Chapter 11 — Bridge Yard Beats

Tram came to Vy's room one evening, holding a small box of cakes, her face full of worry and determination. She knocked on the door, waiting nervously until Vy opened the door, her eyes somewhat surprised to see her sister visiting at this hour.

"Miss Tram," Vy said, her voice still a bit reserved after what had happened.

"Can you come in for a moment?" Tram asked, her voice soft, different from her usual confidence.

Vy nodded, opened the door wider and invited her in. The two sat down, a tense atmosphere filled the small room for a moment before Tram broke the silence.

"I came to apologize to you," Tram said, her voice choked up, unable to hide her sincerity. "What you said to the reporter that day was completely wrong. You let your personal emotions, fear and jealousy control you, instead of thinking carefully about the consequences that could cause you and Long."

Vy listened silently, clearly feeling the sincerity in each word. "I don't understand, why do you feel like that?" she asked, her voice filled with both curiosity and unresolved hurt.

Tram took a deep breath before continuing, deciding to fully open her heart. "I'm afraid, Vy. I'm afraid this injury will end my playing career forever. I'm afraid I'll become redundant, forgotten, while everyone, including the partner I've been with for three years, continues to move forward without me."

"Miss Tram..." Vy whispered, clearly feeling the pain behind those words.

"I know, it's not your fault or Long's," Tram continued, tears starting to fall. "But I let that fear turn into selfishness, causing me to say things that could seriously hurt both of your chances right before such an important tournament. I'm truly sorry."

Vy was silent for a moment, her emotions mixed between residual hurt and compassion for what Tram had just shared. Finally, she reached out to hold her sister's hand, her eyes full of understanding. "I understand the feeling of fear when facing uncertainty in your career," she said, her voice gentle. "I forgive you, but I hope that from now on, if there is anything that makes you uncomfortable, you will tell me directly, instead of keeping it inside and letting it explode in a way no one wants."

"I promise," Tram nodded, squeezing Vy's hand gratefully. "Thank you, for being willing to forgive me."

After the conversation with Vy, Tram reached out to Long and repeated the same sincere apology. Long, although still a bit hesitant at first, eventually accepted the apology, understanding better than anyone the psychological pressures an athlete faces when his playing career is at risk of ending prematurely.

"I'm not angry with you," Long said, his voice sincere. "But I hope you will find a way to face the difficulties ahead more positively, instead of letting them turn into hurt for those around you."

"I will try," Tram replied, her eyes filled with new determination. "Teacher Kiet just offered me a position on the youth coaching staff. I think this could be a new path for me to continue contributing to badminton, in a different way."

"That's great news," Vy said, unable to hide her sincere joy. "I believe you will become an excellent coach, with all the experience and understanding you have accumulated."

The newspaper editorial office, after receiving feedback from Coach Kiet and proactively contacting corrections from Tram herself, published a correction article, clarifying the full context of the original statement, while emphasizing the sincere support that Tram has for the Vy - Long couple. The wave of negative public opinion quickly subsided, giving way to more positive attention towards the upcoming important competition.

Three days before leaving, the team held a final meeting to review all preparations. Tram, in her new role in the youth coaching team, also contributed opinions and thoroughly analyzed the opponents based on her extensive international competition experience.

"Thai couples tend to slow down mentally in the third round if they take an early lead," Tram shared, pointing to the tactical analysis board. "If you can maintain your form and create pressure from the beginning of the third quarter, your chances of winning will increase significantly."

That valuable professional contribution made the team even more confident in Tram's abilities in her new role, and also completely healed the relationship between her and the Vy - Long couple, turning a turbulent challenge into an opportunity for everyone to grow together.

After the meeting, as everyone gradually left the room, Vy stayed behind to ask Tram for more detailed notes. During the conversation, Tram suddenly made a comment that made Vy confused.

"You know," Tram said, her voice gentle, no longer any strain, "looking at the way Long has taken care of you all this time, I realized that perhaps I have never really had that during the three years of being partners with him. Long and I have always been good teammates, but we have never looked at each other like the way he looks at you."

Vy blushed at that unexpected comment, not knowing how to react. "What...what are you talking about?"

"I'm just telling the truth," Tram smiled, a sincere smile, without any bitterness like before. "I'm happy for you two. Honestly. At first I was jealous, but now looking back, I realize, I'm jealous not because of losing Long, but because of losing the feeling of being an important part of something big. I've found another way to continue to be a part of that."

That sincere sharing touched Vy deeply, she hugged Tram with indescribable emotion. "Thank you, sister, for being so frank and sincere," she said, her voice choked up.

That evening, when he recounted that conversation to Long, he could not hide his emotion at Tram's maturity. "I always believe that she is a good person, just going through the most difficult period of her career," Long said, her eyes full of respect for her former teammate.

"I think so too," Vy agreed, sitting next to Long on a bench in the yard, looking at the night sky before leaving. "I think, every challenge we go through, no matter how difficult, ultimately helps people around us become more connected and understand each other."

Long turned to look at her, his eyes filled with a deep emotion that he had suppressed for many weeks. "Vy," he said, his voice unusually shaky, "I have something to tell you, before we leave."

Vy turned to look at him, clearly feeling the unusual seriousness in that voice. "What do you want to say?"

"I..." Long hesitated, rarely losing his temper like that. "I think, I have feelings for you, more than just a teammate or sparring partner. I'm not sure if you feel the same way, but I think I need to be honest, before we enter the most important tournament ever."

Vy's heart throbbed at that sincere confession, a gentle smile gradually appeared on her lips. "Me too, Long," she replied, her voice quiet but full of sincerity. "I've also had feelings for you for a long time, I just didn't dare admit it because I was afraid it would affect our chemistry on the field."

The two looked at each other in silence, their eyes filled with sincere emotions that they had both tried to suppress for many weeks, finally fully expressed under the starry night sky, right on the threshold of the most important journey in both of their careers.

"So, what are we to each other now?" Vy asked, her voice both nervous and a bit mischievous, breaking the emotional moment of silence.

Long laughed lightly, took her hand, his eyes filled with a certainty that was rarely shown. "I think the answer is obvious. If you agree, I want us to officially become a couple, not just on the field."

"I agree," Vy replied, without hesitation, a bright smile on her lips. "But we need to keep this a secret during the competition, at least until the qualifiers are over. I don't want anything to distract us both."

"I completely agree," Long nodded, gently squeezing her hand. "Our private love story, let it be a sweet secret between the two of us, at least until we win the Olympic ticket."

The two of them sat together for a while longer under the night sky, hand in hand, their hearts filled with a new peace and happiness, preparing the strongest spirit for the upcoming challenging journey, now not only teammates, but also something much more meaningful than that.