Chapter 19 — Bridge Yard Beats

Three months before the Olympic opening day, Vy and Long's training schedule entered a sprint phase with unprecedented intensity. Coach Kiet and the coaching staff built a detailed lesson plan, combining perfecting technique, improving physical fitness and in-depth research on the world's top opponents that the pair could potentially face in this prestigious arena.

To best prepare, the badminton federation decided to send both of them to attend two more high-level international tournaments before officially entering the Olympics, to gain experience competing with world-class opponents that they have never had the opportunity to face directly before.

The first international tournament took place in Europe, gathering most of the world's top couples. This is the first time Vy and Long have competed on such a high-level playground, facing opponents that they previously only knew about through television screens.

"How does it feel to stand on the same field with the legends you once admired?" Long asked Vy while warming up before the first group stage match, his eyes could not hide the same shock.

"It's both thrilling and like a dream," Vy replied, taking a deep breath to calm herself. "But I think this is a valuable opportunity for us to learn and grow more before entering the real Olympics."

The first match was a difficult one against a veteran Danish pair, multiple world champions in the past. Even though they played hard, Vy and Long eventually lost by a relatively clear margin, clearly realizing the level gap that still exists between them and the real world's top opponents.

"We still have a lot of room for improvement," Long commented after the game, his tone thoughtful but undeterred. "Their speed in handling situations is much faster than ours."

"I completely agree," Vy nodded, although somewhat disappointed but still maintaining her progressive spirit. "But I think, this is exactly why we need to attend tournaments like this — to clearly recognize our own shortcomings before it's too late."

Coach Kiet, although somewhat disappointed with the result, still viewed the match from a positive perspective. "This is really a valuable lesson," he said in the post-match learning session. "We have three months left to overcome these weaknesses before the Olympics officially start. Nothing is impossible if you are truly determined."

After their first defeat, the team spent the rest of their time at the tournament carefully analyzing the playing style of their top opponents, carefully recording every technical and tactical detail that they could learn and apply in their next practice.

In the second match of the group stage, the opponents were a young couple from Japan, with similar performance and age to Vy and Long. This match was much more balanced, with both sides playing evenly throughout all three sets. Although they still lost narrowly in the end, the Vietnamese couple showed clear progress compared to the first match.

"We played much better than the previous match," coach Kiet commented after the match, his voice full of encouragement. "The gap with top competitors is not as far away as we feared."

"I think we just need more time to perfect our processing speed and confidence when facing high-level opponents," Long commented, carefully recording each valuable lesson learned from the recent match.

The second international tournament, held a month later in Asia, produced much better results. By applying lessons learned from the previous tournament, the Vy - Long pair advanced all the way to the quarterfinals, defeating several higher-ranked opponents, creating a big surprise in the regional badminton community.

"This is a huge step forward," Tram commented via video call from home, unable to hide her pride as she watched her former student compete from afar. "You are progressing at an amazing rate, much faster than I had originally predicted."

During the period between two international tournaments, Vy and Long also faced many difficulties in balancing the dense competition schedule, long intercontinental flights and the necessary need for rest and physical recovery. There were days when both felt exhausted, both mentally and physically exhausted.

"Sometimes I wonder if I'm pushing myself too hard," Vy shared with Long one tiring evening after a long flight back from the European tournament. "It feels like, I haven't had the time to truly rest in all these months."

"I feel the exact same thing," Long admitted, squeezing her hand. "But I believe, all this effort will be worth it when we stand on the Olympic field. We just need to try a little more."

Realizing signs of fatigue accumulating in both students, Coach Kiet decided to readjust the schedule, spending more time to rest in between high-intensity training sessions, ensuring both of them maintained their best physical and mental health before entering the final sprint towards the Olympics.

"The children's health is always the top priority, above all achievements," he said during a meeting to adjust lesson plans. "We still have enough time, there's no need to rush to the point of sacrificing our health."

That timely adjustment helped both Vy and Long regain full mental and physical strength, ready to enter the final stage of the journey to prepare for the Olympics that they had both dreamed of for a long time.

On a rare day off, Vy and Long decided to spend time walking around the city, temporarily putting aside all the pressure of training to enjoy simple everyday moments. The two stopped by a small roadside cafe, where they could sit and chat comfortably without being recognized by fans.

"Do you remember, the first day we sat next to each other like this?" Long asked, gently stirring the cup of coffee in front of him.

"Of course," Vy smiled, her eyes full of nostalgia. "At that time, we didn't know how to address each other naturally, so it was awkward."

"It's a lot different now," Long replied, gently holding her hand across the table. "We have gone through so many ups and downs together, from training sessions filled with collisions, to now being a couple preparing to enter the Olympic arena."

"It still feels like a dream," Vy said, smiling happily. "Just over half a year ago, I never thought I would love someone I hated so much."

"Do you hate it so much?" Long pretended to be hurt, making Vy laugh out loud. "I thought you were just a little annoyed with me."

"Okay, maybe hate is a bit exaggerating," Vy laughed, lightly punching his shoulder. "But to be honest, I never thought that the person who annoyed me the most at first would eventually become the person I love the most."

That gentle conversation, full of laughter, helped both of them completely dispel the stress and fatigue that had accumulated over many weeks of harsh training, adding positive energy for both of them to continue steadily on the remaining journey ahead, towards the Olympic dream that is getting closer and closer.

On the way back to the training center, Long suddenly stopped in front of a small shop selling handicrafts. His eyes were attracted to a painting of two birds flying together in the sky. “Look at that,” he said, pointing to the picture. "It looks a lot like us, doesn't it?"

"Why is it similar?" Vy asked curiously, looking more closely at the picture.

"Two birds of different species, but can still fly together in the same direction," Long explained, his eyes full of meaning. "Just like us, different in style and background, but still working together towards a common dream."

Vy smiled at that unexpected romance, deeply touched by the way Long always found beautiful meanings in the simplest things of life. "I like the way you look at things," she said, resting her head lightly on his shoulder in the middle of the crowded street.

The two continued to walk towards the training center, filled with peace and simple happiness, ready to face the final challenges before officially entering the prestigious Olympic arena that they had both worked tirelessly to conquer throughout a long, arduous but also extremely memorable journey.