Tuan walked out of the school gate, clutching a stack of worn-out notebooks, laughter from behind made him stop. A group of friends teased: “Hey, motorbike taxi driver, why waste your time studying, you’ll just drive like your dad in the future.” He lowered his head, clutched his bag strap, his heart pounding as if it was about to burst. Each sarcastic word was like a sharp knife cutting into his self-esteem, making his ears red. He quietly walked faster, hoping to blend into the crowd.

Arriving at the end of the alley, Tuan saw his father’s old motorbike parked against the wall, the saddle still showing rusty paint. His father sat there, his raincoat still stained, his face tanned by the sun but his eyes always bright. “Are you tired? Was the teacher’s lecture difficult today?” – his father asked in a warm voice, filled with sincere concern. Tuan forced a smile, hiding the resentment in his heart. “Yes, I’m fine, tomorrow I have to submit more math homework.”

Night fell, the small rented room was dimly lit by a weak yellow light. Tuan was diligently writing formulas, each page of the notebook was filled with symbols like a code. His father leaned against the wall, silently watching his son work hard on his dream. The scent of essential oil wafted through the air, mixed with the sound of insects outside. His calloused hands clenched gently, he felt both proud and sad.

The next day, when Tuan entered the classroom, many people still looked at him as if he were a joke. One student nudged him and whispered, “A poor kid dreaming of taking the national exam is truly a joke.” Tuan took a deep breath, trying to swallow the lump rising in his throat. He told himself that as long as he had numbers, formulas, and determination, all the gossip would be left behind. His eyes shone with an unusually stubborn determination.

On the board, the teacher wrote a difficult equation, many students frowned. Tuan quietly raised his hand to ask to speak, he wrote each step clearly and distinctly. The whole class suddenly became silent, their eyes focused on him. The person who was called “the motorbike taxi driver” suddenly lit up at that moment, like a blazing fire. The teacher nodded slightly, a warm smile sparkling in his eyes.

But that small joy was not enough to erase all the wounds in Tuan’s heart. Every time after school, seeing his friends being picked up by their parents in fancy cars, he wondered: “I wish my father didn’t have to wait at the gate wearing a worn-out helmet.” He felt pain when he heard the laughter of his friends calling his father “a reluctant driver”. Although his father always had a gentle smile, Tuan could see in his eyes the scars that could not be healed. At night, he wrote hundreds of formulas, as if trying to escape from that reality.

One rainy evening, Dad came home late, his raincoat soaked, his hands shaking from the cold. Tuan quickly ran over, took a towel to wipe his father’s face, his heart aching. “Son, I’m fine… as long as you study well, everything is worth it,” Dad said, his voice hoarse. The rain mixed with sweat and perhaps even the tears Dad had hidden. Tuan held Dad’s hand, his small hand pressed against the rough calluses, his heart filled with immense compassion.

As the national exam day approached, Tuan stayed up for many nights. Every time he saw his father dozing off at the table, he quietly covered himself with a blanket, his eyes red. “I have to win, I have to prove to everyone that my father is not inferior to anyone,” he whispered to himself in the dark. In his heart, pride and love for his father mixed together, burning so fiercely that it could not be extinguished. The formulas and numbers seemed to turn into sharp weapons in his hands.

On the morning of the exam, the sky was slightly sunny. Father took Tuan to the exam site, the old motorbike creaking but filled with hope. “I believe in you,” he said simply, his eyes sparkling. Tuan nodded, his heart trembling but his determination firm. He entered the exam room as if entering his own personal battlefield.

The exam paper was spread out on paper, filled with difficult questions. Many candidates were confused and sweating, but Tuan remained calm. Each number and each formula appeared clearly in his mind as if they had been engraved long ago. His pen moved continuously, his writing as steady as a heartbeat. When the invigilator announced the last five minutes, Tuan exhaled, his eyes shining because he knew he had put in all his effort.

The day the results were announced, the whole school was in an uproar. The golden board had Tuan’s name in the highest position, under the words “First Prize”. A moment of surprise spread throughout the class, the usual mocking laughter stopped. Tuan stood in the middle of the schoolyard, his heart filled with both happiness and resentment. In his head, only one thing echoed: “Dad, I did it.”

The ceremony took place in a large hall. Students, parents, and teachers filled the rows of seats. Tuan stepped onto the podium, the lights illuminated his face, and the auditorium erupted in thunderous applause. He looked around and saw his father sitting in the last row, still in his stained raincoat, his old shoes soaked with water. His eyes looked at his son brightly, as if he wanted to say a thousand words that he couldn’t say.

The principal spoke in a deep voice, unexpectedly telling about the man sitting at the back of the hall. “He used to be a talented bridge engineer, who contributed to the construction of many large projects. A work accident took away his opportunity to continue his career, but could not take away his aspiration and love for his son.” The entire audience fell silent, then suddenly burst into emotion. Tuan was stunned, his eyes blurred with uncontrollable tears. He realized that his father was not only a motorbike taxi driver, but also the pride of his life.

After the ceremony, many people came to congratulate him, their eyes were different from before. A friend who had once mocked him scratched his head: “Sorry, I was wrong about you.” Tuan smiled, not blaming, just gently replied: “The important thing is that we understand each other.” Father walked over, put his hand on his son’s shoulder, his eyes sparkling but still humble. Tuan hugged his father tightly in the crowd, silently promising in his heart: “I will continue writing your unfinished dream.”

That night, the small room was lit up late. Tuan opened his notebook again, this time the formulas appeared not just for the sake of grades, but for a bigger dream. He wanted to become an engineer, following in the footsteps of his father. “Dad, I will build strong bridges for you,” he said, his voice firm. His father was silent, only nodded slightly, tears welling up in the corners of his eyes.

From that day on, Tuan was no longer afraid of the name “xe om” (motorbike taxi driver). To him, it was a title full of pride, containing all the sweat, sacrifices, and aspirations of his father. He stepped out into the world with his head held high, carrying in his heart the image of his father who had endured the wind and rain. Every road he walked was tinged with the eyes of his father sitting at the end of the hall. And in his heart, he knew he would never walk alone.