Chapter 26 — No One Wants to Lose

Part VI — No One Wants to Lose

The last three weeks of preparation before the city-level tournament passed quickly in the team's tireless but exciting practice cycle. The city center gymnasium, where the tournament takes place, is many times larger than the district gymnasium that Lam Khe is used to, gathering the best players from all areas of the city.

"This will be the most difficult tournament ever," Mr. Hung said in the final meeting before the competition, his voice serious but still maintaining the necessary encouragement. "The opponents at the city level will be much stronger than what you have ever encountered. But I believe, with what you have experienced and learned throughout this school year, you are completely capable of competing fairly."

Lam Khe sat and listened, feeling a familiar thrill, but this time, it was no longer the color of paralyzing fear like the previous months, but rather an excitement mixed with true determination. She looked at Nam Phong, sitting next to her, the two exchanged a look full of trust.

"Are you ready?" Nam Phong asked softly, just loud enough for her to hear.

"I think so," Lam Khe replied, smiling. "No matter the result, I know I did my best, and that's enough."

The night before the competition, Lam Khe sat in her room, reviewing the entire notebook that was almost full of pages from the beginning of the school year until now, a long journey from the first lines recording the shame of missing an opportunity, to the recent pages recording the pride of one's own growth. She feels a deep gratitude for everything that happened in the past year — both the happy moments and the difficult times — because it all helped shape the person she is today.

There was a light knock on the door, and her father walked in, holding a cup of warm milk like he used to do when something important was about to happen. "Are you ready yet?" he asked, placing the glass of milk on the desk.

"Yes, it's done," Lam Khe replied, taking the glass of milk and feeling the warmth spreading in her palm.

"I'll come watch you play tomorrow," her father said, his voice undisguisedly nervous. "Dad took the day off from work."

Lam Khe looked up at her father, touched by that concern. This will be the first time her father will directly witness her competing in chess since she joined the club, an important milestone for both of them, carrying many meanings far beyond a normal sports match.

"I'm glad you're coming," she said, her voice sincere. "But I'm a bit worried, what if I don't play well in front of you?"

"I'm not here to see if you win or lose," her father said, sitting on the edge of the bed, his eyes gently looking at his daughter. "Dad came to watch you play, to witness the journey you went through, regardless of the final result. To me, you are already a victory, just the fact that you dare to stand up after everything that has happened, dare to continue pursuing your passion, is the most proud thing."

Those words made Lam Khe feel completely relieved. All the pressure to perform perfectly in front of her father seemed to disappear, replaced by a feeling of being loved unconditionally, regardless of the outcome.

"Thank you, Dad," she said, hugging him naturally, a gesture that had become much more familiar than the reticence that had existed between father and son before.

After his father left the room, Lam Khe texted Nam Phong: "My father will come to watch the match tomorrow." Nam Phong immediately replied: "Then we have to play really well to not disappoint your father. But more importantly, just play according to what you have learned, the results will come by themselves."

Lam Khe smiled as she read the message, feeling the warmth and trust from the two most important people in her life right now. She put down the phone, looked at the old wooden chess board, where the two kings still stood facing each other, and this time, instead of the familiar feeling of deadlock, she saw a symbol of readiness — ready to step into a new game, with everything she had learned, all the courage she had built up throughout this tumultuous school year.

She turned off the lights and fell asleep with a rare peace before an important day of competition, not because she no longer felt nervous, but because for the first time, she felt that no matter what tomorrow brought, she was ready to accept it with all her sincerity and courage.

The next morning, the whole team gathered at the school gate from six o'clock to move together to the city center gymnasium by bus chartered by the school. The atmosphere in the car was both exciting and tense. Duc Anh continuously told jokes to dispel the heavy atmosphere, while Quang Minh, as usual, just sat silently reviewing a few opening variations in his mind, his lips moving slightly.

Nam Phong sat next to Lam Khe in the last row, gently holding her hand the whole way, occasionally exchanging a few short sentences about tactics, but most of the time simply sitting quietly together, enjoying the other's comforting presence before a long and challenging day ahead.

"Do you think today's opponent will be much stronger than what we've ever encountered?" Lam Khe asked, looking out the bus window, watching the high-rise buildings of the city center pass by.

"Definitely stronger," Nam Phong replied frankly, not wanting to hide the truth. "But I think, being stronger doesn't mean being invincible. You've proven that many times, even when facing opponents who seem to be superior."

The bus stopped in front of the massive stadium, with people bustling in and out, flags and banners of the tournament hanging everywhere. Lam Khe stepped out of the car, looked up at the tall building in front of her, feeling the majestic scale of the event she was about to participate in, completely different from the familiar small district gymnasiums.

Inside the main hall, hundreds of chess boards are neatly arranged, the stage lights shine brightly, and a large screen displays the rankings and match schedules of the participating teams. Lam Khe felt overwhelmed for a moment by that scale, but she took a deep breath, remembered what she had learned over the past year, and regained the necessary calm.

Amidst the crowded crowd, she suddenly saw her father standing in the audience area, waving to her, his face filled with excitement and pride. Next to him was her mother, who had also arranged work to come cheer, and Yen Chi, who had asked for permission to skip extra classes to be there to support her best friend on this important day.

"The whole family is here," Lam Khe said, his voice emotional, waving back.

"You have a strong cheerleading squad," Nam Phong smiled, looking in the direction she pointed. "Then there's even more motivation to play hard."

Lam Khe nodded, walked closer to her family before entering the competition area, received an encouraging hug from her mother, and a trusting shoulder squeeze from her father. "Do your best," her father said, his eyes sparkling with undisguised pride. "No matter what the result is, my parents will always be proud of me."

With those words of encouragement still echoing in her heart, Lam Khe entered the competition area, found the chessboard designated for the first qualifying round of the city-level tournament, ready to embark on a new journey, full of challenges but also full of hope, with all the lessons and growth she had accumulated throughout the past tumultuous school year.

Before sitting down, she turned her head and looked back one last time towards the stands. Seeing that her parents and Yen Chi had found a convenient seat to watch, all three raised their hands to cheer. Nam Phong, walking towards his own chess board a few rows away, turned back to look at her, slightly nodding as a silent message: let's walk into this day together.

Lam Khe sat down, placed his hand on the edge of the glossy wooden chess board, feeling the familiar coolness of the neatly arranged chess pieces. Her first opponent, a boy from a famous specialized school, nodded politely before the match officially began. The referee blew the whistle, the game clock started running, and Lam Khe took a deep breath, letting his mind completely focus on the chessboard in front of him - there was no longer any room for old fears, only alertness, determination, and a firm belief in his own abilities remained.