Chapter 15 — The Chorus of Those Out of Rhythm

The deadline for submitting preliminary videos for the Urban Singing Festival falls on the last Sunday of the month, and the whole choir puts all their energy into the final filming session at their familiar hall. Thu An hired an old friend as a freelance videographer, negotiating a friendly price to get the best quality video recording possible.

"Remember, everyone, the jury in the preliminary round only watches the video, there is no chance to correct mistakes like practice," Ms. Nguyet reminded before the filming started, her voice was both serious and trying to calm everyone's nerves, which were somewhat tense. "But don't worry too much, guys, just sing like we always sing, with all your heart, that's the most important thing."

The emerald green ao dai that Mrs. Ca Yen ordered was completed on time, giving each member a solemn look different from usual. Looking at the whole group standing in a row in matching outfits, Thu An felt a strange sense of pride rising in her heart - the people that just a few months ago she considered strangers, have now become an important part of her life.

The filming went more smoothly than expected. The performance "Urban Memories" was performed completely and emotionally, without any significant mistakes. By the second optional performance, even though there were a few small out-of-tune moments, the group's spirit still shone through, compensating for technical shortcomings with a sincerity that couldn't be faked.

When the filming ended, the whole group hugged each other to celebrate, even though they didn't know what the outcome would be. Mr. Tam Loc, so excited, even offered to sing one more song "for now" even though everyone was tired, making the whole hall burst into laughter.

"I think I've done my best," Ha Uyen told Ba Nguyet, her eyes shining with pride. "No matter the outcome, I think this has been a memorable journey."

"Thank you, for everything you have done for us," Mrs. Nguyet replied, hugging the young girl like a child in the house.

Viet Long, present to record this moment for the next article, could not hold back his smile when witnessing the warm scene before his eyes. He took the opportunity to quickly interview a few members right after the filming, recording the freshest emotions, and when he got home, he wrote his third article in just one evening, titled: "Ageless voices, and the race against time." This article, unlike the previous two articles, focuses more on the atmosphere of solidarity, on the unyielding spirit of people who have gone through many ups and downs in life but still maintain the fire of passion.

***

While waiting for the results of the preliminary round, which are expected to be announced after a week, the atmosphere in the hall is more relaxing, the training sessions change to a gentle pace so that everyone has time to rest and recover after the recent stressful training period.

Thu An took advantage of this time to teach her mother a few simple physical therapy exercises that she learned from medical sources, helping to improve movement control for people with Parkinson's. Every morning, mother and daughter practice gentle movements together in the living room, a new but warm habit that they both cherish.

"You've studied too carefully," Ms. Nguyet commented one morning, when Thu An showed her how to hold a small rubber ball to practice the flexibility of her fingers. "I thought you were only good at audit numbers."

"You're good at more things than I thought," Thu An replied, smiling slightly, and Ba Nguyet also laughed, a rare laugh of relief amid these anxious days.

Mr. Kha also often stops by the mother and son's apartment on weekends, bringing new music he finds, or simply to sit and drink tea and chat. His regular presence gradually became a familiar part of both mother and daughter's lives, and Thu An, although initially somewhat cautious about the ambiguous relationship between her mother and this man, has now begun to view it with a new openness.

"Uncle Kha treats mother really well," Thu An commented one evening, after Mr. Kha had left. "I think he likes you very much."

Mrs. Nguyet blushed slightly, a rare reaction in a woman who was always calm and proud. "He's just a good friend," she said, but her voice wasn't convincing enough to hide something deeper.

"Mom," Thu An said, her voice gentle but serious. "Dad has been gone for fifteen years. If mom finds someone who makes her happy, I don't think dad will blame her. I won't blame her either."

Mrs. Nguyet looked at her daughter, her eyes filled with tears at this unexpected understanding. She didn't respond right away, just nodded slightly, storing her daughter's words as a small seed of hope that she didn't dare let herself nurture too much, at least until all the challenges ahead - the competition, her health, the fate of the culture house - had clear answers.

Meanwhile, at Kim Phat Group headquarters, pressure from the board of directors is increasing. Bao Quoc delayed making an official announcement about the project for nearly two weeks, and council members began to show impatience.

"Mr. Quoc, we understand you have personal reasons to consider carefully, but the company cannot wait indefinitely," a board member said at a briefing that week, his voice filled with impatience. "Investment partners are putting pressure, they want to see specific progress. If we cannot carry out clearance as planned, we may lose the opportunity to cooperate with strategic partners this time."

Bao Quoc sat still, his fingers lightly tapping on the table according to old habits. “Give me two more weeks,” he said, his voice firm. "I am looking for a solution that can reconcile both business interests and other values that I consider equally important."

"What value?" another member asked, his tone somewhat sarcastic. "This is business, Mr. Quoc, not charity."

"I know this is business," Bao Quoc replied, his eyes harder than ever. "But I also believe that a successful business is measured not only by its profits, but also by how it treats the people affected by its decisions. Two weeks, that's all I ask for."

The meeting ended in quiet dissatisfaction from some members, but no one had the authority to overrule the decision of the company head. Bao Quoc left the meeting room with the burden of time weighing heavily on his shoulders, knowing that he needed to find a truly workable solution before those two short weeks passed.

Exactly one week later, the preliminary round results were announced via email. Thu An opened the mailbox in a state of breathless suspense, and when the words "Congratulations to the Binh Minh Choir team for passing the preliminary round and officially entering the final round" appeared on the screen, she screamed with joy and rushed out to call her mother.

The entire choir burst into joy when the news was announced at rehearsal that evening. Mr. Tam Loc danced in the middle of the hall despite his legs no longer being as flexible as before, Mrs. Ca Yen rolled her wheelchair around the room in boisterous laughter, and Mrs. Nguyet stood in the middle of it all, tears rolling down from happiness, her hands trembling but this time, that trembling had a completely different meaning - not because of illness, but because of the extreme emotion at the achievements of a whole group that had constantly tried, despite all the limits of age and time.

The finale is set to take place in exactly three weeks, at a major city theater — the biggest stage most of the choir members have ever stood on, even in their wildest dreams. Three short weeks, but for the people who have gone through the past two turbulent months together, it is enough time for them to believe that, no matter what the final result, they have together written the most memorable chapter in the twenty-year journey of Dawn Choir.

Thu An stood silently in a corner of the hall, looking at the joyful scene before her eyes, her heart was filled with a sense of belonging that she had never felt in many years of living away from her family. She took out her phone, took a photo of that moment - her mother smiling in the arms of old friends, the fluorescent lights falling down creating a scene that was both simple and sacred - and told herself, no matter how difficult the next three weeks will be, she will not let anything destroy this moment of complete happiness.