SYSTEM ERROR: PERSUADING THE HEART
Chapter 4: S-VIP
A week passed.
Nga sat in her office, her mind reeling from the relentless cycle of work.
Right then, her phone gave a soft chime. A message arrived from Phú Thiên:
Phú Thiên: I just got a gift from a business partner. A red envelope.
I think you'll need it more than I do.
I already sent it via express delivery to your company address. Check it out, then give me your answer.
Another message followed immediately:
Phú Thiên: If you agree... this will be our chance to finally meet again after five years.
Take a look and tell me what you think.
Nga frowned, a sharp spike of curiosity flaring up.
A chance to meet?
Just a few minutes after his message, a knock came at the door. A security guard stepped in, holding a vibrant red express envelope, which he placed neatly on her desk.
Nga picked it up and gently tore open the flap.
Inside wasn't cash, nor investment documents—
but a premium black card.
She flipped it over:
S-VIP CONCERT – DAY-G (Leader of B&B).
Nga's eyes went wide. Her mouth let out a loud "Oh!"—
and she immediately clapped a hand over her lips.
She was a dedicated B&B fan.
A DAY-G concert was her ultimate dream—but tickets had sold out within minutes of going on sale. An S-VIP ticket was virtually impossible to obtain.
She stared at the card, joy surging so intensely that her throat tightened. A bright, unstoppable smile spread across her face.
She shot up from her chair, hurried to the office balcony, and dialed Thien.
Ánh Nga (breathless, voice slightly trembling): Hey—hey you! Is this for real?! Are you messing with me or what?!
Thien (calm, the antithesis of her frantic tone): It's 100% real. A partner gifted it to me.
So? How do you feel about it?
Want to go with me?
Nga (nearly screaming into the phone): OKAY! OKAY! YES! YES!! I am definitely going!
This ticket is mine, understand?!
If you dare give it to someone else, I swear I'll cut ties with you forever!
Thien (a low, warm laugh, audible through the phone): Don't worry. It's yours.
How could I possibly go with anyone else?
They lived in the same city, yet for five years she had maintained that distance. She feared the awkwardness following his old confession, feared those quiet, ambiguous moments he created so easily. She feared giving him false hope.
What she didn't know was... no matter how hard she tried to retreat, Thien had never once considered giving up.
[FLASHBACK: THIRD YEAR OF UNIVERSITY]
Nga was "grinding" through her English courses at a center, desperate to meet her graduation requirements. Every lesson was a battle against grammar, perfect tenses, and the persistent nightmare called the listening test.
Even though he didn't study there, Thien showed up every single evening, right on time, like a Swiss clock, parking his bike outside the gate.
"Wait—You're picking me up again?" Nga blinked at him.
Thien shrugged, his tone completely nonchalant:
"I work nearby. Just passing by. Don't read too much into it."
"I'm not reading anything! I'm just... touched, okay?" She grinned, hugging her massive stack of books as she hurried after him.
The moment she settled behind him on the bike, she began chattering like a bird discovering springtime.
"Thien! Listen! If B&B ever holds a concert here, I'll go no matter what! I mean it! Even if I have to starve for a whole month—as long as I can sit in the VIP seats and see my idol up close!"
Thien glanced at her through the rear-view mirror. The streetlights reflected a faint, quiet smile in his eyes—a smile reserved for her energetic outbursts.
"Mm."
"'Mm' what? Don't you realize this is a sacred dream?!"
"Mm... I'm just thinking—if you starve for a month, I'll have to take you to the emergency room before the concert even starts."
Nga burst out laughing and playfully slapped his shoulder.
"You're so unromantic! Like an old man!"
Thien remained silent, his lips curving slightly. The bike carried them through the wind. Nga continued her non-stop chatter about B&B, and Thien responded only with soft, steady hmms—like a gentle baseline supporting her clear, lively voice on that early-summer night.
As they neared an intersection, Thien slowed down and turned his head to ask:
"Have you eaten?"
Nga paused, then slapped her forehead.
"No! I was so busy practicing listening, I totally forgot my stomach! I'm starving!"
"Then let's stop by the noodle shop at the corner," he suggested, as if this were the most normal, expected routine.
She nodded rapidly, her eyes shining like a cat spotting dinner.
"You are truly the savior of my hungry stomach in the middle of the night!"
The small noodle shop glowed with warm yellow light, creating a comforting bubble around them in the late hours. The aroma of hot broth and fried shallots seemed to melt away all exhaustion.
"Thien, add chili sauce for me. I like it spicy," Nga said with a wide grin, stirring her noodles like she was conducting a tiny orchestra.
"Go easy on the spice. You were coughing the whole time last week."
"It's fine! I've officially upgraded my spice resistance to Level 3!"
She talked while eating, sharing her "concert savings plan" as if mapping out a massive future strategy. Thien just listened—nodding occasionally, smiling subtly when she rambled about camping outside the venue for three days and three nights.
"Do you think I can do it?" Nga leaned in, her eyes shining brightly.
"If anyone can stop you, it would have to be... the police."
Nga burst into infectious laughter, nearly choking on the broth.
"Hey! You're making fun of me!"
"No. I'm just... laughing because you eat noodles with the same intensity you talk about your idol."
A gentle, quiet intimacy settled between them. Outside, light night rain began to fall, tapping softly on the tin roof.
"Finish up, and we'll head back. It's getting late," Thien said, his gaze fixed on the street.
"Yeah. But next time, don't purposely wait outside for me, okay?"
"I was just passing by."
"Passing by... for the entire school year?"
Thien paused, took the last spoon of broth, then finally answered:
"...Yeah. If you needed me."
Nga pressed her lips together, quickly bowing her head to hide the small smile rising behind the steam of her noodle bowl. Outside, the streetlight shimmered gently—as if someone had just carefully tucked a secret into the night. 🌙
Nothing in her life had ever been a "coincidence."
Not the accidental meetings, not the perfect timing, not even this impossible concert ticket that seemed to fall right into her hands.
Behind it all was one person—silently arranging every invisible line of fate.
Her life motto was, "Let destiny decide."
Little did she know, that very "destiny" was an intricate process Thien had been meticulously crafting for years.
For the first time, her idol's concert was being held in the capital. Thien knew this was his moment—not only for her to meet her idol but for him to finally meet her again honorably, not through screens or hesitant half-messages.
To secure this ticket, Thien had pulled every possible string, calling in years of accumulated favors. He didn't spend money—he spent energy, connections, and personal debts.
He knew clearly: If this final attempt failed, he would walk away. No chasing, no regret.
Just this once—all or nothing.
But at least, he had to try... to meet her one last time, and pursue her openly. "Five years... enough. I can't keep watching her life from the sidelines like a shadow."
Nga sat alone in her dimming office. The concert ticket lay on the desk, catching the light with every subtle movement.
She smiled faintly—a smile tinged with excitement and underlying fear.
"Five years... If we meet again, will I still be the person I was back then?"
Outside, the drizzle fell softly. On the desk, the glossy ticket cast a small glimmer—like a promise left unspoken.
She didn't know that, somewhere else in the city, Thien was staring at the remaining ticket in his hand—wondering:
"This time... will you run away again, Nga?"
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