Chapter 23 — Appointment Under the Stars

One day before the event, after completing all final preparations, Nhat Quang suddenly texted Ngoc Han inviting Ngoc Han to come to the school's rooftop in the evening, citing the need to check the location of the main telescope one last time before the official event takes place tomorrow night.

When Ngoc Han arrived, she realized that the terrace area had been tidied up, with no messy traces left from previous days of construction. Nhat Quang was standing next to the telescope, the small flashlight in his hand shining a warm halo of light amidst the gradually enveloping darkness.

"Is there a problem with the glasses?" Ngoc Han asked, walking closer, looking around the perfectly arranged area.

"No, the glasses are fine," Nhat Quang replied, his voice a bit strange. "Actually, I want to have a private evening, just the two of us, before things get chaotic with hundreds of people tomorrow."

Ngoc Han smiled, feeling the warmth spreading in her heart at that unexpected gesture. They both sat down on the small mat that Nhat Quang had laid out in advance, looking up at the clear August night sky, where the hazy Milky Way was appearing more clearly than on any previous night.

"Do you remember the first night I brought you up here?" Nhat Quang asked, his voice full of nostalgia. "At that time, you were still shy and even reluctant to look up at the sky."

"I remember," Ngoc Han smiled, her eyes also tinged with nostalgia. "At that time, I thought I would just join this club to complete my profile and then leave as soon as I had the chance. I never imagined things would change so much."

"Me too," Nhat Quang said, turning to look at her, his eyes filled with sincerity under the sparkling light of thousands of stars above. "I never thought that the closed, somewhat cold girl the first day she entered the club room, could become the most important person in my life."

Ngoc Han's heart throbbed at those words, clearly feeling that something special was about to be said in this quiet space.

"Ngoc Han," Nhat Quang continued, his voice shaking slightly with emotion, "I've wanted to say this to you for a long time, but I kept hesitating because I was afraid of choosing the wrong time, afraid of disturbing the beautiful things we have built together. But tonight, under this starry sky, I think this is the most suitable time."

He took a deep breath, his eyes never leaving her face. "I love you, Ngoc Han. Not only because you are smart, thoughtful, or because of the way you always do your best for everyone around you, but because of your true self - strong but also full of hurt, resilient but still knowing how to be soft-hearted, someone who has taught me what true and complete love is."

Emotional tears rolled down Ngoc Han's cheeks, not because of suffering like before, but because of a happiness so overwhelming that she couldn't contain it. "I love you too," she replied, her voice choked but filled with certainty. "I love the way you are always patient with me, the way you teach me to look at the night sky with a different perspective, and the way you are always there, steady, every time I need a support."

Nhat Quang smiled, gently raised his hand to wipe away the remaining tears on her cheeks, then slowly approached, placing a gentle, warm kiss on her lips, as an affirmation without any additional words for the feelings that the two had been silently cultivating for many months. Above their heads, thousands of stars sparkled as if witnessing that sacred moment, a moment that Ngoc Han knew she would never forget for the rest of her life.

When the kiss ended, they both sat leaning against each other, silently looking at the night sky, enjoying the rare peace amid the busy and turbulent days of the past.

"Tomorrow will be an important day," Nhat Quang said softly, squeezing her hand. "But no matter what happens, I want you to know, I will always be by your side, not just on that meteor shower night, but on every remaining starry night of our lives."

Ngoc Han leaned her head on his shoulder, looking up at the sparkling night sky, feeling a complete peace and happiness that she never thought she could find, especially after all the hurt and doubt that had surrounded her heart over the years. She realized that sometimes, the most beautiful things in life come when we least expect them, amidst the gentle starry nights, next to someone who truly appreciates and loves us.

"I have something to give you," Nhat Quang said, breaking the sweet silence, then pulled out a small box wrapped in simple paper from his jacket pocket. "It's not expensive jewelry, just a gift I made myself."

Ngoc Han opened the box, inside was a bracelet woven with a thin leather cord, attached to a small pendant shaped like a shooting star meticulously cut from a piece of pine wood. "I learned how to make crafts from my grandfather," Nhat Quang explained, a bit embarrassed. "It took me almost a week to complete, because I kept breaking it."

"So beautiful," Ngoc Han exclaimed, her eyes shining with excitement as she looked at the exquisite gift. "Thank you, I'll wear it all night at tomorrow's event."

Nhat Quang personally put the bracelet on her wrist, his fingers gently touching her skin, making them both blush and laugh at that adorable embarrassment. "Every time you see it, I hope you will remember that, no matter how quickly the shooting star passes by, it will always leave a beautiful mark, just like how you left a deep mark in my life."

The two continued to sit together for a while longer, talking about their plans after graduation, about their dream of continuing to pursue their passion for astronomy together, even though each of them may choose a different study path after the upcoming graduation exam. The air between them was filled with lightness and warmth, as if all the burdens and pressures of the past weeks had temporarily melted away, giving way to a complete moment that belonged to just the two of them.

When the two finally stood up to prepare to leave, it was late at night. Nhat Quang held Ngoc Han's hand and saw her off to the house gate like a habit he had formed a long time ago. "Good night," he said, gently kissing her forehead before turning away. "See you tomorrow, the day we've been waiting for all these months."

Ngoc Han stood and watched his back disappear into the darkness, her hand gently touching the new bracelet, her heart filled with warm happiness and a bit of nervousness mixed with hope for the upcoming big day.

Entering the house, she saw her mother still awake, reading a book in the living room, waiting for her daughter to return. "Why are you home so late? Is there something funny?" Ms. Lan asked, her observant eyes noticed the unusually bright smile on her daughter's face.

Ngoc Han sat down next to her mother, without hiding, recounting the entire moment that had just happened on the terrace, her voice chirping happily like a little girl experiencing the feeling of perfect love for the first time. Ms. Lan listened, sometimes laughing at her daughter's adorable shyness when talking about her first kiss.

"I'm happy for you," Ms. Lan said, hugging her daughter, her voice full of affection. "Nhat Quang is a good boy, mature and caring for others. I believe he will be a solid fulcrum for you in your next journey."

"I think so too," Ngoc Han replied, smiling happily, still gently caressing the bracelet she had just received. "I never thought I could find a love so beautiful, especially after everything I've been through with you."

"Love is beautiful not because it's perfect, but because both people are willing to nurture it and overcome difficulties together," Ms. Lan said, gently stroking her daughter's hair. "I believe you have found it, and I'm really happy to see you being loved in the right way."

That night, when going to bed, Ngoc Han lay looking at the ceiling, still wearing the shooting star bracelet, smiling slightly to herself as she remembered every moment of the past evening, from Nhat Quang's adorable confused eyes when giving gifts, to the warm feeling of the first kiss under the starry sky. Her heart was filled with warm happiness and a little bit of excitement mixed with hope for the upcoming big day, when all the efforts, sacrifices, and tears over the past many months would finally be received under the light of hundreds of shooting stars flashing across the night sky at the same time.