Chapter 19 — Throwing the Ball Through the Rain

The final match of the group stage took place at the multi-purpose hall because heavy rain was forecast. The team met Southeast High School, which had a tall center and a very loud group of fans. Nhien was not allowed to sit in the technical area because she had to have her knee checked, so she sat in the stands with Ms. Hanh. An holds the captain's armband, Mai Chi holds the signal board.

Southeast pressed closely from the start. An was stuck in Bap, passed quickly and lost the ball. Bap from the scoring table reminded the time, while Phong checked the speakers. Vy was obscured by her opponent's center, but she used small steps to find her position. Mai Chi missed two shots and then asked to switch to cutting. The team did not panic, but the gap increased to eight points.

During the break, Nhien sent down a note: "Don't fight with height. Fight with rhythm." An read, then let the team play faster. The ball passed through the hands of Vy, Mai Chi, Bap and An in just a few seconds. The opponent has not yet had time to build a defense. Vy scored two points, Mai Chi scored three. Southeast's audience was quieter.

In the final round, the electronic scoreboard turned off for thirty seconds. The referee used a hand board, but one point of the women's team was recorded incorrectly. An heard the buzz of people and felt the old scoreboard return. Ms. Hanh reminded from the audience not to argue without checking. Phong gave the controller's log to the referee, Bap compared the scorebook. Score is fixed before play resumes.

The team won 61–58. After the match, the referee thanked them for keeping the books. Mr. Vinh witnessed that and asked Phong if he could set up a scoreboard process for the tournament. Phong said yes, but needed access and someone to check. Mr. Vinh took note and did not promise to solve the problem himself.

An received a text message from her old coach: "You still have the qualities. Do you want to come back to try out?" She looked at the multi-purpose yard, where every noise used to disorient her. She hasn't answered yet. Nhien asked her if she wanted to talk. An told everything, not hiding the fact that she still craved the feeling of competing at a higher level.

Nhien said she wouldn't betray the team if An returned or stayed, as long as An chose for herself and not because she wanted to erase a loss. An kept the phone in her pocket. The group stage ends, the team enters the semi-finals. The rain outside the window became thicker, but An's path no longer had only one direction.

An came home late and saw that her mother still had the kitchen light on. She took out the selection calendar and placed it next to the yard calendar. One side has travel time, the other side has an open house and the responsibility of comparing scorecards. Mom didn't tell her to choose right away. Mom asked what she would regret if she didn't try it. An said she doesn't know how much she can still play. If she left, she was afraid the team would think she left the field right when someone was needed.

My mother told me about the time she skipped an interview to stay and take care of her relatives. She doesn't regret it, but there are times when she wonders what would happen if she left. She said a good choice is not one without regrets; it is a choice I can explain to myself. An recorded it, then called Nhien. Nhien didn't answer the phone, just texted "talking tomorrow". An respected her.

The next day, the team practiced changing status. An tries a new role, not holding the ball at every turn. Phong is the backup passer, Mai Chi calls the signal, Vy marks the area. Bap reads the time, does not spin. Nhien came after the physical therapy session, tired but still watching. She told An there was no need to prove it by running more.

During the meeting, An told the team she would go to the selection after the finals and handed over the one-week schedule. Nhien replied that she already knew because An spoke frankly. Mai Chi asked who would lead the opening ceremony. Tran received the schedule, Phong received the safety, Bap received the media, Vy received the small class. No one says “it's okay”; They tabled replacements.

Ms. Hanh asked An to write which part of the job only she holds. There are twelve items, of which seven can be assigned, three require instructions, and two require permission from the teacher. An was surprised because she hugged so much. Nhien said a team does not get stronger when one person holds many keys; The team is strong when many people know which door to open with which key.

In the evening, An replied to her old coach that she agreed to participate in the audition after the tournament, but needed a clear schedule and did not promise to accept immediately. The coach said it was a professional response. An put away her phone and saw that the words "home yard" and "new yard" were no longer opposites.

An wrote down the audition schedule on a separate piece of paper and placed it next to the field schedule. She marked the days she could go and the days she needed to hand over. Mom asked what if she didn't make the team. An said she could still continue playing, or try another position. Mom said it's important that this opportunity not turn into a test of your worth.

At school, Nhien held a temporary handover meeting. Mai Chi received the role of ball dribbler during the An absence session, Vy received the small group, Bap received the video, Phong received the technical, Tran received the data rights. An is no longer the final reviewer; she just checks that everyone is responsible. It felt strange, but she felt lighter.

A new friend asked An whether recruiting more players would make the team less important to her. An replied that the team is important, but she is also important to herself. You nodded, saying that you also want to try the music club even though you're afraid the team needs you. Nhien said the two things are not necessarily mutually exclusive if the schedule is clearly stated.

Phong created an equipment handover form, with status, recipient, return time and problems. Bap Dien mistakenly named "Little Rain fruit" as "Big Rain", then asked to correct it. Phong Bao crossed out a line and signed. An saw a story about an old scoreboard that caused today's small errors to be recorded more cleanly.

Mai Chi announced that she had been invited to the audition round. The whole team congratulated her, but she said she didn't know the results yet. Bap asked if he could choose, would he still eat the sponsored bread? Mai Chi said it depends on the cash book. Nhien laughed and said that a good team must know how to joke at the right time and keep records in the right place.

In the evening, An sent her old coach a schedule she could commit to. He accepted and said he would judge her by her play, not by her old story. An turned off the phone, not knowing if that was a promise she could keep, but she knew she would ask if it changed.

An sent the schedule to the team, but did not ask everyone to respond immediately. Mai Chi just texted "read", Bap sent a photo of the roster, Nhien asked An if he wanted to talk before leaving. The two met on the steps of the yard, where there used to be a leaf-shaped puddle. Nhien said she used to think that good people must choose the place with the brightest lights. An asked, what do you think now? Nhien replied that any place where someone is willing to turn on the lights is worth playing.

Phong completes the equipment profile for the replacement. Lam received the key during the hour with Ms. Hanh, read the name of each item and signed. Bap handed over the calendar posting account and deleted old, unnecessary permissions. Tran checks her mailbox automatically. An didn't have to remind me once, because everyone already had a process.

Mai Chi returned from selection, tired but happy. She was invited to the reserve team and needed to practice three times in the city. She asked An if she had any experience. An said only one word: don't see the bench as a forgotten place; See it as a lookout to enter at the right time. Mai Chi said she would remember.

One parent suggested that the yard be opened more mornings for older people to walk. The team doesn't admit it themselves, they ask administrators, security guards, and current users. Schedule is one hour, there is a person on duty and a separate entrance. One aunt said just walk around the yard, no need for a ball. An recorded the number of turns and saw that the field could serve even those who never played.

That night, An prepared two outfits: one for the match, one for the audition. She doesn't pack according to priority, only according to schedule. The captain's armband is located between the two sets, not belonging to any specific field. She texted Nhien "I will come back after the audition", Nhien replied "come back when you need me, not because I have to prove it".

The next morning, An woke up earlier than usual and wrote out two separate schedules. The city calendar has practice times, travel times and rest times. Course schedules include opening times, closing times and substitutes. She placed them next to each other, marking the areas of conflict in orange. Phong looked over and pointed out an empty space that An had not seen: on rainy days, the bus is usually ten minutes late. They added a backup plan, no one considered it pessimistic.

Nhien sent a recording from home, reminding An not to turn being selected for the team into a promise to be present at all times. An listened twice and then texted "I will notify you soon". The answer was short, but for the first time she felt she could go away without feeling like she was abandoning others. The yard does not hold her by a rope; it keeps her with people who know how to tell the truth.

An put the orange pen in her pocket.

In the bag there is also a blue pen to mark the requested calendar.

She locked the screen, hearing the sound of rain starting on the porch roof.

An puts the calendar in the outside compartment so she won't forget it tomorrow morning.