you done something wrong to me again? Someone like you who never reads and wants to buy books?
Kee: (rounded around, hugged Mansa's hand, and smiled) It's nothing...Let's go, let's go, "Light of happiness".
After that, Kee and Mansa ran to the bookstore "Pho Minh Town", a small bookstore located on the side corner of the neighborhood.
"Ring ring." The bell rang softly as Mansa opened the door.
Mansa: (turns her head to look at the owner and smiles) Wow, grandpa. Today's jazz music sounds really good.
Owner: (smiling with his wrinkled face) Mansa is here. Today's music is truly relaxing...
Mansa: (looked at him for a long time and hesitated to speak) Where is my "Light of Happiness", grandpa? Did you keep the new chapter for me?
Owner: Of course I did, but…
Mansa: (speaking with an excited face and searching for her book everywhere around) But?? Where, where???
Owner: (looked at Kee and smiled) Your friend seems to be very like it.
Mansa immediately turned her head to look at Kee with her eyes glancing at Kee's hands holding a certain book.
Mansa: Yaaaaa! This kid, how dare you touch my treasure. Why do you dare read the new volume before me?
Kee: (turned to look at Mansa and smiled) I'm just reading, I'm not going to destroy your precious comic, don't worry. (handing her back the book) Here you go.
Mansa: (quickly grabbed the book and brushed it off) My darling... (turned to glance at Kee) Luckily, this guy hasn't done anything to you.
Grandpa, sitting in the distance, chuckled at them and got up to clean the leaves.
Kee: Your taste in books is not as bad as I thought, it's really interesting.
Mansa: (turned around, walked to the counter, and said) How dare you? My taste doesn't mean it will always be bad.
Kee: (walking quickly towards Mansa) I'm just kidding.
...
While Mansa was paying for the book, a message was sent to Kee.
Ting ting ting…Kee looked at the phone screen.
"Message sent from Adam": Sorry, please help me tell Mansa that I can't come today.
Kee: (immediately glanced at Mansa and whispered under his breath) This half-dead kid….
Mansa: (curiously peeked at Kee's phone and said) What's the matter, what's the matter? Why are you so panicked, Kee?
Kee: (startled and hid his phone) Ah...ah. Adam said he had to go home on an unexpected trip..(scratches his head), so I guessed.. he couldn't come tonight.
Mansa: (frowning at Kee and whispering) But why didn't he text me instead?
Kee: (immediately replied) Maybe he didn't dare text you directly because he was afraid you would be sad and lose.
Mansa: (quickly took out her phone and opened her chat with Adam) "She typed the message with a frown on her face": Do you have something urgent? I heard Kee say that you had some sudden matters that you have to go home.
After pressing send message to Adam, Mansa slowly walked out of the bookstore with a sad expression. Kee immediately chased after her and said.
Kee: (slowly following Mansa and looking at her with a worried expression) It's okay, Mansa. Adam will be fine, and besides, without him, we can still have fun and study for exams.
Mansa walked silently and did not respond, as if she was lost in her private world of contemplation.
Kee: (he looked at her face and said with an awkward smile) Smile, my dear friend. Aren't you curious what will happen in the new episode of "The Light of Happiness"?
The silence was gradually stretched in the atmosphere… Mansa stopped and turned her back to look at Kee and said:
Mansa: (her eyes looked down at the ground and slowly spoke to Kee as if she had just realized something very important) Kee. I don't know what my relationship with Adam has been like for the past two years. Is it a truly tangible, genuine connection, as everyone sees, or is it just a thin, invisible bond that I have been romanticized?
After listening to Mansa, Kee remained silent just like his most feared was gradually happening. They looked at each other as if this silence was the only thing that existed in this world at the moment.
….
P/s: Mansa gradually feels the distance in the relationship between her and Adam. Will they have to face the conflicts in this beautiful friendship?
Fact: "The Lamp of Happiness" is one of Mansa's most favorite novels. This is a novel about the journey of finding happiness of a time traveler, a man who gradually loses hope and interest in life when he can predict what will happen as well as holding the power that can change the past he regrets. Life seemed to no longer have meaning and value when everything was so easy. His exploration trips gradually became more colorful and meaningful as he met wonderful people and witnessed different stories.