Chapter 17 — Late Table Lady

The class was divided in half because of a post by Quynh Nhu. She posted a list of things the project needed to check, including the sentence “Don't turn the school yard into any family's branding campaign.” She meant to protect the project, but some people read it out loud to refer to An.

The next morning, two groups sat on opposite sides of the classroom. One side believes that An should withdraw from the project to avoid conflicts of interest. The other side said it was unfair to exclude her because she worked the most. Huy walked between the two sides, handing out paper cards saying "thinking" to everyone.

“What are you doing?” Mai asked.

“Create a peaceful buffer zone.”

“You're making everyone angrier.”

“So the buffer zone is effective.”

Teacher Hoang did not lecture immediately. The teacher placed a ball of paper on the table and said: "Each person says one thing they are afraid of losing if the project fails."

One student was afraid that the class would lose the opportunity to participate in the festival. One friend was afraid that the yard would be destroyed. One friend was afraid that An's family's company would be discredited. Quynh Nhu said she was afraid people would think she was just jealous of An. Khang said he was afraid the group would turn into a war between those who have money and those who don't.

An stood up last. "I'm afraid that you will look at everything I do and think it's an act. But I'm also afraid that if I withdraw, everyone will have to bear the consequences of a secret I created."

Teacher Hoang asked: "So what needs to change?"

Khang replied: "The decision-making power should not lie with one person. We set up a monitoring group including class representatives, teachers and students using the yard."

Like nodding. “All grants must be made public before being used.”

An said: "I would like to withdraw from the expense approval position, but still do the data and presentation part."

One friend objected: "Why do you have to withdraw? You did well."

“Because doing well doesn't mean being suitable for every position.”

The answer made the class calmer. Teacher Hoang allowed the group to try the new model for a week.

Quynh Nhu met An after class. “I'm sorry that the post caused people to misunderstand.”

“You didn't mean it.”

“But I have to be responsible for what I write.”

An nodded. "Me too."

Like giving her a plan. "I have scheduled the data to be published. Can you see it?"

“I don't approve.”

“I asked for advice.”

An received the paper. The two of them sat by the window, editing lines that were too long. When finished, Nhu said: "You know, before you came, I thought rich people always choose the best place."

“What about now?”

“Now I think rich people can sit at the last table, if that table can handle your shoes.”

An threw the eraser. Like laughing.

In the backyard, the new monitoring group met. A 10th grade student suggested quiet time. A 12th grader wants to put up a message board before the exam. The security guard wants to leave a path for the garbage cart. Those requirements caused the design to change, but An found the project better because there were many voices.

Khang added a horizontal bar to the shelf. “If everyone gets feedback, the project will be slow.”

“But fewer people have to correct mistakes,” An replied.

“You're starting to sound like me.”

“Don't worry, I'm still more beautiful.”

Khang looked at the paint on her cheek. "Doubt."

Huy shouted from afar: "I can confirm that both of you are not beautiful at work!"

On the third day of the new model, a friend spilled a can of paint on the floor. No one is to blame. They recorded it in the book, deducted the cost of cleaning cloths and changed the way they placed the paint. An wanted to use her own money to buy a new box, but this time she asked the whole group. The group agreed to set aside a reserve fund, and An worked an extra shift shop for replenishment.

Khang did not object. He just asked: “Do you have enough strength?”

"Have."

“Don't answer too quickly.”

Reposeful. “I'll take a break if I'm tired.”

"Okay."

In the evening, An works at the shop until nine o'clock. She cleaned the chassis, wrote receipts and learned how to inflate the tires at the correct pressure. An older customer praised her for her patience, then asked if she was from the Khang family.

An was about to answer when Khang said: "Classmate."

The customer laughed: "If we are in the same class, we can become family members in the future."

Khang coughed and choked. An dropped the valve cover. Grandma turned back and laughed until her shoulders shook.

“Don't cheer,” Khang said.

“She just listens to what people say.”

An blushed and pretended to check the car. The tense atmosphere in class did not seem to follow her to the store; Here, everyone only sees two students fumbling at an adult's joke.

On the way home, Khang asked: "Are you uncomfortable?"

“Because the customer said so?”

“Because I denied it too quickly.”

An looked at the dark road. "You're right. We're just classmates."

Khang nodded, but he cycled more slowly.

“But,” An said, “I don't see the need to deny that as a mistake.”

Khang looked at her over his shoulder. “I don't deny it.”

“You just said classmate very quickly.”

“I am protecting the peace of the shop.”

“Good reason.”

“I'm always reasonable.”

An burst out laughing. They walked through alleys, under tangled electric wires, in a city where rich and poor were so close together that just turning a corner changed the scene. An no longer wants to close that gap with a sum of money. She wanted to learn how to walk through it without stepping on anyone.

Later in the week, the monitoring group released its first report. The project is two days late, but the number of users has increased, costs are clearer, and the yard is safer. Mr. Hoang signed to confirm. Quynh Nhu posted an apology for the lack of clarity. Not everyone forgave right away, but the class began to sit together again.

An posted a new sentence on the board: "You can disagree, but don't take each other's place."

Khang read and said: "This sentence is long."

“But it is necessary.”

"Okay. This time I'll let it go."

Huy held up the scoreboard: "I further suggest: whoever spills paint must clean the brush."

The class split into two because of the argument, then went to wash their brushes together. An looked at everyone, knowing that things were not over yet, but the foundation of the project was deeper than before. That is the foundation created by apologies, prior inquiries, and the right to be corrected.

That evening, An and Quynh Nhu were on duty at the yard. As mentioned before An arrived, the class president was always assigned to make decisions that no one wanted to take responsibility for. If she chooses wrong, people say she is domineering; If you ask too much, they will say you are weak.

“I thought you were always sure,” An said.

“I act like that so no one sees I'm scared.”

An talked about how he used to use his wealth to avoid being asked questions. The two laughed when they realized they were playing opposite roles but with the same purpose.

A student came to borrow a wind chair and asked if this place was for sad people. As it says: “For anyone who needs to sit.” An added: “You don't need to explain.”

Students sit down and open their books. Nhu and An went further, letting the peace exist.

When Khang came to change shifts, he saw two people standing silently at opposite ends of the yard. “Are you guys arguing?”

“No,” Nhu replied. “We are practicing not controlling everything.”

Huy said from the gate: "I've been practicing all my life."

Khang gave him the broom.

The next day, the group received comments that The cost table is too difficult to read because of many numbers. An and Nhu moved the details into a file, while the main table only kept the total and the path to the full version. Huy said it was "a summary for busy people".

An no longer wants everything to be proven with lots of words. Clear is not the same as dense. There are people who need a short question to know where they can ask next.

At the end of the week, the class organizes a yard cleaning party. People who stood on both sides picked up the same leaves. No one mentioned who posted what. They just sort the trash, wash the brushes and replace the boards. An finds that reconciliation does not always include a moment of embracing each other; Sometimes they hold the same trash bag without withdrawing their hands.

After the yard cleaning session, An and Khang checked the equipment list. There was a missing saw, found in the Art room. The borrower apologized, saying he thought it was junk. Khang explains shared items need to be labeled, then adds a larger color label.

An asked if big labels would make the yard bad. Mai replied: "It's useless if no one knows how to use it." An nodded and took a photo of the board before pasting it.

Like receiving a message from her old account, asking if she was really defending An because she was paid. Nhu did not answer, but showed it to An. An asked her if she wanted to say anything. Like she said she would post the report, no arguments.

“You always choose data,” An said.

“Because data doesn't blush when scolded.”

An smiled. She understood that Nhu had found a way to protect herself without having to act firmly anymore.

That night, the class received notice that the board would conduct an unexpected inspection of the yard. Everyone wants to decorate beautifully, but Khang reminds us to put everything in the right way for everyday use. They clean up excess paint, check tank lids and post duty hours. When adults arrive, the yard looks casual but clearly functional.

When the school gate closed, Nhu asked An if she wanted to go with her. An shook his head and stayed to help Khang fold the broom. She understands that trust is not measured by who stands next to whom more, but by who they can work with without having to act.