Chapter 12 — Late Table Lady

The head of the discussion began to suspect An the day Quynh Nhu discovered a stamp on the project. The seal belongs to Khai An Group's office, although the copy was covered by An with a piece of paper.

Like not saying it right away. She pulled An out into the hallway after Math class.

“Do you use the family office to print documents?”

An did not deny it. "I asked my father's assistant to print out a public map. There is no confidential information."

“So why not say it in the income and expenditure table?”

"Because I don't think it's a cost. I use the company's paper and printer."

Like crossing your arms. “That is the external resource.”

An stiff throat. She tried not to use money, but forgot that money is not the only form of support. Printer, time, driver, all have value. She thought she was walking in a straight line, but it turned out she was still unconsciously stepping on the carpet the family had laid out.

“I'll add it,” An said.

“How to supplement?”

“Specify the twelve prints supported by Khai An office, not included in the project fund.”

Like looking at her. “Did you know that the group could be asked to return it?”

“If necessary, I will pay with the money I earn at the store.”

"It's not about money. It's about whether people know in advance."

An was silent. Like he was right, and that annoyed her more than a scolding.

During the group meeting, An told a story. Huy pretended to faint on the chair, Mai sighed, Khang asked: "Do you still have the receipt?"

"Have."

"Then make it public. From now on all resources must be recorded."

“Aren't you angry?”

"I'm disappointed you didn't ask. But those are two different things."

An looked at him. Khang did not make her feel like a bad person, but also did not help her escape her mistakes.

Like asking the whole school to vote on the rules and book borrowing mechanism. Some people want to use QR codes, some people don't have smartphones. They designed both paper books and simple codes. An is in charge of instructing, but this time she consulted each class before making a decision.

Huy made an advertisement: "Books don't run away, but if you run away with books, we know." Ms. Dung from the canteen asked for two potted plants. A security guard lent him an old chair. Every small contribution is recorded in the book, no one is turned into a big donor.

During that time, Quynh Nhu posted an article on her learning channel, talking about the difference between helping and replacing. The article received many shares, but there were also comments saying she was defending a rich person.

As he read the comments, his face stiffened. An wanted to comfort her, but didn't know what to say.

“Do you want me to tell them you don't defend me?” An asked.

“No. People will say I'm defending myself.”

“So what do you want to do?”

"Continue doing the exercise. The more you explain, the less time you have to do it."

An learned from Nhu the calmness of a person who knows he cannot control all outside words. But at noon, Nhu suddenly asked An to borrow a marker.

“I didn't bring enough colors.”

An handed over the pencil box. “Just use it.”

Like looking at an expensive pencil case, slightly hesitant. “Do you need to record it on your income and expenditure statement?”

An burst out laughing. “If you pay with a thank you, that's enough.”

"Thank."

“You see, it's simpler.”

During class time, Mr. Hoang had the whole class discuss privacy and rumors. No one was called by name. The teacher presented a situation where a student with conditions wanted to hide his identity, but that hiding affected the project shared.

Huy raised his hand. “That student should tell the truth, but without turning himself into a moral lesson for the whole school.”

Mai said: "Other people have the right to be upset, but they don't have the right to take private photos to make fun of them."

Khang added: "Fairness is not about treating everyone exactly the same. It is about making clear who has the advantage and not letting that advantage silently decide."

An did not speak. She wrote down Khang's sentence in the notebook.

After class, An and Khang went to check the yard. A 10th grade boy returned his book late, apologizing because his sister tore it. Khang asked if he could re-glue it. The boy said there was no glue in the house. An took paper glue from his bag, then stopped.

“Do you want to paste it yourself or let me show you?” she asked.

The boy pasted it himself. The glue lines are a little off, but the pages hold. Khang looked at An and smiled lightly.

“You make progress.”

“I asked first.”

"Correct."

In the evening, An emailed her father's office, requesting a refund of the value of twelve copies from her salary. The assistant replied that it was not necessary, Mr. Khai considered it an educational subsidy. An texted back: "If it's support, please clearly state the name of the support person and let the group have the right to refuse."

Dad called right away. “Are you making things difficult for my assistant?”

“I'm clarifying the resources.”

“Twelve prints doesn't change the project.”

“But how you handle it changes you.”

The other end of the line was silent. Dad said, “You're a lot like your mother when it comes to arguments.”

“Did mom win?”

“Usually yes.”

An smiled. “Then I will study more.”

The next morning, the team posted the resource update on the board. Some people pass by to read, some people don't care. Khang did not praise, Nhu just nodded, Mai patted An's shoulder. “Now the official project is rich in transparency,” Huy declared.

An looked at the yard. A corner of the wall has been painted light yellow, a few potted plants are placed in plastic bottles, and the bookshelf is no longer tilted. She began to understand that the shameful thing was not having an advantage, but pretending she didn't have an advantage while still using it.

After the updated sign was posted, a parent sent a letter asking why the group needed to keep the business's name on the resource list if it wouldn't receive money. An replied that resources are not just money; Paper, printer and time expertise are also valuable. If it's not written, viewers will think the project is made from scratch.

Teacher Hoang read the letter and told An not to answer all the questions alone. Nhu suggested setting up a fixed Q&A session, while Khang said we should let parents see the original invoice when needed. The group agreed to open the books at the school union office on Friday.

In the beginning, only three people came. One person asked very carefully, one person just looked at it, one person asked why the yard didn't have air conditioning. Huy seriously replied that the budget was not enough and that trees could help keep it cooler. The questioner laughed, but then suggested adding a sunshade net.

An realized that answering truthfully did not make people lose interest; it lets others know what they can contribute.

Chieu, Khang and An revised the instructions for users without phones. They placed a paper board at the gate, using color symbols for reading time, group study time, and break time. A blind friend asked if it was possible to add embossed symbols. The group borrowed thick cardboard and stuck embossed string to create a shape. I don't know how to do it perfectly, but I'll ask you the easiest way to identify it.

She touched it and suggested that we needed a wider distance. As a revision, Khang made the frame. Huy wasn't joking, he just stood there cutting paper. When you finish, you say, “Now I know now read by hand.”

An looked at the board and saw that a good design is not the design that makes the creator the most proud, but the design so that the user does not have to apologize for needing another way.

In the evening, father sent a short message: “The council has received the report. Thank you for pointing out the resources that need to be recorded.” An replied: "I also thank you for reading." Father and son did not say more, but the silence this time was not heavy.

At the end of the Q&A session, a teacher asked the group if they had a plan for when students were on summer break. As requested to hand over to the school union, Khang created repair documents, Mai left behind a photo archive, Huy wrote down broadcasting instructions. An writes a page about resources, but deletes sentences that resemble orders.

“You are writing for the person taking over, not for yourself,” Khang reminded.

An changed the title to "Things learned and what to ask next". Below, she clearly states that if new users find it inconvenient, they have the right to change the design. The yard is not a museum for class 11A4.

As he read the last page, he said: "So the project really belongs to the school."

An looked at the bookshelf with many different handwritings. She was happy, but didn't say anything. An object you make is only truly alive when you accept that it will be used by others in a different way.

That afternoon, the group tried handing over a shift to a 10th grade student. You just forgot to lock the locker, but realized it yourself and went back to fix it. Khang did not scold him, just added a picture of the lock to the checklist. An stood far away and observed, seeing that beginners can make mistakes and still learn. She crossed out a line in the notebook: "There's no need for me to stand next to you all the time."

Mai asked her if she was sad that the project was no longer just for the class. An said a little, then laughed. “But sadness is not a reason to hold on.”

Khang placed the new lock on the cabinet, then let An try it first. She turned the key, heard a small "click", and saw that a handover could be that simple.

An placed the instructions in a moisture-proof box. She didn't want it to be the most beautiful, she just wanted someone else to open it and use it.

Like closing the file, telling An to keep a copy. “So that later you remember where you learned it from.” An accepted, no further corrections.