Chapter 21 — Music Sent After School

To prepare for the meeting, Lam made everyone do a strange exercise: talk about a sound they hate but don't use the word "noise". Khang chose the sound of class group announcements at midnight, Ms. Mai chose the sound of a pen tapping on the desk during a test, and Duy chose the sound of adults speaking for the young people. Nhien chose silence after a question was skipped.

Lam nodded and announced that the exercise would help the club avoid using lazy words. The whole group laughed, but when entering the meeting room, everyone was more careful with how they named the problem. A good rule starts with using the right words.

On the day of the meeting, Nhien arrived early to clean the table and check the recorder. She wants everyone to listen to the same version, without distortion due to different devices. Duy brings a pencil to write down things to stop, does not use the phone.

Lam gave each person a sheet of rules: don't ask again the question the other person just refused, don't interrupt, and don't speculate on motives. Ms. Mai said fairness sometimes starts with sitting still long enough.

Terms hidden on the last page

Ms. Lan lives in a house with a porch full of bougainvillea pots. She didn't want a tape recorder, didn't want to take pictures, just asked everyone to sit in a circle and say their names. Duy said his full name, so did Nhien. Lam introduced himself as "a person who will try not to turn silence into a joke".

Ms. Lan smiled. “That question was harder than I thought.”

She talked about the 2014 festival. Ha Audio and Reu Records wanted to create a piece of music from the students' sounds. Huy is in charge of art, Minh Quang is in charge of contracts. Vu Tan is in charge of the budget. Ms. Lan is just the person who brings students to the studio.

“Of course at that time I really liked counting the rain,” she said. “Duy always stands next to me, afraid he will be bothered by adults.”

Duy bowed his head. Ms. Lan said Huy wrote the article for the two children, not for publication. Minh Quang initially understood, but Vu Tan convinced him that a project must have products to survive.

“I saw the last page,” Ms. Lan said. “Huy clearly wrote that the music could not be played if Nhien and Duy had not agreed when they were of age.”

Nhien asked: "So why was the equipment torn?"

"Vu Tan wanted to remove the clause. Minh Quang did not sign, but did not stop him from getting the copy. Bao saw it, and I heard the argument."

Ms. Lan handed out an envelope. Inside is a copy of the last page, signed by Huy, Minh Quang and the school's confirmation stamp. The terms are very clear: the right to decide belongs to Huy, and after his death, the right is given to the contributors and legal heirs.

Duy did not speak. Huy left no heirs other than himself.

“I don't want that right,” Duy said.

“Power is not a crown,” Ms. Lan replied. “It is the responsibility to choose what does not harm others.”

Nhien asked about the person sending the file. Miss Lan shook her head. "I only know a former teacher who sent the memo to Bao. That person's name is Mai."

The group turned to Ms. Mai. She did not appear surprised.

“I got the copy from Ms. Lan many years ago,” she said. “I sent it to Bao when I saw the song being used for coercion.”

Duy asked: "Are you the one who sent us the file?"

"Partly. I sent the authorized parts, but not the threats or cut files."

“Why didn't you say?”

"Because I know if I speak too early, the club will be considered someone else's faction. I want you to make your own rules before hearing too much."

Lam held his head. “You put us in a mysterious case to teach religion virtue?"

"Are not. I just don't want you guys to become secret spreaders.”

On the way back, they reviewed the scan. Nhien saw her father sign, but next to the signature there was an additional line written: **Not fully transferable.** Minh Quang tried to keep the clause, but did not protect it strongly enough.

Duy wants to make the last page public immediately. Ms. Mai reminded her to ask Ms. Lan's permission because the photocopy belongs to the keeper. Ms. Lan agreed to broadcast an excerpt of the terms and conditions during the public hearing, but did not allow the signature image to be published.

Ha Audio and the school signed a new addendum, confirming Huy retains the rights; Duy is the one who inherits the right to decide on the music. SoundSeed withdrew the request. Vu Tan sent a notice that he would sue because the recording had been "misappropriated".

“He can sue, but the original clause is working against him,” the school lawyer said.

Nhien asked Duy if he wanted to find a private lawyer. He shook.

“I want this to go back to where it belongs: an unfinished song, not a sale.”

“But some people still make money from it.”

“So we make a new version, don't take money from the old version.”

The idea takes them back to room 3C. Duy proposed to use the entire sound map to write new articles. Nhien builds the structure, Lam chooses the voice, Khang processes the data. They didn't use any notes in version 03.

The new song is titled **After the Last Bell**, but Lam objected because it was the same event. Finally they called it **Tomorrow's Frequency**.

During recording, Nhien and Duy argued about the chorus. Nhien wants to expand, Duy wants to keep space. The two argued until Lam brought two glasses of water and placed them between them.

“One person is writing with notes, the other person is writing with silence. Pair them both.”

Duy tried the guitar, Nhien added footsteps. The song begins to take on its own shape.

But the clause hidden on the last page created a new conflict: Vu Tan hired another company to register the music under the name Reu Records before the project stopped. Even if the registration is invalid, the records may cause disputes.

Minh Quang asked Ha Audio to drop all related requirements. Duy must decide whether to officially receive the rights or to make it public to the community.

“If I accept, people will say I want to take over my father's cards,” he said.

“If you don't accept it, someone will take it for you,” Nhien replied.

“You think ownership is the only way to protect it?”

"Are not. But it's impossible to protect if you don't know who's responsible.”

Duy looked at her. “I'm afraid of becoming like them.”

“So let's set rules so we won't be the same.”

They wrote a proposal: the original was archived, not broadcast commercially; All student audio is clearly licensed; The new composition uses a shared license, Huy's name and all contributors are listed.

That night, the hidden account sent the final file. There was no voice, just the sound of a door lock opening, then a woman's voice saying: "I'll keep the page."

In metadata, the file creator is **Mai.**

Ms. Mai looked at the screen and sighed. “That's the file I sent for closing.”

“But who edited the metadata?” Khang asked.

No one had time to answer. The warehouse administrator account is logged in from an address in the school.

User: **principal_bm**.

The principal called the IT team, but before they arrived, he proactively announced the incident to the entire school. He said the old account was exposed, the data was locked and there was no evidence of the original tape being downloaded. Some teachers blamed him for confusing everyone; he replied Hiding is even more dangerous.

Nhien witnessed it from the hallway. She used to think adults only apologized after being caught. Perhaps a person can change when they are given the choice to come out or remain hidden.

Duy received the testimonial appendix from Ms. Lan. He read it slowly, then put it down. “I don't want to be the only one deciding.”

“Then set up a council of contributors,” Nhien said.

They invited relevant alumni, Ms. Lan, Ms. Mai and school representatives. Old music is preserved, any decision to play must have the consent of the rights holder. No one can use it for advertising.

Minh Quang signed a commitment to withdraw all requests from Ha Audio. He also publicly apologized for the 2014 signature. Duy listened, did not clap, but did not leave the room.

Lam asked the listener if he wanted to hear the version of "The Letter Without Envelope". Most chose to listen only to authorized excerpts. The group respects the results, even though a program may have fewer views.

While creating the new version, Nhien and Duy argued about the sound of the lock. Duy wants to keep it because it's a trace, Nhien wants to reduce it because it reminds her too much. Two people stop, write down their feelings, then choose a version with a lower volume.

“It doesn't have to be really big,” Duy said.

Nhien nodded. That sentence became the principle of the new music.

After the meeting, Duy proposed establishing a council of contributors. Each person has the right to say where his or her part is distributed, but no one is responsible for another person's narrative. Ms. Lan agreed to participate, Bao took on the technical part, Ngoc was in charge of security.

Minh Quang does not have a special vote. He only asked questions when others wanted to listen. That makes Nhien feel more secure than any promise.

They try out new music with small listening groups. One person said the sound of the lock made me uncomfortable, another person liked it because it created the feeling of opening the door. Duy does not choose to follow the majority; he asked the sound maker what he wanted.

Lam rewrote the quote to explain that "real" is not the same as "fully distributed". Khang added a source note at the end of the file. Nhien check the permissions of each paragraph, then click save.

The music is not complete, but the principles are there. That's bigger progress than a pretty chorus.

The music is not complete, but the principles are there. That's bigger progress than a pretty chorus.