Chapter 9 — Appointment Under the Stars

After the resounding success of the experimental observation session, the atmosphere in the club became much more excited. The number of students registering to participate began to increase steadily, although not many, it was enough for Mr. Dat to report a positive signal to the school board.

Ngoc Han and Nhat Quang continued to spend a lot of time together to complete the preparations for the big event in August — from contacting local newspapers, drafting a document requesting permission to use the school's rooftop for a large-scale event, to planning in detail each part of that evening's program.

The two were used to spending at least three afternoons a week working together, sometimes at the library, sometimes at a small cafe near the school, where they could spread documents out on the table without fear of disturbing anyone. Yen Nhi, although not an official member of the club, often stops by to help design promotional images, taking advantage of her artistic strengths.

"You two are like a long-standing couple," Yen Nhi commented once, when she saw Ngoc Han and Nhat Quang coordinate so smoothly that they understood each other's meaning with just a look, without needing to say another word.

"It's just that we're used to working together," Ngoc Han replied, although it couldn't be denied that comment made her feel quite agitated.

One late afternoon, while the two were sitting in the library after school, it suddenly started to rain heavily, forcing both of them to stay and wait for the rain to stop instead of going home as planned.

"It seems like the rain won't stop for a long time," Nhat Quang said, looking out the window where raindrops were pouring down, creating a hazy curtain of water that obscured the schoolyard, which was crowded with students passing by every day.

"It's okay, I'm not in a hurry," Ngoc Han replied, continuing to review the unfinished documents, although secretly grateful that the sudden rain gave her more time to be by his side without having to find any reason.

The two continued working in silence for a while, with only the steady sound of the rain falling outside as the background for the quiet space of the library that was almost deserted at this hour. The librarian passed by a few times, glancing at the two with familiar eyes, perhaps too used to seeing them staying late to work over the past few weeks.

"Are you hungry? I still have some cookies in my bag," Nhat Quang asked, rummaging through his backpack and taking out a small, half-opened package of cookies.

"Thank you," Ngoc Han replied, accepting a few cakes, feeling warm at that small thoughtfulness. "You always have everything ready, don't you?"

"It's a habit from a young age," he laughed, "my grandfather taught me to always be prepared for any unexpected situation, including mid-afternoon showers like this."

"Hey Ngoc Han," Nhat Quang suddenly spoke, his voice unusually hesitant. "Can I ask you something?"

"You can just ask," she replied, looking up at him, a little curious at that unusual attitude.

"Your dad... hasn't come home once since I've known you?" He asked, his voice careful as if touching on a sensitive topic.

The question made Ngoc Han pause for a moment, but she realized she no longer felt as defensive as before whenever someone mentioned her father. "My dad works on an offshore drilling rig," she explained, her voice calmer than she expected. "For three years in a row, I haven't come back on time for any holidays, there's always a work reason. I'm used to not expecting much anymore."

"I'm sorry if this question makes you uncomfortable," Nhat Quang said, his eyes filled with sincere guilt.

"It's okay," Ngoc Han waved her hand, smiling slightly. "Actually, it makes me feel better to say it out loud. I've never told this story to anyone other than Yen Nhi before."

He was silent for a moment, then gently placed his hand on the table, close to her hand but not touching, as a silent gesture of comfort that did not require words.

"I think," he said softly, "your father must be very proud of you, even if he doesn't show it the way you want. Sometimes, people love in imperfect ways, not because they don't care, but because they are also struggling with their own limitations."

"You sound like you've thought a lot about this," Ngoc Han commented, a bit surprised by the unexpected profundity of what he just said.

"My dad is the same," Nhat Quang admitted, his voice low. "Dad worked very busy and rarely had time for me when I was young. There were times I was angry with him because of that. It wasn't until I grew up that I understood he had to sacrifice many things to take care of the family in his own way. Not everyone knows how to express love through words or regular presence."

Ngoc Han remained silent, feeling a deep sympathy spreading between the two, as if they were both carrying a similar feeling in their hearts, no matter how different the specific circumstances were.

Ngoc Han looked at him, a warm feeling spreading throughout his chest at that deep understanding. She reached out and gently touched his hand on the table, a spontaneous gesture that she didn't have time to think about before acting.

They both paused for a moment, their eyes meeting across the short distance between them. The sound of rain falling outside seemed to become more distant, giving way to the pounding heartbeat in Ngoc Han's chest. The pale yellow light of the library covered Nhat Quang's face with an unusually warm color, making her realize that perhaps this was not simply a close friendship as she had been trying to convince herself for so long.

"Thank you," she said softly, her voice shaking slightly, "for always listening, for never judging."

"I'm always here," Nhat Quang replied, his voice unable to hide his emotion, "whenever you need me."

That moment lasted a few more seconds, until the library closing bell rang, interrupting the emotional atmosphere between the two. They both quickly pulled their hands back, laughing awkwardly at that unexpected interruption.

"Maybe the rain is about to stop," Ngoc Han said, trying to ease the sweet, tense atmosphere just now.

"Yeah, let me see," Nhat Quang replied, standing up to look out the window, even though they both knew the rain was just an excuse to prolong that precious private moment.

When I stepped out of the library, the rain had completely stopped, leaving only a few drops of water falling from the eaves. The western sky began to reveal some pale blue patches behind the gray clouds, signaling that a clear evening was coming.

On the way, the two walked more slowly than usual, no one actively broke the comfortable silence that surrounded them, only occasionally glanced at each other and quickly turned away when their eyes met, a small hidden game that both of them implicitly understood but no one dared to call out.

"Be careful on your way home," Nhat Quang said when the two reached the familiar crossroads, where they still parted every day.

"You too," Ngoc Han replied, smiling, then turned and walked away, but her heart still lingered on the warm feeling of that brief touch just now, a feeling that she knew she would think about all the way home, and perhaps, all that evening.

When she got home, she went straight to her room, not bothering to eat dinner right away as usual, just sat by the window looking out at the sky that was gradually clearing after the rain, the first few stars had begun to appear. For the first time, she proactively sat alone and looked at the stars without anyone's invitation or encouragement, a small change that she did not expect when she looked back at the journey she had gone through in the past few short months.

Her phone vibrated, a text message from Nhat Quang: "Did you get home safely?"

She smiled and typed back: "I'm back, thank you for asking. Are you too?"

"Just got home, I'm sitting here looking at the stars," he texted back, along with a quick photo of the night sky from his balcony, sparkling with the first few stars after the rain.

Ngoc Han looked at that photo for a long time, then took a photo of the same sky scene from her room window, sending it to him with a short message: "Same sky, just different perspective."

"That's right," Nhat Quang answered immediately, "but no matter which corner you're at, just look up and you'll always see the same star."

Ngoc Han read that text message, feeling a warmth spreading throughout her chest, and she knew that tonight her sleep would come later than usual, not because of anxiety, but because of a gentle happiness that is hard to name.