Chapter 23 — Puppets Under the Lights

The next afternoon, Minh Long arrived at the park lake fifteen minutes earlier than the appointment time, sat down on the familiar stone bench, where the two of them had sat together the night they confessed their feelings. He brought his grandfather's diary with him, not sure if he had the courage to show it to Diem My, but still wanted to have it with him as a source of encouragement.

Diem My arrived on time, wearing a simple white shirt, her face was still a little tense but her eyes were much gentler than the coldness he had seen a few days ago. She sat down next to him, keeping a moderate distance, as if they were both carefully examining their somewhat broken relationship.

"Thank you for coming," Minh Long said first, his voice trembling slightly with nervousness.

"I always come," Diem My replied, a light smile flickering on her lips, although still a bit reserved.

Minh Long took a deep breath, then began to tell the whole story, more detailed than what he wrote in the text message last night - about the night his parents announced the news, about the sleepless nights, about the feeling of losing his grandfather again, this time losing the last place that held memories of him. He talked about cleaning up the workshop with his family, about his outburst of anger when he saw his father planning to sell the unfinished puppets, and about the feeling of helplessness that had clouded his every thought for the past two weeks.

Diem My listened attentively, did not interrupt, only occasionally nodded slightly or gently touched his shoulder as a silent gesture of comfort. When Minh Long mentioned the text message he sent her in anger, he stopped, bowed his head, his voice filled with regret.

"I'm sorry for saying those things," he said. "You don't deserve my anger. You were just trying to do what was best for the club, and I unfairly took out all my anger and all my pain on you."

Diem My was silent for a moment, her eyes filled with tears. "I'm at fault too," she said, her voice choking. "I was too focused on the pressure of the club and wasn't sensitive enough to realize you were going through something much more serious. I thought you were hiding for some trivial reason, so I pushed you, instead of asking and listening to you more sincerely. I'm sorry for that, Long."

"You have nothing to apologize for," Minh Long shook his head. "You can't read my mind, and I didn't give you a chance to understand, because I kept silent and avoidant. It's completely my fault."

"Maybe the fault belongs to both," Diem My said, her voice softer. "I think sometimes, in relationships, there isn't always one person who is completely right and one person who is completely wrong. Sometimes it's just two people, both trying their best in their own situations, but not understanding enough to connect properly."

Minh Long nodded, feeling the wisdom and tolerance in her words, one of the things he had always appreciated about Diem My since the first day they met. He opened the diary and showed her his last page, where he mentioned that he hoped Minh Long would continue his unfinished work if something unfortunate happened.

Diem My read those words, tears rolling down her cheeks. “You really are a wonderful man,” she whispered. "Even when he knew he might not have much time left, he still thought of you, of passing on his love for the profession, not the burden of responsibility."

"That's why I decided to finish the dragon puppet he was working on," Minh Long said, telling her about the new plan he had agreed on with his family - keeping some important puppets, and especially, his intention to donate a part to the school club. "I think, this could be a way for what he left behind to continue to live on, not only in my family's own memories, but also in the club, in future generations of students."

Hearing that, Diem My couldn't help but hug him, her voice both emotional and happy. "That's a great idea, Long. I don't know what to say other than I'm very proud of you, of the way you faced loss and found such a meaningful path."

Minh Long hugged her, feeling the familiar warmth spreading throughout his body, a feeling he had missed during the past two weeks of separation. "Thank you," he whispered, "for not giving up on me, even though I behaved so badly."

"I will never give up on you," Diem My replied, her voice firm and sincere. "Just promise me, next time, no matter what happens, you will let me be by your side, instead of having to bear it all yourself."

"I promise," Minh Long replied, tightening his arms around her a little tighter.

They sat together for a long time on a familiar stone bench, the calm surface of the park lake reflecting the sunset, the atmosphere between the two of them had now returned to the same warmth and closeness as before, but perhaps even deeper, tempered by the challenge they had just gone through. Minh Long told her more about how he was trying to negotiate with the factory buyer to have more time to complete the dragon puppet, and Diem My, without hesitation, offered to help him with whatever was needed, including mobilizing a few club members to help if needed.

"We'll get through this together," she said, holding his hand tightly. "It's not just you anymore."

Minh Long smiled, looking out at the lake sparkling with the afternoon sunlight, feeling his heart filled with a peace and hope that he had never dared to dream of just a few days before, when he was still immersed in the loneliness and despair of the bottom point with seemingly no way out.

"Ah, one more thing," Diem My said, her voice suddenly becoming hesitant, different from her usual confidence. "The club is planning to return to the original full performance program for the district festival, instead of shortening it like we discussed before. But to do that, we need you to come back to guide, at least for the remaining three weeks. What do you think?"

Minh Long pondered for a moment, considering the amount of work that needed to be completed at the wood workshop and his responsibilities to the club. "I think I can arrange it," he said after a moment's thought. "I'll probably spend weekend mornings on the workshop, and weekday afternoons on the club. It'll be much busier, but I think I can do it."

"You don't have to take on too much," Diem My said, her eyes filled with sincere concern. "Your health and well-being are more important than any performance."

"I know," Minh Long smiled, touched by her concern. "But I think, this time, doing both things at the same time won't exhaust me as much as I feared, because now I no longer have to hide or suffer alone. I have you, Tuan Anh, and my whole family to accompany me."

Diem My nodded, resting her head lightly on his shoulder for a moment, a simple, intimate gesture that contained so much warm affection between the two. "I'm glad you think so," she said softly. "And I promise, this time I will pay more attention, I will ask you more often, so that I never make the same mistake as last time again."

They sat like that for a while longer, the sunset gradually turning into dark purple colors, shimmering reflections on the calm lake surface. Before parting ways, Diem My offered to visit the wood workshop with Minh Long on the weekend to help him sort and pack the puppets that would be donated to the club, an offer that Minh Long happily accepted immediately, feeling warm because he knew he wouldn't have to face that emotional work alone anymore.

On the way to send Diem My home, the two walked slowly through the familiar road, their hands gently touching each other and then naturally intertwined, a gesture that did not require words but said everything they were both feeling. "You know," Minh Long said, breaking the comfortable silence between the two, "I think what just happened, even though it was heartbreaking, also taught me something important."

"What is it?" Diem My asked, looking up at him.

"That healing is not a straight line," Minh Long said, his voice thoughtful. "I thought, after the first successful performance, I was completely fine, having overcome the pain. But it turns out, there are still unexpected waves that can pull me back. The important thing is not to never fall again, but to learn how to get up faster each time, and not push important people away in the meantime."

Diem My gently squeezed his hand, smiling understandingly. "I think it's a wise lesson, Long. And I'm glad you learned it, even at the cost of a hard time."

They arrived in front of Diem My's house, and before saying goodbye, she turned around and looked straight into his eyes. "I'll see you this weekend, at my workshop." Minh Long nodded, smiled, watched her step inside, his heart filled with warmth and deep gratitude for the girl who patiently accompanied him through even the darkest days.