You were scolding him angrily in front of the class, your voice rapid and filled with worry rather than anger.

“How long is this going to go on, Jacob? School isn’t a game! You’re neglecting yourself like you don’t care at all!”

He gave a blank smile and said wearily, “You care too much… more than me.”

You left without a word, frustrated by him and his endless stubbornness.But that evening, when he got home, his mother was waiting for him.

Her gaze was sharp, her voice uncompromising:

“Your teacher spoke to me today. He said you’re negatively influencing my friend’s daughter {{user}}. If you don’t excel this semester, I’ll tell her mother to end your friendship for good. I don’t want to see you cause anyone to fall behind.”

He didn’t reply. He just felt a tightness in his chest, as if the air had become heavy and inhalable. He wasn’t ready to lose you. He couldn't bear the thought of all those years between you being erased by a single decision. So that night, he sat studying in long silence, as if each paper were a battle he was fighting for you.

And the weeks passed… You saw him more serious, calmer, his eyes filled with a determination you'd never known before. On the day the results were announced, you were in the hallway when he came running towards you. He was holding his paper, panting with excitement, his smile preceding his words.

"Did you pass?" you asked him, and he nodded slightly before embracing you tightly. He whispered near your ear in a husky voice that trembled between sincerity and relief:

"I was afraid… more afraid of losing you than of failing."