Chapter 25 — Throwing the Ball Through the Rain

The final was moved back to the school yard because the rain decreased. The opponent is Nam Khe school, the team that beat them in last year's tournament. Nhien did not compete, but she came early and checked the strategy board herself. Mai Chi returns, Vy wears a blue wristband, Bap carries a notebook instead of a camera. An stood in the middle of the warm-up circle, feeling the ground under her shoes.

Nam Khe opens with speed. They scored six points in a row. An started to try to solve it herself, hit the ball into a narrow space and then lost it. Mai Chi reminds her to look at others. An passed to Vy, Vy was blocked but kept the ball. The ball returns to An in another position, she finds Mai Chi and the first two points appear.

Second half, heavy rain. Ms. Hanh asked if the match should be stopped. The referee checked the field and the organizers allowed five more minutes of play. Phong and the technician cleaned the east corner, while the players stood under the roof. The audience did not rush into the field. Nhien said the team did not need to prove that they could endure everything; If the course is dangerous, stopping is the right decision.

The battle continued, the water still fell but did not stagnate. Nam Khe took advantage of Vy's slip. An called to change positions, taking Vy to a safe corner. Mai Chi ran to cut, Bap made a valid screen. Team scores points. In the sound of rain, Nhien's hand signals become more important than her voice.

At the last minute, the team was one point behind. Ms. Hanh called for a consultation. An said she wanted to throw, then stopped: “But if Mai Chi is empty, I will pass.” Mai Chi replied that if Vy was empty, she would also pass. Nhien said that was the only strategy she wanted to hear.

The last ball went past An, touched Mai Chi's hand, then Vy under the basket. Vy was marked by two people but did not panic and passed back. An stood at the three-point line and heard Nhien knock twice on the chair. She threw. The ball hits the rim, bounces, and falls into the net when the buzzer sounds.

The team won 58–57. An does not run; She turned to Vy, hugging her friend first. Mai Chi laughed and cried, Bap recorded the results, Phong checked the scoreboard. On the screen, the score appears correct. Nhien tied the captain's armband to An, this time An did not refuse.

After the whistle, the organizers asked the team to stay in place to check the score. An heard the audience want to rush onto the field, but Ms. Hanh raised her hand to stop them. Bap stood next to the walkway, reminding people not to block the door. Tran checked the handwritten notepad with the electronic board: Mai Chi, Vy and An's scores all matched. No numbers were unexpectedly edited.

Nam Khe had a player burst into tears because the last throw didn't go in. Mai Chi walked over, but didn't hug without asking. You nodded, the two of you touched hands. An saw victory without the need for the opponent to become smaller. Ms. Hanh told the whole team to greet the opponent before receiving the medal. Nhien stood outside and applauded both teams.

The reporter suggested using the image of An hugging Vy as the main photo. An asked Vy if she agreed. Vy agrees, but wants to write down Mai Chi's name and the person who called the signal. The reporter asked if he needed to remind Phong. Bap gave the scoreboard operations list. The last post has a photo of a large yard, without a close-up of the person crying.

In the locker room, Nhien took off An's captain's armband to wash it. An said she could keep it. Nhien said the ice has passed through many people, one should not let the sweat of one battle turn into ownership. Two people washed the ice with cold water and dried it on the railing. The silvery blue glows under the lights.

Mr. Vinh came to congratulate, but also reminded the yard that it needed to report within the week. An replied that the team would submit it on time. He asked her if she wanted to use the win to call for the court to be kept. An said they would give the data and not force others to choose with them. Mr. Vinh said he began to understand the difference between persuasion and pressure.

That night, the team ate boxed lunches in the warehouse. Bap reads the match scores, Mai Chi corrects the pronunciation of her opponent's name, Vy shows off her green string bracelet. Nhien asked An if she had decided on the selection yet. An said she would try it out after submitting the plan, because even if she won the championship, the course still needed someone to hand it over. No one said she was selfish or noble. They just share the hot lunch box.

After the meal, An opened her notebook and recorded the entire match, not just the last throw. She recorded the time the rain started, the time the field was checked, the time the scoreboard was compared, the number of people who asked not to shoot, and the phase Vy was marked. Mai Chi read, saying she wanted to add the moment the opponent agreed to use a common scoreboard. An added, because a fair match is not just about your team.

Nhien sends her thanks to the opposing team through the organizers, not posting it online before they agree. Nam Khe team replied that they wanted to use a short paragraph in the tournament report. Bap sends the version without an audience, Tran notes the scope. A win can become a document for others if it does not turn the person involved into a backdrop.

Phong checked the scoreboard after the match and found a small error in the time displayed. Doesn't affect the results, but he reported. The organizing committee updates the software and records. An asked if anyone blamed her for spoiling the fun. Phong said if he didn't report it, the mistake would be bigger next time. Ms. Hanh gave him another red pen.

Mai Chi prepares for the next selection round. She asked An for advice on how to keep pace, but An said she was not a coach. Two people watched the video, wrote questions and sent them to Ms. Hanh. Mai Chi learns how to seek advice without making you responsible for your results.

Vy and Lam co-instructed sixth grade. One child asked who was the captain, the two of them pointed to An, then Nhien, then Mai Chi on the screen. Bap says the correct answer is the person calling the signal this turn. An saw that the team had a new interpretation, without the need for a unique name.

Before leaving the warehouse, An folded the armband and placed it in a moisture-proof bag. Nhien Bao Bang does not need to be treated like a treasure. An said she just wanted it to be usable for the next person. The two locked the locker, checked the gate and went out under the rain.

An passed by the notice board and saw the selection schedule superimposed on the field schedule. She removed both and placed them in two different columns so that no one would think one thing replaced the other. Mai Chi asked if she was afraid the team would lose rhythm when she left. An said the team had a caller, recorder and checker. Mai Chi replied that she also had to learn to walk without looking back every minute.

Nhien went to physical therapy and sent a copy of instructions to the person sitting outside the match. She wrote down how to choose a chair, how to receive signals, and how to report when the sound is too loud. An wanted to post it online, but Nhien only allowed it for internal use. Pearl records the scope. Bap said a good document does not have to be public to be useful.

Phong and Lam measured the roof and discovered two small leaks. They marked it with white tape, not calling it anyone's fault. Mr. Vinh sent a technician, but the repair schedule coincided with the opening of the yard. Team closes part, moves operations, sends early notice. Some people regret it, but few people are surprised because the update table is clear.

Mai Chi practices throwing with Huyen. Huyen asked how to know when to pass. Mai Chi said to look at the third person, not just the person she was chaperoning. Huyen tried and passed the ball correctly to another friend. An watched from the sidelines and saw that Mai Chi was becoming someone who could teach, not just score points.

At the end of the day, Ms. Hanh read the general report. There was a sentence An wrote too emotionally, so she changed it into facts. There is a Pearl board that lacks power, she added. Bap wants to add a photo of the rainy yard, but the person in the photo has not responded. They wait. An saw that waiting is also an action, not a meaningless delay.

That night, the team texted each other to wish each other good night. An sent a line: "If it rains tomorrow, ask before running." Nhien responded to the circle, Mai Chi sent a pair of shoes, and Bap sent a photo of a red pen. An smiled and put down the phone.

The next morning was dry, but everyone still checked the pitch before warming up. One friend laughed and asked if I needed to ask even when it was sunny. Nhien replied that she needed to ask her body in all weather. They divided into groups, one group counted the crack lines, one group checked the ball, and one group asked the sixth graders if they wanted to participate. An takes on the hardest part: standing still and letting others do it themselves.

Huyen led two children into the practice area and showed them how to ask to change the ball. I spoke a bit tremblingly, then forgot the last sentence. Another child repeated for help. Huyen turned to thank her without saying anything. Mai Chi sent a text message praising her for having a clearer voice with each session. Huyen replied that she wanted to learn how to speak slowly so that the listener could make a decision. An wrote that wish into next month's training plan.

In the afternoon, Mr. Vinh sent a new estimate. The amount of money is not enough for the entire roof, but it is enough to repair the drain and install additional handrails. The team chooses those two things first. While regretting the new paint, Tran said the color could wait; Commuters do not. An signed the minutes with a rare sense of calm.

Outside the yard, the clouds drift slowly.

An zipped her bag and turned back to check the gate.

The lock is still strong, the time table is still clear.

An put a check mark in the duty book before leaving the field.