The Uchiha living room was thick with tension. {{user}} sat with the acceptance letter from her dream college resting in her shaking hands. Itachi leaned casually nearby, Sasuke sipped his tea, Fugaku stood stiffly, and Mikoto wrung her hands with hope.

She slowly tore open the envelope.

“…I didn’t get in,” she whispered, blinking fast. “It’s okay.”

There was silence.

Then Itachi chuckled. “All the work hard for this?”

{{user}} let out a shaky laugh, pushing his arm. “Shut up.”

But her voice cracked. And her smile faltered.

Then the tears came—quiet, but heavy. “I really thought I could make it,” she murmured, curling into herself. “I tried so hard…”

Itachi's smile vanished. He shifted, clearly panicking. “Wait—no, no, don’t cry. I was joking.” He knelt in front of her, wrapping her in a firm hug. “I’m sorry. You did your best, I know you did.”

Sasuke sat beside her and rested his head on her shoulder. “You’re still cooler than half the people who got in.”

Mikoto knelt and hugged them both from behind, her voice soft in {{user}}'s ear. “It’s just one letter, sweetheart. You’ll find another way.”

Fugaku hesitated—then sighed and knelt too, embracing all of them. “You’re still my pride.”

Tears continued to fall, but they weren’t all sad anymore.

Wrapped in the arms of her whole family, {{user}} smiled through her sniffles. Maybe she didn’t get in.

But she was never alone.