Chapter 10 — Puppets Under the Lights

The dragon puppet borrowed from his grandfather's workshop quickly became the star of next week's rehearsal, when the group was finally able to fully complete the shortened version of the "four spirits gathering" scene that Minh Long had been diligently instructing over the past two weeks. Looking at the two dragon puppets circling each other on the water surface, their heads clustered together in the middle of the lake to the rhythm of the drums, the whole group could not hold back their cheers of joy.

"Success!" Nam shouted, his hand still holding the puppet pole tightly, his face red with excitement. "We did it!"

Minh Long stood on the shore, looking at that scene with a rare bright smile. A feeling of pride crept into his heart, no different from the feeling he had seen on his grandfather's face every time he witnessed his students progress. Diem My stood next to him, clapping her hands incessantly, turning to look at him with eyes sparkling with joy.

"You see," she said, her voice filled with pride, "in just three weeks we've improved this much. It's all thanks to you, Minh Long."

"It's not just thanks to me," Minh Long replied, but couldn't hide the smile on his lips. "Everyone has tried very hard. I'm just showing the way, the one walking on that path is still you guys."

After the practice session, when the group had dispersed, teacher Phuc called Minh Long and Diem My back and announced important news. "I just received information from the school board," he said, his voice serious but his eyes sparkling with hope. "If the club can prepare a complete performance for the community performance at the end of next month, combined with raising funds for club activities, the school will reconsider the decision to cut funding. This may be the best opportunity to save the club."

"Community performance?" Diem My asked again, eyes wide open. "Where?"

"The ward cultural house, where community events are often held," Mr. Phuc explained. "If done well, not only can we save the club, but we can also attract new members and even call for long-term sponsorship for future club operations."

That news made both Minh Long and Diem My filled with excitement and worry. This will be a huge challenge — not simply a tryout on campus, but a real public performance, requiring much more careful and professional preparation.

"We have about five weeks to prepare," Diem My said, her voice both nervous and determined as the two walked home together after the meeting with Mr. Phuc. "Will there be enough time?"

"Enough, if we focus in the right direction," Minh Long replied, his mind already starting to think about the practice plan, about choosing a performance that was suitable for the group's current level and still impressive enough to attract the audience. "I think we should focus on the 'carp crossing the martial arts gate' scene that the group has practiced quite well, adding a shortened 'four spirits gather' scene as a highlight."

As they walked, they discussed excitedly about the preparation plan. The atmosphere between them has now become much more comfortable and compatible than the awkward and reserved first days. Minh Long realized he liked the way Diem My listened to his opinions, always asked intelligent questions, and did not hesitate to give criticism when needed, instead of just agreeing.

When they reached the familiar intersection, where they still broke up every afternoon, it suddenly started to rain lightly, raindrops fluttering in the wind. The two quickly ducked into the awning of a closed store nearby to avoid the rain, standing closer together than usual in the narrow space of the awning.

"It seems like the rain will last a long time," Diem My said, looking out at the gray sky, her voice a bit confused at the sudden closeness between the two.

Minh Long did not respond immediately, just stood there, clearly feeling the gentle warmth radiating from the person standing next to him, and a strange feeling began to creep into his heart - a feeling that he had not experienced for a long time, even before his grandfather passed away. He glanced at Diem My, saw a few drops of rain still in her hair, the pale yellow streetlight cast a gentle look on her face, making his heart suddenly beat faster.

"Thank you," he blurted out, not necessarily with any clear intention.

"For what?" Diem My turned to look at him, a bit surprised.

"For not giving up," Minh Long said, his voice sincere. "If you hadn't persistently come to me that day, maybe I would still be avoiding everything, not daring to step out of the shell I built around myself. You gave me a reason to... to move on."

Diem My was silent for a moment, her eyes shone with an emotion that was hard to name, both emotional and a bit shy, rarely seen in her. "I'm the one who should thank you," she said softly. "You didn't just save the club, you also... you showed me the true meaning of preserving a legacy, not just the technique, but the love behind it."

The distance between the two people seemed to naturally narrow, neither of them took the initiative, but both of them felt the subtle change in the air. Minh Long looked into Diem My's eyes, and in that brief moment, he wondered if she could feel his racing heartbeat.

But then, as if they both realized they were standing at the edge of something they weren't ready to cross, they simultaneously stepped back a bit, breaking the sweet tense moment with an awkward laugh.

"The rain seems to have subsided," Diem My said, her voice slightly higher than usual, clearly trying to regain her composure. "I should probably go home."

"Yes," Minh Long nodded, also feeling that his heart was still racing. "I'll see you off to the alley."

They walked in the drizzling rain, no one said much, but this time the silence was not awkward, but filled with a new warm emotion that both of them felt but no one had the courage to name.

Returning home, Minh Long went to his room, changed his wet clothes, then sat down at his desk, looking out the window where the rain was still falling. He thought about this afternoon, about the moment under the porch, about Diem My's eyes when she said those sincere words of thanks, and realized that, without knowing when, that girl's presence had become an indispensable part of his daily life, bringing him not only the joy of rediscovering his lost passion, but also a completely new feeling of warmth, a feeling he did not dare to name but also no longer wanted to avoid.

He looked at the small carp puppet still placed on the bookshelf, now accompanied by a small photo he had just printed out this afternoon - a photo capturing the moment the two dragon puppets circled each other on the surface of the lake, their heads clustered between the sparkling ripples of sunlight, a moment that marked his full return to the art that his grandfather had devoted his whole life to loving and preserving. Part II of that journey, with all the old memories awakened, the pain soothed, and a new love budding, is now closing to make room for a new, promising but equally challenging chapter ahead.

That night, before going to sleep, Minh Long texted Tuan Anh a long message, recounting everything that had happened over the past few weeks — from the workshop opening, to news about the community performance, and even the moment under the awning to avoid the rain that he was still embarrassed to recount. Tuan Anh replied almost immediately, a series of smiling emojis along with the words: "I told you, you care more than you think. Now you even care about a girl!"

Minh Long read the message, couldn't hold back his smile, typed back: "Don't guess. I'm just focusing on the show." But even as he typed those words, he knew he was deceiving himself a little, because in his mind, the image of Diem My standing under the porch, eyes sparkling with streetlights, kept appearing clearly and refused to disappear.

He put down the phone, lay on his back and looked up at the ceiling, letting his mind drift freely between thoughts about the upcoming performance, about his dragon puppet being kept carefully at Diem My's house, and about the new warm feeling that was gradually growing in his heart every time he thought of that girl. He realized that just a few weeks ago, he was a closed person, refusing everything related to water puppetry, afraid to face the pain of losing his grandfather. Yet now, he is eagerly waiting for a public performance, is looking forward to each training session with the club, and is, although still hesitant, starting to pay attention to the new vibrations in his heart.

Maybe, he thought, this is exactly what his grandfather wanted for him — not to forever be in pain, but to learn how to carry the love and memories of him with him, so that it could become the motivation for him to move on, to open his heart to new things, instead of closing his heart forever. With that warm thought, Minh Long fell asleep, a sleep deeper and more peaceful than any night during the past eight months.