Chapter 6 — Throwing the Ball Through the Rain

Nhien doesn't want to tell the story of the old final right away. She said the current team needed to focus on the tournament, and the story in the calendar was just a note from someone who had left school. Bap believes that every piece of paper with the phrase "don't let them" is worthy of investigation. Mai Chi told him to watch less detective movies. An was not on anyone's side; she just remembered the feeling of looking at the wrong scoreboard and knowing that a device can make people doubt their own eyes.

Phong removed the cover of the scoreboard box and checked the wires. He discovered the old controller was connected to the warehouse's electrical outlet. One wire has a temporary solder joint, the connector is oxidized. Phong said this error could cause the scoreboard to jump, but it doesn't explain what happened ten years ago. Ms. Hanh heard that and asked no one to speculate without the documents. Bap recorded that sentence on his phone, naming the file "Miss Hanh prohibits solving the case".

The team was invited to a meeting with the school board. Mr. Vinh, representative of the parking lot project, presented the numbers: the number of cars lacking space, the cost of repairing the yard, and the cost of waterproofing. He said the ballpark is used less than the library and does not generate revenue. An wanted to object, but Nhien gave her a sheet of statistics on the number of practice sessions, the number of classes that borrowed the field, and a list of people registered for the tournament.

Mai Chi asked if the field was repaired without a championship team, would it be worth keeping? Mr. Vinh replied that assets must be effective. An suddenly said: "Efficiency is not just about money. The yard helps students have a place to exercise, a place to meet each other, and a responsible way to learn." After she finished speaking, she realized the whole room was looking at her. Ms. Hanh did not intervene, just pushed the yard use plan to the council.

The school board gave the team three weeks to prove that the field operates stably and attracts the community. Otherwise, the dismantling plan remains the same. Nhien wanted to accept it right away, Mai Chi asked about the class schedule, Bap asked if he could film, and Phong asked who was responsible for repairing the facilities. An suggests dividing them into four groups: practice, communication, safety and records. Nhien looked at her for a moment then nodded.

That night, An reopened the video of the friendly match. She zoomed in on the scoreboard and saw the extra points appearing right after the storage room's wire was pulled. In the background there was a short whistle, different from the whistle Ms. Hanh used. Bap said it could be the sound of a metal door. Phong said he wanted to know and had to check the warehouse, but the lock was old.

Nhien held the key and said the filing cabinet would open tomorrow, in front of Ms. Hanh. “No one solves a crime alone,” she said. “If the past involves a person's right to compete, we must remember that person is not evidence.” An writes this sentence at the top of the planning page. Outside the window, rain slid on the glass. She realized the team was playing a match without a scoreboard, where what mattered was how they chose to tell the story.

Before leaving, An asked everyone to write down what they knew about the friendly match. Bap records the time of the snap sound, Phong records the string condition, Mai Chi recorded her position, Vy records the time the ball was stolen and Nhien records the time the team called for a time-out. No one uses the word "certain" if they only remember by feeling. Tran gave each person a sheet with three boxes: see, hear, guess. The form made him look like an insurance agent, but he still filled it out.

An called her mother, telling her that the team might have to play to keep the field. Her mother asked her if she was afraid of losing again. An said she was scared, but this time she wasn't standing alone behind the backboard. Mom replied, then don't let others turn your fear into an easy-to-tell story. An wrote that sentence in her notebook, next to Thu Ha's words even though she had never heard it directly.

The next morning, the team met with the school board. Mr. Vinh presented the parking lot plan in color drawings, with arrows for traffic flows and green areas. Nhien placed the yard opening day statistics next to it. The two pieces of paper do not deny each other, but show that a piece of land is being called by many different names. An asked the council to give the team three weeks not to stop the project, but to see if the field could be used more effectively.

A teacher asked if the girls' team had enough people to take responsibility. Mai Chi said the team has someone on duty, has a book, and has rules for withdrawing images. Vy said the sixth graders have registered. Phong said that technical parts must be inspected by staff, and students cannot repair the electricity themselves. Nhien said she would hand it over when she was no longer competing. An listened to each sentence and saw that the team was no longer four people asking to play; They are proposing a system.

The board agreed to a three-week period, with the condition that each match must have a safety monitor. Ms. Hanh signed the receipt. As he walked out, Bap asked An if she was happy. An said she was happy but didn't celebrate, because being happy too soon can easily make people forget to read the small letters. Bap said he would buy a bigger red pen.

In the evening, An created a common folder according to Tran's rules. She names each file with date, creator, and scope. Bap sent the wrong copy in front of the audience, An marked it "unused" instead of immediately deleting it, waiting for questions. Phong sent the wiring diagram, Nhien sent the restoration schedule, Mai Chi sent the survey sheet. The discrete files begin to form a readable picture.

Ms. Hanh invited Mr. Vinh to watch the stadium during non-match hours. He walked around Baps, asking why a warning sign was placed there. Phong explains the crack, Tran explains the yard closing schedule, Mai Chi explains the class. Mr. Vinh asked if the parking lot was built, would the group still propose it? An replied that the shared plan can still be adjusted, but the yard cannot be considered an empty space.

A homeroom teacher sent news that the team was making students skip extra classes to come watch. An worried, suggested publicizing opening hours and reminding players to complete their studies. Ms. Hanh added a notice to the board. Mai Chi proactively said in class that the team does not encourage skipping classes. Bap asked if that would cause him to lose fans. Mai Chi said that if the yard only exists thanks to people dropping out, the yard will not be kept for long.

Nhien was allowed by the doctor to exercise lightly. She walked around the field, noting how her knees felt each lap. An wanted to run with her, but Nhien told An to practice basketball. Both learn to be together without doing each other's work. When Nhien was tired, she raised a finger and An stopped playing. Signaling rules are not just used in battle; it became the team's way of asking each other off the field.

Bap finally bought a red pen, labeled "only edits data, not stories". The team laughed but held back. Before going to sleep, An read the plan for the first time from beginning to end. She found there were spelling errors, some sources were missing, and one section had no one in charge. She is not ashamed. She marked it, sent it and waited for it to be fixed tomorrow.

The next morning, the item that no one was in charge of was checking the exit. No one wants to take it because it requires arriving early and staying late. Lam, a sixth grader, suggested working with the adults. Ms. Hanh explained that Lam cannot be responsible alone, but can learn to control. Two people made a checklist, marking doors, lights, signs and spaces. Lam discovered a box of balls blocking the path and reported it immediately.

Adjust the plan, add time to check before and after the match. Bap asked if the report needed to include a box of balls. Tran said yes, because the small error was fixed before it became an accident. Mr. Vinh read and did not complain about the increased number of closures. He asked how to reduce errors, Phong suggested a new shelf. A debate about the field started over the ball bin, but no one found it small anymore.

During the break, Nhien gave An the redrawn signal map. She removed three symbols, keeping the easy-to-remember symbols. An asked if removing it would make the team less tactical. Of course there are many strategies but if players don't understand it, it's just a stroke of ink. An keeps the old version in the file and uses the new version on the field.

In the afternoon, An received news that a user sent a request to delete the photo. Panicked because the photo was posted, Tran found the file and deleted it within ten minutes. An sent a confirmation, without asking the person why he changed his mind. The user replied thank you. Bap looked at the process and said it was the first time he saw a delete button that could make someone feel secure.

An recorded the processing time in the report, then adds the section "confirmed with requester". A small mistake no longer turns into a big secret; it becomes a step in the process.

Tran taught Bap how to check his mailbox according to the time frame, not opening it continuously. Bap asked what if there was urgent news. Ms. Hanh stipulates that urgent matters must have a phone number for the on-call room, and cannot be sent through the suggestion box. An recorded two channels side by side, so the user doesn't have to guess.

The next practice session, one of the guys forgot his shoes and wanted to stand outside. Nhien gave me the cards to see the signals and didn't force me to play. You sit down and record three combinations, and at the end of the session, you ask to try a softball pass. The team realizes people who don't compete can still learn and contribute.