Chapter 24 — Bridge Yard Beats

The Olympic final took place in an unprecedented solemn and majestic atmosphere, with the witness of tens of thousands of live spectators and millions of people watching on television around the world. Vy and Long stepped onto the field, their eyes steadily looking straight at the Chinese couple - the opponent who had defeated them in the group stage just a few days before.

"This is an opportunity to rewrite the story," Coach Kiet said in a short meeting before the match, his eyes full of confidence. "You guys have proven a lot throughout this tournament. Today, play with everything you've got."

The first set was tense right from the first points, both sides showed great determination. The Chinese couple, with extensive experience from many major tournaments, still maintained the necessary composure, while Vy and Long played with the fiery spirit of young people eager to prove themselves.

The first set ended with a victory in favor of China, although the gap was not too large. But unlike the previous group stage match, this time Vy and Long did not waver, maintaining an optimistic spirit going into the second set.

"We played much better than in the group stage," Long commented during the half-time break, his voice full of confidence. "With just a few small adjustments, we can completely turn the situation around."

In the second set, the Vietnamese couple applied the strategy that had been carefully practiced throughout the tournament, skillfully combining strong attacks and subtle drops, gradually regaining the initiative. The stands seemed to explode every time Vy or Long scored an important score, chants of "Vietnam" echoed throughout the arena.

The second set ended with Vietnam's victory, equalizing the final score, bringing the match to the deciding set in the utmost excitement of everyone present at the arena, as well as millions of viewers watching on screens across the country.

The third set, the final match to decide the Olympic gold medal, took place in a breathtakingly tense atmosphere. Both teams played with the utmost concentration, neither side willing to give up even a small score. The stands almost held their breath with each ball, only exploding in cheers every time one side scored an important point.

By the middle of the set, the Chinese pair, with extensive experience, gradually regained the advantage, taking the lead by a few points. During the short break allowed according to regulations, coach Kiet approached the touchline and shouted loudly so that both could hear clearly amid the noise of the stands.

"Don't let that small difference make you lose your temper! Just one point at a time, you still have enough time!"

Vy took a deep breath, exchanging eyes with Long full of determination. The two began to adjust their pace, taking full advantage of the strategy of alternating attack and defense that helped them overcome many strong opponents throughout the tournament. Each score gradually narrowed, the stands seemed to explode every time Vietnam scored, bringing the score closer.

At an even score of twenty, the tension reached its peak. The entire stadium was almost silent, only the sound of the athletes' heavy breathing and the harsh sound of the shuttlecock hitting the racket surface could be heard. The ball phase lasted for more than twenty consecutive beats, all four athletes put their last effort into each shot.

Finally, in a decisive phase, the Chinese opponent made a dangerous smash, but Long, with extraordinary reflexes trained over a long journey, promptly saved the ball and pushed it high. Not missing that precious moment, Vy jumped all the way up and launched the most decisive smash in her entire playing career.

The ball crashed straight into the corner of the opponent's field, leaving no time to react. A brief silence filled the arena before the referee officially confirmed the score — and also the winning score, officially crowning the Vietnamese pair as Olympic champions.

The entire arena seemed to explode in unprecedented passionate cheers. Vy stood still for a moment, unable to believe what had just happened, before collapsing on the ground, tears of happiness flowing endlessly. Long ran to her, lifted her up, and hugged her in a burst of happiness that both of them had never dared to dream of.

"We are Olympic champions!" Vy shouted between tears and laughter, her voice almost breathless due to extreme emotion.

"We did it, Vy! We really did it!" Long replied, squeezing her tightly in his arms, his whole body trembling with uncontrollable emotions.

The Chinese couple, despite narrowly losing the championship, still came to shake hands and congratulate their young opponent with noble sportsmanship. "You deserve this victory more than anyone," the female athlete said, her voice sincere even though she couldn't hide the regret in her eyes. "This was a great final."

The medal awarding ceremony took place solemnly immediately afterward, under the bright lights of the gymnasium. When the Vietnamese national anthem rang out, Vy and Long stood on the highest podium, their hands on their chests, their eyes filled with tears as they watched the red flag with a yellow star slowly being raised amid the solemn music. This is a moment that none of them, including Coach Kiet or Mr. Trinh Bao Son, ever dared to believe could happen just a year ago.

After receiving the medal, while reporters were preparing for the official press conference, Long suddenly grabbed Vy's hand and pulled her to a quieter corner near the podium area, his eyes filled with unusual seriousness.

"Do you remember the notebook I wrote last night?" he asked, his voice trembling rarely, even though he had just experienced a historic victory.

"Remember," Vy replied, curiously watching him pull out a familiar notebook from his jersey pocket.

Long opened the last page, where he had scribbled the night before, then knelt down on one knee right in the middle of the Olympic stadium, in front of tens of thousands of spectators still lingering and television cameras pointing towards them. The whole gym seemed silent for a moment before that unexpected action.

"Vy," he said, his voice choked but still loud enough for her to hear clearly, "from that first controversial practice session, you taught me so many things about courage, about uncompromising passion, and about the true meaning of fighting for something bigger than yourself. I want to spend the rest of my life continuing to write that story with you, not only on the field, but in life. Do you agree to be my wife?"

He opened the small box hidden in his pocket, revealing the sparkling ring inside. Vy stood still, tears of happiness rolling down endlessly, unable to speak for a moment before finally nodding repeatedly, her voice choked up.

"Yes! I agree, Long! I agree!"

The whole arena seemed to explode for the second time that day, the cheers of congratulations were as loud as the moment of winning the gold medal just now. Long stood up, put the ring on Vy's finger, then hugged her amid endless applause from the stood, closing a historic day in the most beautiful way that no one could have imagined before.

On the stage, coach Kiet and Mr. Trinh Bao Son witnessed that entire moment, unable to hide their emotions and surprise. "This boy," Mr. Son muttered, his voice both scolding and full of pride, "didn't give me a word of warning."

"Perhaps your son wants this moment to belong entirely to the two of him," Coach Kiet smiled, patting his longtime colleague on the shoulder. "And I think, there is no more meaningful setting to propose than the stadium where you both wrote history together."

Tram, standing nearby, couldn't hold back her tears of happiness, clapping her hands nonstop. "This is exactly the most beautiful ending that a story like this deserves," she said, her voice choked with emotion.

News of the romantic proposal moment right after the historic victory quickly spread around the world, becoming one of the most iconic images of that year's Olympics. Millions of people around the world, even though they do not understand Vietnamese, still feel the full sincere emotions through the video recording that moment, sharing it widely across social networking platforms.

The official press conference then became more special than ever, when reporters not only asked about the match, but also continuously congratulated both the gold medal victory and the surprising marriage proposal that had just taken place. Vy, still wearing the sparkling ring, couldn't hide her bright, happy smile throughout the press conference, a day she knew she would never forget for the rest of her life.