Chapter 9 — Summer On The Terrace

The meal on the terrace started with six lunch boxes from the kitchen and ended with more than twenty people sitting around the water tank. Ha invited garden users, not to take photos but to ask them what they wanted to keep.

A first-year student said he wanted a place to study in the afternoon because the reading room was too crowded. A security guard said the plants help him cool down during shift changes, but he doesn't want to have to water them after work. A cleaning lady wanted the faucet to be in a lower position so she wouldn't have to pull the heavy hose.

Vy writes down each idea without turning it into a slogan. Quan has returned, carrying the payload. He sat next to Uncle Sau, checking the road together.

“I thought you only came back when there was a procedure,” Vy said.

“There is a process.”

“So fast?”

“Miss Huong approves.”

Vy laughed. Quan gave her the drawing, with the names in the corner writing both of them and Uncle Sau.

“Your name is first,” Vy said.

“In order of artist, not the order of importance.”

“I haven't said anything.”

“Your face says.”

The meal becomes a self-management meeting. Everyone agreed to divide the growing area into three parts: vegetables for the kitchen, trees for studying, and a resting area. The watering schedule has a main person and an alternate person. All heat data is publicly available on the electronic board but does not record individual names.

Long proposed to create a small fund. He publicly announced the amount of money he asked for from the clubs, the amount of money the company promised but did not receive, and the fact that the company used his image. Some students complained that he caused trouble.

“If I don't say anything, people will think money just comes naturally,” Long replied.

My recorded but asked everyone first. One person said he didn't want his voice on the podcast. My turned off the computer and recorded it manually.

Quan pointed out the rest area located near the exit and asked to move chairs. One student objected because the place had shade.

“Shade is not more important than escape,” Quan said.

“You always prioritize safety.”

“Because when it's dangerous, no one wants to hear an apology.”

Vy understood that he was not trying to make things difficult. He was protecting those who didn't know they would need a path.

After the meal, Ha asked Quan why he chose construction. Quan said his father used to work as a bricklayer and had an accident at a construction site that lacked railings. The family did not sue because they did not have clear documents.

“Since then have you hated all beautiful buildings?” My asked.

“I hate buildings that hide dangerous parts.”

Vy looked at him, hearing the family story for the first time without seeing Quan turn it into a reason to win the argument.

Quan asked Vy why she did architecture. She said her mother sold furniture, always choosing beautiful items that were difficult to clean. “I want to design a place where people can live, not just take pictures.”

“You still draw well.”

“I'm learning how to make it work.”

They didn't look at each other for long. But Ha sitting opposite noticed, she gently pushed the melon plate aside so as not to break the silence.

My received a message from a student who left the group. That person said the company was collecting photos and stories in chat groups. “If the podcast posts, they use it as advertising.”

My asked if everyone wanted to pause. Vy said no, but had to rewrite the content use agreement. Any person has the right to withdraw profits before issuance; The release does not use human voices without consent.

Long asked: "What if someone withdraws and causes the podcast episode to lose its flow?"

My replied: "My life is not more important than their rights."

Quan nodded. Vy sees the group learning from the mistakes that caused them to fall apart.

At night, they checked the reconnected sensor. Quan measured again with a hand-held thermometer The fake measurement is now nearly eight degrees lower than the real thing. The company's advertising data uses exactly that low value.

“Who replaces?” Vy asked.

"Don't know. But that person understands the system."

Long looked at the electrical panel. “Maybe a company employee.”

“Maybe,” Quan said. “Not yet concluded.”

Vy placed the sensor in a sealed box. They will send an assessment, they will not make any further corrections themselves.

When everyone got down, Vy and Quan remained. The terrace cools down, the leaves shake in the hot wind. Vy asked Quan if he planned to join the self-governing council.

“If there is a safety clause.”

“Do you need terms when talking about love?”

Quan looked at her. “What are you asking?”

Vy turned away and pretended to check the tub. "Nothing."

The army does not force. He just turned off the water valve, then left the key on the table.

“I have class early tomorrow,” he said.

"YES."

When Quan left, Vy looked at the key. It's not a promise, just something delivered in the right place. But she still felt the hand she wanted to keep.

After the meal, the user council divided into small groups. One group checks the escape route, one group records the watering schedule, and one group collects opinions of people who do not want to go to the rooftop. Vy sat with Quan at the regulations table, correcting sentences.

“Do not place items in the aisle” it should be added “unless someone is on duty,” Quan said.

“What if the person on duty leaves?”

“Must clean up before leaving.”

Vy added. A student asked that the regulations were too long and no one read them. My suggested making the audio version and summary, and keeping the full version in the library.

Ha made a list of seasonal crops, saying that during the exam season, production must be reduced. Some people are disappointed because they think the garden will always provide vegetables. Ha explains that summer is not a miracle.

Quan and Vy went to the rest area and moved their chairs away from the exit. A student protested because the new place was sunny. Vy suggested using a light cover, Quan checked the load and how to tie it.

“Can you use old materials?” Vy asked.

“Yes, if you don't cover the sign and don't create traction.”

They utilize fabric from the model workshop, recording the source of the material. No one claims personal ideas.

Long established a complaint book. Some people oppose making the budget public, arguing that small amounts of money are not worth it. Long said small money is also a responsibility.

My asked Quan about his family. He said his father was a bricklayer and was injured because a construction project lacked railings. Vy listened and did not interfere. He continued that his father did not want him to work in construction for fear of repeating it.

“So why are you still studying?” Vy asked.

“I want to know what makes people call danger normal.”

Vy said her mother sold furniture and had customers return the table because it was "beautiful but unusable". She chose architecture because she wanted to avoid that, but could still draw a garden without anyone watering it.

Quan said: "You are fixing it."

“You too.”

They said no more. The meal gradually cooled, but the distance between the two of them became lighter.

In the evening, a group of students proposed to open the terrace for free classes. The board agreed to try, but required registration and limited people. Quan checks the number of people by the hour, Vy draws the seating chart.

My recorded a student's words, but that person asked to withdraw. My deleted it from the release and kept the withdrawal confirmation in a confidential file.

Long received news from Ms. Nhan that the company wanted to pay for the class costs if they could hang a small sign. The group agreed to only write names in the sponsor book, not in the shared area.

Ms. Nhan accepted after Hanh sent the document. The terms have been changed, there is no right to use participants' images family.

Quan placed the technical key on the board, saying only three people would keep it. Vy asked who was the third person. Uncle Sau replied: "Me."

“Not Long?”

“Long had too many accounts.”

Long nodded, not objecting.

At the end of the day, a tray of plants fell over. It's not because the snail loosens, but because the wind swirls around the new fabric. Quan removed the cloth and noted the error. Vy regretted her idea, but removed it herself.

“If it's beautiful but not safe, don't use it,” she said.

Quan looked at her. “This sentence should be placed on the door.”

Vy wrote on the regulation board, but added "beauty is still important, just second is safety".

The next day, the finance department reported that the material purchase was suspended because a supplier's invoice number did not match. Long had to re-track each slip and discovered that one roll of irrigation pipe had been recorded as two rolls. The amount is not large, but if left alone, the report will be considered dishonest. He called the supplier, asked for an adjustment report and admitted his mistake in front of the whole group.

Ha said he could remove the damaged pipe to avoid wasting time. Long shook his head. "If I say transparency to the company but my bill is opaque, people have the right not to believe it."

Vy proposed setting an approval threshold. Amounts under one hundred thousand can be purchased by the person on duty, larger amounts must have two signatures. No one likes extra procedures, but everyone remembers the feeling of having a file edited without knowing who edited it. Process doesn't automatically make them better; it just helps tired people still have a chance to do it right.

In the afternoon, the group tried a sunshade option using old nets. Vy fixed the mesh in an arc because she wanted to create beautiful shadows on the wall. Quan measured the wind force and discovered that one corner of the net pulled the entire frame toward the railing. He said take it off immediately. Vy regretted it, stood and watched for a few seconds, then cut the rope herself.

“You don't need to wait for me to say it,” Quan said.

"I know. I just need to see my own mistakes for once."

My recorded the conversation, but before turning on the camera, she asked both of them. Quan refused, Vy agreed if he only used the statement about the design and omitted the name. My respects the decision and deletes the old recording. She started making a list of things not to include in the podcast, including private debates.

At the end of the day, the board sends out a roof inspection schedule. They asked the team not to move the trays during the inspection, even though some trays were lying close to the crack. Quan replied that safety must be a priority, suggested zoning in and sent someone to stand nearby. Hanh signed an official document stating that if there is a risk of spillage, the group has the right to temporarily stop the inspection. No one wants to be seen as causing trouble, but the roof doesn't understand the procedure.