Chapter 30 — Appointment Under the Stars

One year later, right in mid-August, when the Perseids meteor shower was once again about to peak, Ngoc Han returned to visit her old school on the occasion of the Astronomy Club's second annual observing event, which has now become a tradition that both the school and the local community look forward to each year.

She stepped off the bus from the city, where she was studying first year of Astrophysics, and felt a warm familiarity when she saw the familiar gate of Binh Minh High School appear before her eyes. Nhat Quang, who is studying in the same city as her, came back a day before to help with the preparations, waiting at the school gate with a bright smile.

"Welcome back," he said, embracing her in a warm hug. "Can you believe it, this year the number of registrations is even greater than last year."

"I'm not surprised," Ngoc Han smiled, holding his hand and walking into the school campus, which was no less splendidly decorated than last year. "Thanh Ha is so good at being homeroom teacher."

Indeed, under Thanh Ha's leadership, the Astronomy Club has grown dramatically in the past school year, becoming one of the most popular extracurricular clubs in the school, with the number of members increasing three times compared to when Ngoc Han and Nhat Quang were still in leadership roles.

"Ms. Ngoc Han! Mr. Nhat Quang!" Bao Ngoc, now much more confident, ran to greet the two with a bright smile. "I was assigned to be in charge of this year's opening presentation. I'm so nervous."

"I believe you will do very well," Ngoc Han said, smiling encouragingly, remembering herself a year ago, also standing in that position with the same nervousness.

That evening, the event went as smoothly and successfully as last year, with a large attendance of students, parents, and even a few guests from neighboring schools who came to visit and learn about the club model. Ngoc Han's parents were also present, sitting with Mr. Sau in the familiar row, watching Bao Ngoc confidently presenting on stage, no different from Ngoc Han's image from last year.

After the program officially ended, Ngoc Han and Nhat Quang went to the familiar corner of the terrace, where the main telescope was still permanently placed, away from the gradually thinning crowd. The two sat down, looking up at the starry night sky. Meteors continued to appear sporadically, as beautiful as what they had witnessed together a year ago.

"Do you remember this night last year?" Nhat Quang asked, gently holding her hand.

"How could I forget," Ngoc Han replied, smiling nostalgically. "That was the night everything changed completely for me — from the way I looked at the night sky, to the way I viewed family, about love, and even about myself."

"And I think," Nhat Quang said, pulling out a small, carefully wrapped object from his pocket, "tonight should be an equally memorable night."

He opened it, inside was a small silver necklace, attached with a pendant shaped like the Thien Hau constellation - the constellation that Mr. Sau taught them both how to recognize during their first observation sessions. "This is a gift for the first anniversary of the day I officially proposed to you," he said, his voice full of affection. "Even though we now study at two different universities in the same city, even though sometimes our busy schedules prevent us from seeing each other as often as before, I want you to know, my feelings for you have not changed, even growing stronger with each passing day."

Ngoc Han received the gift, her eyes filled with tears of emotion, and Nhat Quang personally put it around her neck. "Me too," she said, her voice choked with happiness. "Thank you for always being steadfast, always being my solid fulcrum, throughout this long journey."

The two leaned against each other, silently looking at the sparkling night sky, enjoying complete peace in the familiar scene that had witnessed so many emotional ups and downs for both of them over the past year. In the distance, gentle music still echoed from the event area, mixed with the bustling laughter of the junior generation continuing the tradition they had worked so hard to build.

"You know," Ngoc Han's father's voice rang out from behind, causing both of them to turn around in surprise. He was standing there, with Ms. Lan, smiling at the two young people. "Once upon a time, your grandfather also took me to a rooftop like this to look at the stars. I promised to continue that tradition with you, even though it was too many years late. But I think, from now on, every year, our family will return here together, on this occasion, to never miss a beautiful moment like this again."

Ngoc Han smiled, happy tears rolling down her cheeks, looking around at the dearest people surrounding her - her father, mother, Nhat Quang, and the starry night sky that witnessed her entire journey of healing and growth. She realized that the promise under the stars that she had longed for all her childhood years was now not only fully fulfilled, but had also become a new tradition, a promise that would be kept forever, year after year, under the eternal light of the stars.

The whole family sat down together on the prepared carpet, with Mr. Sau who had just come to join in the fun, continuing to watch the remaining meteor streaks of that night. Mr. Sau told a few more old stories about his sea voyages, about how he used to use the Thien Hau constellation to find his way home in the midst of the roughest sea nights. Ba Ngoc Han listened attentively, occasionally adding a few stories of his own about his years working on the rig, a rare openness that he had never shown to his family before.

"Your daughter has now become a future scientist," her father said, his voice full of pride, turning to look at Ngoc Han who was attentively listening to Mr. Sau's story. "I believe, one day, you will discover something truly meaningful about this universe, and I will always be proud to be your dad, no matter where I am."

"I hope so," Ngoc Han replied, smiling. "But no matter what I discover, I think, the most precious thing I have found is here, right now, next to the people I love the most."

The night gradually grew late, one by one everyone left, leaving only Ngoc Han and Nhat Quang to sit for a while longer, enjoying the last moments under the night sky before having to return to the city for a new busy week of school. The cool August night wind blew, carrying the faint scent of the sea from afar, blending with the absolute peace of that private moment.

"Where do you think we will be ten years from now?" Ngoc Han asked, looking up at the starry sky, her voice dreamy.

"I don't know exactly," Nhat Quang replied, squeezing her hand. "But I know one thing for sure — no matter where we are, no matter what we do, I hope we will still look up at the night sky together like this, every year, on this occasion, without interruption."

"I like that appointment," Ngoc Han smiled, resting her head on his shoulder, feeling the peace and happiness spreading throughout her body.

She looked down at the shooting star bracelet that she had still worn on her wrist for the past year, and now also the newly received constellation necklace Thien Hau, two small gifts that contained a long journey of love and growth. She thought about the girl from a year ago, who had stood on this very rooftop, trembling with fear and hurt, not daring to believe that the night sky could bring anything other than pain.

Now, she stood there, no longer that scared girl, but someone who had learned how to turn pain into strength, turn hopeless waiting into enduring hope, and turn a sky once associated with sad memories into a place where she found love, friendship, and even herself.

"Thank you for bringing me up here, on that first day," she whispered, looking at Nhat Quang with eyes full of love. "You changed my whole life, in ways I never dared to imagine."

"No," Nhat Quang shook his head, smiled gently, lifted her chin so their eyes met under the starlight. "It was you who took those courageous steps on your own. I was just the lucky one to accompany you on that journey."

He bent down and placed a gentle kiss on her lips, as gentle as the stars quietly shining above their heads. And under that August night sky, which witnessed so many ups and downs of a journey of healing and love, the two continued to write new pages of their life story, a story written by the light of the stars, and by the promise to never fail again.