Chapter 16 — Appointment Under the Stars

There were only two weeks left until the event, when all the preparations seemed to be going smoothly, an unexpected event occurred that shook the whole club. Teacher Dat called an emergency meeting in the middle of recess, his serious face completely different from his usual calmness.

"I have some bad news," he said as soon as all the key members were present in the common room. "The school board has just received feedback from some parents about safety issues when organizing large gatherings on the rooftop at night. The vice principal is considering withdrawing the previously issued permit."

The whole room was immersed in heavy silence. Ngoc Han felt like her heart skipped a beat, she couldn't believe that after so many months of effort, everything could collapse because of such an unexpected administrative decision.

"But the license was approved last month, sir?" Nhat Quang spoke, trying to keep his voice calm even though his eyes clearly showed concern. "We have fully prepared a safety plan, including fences, lights, and a monitoring team throughout the event."

"I know, and I presented it to the school board," Mr. Dat replied, his voice somewhat helpless. "But it seems that some parents are concerned about the risk of accidents when the number of guests expected to attend is up to several hundred people, far exceeding the original number of children registered. The school board wants students to submit a more detailed safety plan, and it may be necessary to reduce the scale of the event significantly."

"What does downsizing mean?" Thanh Ha asked, her voice full of worry.

"It may be necessary to limit the number of guests, only allowing students and parents in the school to attend, not expanding to the public as originally planned," Mr. Dat explained. "That means that the cooperation with local newspapers, as well as the fundraising and new member attraction goals that they initially set, will be difficult to achieve as expected."

That news was like a bucket of cold water poured straight into the entire plan that the whole club had worked hard to build over the past many months. If the event is scaled back and cannot attract enough attention from the public and potential sponsors, the possibility of the club continuing to exist after the summer break is almost zero.

"We need to do something," Nhat Quang said, his voice determined, although everyone could see the tension building up in every word he said. "Teacher, can you give us the opportunity to present directly to the school board? We will prepare a very detailed safety plan that will convince all concerns."

Teacher Dat nodded, his eyes full of support. "I have asked for an appointment this Friday. You have three days to prepare a convincing proposal. This is probably the last chance to save the scale of the event as originally planned."

After the meeting, the atmosphere in the living room became heavy, mixed with anxiety and determination. Nhat Quang immediately reassigned the work, mobilizing all members to focus on drafting the most detailed safety proposal possible — from the layout of emergency exits, the number of necessary security and supervision staff, to procedures for handling emergency situations.

Ngoc Han, even though she is still in a period of limited work to focus on exam preparation as promised to her mother, cannot stand aside from this urgent situation. She proactively asked for permission to return to full-time support in the next three days, citing that this was a special case that could not be delayed.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Nhat Quang asked, his eyes filled with worry when he saw her rolling up her sleeves, ready to rush into work immediately. "Won't your mother object?"

"I will explain to my mother," Ngoc Han replied, her voice resolute. "These are three days that will decide the fate of the entire club. I can't stand by and watch from the sidelines. We will find a way to complete the proposal while not letting our studies be affected too much, I promise."

That evening, when she arrived home later than usual, Ngoc Han sat down next to her mother and clearly explained the emergency situation the club was facing. She was afraid that her mother would object harshly, but contrary to her expectations, Ms. Lan just listened silently, her eyes full of thought.

"I promise that just for these three days, after the presentation ends, I will return to the schedule I committed to you," Ngoc Han said, her voice pleading.

"I believe in you," Ms. Lan finally spoke, her voice gentler than she expected. "This is clearly a force majeure situation. It's not like you intentionally neglected your studies. I just hope you remember to stay healthy, don't stay up too late, and promise me that after this, you will seriously return to studying for exams."

"I promise, mom," Ngoc Han replied, feeling relieved and grateful for that unexpected understanding. Perhaps, she thought, her mother was also gradually learning to trust her and give her more autonomy, instead of just imposing rigid rules like before.

The next three days of intense work took place in an almost non-stop grind. The technical team re-measured the entire rooftop area, clearly marked at-risk locations, and added temporary railings and safety signs at every path. Thanh Ha and two other members drafted detailed emergency evacuation procedures down to the minute, calculating the travel time of each group of guests in each different seating area.

"We need specific numbers about the maximum capacity of this area," Nhat Quang said, hunched over his laptop, eyes dark from lack of sleep. "The school board will definitely ask about the limit on the number of people. We must have an accurate answer, no ambiguity is allowed."

"I've already calculated it," Ngoc Han replied, handing him a data sheet she had just completed. "Based on the actual area and fire safety standards, the area can accommodate up to three hundred people while still ensuring a clear escape route. I have also pre-divided it into small seating areas for easier control."

"You're really thoughtful," Nhat Quang said, his eyes full of respect as he scanned that meticulous data sheet. "With you here, I feel much more secure."

For the next three days, the group practically lived in the club room, working late into the night to perfect every single detail of the proposal. Mr. Dat also wholeheartedly supported, contacting a professional security unit to advise further on security plans, and also invited a familiar construction engineer to re-check the load-bearing structure of the terrace area to ensure absolute safety.

The night before the presentation, when the group had completed the final proposal, Ngoc Han sat silently looking at the thick file of documents on the table, feeling both exhausted and extremely nervous. She looked at Nhat Quang, who was also rubbing his temples because he was tired after three days of non-stop work.

"Do you think we have a chance of convincing the school board?" she asked, her voice unable to hide her concern.

"I don't know," Nhat Quang answered honestly, his eyes full of fatigue but still shining with a ray of hope. "But I know we did our best. No matter the outcome, at least we won't have to regret not trying our best."

Ngoc Han nodded, looking out the living room window where the night sky was gradually darkening, the first few stars began to peek out among the scattered clouds. She wondered if all this effort, all the sacrifices of time, health, and interrupted classes, would finally be enough to keep alive the dream the club had been building together for so many months, now that everything seemed to hang on a decision beyond any of them's control.

Before leaving, Mr. Dat stopped by to check the proposal one last time, nodding with satisfaction at the neatness of each page of the document. “You guys did a lot better than I expected,” he said, his eyes filled with pride. "No matter what the outcome is tomorrow, I want you to know that this sense of responsibility and careful preparation is what is truly valuable, more than whether the event takes place on the original scale or not."

That word of encouragement somewhat eased the tension that was covering the group, but could not completely erase the anxiety that was creeping into each person's heart when thinking about the decisive presentation the next morning. Ngoc Han packed her documents into her bag, glanced at the clock, which showed it was almost ten o'clock at night, knowing that she would have to stay up for at least another hour to review a few Chemistry formulas before she could sleep, but in her heart, the feeling of anxiety about the event still completely overwhelmed her physical fatigue.