Chapter 26 — Second Floor Library Girl

Father Ngoc came to school on the last day of the presentation, and for the first time he stood in front of the class not as a guest of the publisher.

He wore a simple shirt and did not bring any assistants. Ms. Hanh invited him to attend because the council wanted to hear An Nhien's representative answer the question about responsibility.

Bao looked at him and whispered: "Does he know how to use his library card?"

Ngoc said: "My father used to study here."

“So did he return the book late?”

Before Ngoc could answer, her father heard her.

“Yes,” he said. “And I still remember the librarian who didn't embarrass me.”

Bao immediately became serious. “So you can help us.”

“Help with what?”

“Don't embarrass others when they pay late.”

Father Ngoc nodded. “That's a good principle.”

In class, the group presents an intermediate solution. Ngoc said the data part, Phuc said the technical part, Lam said the approach, Minh Chau said the operation, Hoang Duy said the evaluation criteria. Bao was in charge of changing the slide but pressed the wrong button, causing a photo of a sandwich to appear.

“This is the appendix,” he said.

Father Ngoc smiled. “Important addendum.”

After the presentation, the council asked An Nhien what she would do if the chosen option cost exceeded the estimate. Father Ngoc replied that the company can support part of the initial assessment and materials, but does not commit indefinitely. He clarified that the source of support must be publicly recorded, not in exchange for the right to control the content.

One parent asked if the company later changed its strategy, would the library be left behind? Father Ngoc said that's why the plan requires multiple operating funds and a student council.

Phuc asked: "What if the new construction plan is more beneficial for the company?"

The whole class was silent. Ngoc looked at her father.

Dad didn't dodge. "The company will consider business interests, but decisions about school assets rest with the board and governing body. If the new construction option does not meet community commitments, the company should not be chosen simply because of its ability to spend the money."

Phuc nodded, but was not completely satisfied. “So you accept that you may not be selected?”

"Have."

Ngoc found that his father said that sentence was more difficult than the sentences about revenue.

After the presentation, her father accompanied Ngoc to the second floor. The reading room is empty, only the sound of the fan.

“You did well,” Dad said.

“Dad, don't praise like an evaluation report.”

“So what do you say, father?”

“Say you did something difficult.”

Father looked around. “You have turned the place I once forgot into a place I must return to.”

Ngoc leaned against the shelf. “Do you remember the message in the notebook?”

"I don't know. But I remember a little girl who used to sit by the window, sharing books with her friends. Maybe it was her."

“Do you know who that girl is?”

“No. And I don't think it's necessary to know.”

Ngoc smiled. “So I understand.”

Her father placed on the table a signed commitment from An Nhien. These include provisions to keep the history of the book donor's name, not to use student photos without permission, support for structural corrections, and evaluation after six months.

Ngoc read each line. “Dad, did you sign for me?”

"I signed because this is the responsible plan. You made me see it, but the decision is yours."

Ngoc did not hug her father right away. She just folded up the commitment and put it in the group file.

“I will let everyone read it.”

“I know.”

Phuc appeared at the door, wearing a program jacket. He told Ms. Hanh to find Ngoc. Father Ngoc greeted him and asked about the scholarship.

Phuc answered briefly. His father asked him if he needed instrumental assistance. Phuc said if chapter There is a mechanism, you will apply.

Father Ngoc nodded. “Correct procedure.”

Ngoc looked at the two people and saw that they didn't need to get close right away. Just don't turn the help into a personal debt.

In the afternoon, the council began voting. Students are not allowed to vote at the end, but can see the minutes. Ngoc sat with the group outside the meeting room. Bao walked back and forth, dropping his pen three times.

“Can you sit?” Minh Chau asked.

“I'm keeping pace.”

“Your rhythm wears the floor down.”

Phuc received news from the scholarship organizing committee, saying the weekend schedule would be thicker. Ngoc asked him if he wanted to withdraw from the council. Phuc shook his head.

"I don't need to be present all the time. I need to know the information being handed over."

Ngoc nodded. She found herself thinking staying was the only way to prove she cared. Phuc taught her that trust can continue work when one has to leave.

At the end of the day, Ms. Hanh announced that the results would be announced after a week because a legal check was needed. Waiting is the most difficult genre. Lam said waiting to help people read carefully.

Ngoc did not sleep well. She feared both outcomes: if they kept it, they would have to work for a long time; Otherwise, all your efforts may become a memory.

Father's message: "Don't measure your value by your vote."

Ngoc replied: "I know. But I still want to know the results."

“You have the right to want to know.”

The next day, Ngoc and Phuc checked the file again. Phuc notes the points that need to be handed over if he is not on duty. Ngoc created a responsibility table. Bao suggested having a section "person holding the cake during meetings".

“You're turning everything into a joke,” Ngoc said.

“No. I turned the joke into something that could go on the record.”

Phuc looked at Bao, then nodded. “He's reasonable to a worrying extent.”

Ngoc smiled. In the midst of waiting for a decision, they can still laugh, and that doesn't make the problem any less. It just helps them have the strength to continue looking.

The next day, Ngoc's father sent her a personal note, not a company document. He wrote that when he was studying in An Hoa, he thought that if he just left school, he would no longer be in debt there. Later he realized that there were places that did not require repayment; They just hope that people who have been helped don't forget how to help others.

After reading it, Ngoc did not send it back immediately. She took the note to the library and asked if her father would allow it to be shared. He said it was a private matter, she didn't need to share. Ngoc put it in her pocket, understanding that her father's privacy should be respected as much as that of any student.

Phuc came and asked what her father said. Ngoc said she couldn't tell. Phuc nodded, not curious anymore. He just asked her if she wanted to walk around the yard.

They pass through the areas that will be repaired. Phuc pointed to the location of the lamp, Ngoc pointed to the place where the first chair used to be. Both of them don't try to keep things with their promises. They just remember enough so that when they make a new design, they don't turn the memory into decoration.

“Are you afraid that you won't need the library in the future?” Ngoc asked.

“I'm afraid I don't have anyone to fix it with.”

“So find someone new.”

Phuc looked at her. “Easy for you to say.”

“I'm practicing saying things I'm not sure I can do yet.”

Phuc smiled, then gave her a leaf clip. “Continue practicing.”

Dad called on Monday morning. He did not talk about the previous council. He said that Ngoc's grandmother used to keep a small bookcase in the living room that anyone in the neighborhood could borrow. When An Nhien expanded, the bookshelf was removed because it needed a place to put files. He admitted he had forgotten about it until he read the survey group.

Ngoc asked why he didn't tell me before. Dad said he was afraid a family story would make her think she had an obligation to save every old room. Ngoc said she doesn't need to save everyone, but needs to know what she's doing and for whom. Father and son were silent for a while. For the first time, the conversation was not a negotiation.

He sent her a copy of her grandmother's old notes, which contained a list of books to borrow and a sentence: "A bookshelf only lives when the borrower has the right to return it in a kind way." Ngoc read that sentence to Phuc. He said she seemed tough but fair.

The Council invited the group to make a final presentation. Ngoc did not bring all the data with her. She chose a table of needs, three options, and verified risks. Minh Chau presented privacy rights, Bao presented operations, Phuc presented repair plans. When someone asked why a student was talking about costs, he answered because he was the one directly fixing broken things, and a small mistake could make the whole room unusable.

Ngoc said An Nhien is willing to support the first phase but does not want to take on the entire name. She suggested that the school create a management group consisting of teachers, students and parents. If the project fails, the group must publicly disclose the reason and how to handle the assets. No one clapped immediately. But the board chairman took notes for a long time.

On the way home, Ngoc asked Phuc if the results were not as expected, would he continue. Phuc said he would continue to stay where people needed him, but did not promise to keep the same room. Ngoc nodded. The answer wasn't as romantic as she'd imagined, but it was true.

At night, they walk around the school yard. Phuc gave her the second leaf-shaped clip. Ngoc asked where he got it. He said he bought it from a stationery store, because the first one was a bit bent. Ngoc put a new clip in her hair and thought there were promises that didn't need to be said out loud; they lie in people remembering a small, old item.

Phuc asked if she kept the old clip. Ngoc said yes, but put it in a drawer with things she doesn't know when to use. He said it was okay. Not everything old has to be thrown away to prove that we have turned a new page.