I was born in Ho Chi Minh City. I have lived in Ho Chi Minh City from childhood to adulthood, and naturally, I attended school there.

As a child, I was a quiet kid. There wasn’t anything particularly special about me, except that I didn’t have many friends. I liked music and books. In middle school, my home was quite far from school, and I always went by bus. My favorite time was reading a book while listening to music on the bus. As I listened to the music repeatedly on the bus, it started to form a sort of coherence in my consciousness, like a blurred image becoming clearer. It felt like I was in a different world.

However, once I got off the bus, that feeling completely disappeared. I never shared this experience with anyone, so for those 30 minutes each morning, I was alone in that world.

I didn’t have many friends in middle school. Most middle school boys liked soccer and manga. So, my preference for reading books while listening to music on the bus seemed strange to them, and I was often called foolish.

In my second year of middle school, things changed. I grew taller, my voice began to change, and I started to like a girl named Minh. Minh had a slight injury on her right leg due to an accident. Above all, she was strikingly beautiful, almost impossible to ignore. But when I first met her, Minh was still just a child.

During a class, when the teacher asked, “What are your hobbies?” most students answered “soccer” or “manga.” I also said I liked soccer. When it was Minh’s turn, she walked up to the front (slowly because of her leg injury), and confidently said, “I like listening to music on the bus.” Everyone laughed, teasing her about having problems not just with her leg but perhaps with her mind too. She couldn’t stand up straight at that moment (probably due to pain in her leg), but to me, Minh seemed the most upright.

I stood up, went beside her, and said loudly to everyone, “I also like listening to music on the bus. Moreover, reading while listening to music is the best.”

We were imperfect beings, but it was our imperfections that allowed us to find each other. It felt like a new world had opened up before us. We stood in a vague light in that new place, staring at each other alone.

After that, we grew closer. I still remember those times well. I liked Minh throughout middle school, but I never had the courage to tell her. In high school, we went to different schools. A lot happened during that time. But that’s it for now. I’ll talk about high school another time. Anyway, Minh and I are still close friends.

This episode taught me a lot. If you live as your true self, you might find your soulmate. Being a fake version of yourself is not worth it. And if you still have the chance, say “I like you.” Maybe tomorrow, you won’t have the chance anymore.