Chapter 19 — Summer On The Terrace

The end-of-season heatwave came earlier than forecast. The third floor classroom is overheated, the fan runs continuously, and the kitchen has to reduce hours. The garden has reduced the large tray, but the new waterproofing layer is not yet completely stable. The temperature sensor increases and the water tank is almost empty.

The User Council held an emergency meeting. Ha suggests prioritizing water for vegetable crops harvested during the week. Quan said a part must be kept for hygiene and inspection. Some students want to turn the pump on to maximum.

“If the pump runs for a long time, water will seep in,” Quan reminded.

“If you don't pump, the tree will die,” Ha replied.

Vy put the map on the table. "Dividing areas. Priority is given to vegetables that are about to be harvested, and plants are tested to reduce water. The resort will be moved to the hallway for two days."

Uncle Sau checked the tank and discovered the float was stuck. No one knows since when. Military repaired, but needed spare parts. Long called the fund, My informed the status in writing.

Ms. Nhan asked the company to provide water tankers. Ha asked for water source and inspection certificate. Ms. Nhan said she would send it before delivery.

“Do not accept water that has not been tested,” Quan said.

“You don't trust anyone?” Vy asked.

“I trust the process.”

The tanker truck arrived with complete documents. They added water, but the auxiliary tank had a leak at the joint. Quan locked the valve, Uncle Sau called a technician. No one blames the driver.

During the repair, the third floor classroom lost power. The fan stopped, students poured onto the terrace to find a cool place. Regulations require limiting the number of people, but no one wants to evict them.

Vy and My instructed to divide the area and open a way out. Ha brought water. The troops checked the load of people near the railing, asking them not to gather too crowded.

A student asked: "So does the garden really help keep cool?"

Vy points to the data sheet. "Reduce surface heat, don't replace the air conditioner. It helps but doesn't solve everything."

The student nodded and sat under the arbor.

In the afternoon, the sensor sent unusual data. An area without trees is lower than an area with trees. The military checked and discovered that the device had been relocated. Someone had placed the sensor in the shadow of the visor.

Long asked if he should report to the company. Vy said to report to both the school and the company, along with photos. No one edits the data to make it look good.

Ms. Nhan called and said the company was not involved. They replied that they did not conclude who did it, just noted it.

My issued a notice without naming the individual. Some comments accused the group of staging it. Hanh advised not to argue.

"When data is corrupted, the first thing is to restore the record chain," Quan said.

They check the cameras. There was a student who entered the measurement area at noon, but could not be clearly identified. He said he just avoided the sun. The group did not press charges, just added a sensor lock box.

The heat wave lasted three days. The whole group was tired and argued about the duty schedule. Vy forgot to send the notice, Quan said he couldn't guess what she did. Vy was upset and said he turned everyone into a checklist.

Quan kept quiet, then apologized. “I was tired and said the wrong thing.”

Vy also apologized for making him bear the contact. They divided the work.

In the evening, when the heat subsides, the group organizes a small meal. Ha obtained the first batch of vegetables after reducing the tray. Not much, but enough for fifty servings.

Long read the sponsorship report and saw that the company transferred money on time. He said he no longer wanted to be the one in the middle, he just wanted to be the one checking.

My turned on the recorder, but asked if everyone wanted to record. Everyone agreed to a short paragraph. She recorded the sound of washing vegetables, the sound of a knife and the sound of a fan. No one said a big word.

Vy and Quan stood next to the railing, looking at the sun setting behind the buildings. Vy asked: "Do you think this summer is worth it?"

“I think it's not finished yet.”

"Still two days until the summary session.”

“So it's not over yet.”

Quan Quan reported an email from the board of directors: the self-governance regulations were provisionally approved, but required the group to submit a commitment to operate after current students graduate.

Vy read. “They want to know who will stay.”

Quan looked at the first years watering the plants. “Not us.”

In the middle of the garden, Ngoc Ha placed a tray of new seeds, recording the sowing date and the name of the next person in charge.

To overcome the heat wave, the group took tests continuously for three days. Sensors are placed in the same location, handheld thermometers measure diagonally, and the recorder changes each shift. The laboratory confirmed the error.

The temperature in the area with trees is nine to thirteen degrees lower than the roof surface, depending on the time. Tree shade reduces heat but does not replace air conditioning. They recorded the day the tree lost water and the cost of irrigation.

The board asked if the model could be applied to other roofs. Quan said only after surveying each roof, not copying. Vy suggested making a set of instructions, not a hard model.

Ha divided vegetables for the kitchen, not increasing output beyond capacity. She noted the date of vegetable shortage and the plan to buy outside.

My releases a podcast episode about the heat wave for users to listen to first. A security guard agreed, a student withdrew. My edit.

Ms. Nhan sent a correction to the customer, publicly disclosing the sensor error. The company lost a small advertising contract, but did not withdraw its sponsorship. She said customers need reliable data.

Long received news that the former head of the administration department was asked to explain about the old framework. No one knows the results. They don't post names.

Quan and Vy quarreled about opening the terrace door to many classes. Quan took care of transporting people, Vy took care of making the garden a place where only people were allowed. They invite a user council to decide on hours and quantities.

Result: open by registration, staffed, limited. No one can organize it arbitrarily.

A class is late, the person in charge is not on the list. Uncle Sau refused to let him in. They get upset, but then understand the process.

“Safety makes people uncomfortable before they see the benefits,” Quan said.

Vy replied: "The same goes for Quyen."

On the last day of the heat wave, a valve stuck in a plant tank. Ha reports, Quan corrects, Long records costs, Vy updates instructions. No one calls it a disaster.

In the evening, the group ate end-of-season vegetables on the terrace. There are no promotional photos. Miss Mai brought a pot of soup, Uncle Sau brought a chair, and Mrs. Nhan came but sat outside.

“I don't want to turn the meal into a branding activity,” she said.

“So you eat like everyone else,” Ha replied.

Mrs. Nhan smiled and ate.

Vy asked Quan if he would return home for graduation. He said he would go home, then come back if something happened. She didn't ask "are you with me?"

Quan proactively said: "If you still make the guide, I want to check the download."

"Okay. But you have to have a schedule.”

“I will send it.”

Vy's phone said the final decision on the regulations will be announced tomorrow morning. The group was silent for a few seconds, then continued eating.

The decision was sent at twelve past seven in the morning. The school retains the garden with a reduced area, stops advertising frames on the roof, allows facade panels according to the agreed plan and requires annual structural inspection. The company funded the inspection for two years, but the contract stated that the right to withdraw funding did not mean the right to dismantle the garden.

Hanh reads each line in the admin room, marking the parts that need to be done immediately. The board of directors must designate a recipient of the report, and the finance department must open the code own expenses, the student union must announce the duty schedule. There is no saying “it is done”. Vy realizes that a good decision is just the starting point of many unglamorous things.

Quan went to the roof to check the old frame. The technical team removes the failed part, erects a fence and transports each bar down. He stood outside the danger zone, comparing the records. An employee asked if it was necessary to record the bent bar as well. Quan said yes, because if the bar is reused elsewhere, the next person must know its history. Staff records numbers, takes photos and signs.

Ha rearranged the tree. Some people took the pots to their dorms, some moved them to the backyard, some plants couldn't survive the hot sun. She wasn't trying to save everyone. Make a list of lost trees, reasons and ways to replace them. Vy finds that list sadder than the photo of the green garden, but it helps newbies avoid replanting the right species in the wrong place.

My posted the final podcast episode of the season. She thanked those who did not want to be named, explaining why some voices were left out of the broadcast. In the comments section, some people criticized the practice for being too slow. My read, do not delete. She only pinned one answer: “Being slow to check again doesn't mean there's a lack of story.”

Long submitted a self-criticism to the student union and asked to stay on the audit team for one semester. He didn't ask for a new title. Hanh assigned him the task of reconciling invoices and access logs, tasks he had often overlooked before because he thought no one would notice.

In the afternoon, Vy received revised instructions from Quan. He noted nine technical problems, two places that needed more photos, and a question about the maintenance schedule. Vy replied "I will fix it", then added "remember to send your free time". Quan immediately sent next week's schedule. Both are busy, but neither takes the other's schedule as default.

Vy stores the schedule in a common board, so that any person on duty knows when a technician will be on the roof.

She sent another copy to Ha so that the tree calendar and the roof repair schedule wouldn't overlap.

Ha responded with a leaf emoji and a reminder for everyone to remember to drink water.