Chapter 14 — Swept into the Wave of Love

The final quarter-final round ended with convincing victories for both Viet Khoi and Lam Khue, sending both of them into the semi-finals which will take place in just a few days. But instead of the complete joy of an athlete on the threshold of nearing glory, the air between them was still filled with a dull tension, the consequence of Lu Khac Bon's threat still hanging like a sword ready to fall at any moment.

That evening, to relieve stress, Viet Khoi invited Lam Khue to a small cliff away from the resort, where he often went when he needed some silence to think clearly about important decisions in his career. From here, you can see the entire Ghenh Rang beach sparkling with lights, in the distance are the waves still rolling white under the late moonlight.

The trail leading up to the cliff is quite steep, covered with weeds and small thorny cactus bushes growing between the rocks. Viet Khoi walked first, occasionally turning back to help Lam Khue through rough passages, the flashlight from his phone illuminating the way in the twilight darkness. When they reached the top, both of them were a bit out of breath, but the scenery spread out before their eyes made all the tiredness seem to disappear instantly: the entire Ghenh Rang beach shrank below, the lights from the resort and the tents sparkled like a galaxy falling to the ground, mixing with the silver moonlight spreading across the sea surface.

"This place is so beautiful," Lam Khue said softly, sitting down on the flat stone next to him, the sea breeze blowing past, making her hair flutter gently. "Do you often come here alone?"

"Since I was a child," Viet Khoi replied, his eyes looking far out to sea. "Every time something confuses me, I climb up here and sit, letting the wind and waves help me organize my thoughts. My father once brought me up here for the first time, saying that when you stand at this height and look down, all the troubles down there become much smaller."

"Your father must be an interesting person," Lam Khue smiled, although there was still a hint of sadness in his voice when mentioning the word "father," reminiscent of his own late father.

"He passed away when I was eighteen years old, right before the first season I won the championship," Viet Khoi said, his voice low and full of nostalgia. "I always regret that he couldn't see the moment I stood on the highest podium, even though I knew somewhere, he was still watching me."

Lam Khue turned to look at him, her eyes full of sympathy. "So we all carry the father figure with us every step of the way on this path, although each of us in a different way."

"That's right," he nodded, then gently took her hand, his fingers lightly brushing over the familiar crescent-shaped scar. "Maybe that's also one of the things that made me feel so deeply connected to you, right from the first night we met in Vong Trieu."

Lam Khue was silent, letting her hand rest in his, her eyes shining with a rare gentleness under the moonlight. "Viet Khoi, I need to confess something to you. Since that night, even though I always told myself to keep my distance, to focus on the goal of proving myself, your image has always been present in my mind and cannot be erased."

"So why did you try to avoid me the first few days?" he asked, his voice gentle and not reproachful.

"Because I'm scared," she replied honestly. "Afraid that if I let myself be moved, I will lose the sanity necessary to accomplish what my father wants. Afraid that emotions will make me weaker and more vulnerable in an environment already full of danger and calculation."

She paused for a moment, her fingers unconsciously rubbing the crescent-shaped scar on her hand, a habit that has become familiar to Viet Khoi whenever she faces emotions that are difficult to put into words. "I thought, after everything my family had been through, I would never allow myself to be soft on anyone again, especially someone tied to the very tournament that destroyed my father."

"What about now?" he asked softly, his eyes earnestly looking at her.

Lam Khue took a deep breath, as if mustering up the courage to speak the words from her heart. "Now, I realize that having you by my side does not make me weaker, but on the contrary, it gives me more strength to face all the difficulties ahead. I don't want to continue denying my feelings anymore, Viet Khoi. I... I love you, even though I know that this feeling comes at an uncertain time."

Viet Khoi's heart seemed to burst before that sincere confession. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his arms, clearly feeling her heartbeat beating fast against his chest. "I love you too, Lam Khue. Maybe I loved you from that first night, even though I didn't even know your name at that time."

A stronger wind blew past, carrying the cold air of the night sea, making Lam Khue shiver slightly. Viet Khoi took off the thin coat he was wearing and gently placed it on her shoulders. The simple but warm gesture made her look up at him with affectionate eyes. "Aren't you cold?" she asked.

"With you sitting next to me, I feel much warmer," he replied, smiling slightly, causing Lam Khue to laugh, her clear laughter blending with the sound of the sea breeze, a rare and precious sound amid the past stressful days.

They sat together in a warm embrace, letting the sound of the waves and the moonlight bear witness to this late but sincere confession of love. Viet Khoi bent down and gently placed a kiss on Lam Khue's lips, not hastily, not passionately, but gently and respectfully, as if he were cherishing a precious thing that he had been looking for many years without even realizing it.

"No matter how many storms lie ahead, no matter how many dangers lurk," he whispered as the kiss ended, his forehead still close to hers, "I want you to know, I will always be here, by your side, not out of responsibility or pity, but because I truly want it."

"Me too," Lam Khue replied, her voice shaking with emotion but her eyes filled with determination. "No matter who is behind all of this, no matter what we have to trade, I want to walk this same path with you, both in the investigation and in the love between us."

They sat embracing each other for a long time on the cliff, looking out at the moonlit night sea, temporarily forgetting all the dangers lurking ahead, just to enjoy this rare moment of peace, a moment that both knew, would become a great source of strength to help them overcome the much more fierce challenges that lay ahead, when the semi-finals and undiscovered conspiracies were still hanging in the air like an oncoming storm.

On the way back, hand in hand, they no longer needed to hide their emotions, even though they still had to keep it secret from the eyes of the media and the organizers. There was a strange relief in both of their hearts, as if admitting their feelings for each other had lifted part of the burden they had been carrying around for the past few days, so that they could continue on the journey ahead with a stronger heart, no longer alone like before.

Descending to the foot of the cliff, they stopped for a moment next to a thin coconut grove, looking out at the quiet beach, only the sound of the waves and the distant lights from the athletes' rest area. Viet Khoi pulled Lam Khue closer, his voice became more serious. "From now on, we need to be more careful than ever. Lu Khac Bon warned me directly, which means he feels cornered. People who are cornered will often take reckless, unpredictable actions."

"I understand," Lam Khue nodded, her eyes no longer had any fear, only steadfast determination. "But I won't back down, no matter what he does. My father has been waiting for justice for sixteen years, I can't let this opportunity pass out of fear."

"I know," he replied, squeezing her hand. "And that's why I have to stay by your side even more, not only as a lover, but also as someone who is always ready to protect you from any danger that may come."

They continued walking into the night, the moonlight following each step, as a silent witness to a love that had just been recognized, but at the same time had to shoulder the heavy responsibility of a battle for justice and truth that was still unfinished ahead. When he arrived at the door of Lam Khue's homestay, Viet Khoi stopped, not in a hurry to let go of her hand. His eyes looked at her lingeringly for a long time before gently kissing her forehead, a gentle gesture instead of saying goodbye. "Good night, Lam Khue. Tomorrow we will continue, together."

Lam Khue smiled, nodded, watched his shadow disappear into the night before closing the door, filled with a feeling of peace mixed with hope that she no longer dared to dream of since the day her father passed away.