The sun was barely up when CUTIS and Yen Nhi sat under the old tamarind tree near the school gate, whispering excitedly like two mischievous little detectives planning the biggest mission of their lives. The breeze rustled the leaves overhead, and the street was still quiet, except for the distant hum of morning motorbikes.
CUTIS, with his bright eyes and restless energy, leaned closer to the girl beside him. Yen Nhi, her little backpack resting beside her, was swinging her legs and giggling nervously. They were supposed to be walking into school—but today, they had other plans.
“Should we do it?” Yen Nhi whispered, eyes sparkling with adventure.
CUTIS smirked, tapping his chest proudly.
“Of course. We skip school today. Big mission. Big fun.”
Yen Nhi covered her mouth to muffle a laugh. “But what if teacher finds out? What if my mom knows?”
CUTIS waved his hand dramatically.
“No worry! We are smart. We have perfect plan.”
And indeed, CUTIS had a plan—or at least, what he thought was a planThe Plan Begins
The bell hadn’t rung yet. Kids were still trickling toward the entrance. This was their moment.
CUTIS peeked left.
Peeked right.
No teachers looking.
He grabbed Yen Nhi’s hand.
“Let’s go!”
Instead of turning toward the classroom building, the two little rebels darted behind the storage shed behind the school garden. They tiptoed past the flower pots like two cartoon spies.
CUTIS whispered, “Step light. No sound.”
Yen Nhi whispered back, “You’re the one making noise, CUTIS.”
CUTIS froze, looked at the ground dramatically, then exaggerated his steps like a ninja. This made Yen Nhi laugh so hard she snorted—and that snort almost gave them away.
CUTIS slapped a hand over her mouth.
“Shhhhh! This is serious mission!”
But both of them were shaking from laughter, trying their best to keep silent.
They made it to the side fence, the one with a loose plank that the older kids sometimes used to sneak out after school. CUTIS pulled at it with all his strength, his face turning red like a tomato. Finally, it opened just enough for Yen Nhi to slip through.
CUTIS tried next.
Halfway through—
stuck.
Yen Nhi grabbed his arms and pulled.
CUTIS wiggled.
The fence wobbled.
And POP!
CUTIS flew out on the other side, tumbling into the dirt, leaves stuck in his hair.
Yen Nhi gasped. “CUTIS! Are you okay!?”
CUTIS raised one finger dramatically.
“I am okay. Mission continue.”
Freedom… For Now
Outside the school grounds, the world felt like a giant playground. Birds flew overhead. Street vendors set up their carts. The air smelled of fresh bread and morning coffee.
Yen Nhi spun around, arms open wide. “We did it! We really skipped school!”
CUTIS puffed out his chest proudly.
“Of course. CUTIS never fails.”
But now came the real question…
“So what do we do now?” Yen Nhi asked.
CUTIS blinked.
He hadn’t planned this part.
He scratched his head. “Uh… we explore?”
Yen Nhi giggled. “Okay! Let’s explore!”
They walked down the street, side by side, talking about nothing and everything—favorite cartoons, snacks they wished they could eat every day, teachers who gave too much homework, and dreams about growing up.
CUTIS found a stick and declared it a “magic sword.” Yen Nhi picked a flower and put it behind her ear. Together, they walked like two adventurers on a quest.
They passed a pond, threw stones into the water, and tried to see who could make the biggest splash. CUTIS won every time because Yen Nhi kept getting distracted by dragonflies.
They passed a small store where an old lady sold candy. With their tiny savings, they bought two lollipops—CUTIS chose the bright red one, Yen Nhi chose the green apple.
They sat on the curb, legs swinging, licking lollipops and watching the world go by.
“It’s nice,” Yen Nhi said softly. “This is fun.”
CUTIS nodded. “Way better than school.”
But even as he said it, something tugged at his mind. Yen Nhi’s shoes were getting dusty. Her hair clips were out of place. She looked happy—but also tired. And CUTIS started to wonder…
Was skipping school as smart as he originally believed?
The Unexpected Twist
As they walked farther, CUTIS suddenly noticed something surprising.
A familiar voice.
Very familiar.
“CUTISS! YENN NHI!”
Both of them froze like statues.
They turned around slowly.
And there—standing under the shade of a mango tree—
was Mom.
CUTIS’s mom.
Hands on hips.
Eyebrows raised.
Face calm but terrifying.
Yen Nhi’s heart dropped. CUTIS’s soul nearly left his body.
“How… how did she find us?” Yen Nhi whispered.
CUTIS whispered back, “My mom has superpowers. I told you.”
They walked toward her like two tiny prisoners headed to their fate.
Mom looked down at them. Not shouting. Not angry. Just… disappointed.
Which was worse.
“What are you two doing outside school?”
Yen Nhi swallowed hard. “We… uh… we were… exploring…”
CUTIS tried to explain.
“We have big mission—”
Mom raised one eyebrow.
CUTIS instantly stopped talking.
Then something unbelievable happened.
Mom knelt down, looked them both in the eyes… and smiled.
“Okay,” she said softly. “Then finish your mission.”
Both kids blinked.
“W–what?”
Mom ruffled CUTIS’s hair.
“But next time, tell me. If you want adventure, I can take you.”
CUTIS’s jaw dropped.
Yen Nhi gasped.
Mom stood up and continued, “But now your adventure ends. And school begins.”
CUTIS lowered his head.
Yen Nhi did too.
But Mom continued, “After school… I’ll take you both to the park. Ice cream. And we can explore properly.”
CUTIS’s eyes lit up instantly.
Yen Nhi’s smile returned like sunshine.
“Really!?” they both squealed.
Mom nodded.
“But only if you walk back to school right now.”
They didn’t hesitate.
They didn’t argue.
They didn’t ask questions.
They grabbed their backpacks and ran—straight back toward school, laughing breathlessly the whole way.
The Unbelievable Ending
When they reached the classroom, the teacher didn’t scold them. Why?
Because Mom had already called ahead.
She told the teacher everything.
And she asked the teacher to give them one more chance.
The teacher welcomed them with a small smile. “Sit down. You’re late, but you’re here—that’s what matters.”
CUTIS felt relief flood through him.
Yen Nhi squeezed his hand under the table.
That afternoon, true to her promise, Mom took them to the park, bought them ice cream, and let them explore until sunset.
CUTIS learned something huge that day:
Skipping school wasn’t the real adventure.
The real adventure was sharing moments with people who cared.
People who would save you…
forgive you…
and guide you.
And that was the most unbelievable part of all.
