Chapter 15 — Appointment Under the Stars

The second semester's mid-term exam came right when the club was in the midst of preparing for the event, making Ngoc Han's schedule more packed than ever. During the day, she has to focus on reviewing for main subjects, and in the evenings, she devotes all her time and energy to organizational work - from drafting communication materials, contacting small sponsors to supplement funding to buy more supplies, to rehearsing with the presentation group.

Her body began to protest against the mounting pressure. Mild headaches appeared more frequently, and her nightly sleep gradually shortened as she stayed up late to complete unfinished homework after club meetings that lasted until late at night.

"You look so tired lately," Ms. Lan commented one morning, when she saw Ngoc Han yawning while hastily eating breakfast before going to school. "Did you get enough sleep?"

"I'm fine, mom," Ngoc Han replied, trying to smile reassuringly, even though her dark eyes betrayed everything. "It's just that I've been a bit busy lately. The event is coming up so there's a lot of work that needs to be done."

Ms. Lan was silent, her eyes full of worry following her daughter, but did not say anything else that morning, only told her daughter to eat well before letting her go to school.

However, that concern became even more evident when, a week later, Ms. Lan received a call from the homeroom teacher of class 12A3, informing her that Ngoc Han's midterm test scores in Math and Chemistry had decreased significantly compared to the previous semester, something that had never happened to a student who was always in the top of the class.

That evening, when Ngoc Han just returned home after a long club meeting, Ms. Lan was already sitting in the living room, her face solemn and different from usual.

"I just received a phone call from your homeroom teacher," Ms. Lan started, her voice unable to hide her worry. "My Math and Chemistry scores have dropped a lot compared to before. What's going on?"

Ngoc Han was stunned, feeling like she was being poured with a bucket of cold water after a long, tiring day. She knew the cause, but she didn't expect the situation to become so serious that teachers had to call parents directly to inform them.

"I... I think it's just because I've been a bit distracted lately because of club work," Ngoc Han explained, her voice getting quieter, a feeling of guilt starting to creep into her heart.

"I've been afraid of this for a long time," Ms. Lan said, her voice becoming much stricter. "I support you in joining the club, supporting you in finding a new passion, but not at the cost of studying. You have less than four months left until your graduation exam and university admission, this is not the time to be negligent."

"I know mom, I will try to balance it," Ngoc Han hastily reassured, although in her heart she was not completely sure whether she was capable of doing so in the current situation or not.

"I think maybe you should consider reducing your responsibilities at the club, at least until this midterm exam is over," Ms. Lan suggested, her voice still firm but softening somewhat. "That event is important to you, I understand, but your future is much more important."

That statement made Ngoc Han feel like she was placed in a dilemma with no way out. She understood that her mother's concerns were completely legitimate, but the thought of having to withdraw or reduce her role right when the club needed her the most, with less than a month to go before the decisive event, made her feel like she was betraying all the efforts and trust that everyone had placed in her.

"I can't quit now, Mom," Ngoc Han said, her voice choked with emotion. "The whole club is counting on you, and... you've already invited me to the event. If you back out now, you'll feel like you've given up halfway, like..."

She stopped, unable to finish her sentence, but Ms. Lan seemed to understand what her daughter was trying to imply.

"Like your dad always does?" Ms. Lan asked directly, her voice a bit bitter. Ngoc Han remained silent, not denying, making the atmosphere in the living room become heavier.

"I don't want you to become someone who always has to prove that you're different from your father by pushing yourself too hard," Ms. Lan said, her voice softening, pulling her daughter to sit next to her. "Having responsibility is good, but knowing your limits, knowing when to seek help, is also an important part of maturity, not weakness or giving up."

Ngoc Han bowed her head, tears began to roll down her cheeks, not only because of the pressure of studying, but also because of the feeling of helplessness when facing too many expectations at once — from her mother, from the club, from herself, and even from the fragile promise to her father.

"I'll try to rearrange my schedule more reasonably," she said, her voice still choked up. "I will ask everyone in the club to share some of the work, and I promise to spend more time studying. But please, mom, don't force me to give up completely now, there's only less than a month left."

Ms. Lan looked at her daughter for a long time, her eyes filled with sadness and consideration. Finally, she sighed and gently stroked her daughter's hair. "Okay, I'll give you a chance to prove to yourself that you can balance both. But if your final exam score still doesn't improve, I'll have to intervene more seriously, do you understand?"

"I understand," Ngoc Han replied, feeling somewhat relieved even though the pressure was still heavy on her shoulders. "Thank you mom for trusting me."

That night, after her mother went to the room to rest, Ngoc Han sat alone in the room, looking at the stack of unfinished textbooks next to the documents prepared for the event, feeling like she was standing at a crossroads with no easy way out. She texted Nhat Quang, telling the whole story, the tone of each line could not hide the rising fatigue and anxiety.

"I'm sorry for letting you shoulder too much work recently," Nhat Quang texted back immediately, his voice full of guilt. "From tomorrow, I will redistribute the work more reasonably, so that you have more time to focus on exam preparation. Your studies are no less important than this event."

"Thank you," Ngoc Han texted back, feeling somewhat comforted by that understanding. "It's just... I'm afraid if I step back, everything won't be completed on schedule before the event."

"Just trust the team," Nhat Quang reassured. "We've come this far, there's no reason for you alone to bear all the pressure in this final journey."

Ngoc Han put down the phone and looked out the window where the July night sky was gradually becoming clearer, the first stars began to appear from behind the thin layer of clouds. She took a deep breath, tried to organize the chaotic thoughts in her head, telling herself that she needed to find a new balance, not only to keep her promise to her mother, but also to not lose herself in the spiral of responsibility that was getting tighter and tighter as the club's most important event day was approaching day by day, bringing with it both expectations and unforeseen risks.

The next morning, at the club meeting, Nhat Quang kept his promise and proactively rearranged the entire work assignment. "From today, I want to divide responsibilities more clearly, so that no one has to shoulder too much alone," he said to the group, his eyes glancing over Ngoc Han with discreet concern. "Thanh Ha will be in charge of communications and press contact, two technicians will continue to take care of equipment, and Thuy Trang will support me in overall logistics."

"What about Ngoc Han?" Thanh Ha asked, her eyes slightly surprised.

"Ngoc Han will focus on the program script and main presentation content, things that can be done flexibly in her free time, without having to be constantly present every afternoon like before," Nhat Quang explained, his voice calm but determined. "She is in an important exam preparation period, so the whole group should share some so she can have time to focus on studying."

Ngoc Han looked at him, her heart filled with an indescribable feeling of gratitude for that sophistication and thoughtfulness. No one in the group objected, on the contrary, everyone showed enthusiastic support, making her feel less guilty about having to reduce her presence during this important sprint.

"Thank you everyone," Ngoc Han said, her voice slightly choked with emotion at the group's understanding. "I promise to complete the assigned tasks well, and will return to support full-time as soon as I pass this exam."

In the following days, Ngoc Han gradually found a new rhythm, more balanced between studies and responsibilities with the club. She devoted her mornings and afternoons to reviewing, only taking advantage of one or two short hours in the evening to complete the assigned program script. The test scores gradually showed signs of improvement, enough to give Ms. Lan some peace of mind, although her worried eyes had not completely disappeared every time she saw her daughter staying up late studying.

However, deep inside, Ngoc Han still felt an endless, smoldering tension, as if she was walking on a thin rope between two cliffs - one side was her responsibility to her family and her academic future, the other side was her promise to herself and to the whole club that had supported her throughout the past months. She doesn't know how long this fragile balance can be maintained, when the most important event day is approaching at breakneck speed, bringing with it not only hope but also unprecedented pressures, waiting to explode from many different directions that she herself cannot fully foresee.