Cuong himself did not know that there was a selfish seed planted in his heart, that seed was called love.

From then on, he tried to stay in Hanoi, and became a regular customer of the restaurant. No matter where he went, he always went to the restaurant twice a day to eat.

Even though he was a regular customer here, he still didn’t dare to get to know her. He just ate quietly and silently watched her figure.

All fun must end. Seeing that it had been a long time since he returned home, he refused to return home, so he called to persuade him to return. Even though he was nostalgic, he also felt that it was time for him to return home and leave the girl he had secretly loved since the first time they met.

Leaving her was something he did not want. Suddenly he hesitated, half wanting to stay, half wanting to return. But he was forced to return to his family, where his parents were waiting.

But when he returned, he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to see her again. And what if, while he’s not here, someone steals her away? Actually, he was afraid that when he left here, he would lose her forever.

He wanted to tell her; he loves her, wants to be with her forever. but he didn’t have the courage to tell her. Many times I wanted to ask for a phone number so we could contact them, but before I could say anything, what I wanted to say was stuck in my throat and I couldn’t say anything.

When he left, he told himself that he would come back here to find her. But that time he left, it would be a long time before he returned.

…

Because he was away from home for so long, he needed too much work to handle, so he couldn’t come back to see her right away. I was engrossed in solving the problem. By the time I had free time, many months had passed.

Returning to Hanoi, returning to the old restaurant, where there was the silhouette of the person he secretly loved. Sitting down in his seat, he looked around, waiting for her to come and ask “what do you want to eat?” But I kept looking and still couldn’t see her. A voice suddenly rang out, startling him:

– What would you want to order?

He smiled back,

– I want…

But the smile and words froze on her lips, the owner of that voice was not her, but a complete stranger. Seeing that he had no reaction, the other person asked:

– Hey guy! What do you want to eat?

Regaining his composure, he awkwardly said:

– I can eat anything.

– Yes, let me get your restaurant’s specialties for you to try.

– Thank you

The girl tried to turn away, but he called back:

– Well, let me ask you something!

The girl turned around and politely replied:

– Yes, please ask.

– Where is the girl who used to serve here?

The waiter was stunned for a moment then asked again:

– You asked Ms. Huong, right?

Now, he was dumbfounded, he didn’t know her name. So when the person in front of him asked him, he couldn’t determine whether the person named Huong was the person he was looking for or not. He scratched his head and smiled and said:

– I don’t know what her name is yet. I remember, she had an oval face, shoulder-length hair dyed blonde, and when she smiled, dimples appeared on her cheeks. She’s this tall now. – Saying that, he raised his hand to estimate her height and continued asking: – Do you know her?

The waiter smiled and replied to Cuong:

– The person you describe is Ms. Huong. She quit work to return home to take care of family matters.

Cuong was a little surprised and asked the waiter:

– What’s going on with her family? Will she ever return?

– She came back to settle the divorce. I also don’t know when she will return.

Hearing that she was married, Cuong was stunned and silently asked: “Is she married?”

Seeing that he was a bit lost, the waiter quickly asked:

– Are you okay?

Cuong waved his hand and said:

– I’m OK. So do you know why the couple divorced?

The girl thought for a moment then answered:

– I heard that her husband was an extrovert and an addict. Not only that, he was also very abusive. He beat her every day. After beating her, he stole all her money to gamble. The day before her return, her husband seemed to be high on drugs and even beat her to death. Even so, he dragged the little girl out to water. Luckily, some fellow residents ran to save him in time. After that day he disappeared and was never seen again. As for her mother and her children, she returned to her hometown to submit a petition to the court to suspend her absence.

Hearing what the girl said, Cuong felt sad. A girl, so gentle and lovely, yet faced an ironic situation. Look up and ask:

– So do you know where her hometown is?

The waiter shook his head:

– I can’t help it, we’re not close so we don’t talk often.

– Thank you! Could you please bring me a can of coke?

– Yes, please wait a moment.

After the waiter left, he sighed softly, looking into space, his mind filled with thoughts.

After that day, he decided to stay and wait for her, but for several months he still did not see her return to work. Waiting for a long time was not the way, because he still had work to do, so he had to leave. But every once in a while he would return but still couldn’t see her sign. Perhaps his first love will be unfinished from here.

As time passed, the feeling of missing her did not lessen but grew more and more. He misses her, misses her so much. Her image was deeply imprinted in his heart. But perhaps he would never see her again. Love has barely begun and hastily ended. That love may only come here. An unrequited love that cannot be expressed.