Chapter 2 — Directions to Cloud Valley

The trail into Cloud Valley begins with a gentle slope through the pine forest, where morning sunlight filters through the foliage, creating shimmering streaks on the ground covered with dry needles. Thao Vy led the group, keeping a moderate pace so everyone had time to get used to the terrain.

"Everyone remember to keep a sufficient distance from the person in front, not too close and not too far," she instructed, her voice echoing clearly through the quiet space of the forest and mountains. "If you feel tired, report it immediately, don't try to endure it alone."

Dang Khoi was near the back of the group, taking on the role of monitoring the members' health, true to his expertise as a doctor. Even though he tried to focus on his work, his eyes still often looked forward, where the familiar figure of Thao Vy was walking briskly between the rows of trees.

She had changed a lot compared to his memories — her tanned skin was healthier, her gait was steadier and more confident, a maturity emanating from the way she handled every situation with the guests. But some things remain the same — the way she tilts her head when she listens to someone, the way she smiles with her eyes before the smile reaches the corners of her lips. Those small details made his heart ache, recalling everything he had lost.

"Doctor Khoi, are you okay?" Do Minh Trang, the youngest medical student in the group, asked when she saw him slowing down, looking distantly ahead.

"I'm fine," Dang Khoi replied, startled back to reality. "Just thinking about the medical examination schedule when I get to the village."

Minh Trang nodded, although she did not completely believe that answer, she did not ask further, just continued to walk beside him, occasionally asking him about strange plants growing along the road that she had never seen before.

***

At noon, the group stopped to rest at a vacant lot beside the stream, where Thao Vy had prepared a simple picnic lunch with rice balls and dry food. Everyone sat in small groups, chatting loudly about their first experiences on the journey.

Thao Vy sat a little apart, checking the map and schedule for the afternoon route. She felt someone approaching, and without looking up, she knew who it was.

"Can I sit here?" Dang Khoi asked, his voice had a rare hesitation.

Thao Vy looked up and looked at him for a moment before nodding, trying to keep her face calm and professional. "This is a public seat," she replied, her voice a bit deliberately cold.

Dang Khoi sat down, keeping a moderate distance, not too close to avoid making her uncomfortable. "I didn't expect to see you here again," he said after a long silence. "I'm sorry for this surprise."

"There's no need to apologize," Thao Vy replied, her eyes still glued to the map. "This is my job. I will complete it professionally, regardless of who the client is."

The coldness in her voice made Dang Khoi feel like a knife cutting into his heart, even though he knew he deserved it. "I understand," he said softly. "I don't expect you to easily forgive or forget what happened. I just... I just want you to know that I always regret the way I left."

Thao Vy finally looked up at him, her eyes were complicated, a mixture of old hurt and an irrepressible curiosity. "If you regret it, why haven't you contacted me once in the past five years? No explanation, no text, nothing. You completely disappeared from my life as if I never existed."

Dang Khoi bowed his head, unable to face those painful eyes directly. "It's a long story, and I don't think this is the right time or place to explain it. But I promise, if you give me the chance, I'll tell you the whole truth."

"I don't need your promise," Thao Vy replied, standing up, her voice determined. "I just need you and your group to reach Ta Chai village safely. That is my job, and I will complete it. As for the past between us, I think it's best to leave it behind."

She walked away, leaving Dang Khoi sitting alone by the stream, his eyes following her fading figure, his heart heavy with complex emotions that he didn't know how to handle on the challenging journey ahead.

***

In the afternoon, the group continued their journey through a steeper road, crossing the mountainside with a clear view of the valley below. Mua Thi Sinh, walking next to Thao Vy in the leading position, could not hide her curiosity about the strange man.

"Miss Vy, who is that person? You and he seem very tense," Sinh asked softly, loud enough for only the two of them to hear.

Thao Vy sighed, knowing that she could not hide Sinh forever, especially when she had accompanied her through the most difficult years. "That's the guy I was engaged to, five years ago," she said softly. "Before I came here to live."

Sinh's eyes opened wide in surprise. "Oh my god, so that's the person who..." she stopped, not wanting to recall Thao Vy's old pain.

"That's right," Thao Vy confirmed, her voice trying to stay calm. "But that's in the past, Sinh. I don't want it to affect our work."

"Are you okay?" She asked, her voice filled with sincere concern.

"I'm fine," Thao Vy replied, even though she wasn't completely sure about that. "It just takes time to get used to him being here."

The group continued to walk in silence, with only the sound of the wind blowing through the trees and the steady sound of footsteps on the trail. In the distance, clouds began to gather on the mountain top, signaling a possible rainy afternoon, forcing Thao Vy to speed up the group's pace to reach the campsite before dark.

Behind, Dang Khoi still walked quietly, his eyes never left Thao Vy's figure in front, his heart was filled with determination - no matter how long it took, no matter how difficult the road ahead was, he would find a way to make her understand the truth, let her know that the decision to leave five years ago was not because he did not love her, but because he loved her too much to let her bear what he was facing.

***

By late afternoon, the group reached the first campsite - a flat piece of land on the side of a mountain, overlooking a small valley that had begun to shroud in the afternoon mist. Thao Vy quickly assigned tasks and instructed everyone to set up tents, while Sinh and a few people were in charge of the kitchen preparing dinner.

"This is the most beautiful camping spot on the entire route," Thao Vy explained when she saw several members of the group admiring the sunset dyeing the sky orange in the distance. "Tomorrow morning, if the weather is favorable, everyone will witness the beautiful sea of clouds."

"Does the sea of clouds really exist?" Minh Trang asked, her eyes lit up with excitement. "I only saw it in pictures."

"Yes," Thao Vy replied, smiling at the young student's enthusiasm. "If you're lucky, you'll see the entire valley submerged in a sea of white clouds, leaving only the mountain peaks rising like islands in the middle of the ocean."

While everyone was busy with camping work, Dang Khoi separated from the group to find doctor Hoang Nam Phong, his older colleague and also the teacher who had guided him for many years working at the hospital.

"Doctor Phong, do you have a minute?" he asked, sitting down next to the old doctor who was resting by the small campfire.

"What's wrong, Khoi?" Doctor Phong asked, immediately recognizing his student's heavy mood.

"Our tour guide," Dang Khoi began, his voice low. "That's Thao Vy. The person you told me about, five years ago."

Doctor Phong raised his eyebrows in surprise, but quickly regained his familiar composure. "Fate really has its own strange arrangements," he said. "So what are you going to do?"

"I don't know," Dang Khoi admitted, his eyes looking distantly at the flickering fire. "She's obviously still deeply hurt by what I did. I don't know if I should try to explain, or if it's better to leave things as they are, focus on completing this volunteer trip."

"You've kept this secret for five years, Khoi," Dr. Phong said, his voice serious but full of concern. "I think this might be your chance to let go of that burden, no matter the outcome. The truth, no matter how painful, is better than continuing to live in the darkness of the unsaid."

Dang Khoi was silent, pondering the advice of his respected teacher. He looked towards the tent area, where Thao Vy was busy checking the tent ropes. Her appearance was busy but still exuding the confidence and steadfastness of a person who has learned how to stand on her own two feet.

"I'm scared," he admitted, his voice quiet. "I'm afraid that when she knows the truth, she will resent me even more for deciding such an important thing for her without giving her the right to choose."

"It's a legitimate fear," Dr. Phong replied. "But you took away her right to choose once already, when you left without explaining. Don't repeat that mistake again by continuing to stay silent."

Those words were like a hammer blow straight into Dang Khoi's heart, making him realize more clearly than ever the responsibility he needed to face on this journey - not only the responsibility of a doctor leading a volunteer group, but also the responsibility of a man who needed to atone for the mistake he had caused to the woman he always loved deeply, even though five years of separation had passed.