Chapter 19 — The Stage of the Unsaid

On Thursday, one day before the deadline to make a final decision, Kien decided to go home earlier than usual to have a serious, frank conversation with his parents. He had spent the night before organizing his thoughts, to find the clearest way to express what he really felt inside.

"I want to talk to my parents," he said as the family sat around the dinner table. "About your decision."

His parents exchanged worried looks, bracing themselves for another argument. But this time, Kien spoke with a calmness and maturity that both of them had never seen in him before.

"I understand your concerns," he began, his voice filled with respect but firmness. "We're afraid you'll get hurt again like four years ago, and I know, it's because you love me. But I need you to understand, the child I am now is no longer the fourteen year old boy that day."

He continued, his voice growing steadier. "Over the past few months, I have learned how to face my fear, not by avoiding it, but by taking small steps, persevering through it. I have friends who truly support me, a teacher who believes in me, and someone I truly love, who is always by my side in every difficult moment. If I retreat now, just because I am afraid of an anonymous threat, I will lose everything I have tried to build. And more importantly, you will lose the confidence in yourself that you have worked so hard to find again."

The dining room was silent for a long while. Kien's mother was the first to speak, her voice shaking with emotion. "You're a lot more mature than we realized," she said. "Perhaps, parents have been so focused on protecting their children from all harm that they have forgotten that they need to be given the opportunity to stand on their own, to prove their own strength."

His father, after a moment of contemplation, nodded in agreement, although his eyes were still slightly worried. "I can't promise that I won't worry anymore," he said, his voice unusually sincere. "But I respect your decision. If you really believe that you are ready to face anything that may happen, we will support you."

Hearing those words, Kien felt a huge burden lifted from his shoulders. He hugged both parents, his voice choked with emotion. "Thank you, Mom and Dad, for trusting me."

That evening, Kien immediately called Anh Thu, his voice full of excitement, different from the gloom of the past few days. "I've decided," he said. "I will continue the role. I will not let fear control my life again."

On the other end of the phone, Anh Thu couldn't hold back her tears of happiness. "I'm proud of you," she said, her voice shaking with emotion. "I know, this is not an easy decision."

"It wasn't easy," Kien admitted, "but it was the best decision I ever made. And I know, whatever happens next, I won't have to face it alone."

The next morning, when Kien informed Ms. Huong of his decision, she could not hide her extreme joy. "I'm so proud of you, Kien," she said, tears in her eyes. "We will prepare well together for the last days before the festival."

That news spread quickly throughout the club, bringing a new vitality and hope to all members before the official match day was only a few days away. But amid that general joy, the official investigation results from the school's information technology team have just been completed, and what they discovered will soon completely change the entire situation.

That afternoon, Ms. Huong was invited to the school board's office to hear the official investigation results report. Comparing wifi network login data with hallway security cameras and attendance lists of classes, the information technology team narrowed the scope of suspicion to only three students who were present in the area near the computer room at the exact time the anonymous account logged in. Among them, there is only one person with a social network account who has ever interacted with the correct group of posts mentioning Kien's old video - Trinh Gia Bach.

"This is still only circumstantial evidence," the school's information technology teacher explained, "but combined with other factors, we believe this is the most likely suspect."

After listening, Ms. Huong felt both relieved because she finally had a specific clue and heavy because she realized that the person behind all these painful events was a member who had been with the club for three years, someone she always believed would grow into an excellent actor in the future.

“We need to handle this carefully,” she told the school board. "I would like the opportunity to speak with her directly before any formal disciplinary decisions are made."

The school board agreed with that suggestion, allowing Ms. Huong a private meeting with Gia Bach before taking the next steps. That afternoon, when practice ended, she texted Gia Bach inviting Gia Bach to stay. The tone of the text message did not reveal any signs of what she knew.

As for Gia Bach, when he received that message, a feeling of extreme insecurity rose in his heart. All afternoon, he couldn't concentrate on anything, his arms and legs were shaking, his mind racing with the worst possible scenarios. He knew, the time had come, the truth that he had tried to hide for so many weeks, was finally about to face the light.

Meanwhile, completely unaware of the developments that were secretly happening, Anh Thu and Kien and a group of close friends organized a small gathering to celebrate Kien's brave decision. At the familiar lemon tea shop, the air was filled with laughter, relief was evident on everyone's faces after the past stressful days.

"Finally, things are gradually getting better," Ngoc Diep said, raising her glass of juice in a toast. "There are only a few days left until the festival, I believe, we are as ready as possible."

The whole group raised their glasses, none of them expected that, in just a few hours, the true identity of the person behind all the turmoil they had just experienced would be officially revealed, opening a new chapter full of turmoil but also full of hope for the whole story.

"Hey," Duy Anh said, turning to Kien with his familiar mischievous eyes, "everything is better now, when are you planning to officially introduce Anh Thu as your girlfriend in front of the whole club?"

That unexpected question made both Kien and Anh Thu blush, making the whole table burst into laughter. "We... are still in the stage of learning more," Kien replied, his voice awkward but unable to hide his happy smile.

"Learn more," Ngoc Diep interjected, her voice full of teasing. "Everyone in the club knows that you two have been 'finding out' for a long time, it's just that you haven't made it official yet."

Anh Thu laughed, gently held Kien's hand under the table, his eyes filled with happiness. "Maybe, after the festival, we'll make an official announcement," she said, glancing meaningfully at Kien.

"Sounds reasonable," Kien agreed, gently squeezing her hand. "After completing our most important mission, we will have more time to enjoy simple, happy things like this."

The gathering lasted until late at night, giving the group a rare precious moment of relaxation amid consecutive stressful days. When everyone left one by one, Kien took Anh Thu home as usual. The two walked slowly under the starry night sky, filled with a peace that both had to go through many challenges to reach.

"Thank you," Kien said as he arrived at Anh Thu's front door, "for always believing in me, even in the moments when I didn't believe in myself."

"It's the most natural thing I can do," Anh Thu replied, smiling warmly, "when loving someone as sincere as you."

That simple confession, the first time it was said clearly and directly between the two, made that evening's farewell moment more special than ever, marking an important milestone in the relationship that the two had been cultivating together for many months, completely unaware of the final storm that was silently forming, preparing to strike right at the threshold of the most important night of their school lives.