Chapter 21 — Swept into the Wave of Love

The next morning, Ghenh Rang beach was once again filled with spectators, but this time the atmosphere was completely different from previous competition days. There was no longer curiosity mixed with suspicion for a mysterious, faceless athlete, instead there was admiration and admiration spreading throughout the crowd, when news of Vu Lam Khue's arduous journey was spread across newspapers and social networking platforms in just one night.

Across newsstands and newsstands along the coast, images of Lam Khue and her father appeared heavily on the front page, accompanied by large headlines praising her moving journey to find justice. Cao Boi Nghi, after her exclusive article published that night, became one of the most sought-after reporters, but she still kept her promise, spending most of her time this morning being present at the competition area, witnessing with her own eyes the historic moment that was about to happen instead of just reporting from afar.

Viet Khoi stood in the preparation area, looking at Lam Khue who was wearing his familiar competition outfit, but this time, there was no longer a pulled-down baseball cap, no dark goggles covering his face. Her long hair was tied neatly at the nape of her neck, fully revealing her delicate face, her bright eyes full of confidence, without any trace of the defensiveness and vigilance that had surrounded her during the early days of the tournament.

"How does it feel?" he asked, smiling slightly as he approached her.

"It's a lot easier than I thought," Lam Khue replied, taking a deep breath, letting the salty sea breeze fill her lungs. "For so many years, I've always thought that hiding my identity was the only way to protect myself. Now, when there's nothing left to hide, I realize that the truth, no matter how painful it is to face, is always lighter in the end than any lie I have to carry."

The organizing committee, under the new direction of the federation after Lu Khac Bon was dismissed and handed over to the investigation agency, decided to hold a special ceremony before the final officially continued. On a large screen placed in the middle of the beach, a short film was shown, summarizing the most glorious moments in Vu Dinh Trac's career, interspersed with short interviews of former teammates, including Dong Vong Khang, sharing about his talent and personality.

At the end of the video, Vu Dinh Trac's name was solemnly announced through the loudspeaker system, along with the official announcement of restoring all of his titles and competition achievements in the federation's archives. The whole beach burst into endless applause, many of the older audience members, who had witnessed his heyday sixteen years ago, could not hide their emotional tears.

Lam Khue stood there, in the middle of a sea of people clapping incessantly, clearly feeling a strong flow of emotions welling up in his chest, both proud, emotional, and relieved to the point of almost being dizzy. She looked for Viet Khoi and saw him standing in the corner of the stands for athletes, his eyes looking at her full of pride and love, not hiding anything from the cameras pointing everywhere.

"Vu Lam Khue, daughter of coach and athlete Vu Dinh Trac, please step into the competition position," the commentator's voice rang out through the speaker system, no longer mentioning the mysterious nickname "Khue" like in the past, but her real, full, formal name.

Lam Khue stepped onto the sand, picked up her surfboard, and for the first time in many years, stepped into the ocean without any disguise. She looked back at Viet Khoi one last time before heading to the water's edge. He nodded, a warm, encouraging smile on his lips, like a silent but meaningful wish of luck.

Her footsteps touched the cool water, the familiar feeling of the sea enveloping her body, and in that moment, Lam Khue suddenly remembered all the early mornings with her father on deserted beaches, when she was a clumsy sixteen-year-old girl, never knowing that one day, she would stand here, in the middle of tens of thousands of eyes, competing under her family's real name, no longer having to be afraid or hide anything.

She paddled out to the main wave area, looking out at the horizon where the waves were rolling up steadily and strongly. The sea breeze of Mui Ne was still as strong as ever, the morning sun shone warm golden rays onto the sparkling water, and in Lam Khue's heart, there was no longer any ripple of fear or doubt that had weighed heavily on her for a long time.

“This is for dad,” she whispered to herself, looking straight at the first approaching wave. "I will surf completely, with all my heart, under your name, my name."

The crowd on the shore watched with bated breath, all knowing that this moment was not simply a normal round of competition within the Mui Ne Golden Wave tournament, but a symbol of a sixteen-year long journey in search of justice, now able to freely shine under the bright sun of Mui Ne, no longer having to hide behind any mask or mask.

The first wave rolled in, high and steep, exactly the type of wave Lam Khue loved the most. She stood up on the board with one decisive movement, without any hesitation, her body in perfect harmony with the movement of the water. She performed a sharp carve as soon as she caught the wave, then followed it up with a series of flexible, unconventional movements, imbued with the non-traditional "wave reading" style that her father taught her from her childhood days on deserted beaches.

On the shore, cheers rang out endlessly, no longer out of curiosity for a mysterious phenomenon, but out of sincere pride for a girl who bravely stepped into the light. Viet Khoi stood in the athletes' area, clapping nonstop, his eyes shining with undisguised pride, watching her every move on the wave as if he never took his eyes off for a second.

When the final wave brought Lam Khue safely to shore, the score announced immediately made the whole beach burst into tears once again: one of the highest scores ever recorded at this tournament. She stepped ashore, seawater still dripping in her hair, her face beaming with the most genuine, complete smile she had ever had since arriving in Mui Ne this season.

Viet Khoi ran to pick her up as soon as she stepped out of the water's edge. Unable to hold back, he hugged her amidst the lenses of dozens of cameras pointing straight at them both. "You did it," he said, his voice filled with pride, no longer shy about declaring his feelings in public. "It was the most beautiful match I've ever seen in my life."

"Thank you for always being here, cheering me on from the first moments," Lam Khue replied, wrapping her arms around him, not caring about the hundreds of eyes and cameras watching. The surrounding crowd, instead of speculating or discussing, simultaneously applauded, as a sincere blessing to the couple who had overcome many ups and downs together to get to this day.

Uncle Dam Viet Long also walked closer and patted both of their shoulders, his voice full of emotion and familiar humor. "You two have aged me a few years because of your worry, you know. But well, today's result is worth everything we've been through."

Cao Boi Nghi also crept closer, her recorder at the ready, but this time she was not in a hurry to ask interview questions, just smiled at the two people, eyes full of respect of someone who had closely followed the entire tumultuous journey. "I think, no matter what the result of this afternoon's final is, this will still be the most beautiful sports story I've ever written in my entire journalism career."

Lam Khue smiled, quickly wiped away the remaining drops of water on her face, her eyes sparkling in the morning sunlight. "Thank you for trusting and accompanying us along the way. Without your article, perhaps everything would not have been brought to light so quickly."

"That's just my job," Cao Boi Nghi replied, modestly waving her hand, but her eyes could not hide her joy when she saw that her efforts had contributed to such a meaningful outcome. "Now, you two should take the time to rest a bit before the final match officially continues in the afternoon. The whole beach is waiting for the ultimate competition between you two."

Viet Khoi and Lam Khue looked at each other, laughed at that realistic reminder, then held hands and left the crowd, heading towards the rest area to prepare their strength for the important unfinished match, their hearts filled with a relief and happiness that both knew would stay with them for a long time, regardless of who would raise the championship trophy this afternoon.