Chapter 15 — Unprocessed Photos

The final days before submitting the set of photos to the exhibition approval board passed in a dizzying rush. The dark room was lit up almost every day after school, and the whole group took turns staying late into the evening, editing, printing, and rearranging the layout dozens of times until everyone was satisfied.

Bao Nghi found himself integrating into that rhythm in a surprisingly natural way. She is no longer a shadow standing quietly in the corner of the room - she actively comments on the layout, argues with Vy about the order of hanging photos, and even teases Dinh Phong when he ruins another batch of photo paper because he lost concentration when he was too tired.

"You've changed a lot, you know that?" Vy told her during an afternoon break, the two of them sitting next to each other eating cookies while waiting for a batch of photos to dry. "When you first joined the club, I thought you were the type of person who only came because of force and would leave soon. But now looking at you, I see that you belong here more than any of us."

Bao Nghi smiled, touched by that sincere comment. “Thank you,” she said. "I didn't expect things to change so quickly."

The day of submission arrived, and the whole group gathered in the dark room early in the morning to do a final review of the carefully selected collection of fifty-two photos — a little more than required to give the committee more options. Minh Khang personally arranged the whole thing in the order he thought told the most complete story: from the everyday moments of school, to the brilliant climax of the Spring Festival, and ending with a few "behind the scenes" photos capturing the working spirit of the club members.

"I think this is the best set of photos the club has ever had," Minh Khang said, sounding both proud and nervous, standing in front of a stack of photos neatly folded in a large folder.

"Definitely so," Dinh Phong agreed, patting his shoulder. "No matter the result, we tried our best."

Bao Nghi stood nearby, looking at the thick stack of photos, knowing that among them there were nearly a dozen photos taken by herself. Although they did not bear her name, they were full of personal impressions - the way she saw the light, the way she chose the moment, the way she told the story through each frame. Feelings of both pride and nervousness mixed in her heart when thinking that those works were about to be presented to a strange council for judgment.

Minh Khang brought the briefcase to the teacher's meeting room to submit it to Mr. Toan, who would forward it to the council. When he returned, his face was both relieved and tense, and the whole group gathered around to ask questions.

"Submitted," he said, letting out a long breath. "Master Toan said the council will meet within the next week to announce the shortlist selected for display."

"A week," Vy repeated, her voice a little worried. "Are we going to have to wait a whole week in suspense?"

"Waiting is part of the process," Mr. Toan said, appearing at the darkroom door just in time, smiling reassuringly at the group. "You guys have done your best, now please believe in that effort."

The teacher lingered for a moment, his eyes scanning the room, stopping at Bao Nghi for a brief moment, a look full of meaning that only she understood the meaning. "I trust this set of photos," he added, his voice gentle but firm. "It has something more genuine than anything the club has ever submitted before."

After Mr. Toan left, the group gradually dispersed and everyone went home, carrying a mixed mood between relief for completing the job and nervously waiting for the results. Bao Nghi and Minh Khang were the last two people to leave the dark room, as had become a habit over the past several weeks.

"Which one do you think the council will choose?" Bao Nghi asked as they walked out of block B, the afternoon sky dyed a warm orange color.

"I'm not sure," Minh Khang replied, "but I hope they see the sincerity in it, not just the technique."

They walked together in silence for a while, enjoying a rare sense of relief after weeks of tension. "You know," Minh Khang said after a while, his voice becoming thoughtful, "no matter the outcome, I want you to know, the past time, working with you, was one of the most meaningful times of my life."

Bao Nghi felt her cheeks heat up, but this time she didn't avoid his eyes. "Me too," she replied honestly. "I never thought I could feel like I belonged somewhere, with certain people, in this way."

Minh Khang smiled, a smile so gentle that it made Bao Nghi's heart pound. "I hope, no matter what happens next, you will always remember that you deserve all the good things that are coming your way."

That statement, full of goodwill and sincerity, should have given Bao Nghi a feeling of absolute safety. But there was a vague flicker of worry, a tiny premonition she couldn't name, that crossed her mind in that moment—as if some part of her had sensed, however unclearly, that the road ahead, though promising, still contained challenges she hadn't anticipated.

She dismissed that feeling, telling herself she was worrying too much after a long and tiring day, and continued walking beside Minh Khang into the sunset, filled with hope for what the next week would bring.

That evening, when she got home, she called Thanh Truc, recounting the entire day — the submission of assignments, teacher Toan's compliments, and Minh Khang's last words on the way home.

"Did he really say that?" Thanh Truc asked, his voice full of excitement, almost shouting over the phone. "'You deserve all the good things that are coming to you' — sounds like something out of a movie."

"Stop teasing," Bao Nghi smiled, his cheeks were still a little hot as he remembered that moment. "But it's true... I feel truly happy, Truc. For the first time in a long time, I feel like everything is going in the right direction."

"I'm happy for you," Thanh Truc said, his voice sincere. "You deserve it, after everything you've been through."

They chatted for a while more about other trivial things — Thanh Truc's upcoming Chemistry test, both of their weekend plans — before Bao Nghi hung up, preparing to go to bed with a rare sense of relief.

But before turning off the lights, she reopened the "Unwashed" folder on her computer, where her most private photos were kept, and for the first time, she wondered if she should share some of them with Minh Khang, not to publish, just to let him understand more about her, the same way he shared the photo of his father. She hesitated for a long time, her fingers hovering over the keyboard, but in the end she closed the folder, not ready for that step, even though it felt like it was no longer as far away as before, just another door, ajar, waiting for the right moment.

The days of waiting for results passed slowly. The whole club continues to operate as usual, but the atmosphere carries a dull suspense, everyone is nervous every time there is a new message or email from the board of directors. Dinh Phong, to reduce the group's stress, organized a small "tea party waiting for the results" in a dark room, bringing candy and milk tea bought from a familiar shop, trying to make everyone laugh and forget their worries.

"No matter the result," Phong said, holding up a cup of milk tea as if congratulating, his voice suddenly serious mixed with familiar jokes, "we have created a set of photos that I'm proud of. That's something no one can take away, whether the council chooses us or not."

The group clinked glasses, laughed and joked, temporarily forgetting the pressure for a moment. Bao Nghi sat among her new friends, clearly feeling a warmth of belonging that she had never experienced during her previous years of hiding. She looked around the small room, the familiar red lights, the bright smiling faces, and thought to herself, whatever the outcome next week, this time had changed her in a way she could never go back to.

Minh Khang, sitting opposite her, raised his milk tea cup towards her discreetly, a small gesture that only the two of them understood, as a silent congratulation for the journey they had gone through together. Bao Nghi responded with a smile, not knowing that, just a few days later, the trust and sincerity she had just placed completely in him would be tested in the most painful way she had ever experienced since ninth grade - a challenge that, right now, amidst the warm laughter of her new friends, she could not have foreseen.