Chapter 24 — Theater at the End of the Hallway

The dialogue with the panel takes place one hour before the screening. The members sat in the front row, Dat was on the side, and Mr. Quang held the safe file. Lam stood in front of the screen, not holding the phone.

One person asked why the school had to keep the theater when it could build a new multipurpose room.

Tran presented the activity schedule, repair costs, number of participants and management plan. Huy said old machines can operate safely if properly maintained. Vy said the theater is a different sound space from the classroom. Quan gave him a memory survey, which had more than three hundred answers.

“Memories are not property,” the person said.

“But the way a place helps people learn can be valuable,” Mr. Quang replied.

Dat presented a new plan: keep the theater, move the commercial construction to the neighboring land, and use part of the profits for maintenance. The plan costs more than expected, but does not destroy the corridor connection.

One member asked why he, the person in charge of project communications, made an unfavorable proposal.

Dat replied: "Because I used to be a student sitting here. And because I was silent when others needed me to speak."

Hoai An stood up. She did not tell Nhi's whole story, only talked about the responsibilities when making a film. She admitted that she cut the scene to protect one person but did not communicate enough with the rest. She said theater is worth preserving not because it is always right, but because it allows people to correct wrong practices.

The council asked Lam if he believed students could manage themselves. Lam provides the process: person in charge, inspection schedule, privacy, feedback channels, reports after each screening.

“What if someone breaks the rules?”

“We stopped the screening, informed the teachers and protected the affected people before thinking about the reputation of the theater.”

Huy looked at her and nodded slightly.

One member asked if the movie version used the scene that was mistakenly posted. Lam said no. She explained that the group had removed it, reported it and apologized; They don't use that error as a hook.

“So what's interesting about your movie?”

Lam replied: “A room is saved by people learning not to take things from each other that have not been given.”

The meeting room was silent. Quan was about to raise his hand to say more, but Tran held back.

The council agreed to attend the screening and will decide after viewing the feedback report. They asked the group not to campaign with pressure messages.

Dat gave Lam a piece of paper. That is a commitment to maintain the theater's architecture during the six-month trial.

“Have you signed yet?” Lam asked.

"You sign your part. My part is to make people want to renew."

Outside in the hallway, spectators began to line up. Tickets are free, but everyone receives a piece of paper to write down what they want to leave in the theater. Duy is in charge of subtitles, Mai checks the images, Quan leads the chair.

Huy stood in front of the projector, looking at the wires. Lam comes next.

“What if the machine breaks down?”

“There is a backup machine.”

“What if both fail?”

“I tell it in words.”

“What if people don't listen?”

Huy looked at the screen. “Then ask them what they want to see.”

The lights in the hallway were turned off. The seats are gradually filling up. One last seat is still empty, according to the words on the ticket. Lam doesn't know who it's for.

Before starting, the cloth curtain lit up a small line: **Let the latecomers find their seats.**

Lam took a deep breath and stepped out to introduce himself. She didn't say “this is a special story,” just: “This is a room and people who have learned to listen to it.”

In the front row, a board member holds a pen and takes notes. She didn't look at the screen right away, making Lam worry about her talk too little. Teacher Quang signaled to begin. The sound of the hallway rang out, the audience gradually quieted down.

Lam stood backstage, listening to Quan instruct latecomers. He spoke slowly, pointed to an empty seat, then reminded him not to turn. One parent asked if he could take a screenshot; Quan pointed to the rule board. That person put away the phone.

The film runs through ordinary stories. Uncle Sau, Miss My, Bao Tran, Quan, Huy and the tenth graders appeared in the way they chose. Some are just shadows, some are just sounds. No one should be placed in the background of another person's secrets.

When the part about Mai's apology appeared, several people looked at her. Mai still sat still. Lam saw that she no longer avoided eye contact, but also did not turn herself into a symbol.

Black screen came ten seconds later. A child coughed, the mother apologized, and then the whole yard became quiet again. Nhi's sentence rang out. No one knew where she was, but no one called her name.

The light turns on. Lam invited the audience to write votes. Board members asked why the group didn't include old footage. Hoai An stood up and said that was the part that was kept private according to the choice of the person in the scene.

One parent asked if that made the film lack evidence. Tran replied that the goal is not to prove anyone wrong; The goal is to show safer filmmaking.

Huy presented the equipment process. He said there was a circuit breaker problem but the team didn't turn it into content; They take the minutes, fix the wires and do it again. A board member asked who was responsible. Commander commanded the roster, saying responsibilities were divided but adults still supervised.

Dat said the option of keeping the theater has costs, but also benefits: classrooms, community activities and space for students to practice skills. He did not use his story to ask for favors.

After the movie, part of the audience left. The rest sit in a circle. Ms. Thao asked them what they remembered. Some people say the sound of chairs, some say black space, some say when Quan falls.

The board member said she remembers the group not trying to answer everyone. She requested further reports after three screenings. Teacher Quang agreed.

Lam looked at Huy. He looked at the phone, not at her. She knew she didn't need a compliment right now; They have completed one opening.

While cleaning, Quan found a note under the last chair: "I was late but I still heard it." He read it to the group, then put it back so the writer could take it himself if he wanted.

After the screening, the group met right in the theater. Teacher Quang asked everyone to tell a detail that the audience might misunderstand. Lam said the shadow of the door could make people think Nhi appeared. Vy said the audio sentence could be quoted separately. Huy said a machine that turns off in the middle of the process could be considered an unsafe old device.

They added explanations to the program sheet, but didn't make the film any heavier. Quan suggested a question-and-answer corner after the curtain, where the audience could ask questions without taking their names. Tran arranged two boxes: one for public questions, one for only teachers to see.

Dat received a council vote, which asked the group to find a stable financial source. He proposed teaching the class to seek sponsorship, not accepting money himself. Students create a cost table, distinguishing between required and wanted items.

Hoai An sat down with Lam after everyone left. Mom said the first time she walked out of the theater she didn't realize she was running from anyone. Lam asked if it was because Nhi agreed. Mom replied partly, partly because she clearly said she was wrong.

Huy locked the phone, but left the door open for another five minutes. Lam asked why. He said he wanted to Listen to the quiet hallway.

During those five minutes, the sound of the school changed from class to class. The sound of basketball outside the yard gradually fades, the sound of workers pulling carts passing by, and then the sound of rain pattering on the roof. Lam did not record, just stood next to Huy. She asked him what he would do if the theater was closed. Huy said he would bring the projector home to fix it, but didn't know where to project it. Lam said you can start with the living room wall. Huy laughed and said his mother would make them remove all the wires before turning it on.

They discussed a backup plan: if the decision to demolish the theater was approved, the group would set up a digital archive, keep the blueprints, and continue screenings at the library. No one pretends that plan can replace the room. It just helps keep the things you've learned from disappearing with the wall. Lam wrote down each task, assigned Quan to ask the library, Vy to check the capacity, Tran to contact former students, Huy to make a list of equipment. When the door closed, they had a direction even though they didn't know what the council would choose tomorrow.

Quan went to the library and returned with a longer list of conditions than expected: do not bring food into the computer room, do not cover the exit, and must register the device in advance. He complained that the library was more strict than the theater. Lam said that's why they can trust that place. Vy creates a decentralized storage folder, separating the original from the view. Huy tried downloading a large file and then deleting the trial version, checking the log to see who had accessed it.

Tran called three former students who had organized movie screenings. One person wanted to share the poster, one person asked not to use class photos, the other person just sent advice on how to apply for funding. Lam notes each area, not grouping it into one sentence "alumni support". When the group completes the plan, it looks less romantic but more realistic. Quan posted a sign on the door: "If the theater disappears, the question remains." No one deleted it.

The library lends them a locker but requires a catalog posted outside. Vy classifies files by date, version and sharing scope. Huy brought the hard drive to check and discovered an old copy containing withdrawn photos. He reported it immediately and did not delete it before Tran noted it. Once they have the minutes, they delete the correct version and check the backup copy. Lam puts the process in the handover book, because mistakes of this type can be repeated when a new person takes over.

Quan organized a practice session to "welcome viewers who know nothing about theater". He plays the role of the audience asking questions continuously, while you guys have to give short answers so you don't make people feel stupid. A friend asked if the theater was a place where ghost movies were filmed. Quan said he didn't know it was a ghost, but he knew the projector was making loud noises. Huy gave safety instructions, Tran pointed to the privacy sign, Vy said there was a subtitle version. Lam realizes a good introduction doesn't need to show off all your history; it just needs to make the other person know they can ask more questions.