Chapter 9 — Late Table Lady

An said his full name in a classroom that had not yet turned on all the lights. “I am Le Khanh An, daughter of Le Khai, owner of Khai An Hotel.”

Huy is not surprised. Mai looked at her, then at her shoes. Quynh Nhu closed the notebook. Khang sat still, his hands placed on the table.

An continued, slowly and clearly: "I'm sorry for hiding it from everyone. I don't want to be treated differently, but the way I did it gave you no chance to know who I really am. I did not use family money for the project. If there is anything related to my father's company, I will make it clear."

No one responded immediately. The sound of the ceiling fan spinning. Outside the window, a basketball hit the wall and rolled away.

Huy was the one who broke the silence. “So do you really know how much a bowl of pho costs?”

An blinked. “Forty thousand?”

Mai laughed first. As he exhaled, Khang bowed his head to hide his smile.

“Okay,” Huy said. “You still have a lot to learn.”

An laughed along, but his eyes were stinging. She was prepared for anger, not prepared for others to withhold a piece of her normalcy.

Quynh Nhu put down her pen. "I'm annoyed because you hid it. But I also understand why. There's something you need to know: the account that posted your photos is related to a class chat group. The person who posted it didn't just want to tease. They thought the class project had your family's money behind it."

“I don't know.”

"Now we know. We must disclose the source of money, photos of invoices and records of borrowing materials."

An nodded. “I will.”

Khang looked at her. "Are you sure you want to continue? If you quit, no one will blame you."

An looked through the window toward the backyard. "I came here to learn how to be responsible. Leaving because of a rumor is not the lesson I want to learn."

Khang nodded. “Then let's continue.”

The first class was interrupted because Huy asked Mr. Hoang for permission for the whole group to have an emergency meeting. The teacher agreed on the condition that no one turned the classroom into a court. Khang divided the tasks: Compiling minutes, Mai taking progress photos, Huy making an explanation video, An making a public income and expenditure table. The group used the school's electronic bulletin board and did not post An's personal information.

Huy wants to open the video by saying "Hello, I am a normal student forced to work with a young lady". An threw a pen at him.

“Don't call me that.”

“Okay, I'll call it your childhood with your own elevator.”

“Huy.”

“I will be serious.”

The first video recording failed. Huy stood too close to the camera, Mai had half of her face cut off, and Khang said "source of money" became "source of noodles". An laughed so much that he had to turn away. The second time, everyone sat in the backyard, behind which was an unfinished bookshelf.

An said to the camera: "This project uses school funds, money from selling waste paper, borrowed materials and voluntary contributions. There is no secret funding. We are learning how to turn a yard into a place that everyone can use."

Huy asked: "So what about the rumors about you?"

An looked straight into the lens. "My family has more conditions than many of my friends. I don't deny it. But that doesn't automatically make the project mine, nor does it give me the right to make decisions for everyone. If there are mistakes, please point to what we did, not just to the family."

Khang was silent for a second then added: “We will update the costs every week.”

The video was posted in the afternoon. Views increased faster than expected. There are supportive comments, some say An is acting, Some people ask why a rich student has to study in a public school. Huy turned off the comment section after Mr. Hoang reminded him not to let the argument turn into an attack.

An read a comment: "If you're sincere, please help the car repair shop keep the premises." She knew that comment was about Khang. She wanted to answer immediately, but Khang took the phone from her hand.

“Don't promise online.”

“I just want to say I will find a way.”

“Your way usually starts with opening your wallet.”

An snatched the phone back. “Can you stop bringing that up?”

“When you stop taking it.”

The two looked at each other. Mai and Huy simultaneously took a step back as if to avoid a dangerous area.

Khang said softly: "I don't doubt that you want to help. I suspect that the way to help may take away my right to make decisions."

An felt that statement was like a cutting line. “So what do I have to do to be allowed to care?”

"No permission needed. Just ask first."

An was silent. He was right, but being right didn't make her less angry.

In the evening, father called. He watched the video. “You speak well,” he commented.

“Dad, what part did you watch?”

“The part about responsibility.”

“Dad, can you tell me if the parking plan will affect the auto repair shop?”

"Maybe. Not finalized yet."

“I want to see the file.”

“I'm not old enough to join the council.”

"I'm not asking for a decision. I'm asking for understanding."

Her father was silent. After a while, he said he would send the diagram without classified information. An thanked her, then asked: "If we change the entrance, can the company keep the yard?"

“It is possible, but the cost will be high.”

“Do the costs outweigh the benefits to the school?”

“Are you thinking like a business person?”

“You're thinking like someone sitting at the last table.”

Father did not answer. The call ended in silence.

The next day, the income and expenditure sheet was posted in the backyard. Students can view all purchases, loans, and remaining balances. Some people asked why not use money from a rich family to do it quickly. Khang replied: "Because the goal is for the class to do it together, not for one person to pay and then everyone stands and watches."

An heard it and was no longer upset. She understood that Khang did not push her away; he was pulling her back to the correct position in the group.

In the afternoon, the group finished painting the shelves. Huy made a red handprint on the board, Mai turned it into a sun shape. Like posting the rules board, An wiped the paint off Khang's cheek. He stood still, then dabbed a dab of paint on her forehead.

“Tie,” Khang said.

“You play badly.”

“I just balance the paint budget.”

For the first time, An was not afraid of being seen dirty. She smiled, looking at the backyard growing with each board, each book and each explanation. The rumors have not disappeared, but the group has one thing more certain: they know why they are standing there.

The money source video was shown in the activities of several other classes. One person asked why the group didn't call the project "charity". Khang replied that they don't want to turn users into recipients of favors. The yard is a common utility, and those who contribute are just co-creating it.

An felt that answer was more important than what he said in front of the camera. She was used to rich people calling a donation “charity,” then hoping her name would appear. In the backyard, people contribute their time, materials and ideas; No one stands on a higher platform than another.

In the afternoon, a parent sent an email asking if the group could accept old textbooks. As for opening the reception book, Khang requested Checking the status, Mai asked for wrapping paper, Huy wanted to put on a shelf "books that had a test". An established a three-step process, then condensed it into three sentences to make it easier for students to read.

“You're learning how to write short,” Mai said.

“I try.”

“Try harder, you will become a normal person.”

Huy was nearby and asked An if he wanted to buy a cake. An asked the price first, then realized he remembered the exact amount in his wallet. She bought one and shared it with Mai and Khang. Khang only took a small piece, telling Huy the rest so he wouldn't watch.

New rumors appeared when someone posted a photo of An and Khang standing next to each other at the store. The caption said she was "buying" his friendship. An looked at the photo and saw that the angle made everything look more intimate than usual.

Khang asked her if she wanted to report to the school. An said yes, but only asked to remove the photo because the shop is a private space. She did not want to argue about a relationship that she herself had not named.

Huy suggested posting a photo of him pumping the car to distract. Mai told him not to turn his friends into a media tactic.

An and Khang agreed not to read the comments. They still go to work, still talk, but pay more attention when someone picks up the phone. Khang asked before taking photos of the project, An asked before giving him an item. Those rules slow them down, but don't keep them apart.

One afternoon, Khang took An to the shop's new warehouse. The space is empty, but has large windows and a long repair desk. He put up a small sign: "Shared tools, return to the right place."

“Are you going to teach the whole neighborhood?” An asked.

“If they want to learn, I teach.”

An looked at the bicycles lined up. “I like this place.”

“Because it doesn't have a logo?”

“Because everything has fingerprints.”

Khang didn't say anything, but let her stay longer than planned.

At the end of the week, the group completed the first part of the public board. Each expense has a date, person in charge, invoice or note. There was an invoice missing because Ms. Dung gave her a styrofoam box, the group wrote "reusable assets, not convertible to money". Huy said that sentence sounded like a government report.

An changed it to "old barrels were given, no payment was made".

Khang nodded. “Everyone understands.”

An realized that transparency does not make writing style luxurious. It's about writing so that people passing by can understand where the money and things went.