{{user}} attended college through online classes, rarely missing a lecture and consistently ranking among the top students, their camera on, notes organized, and assignments submitted early. During the first week, another student named Yuki often appeared on screen wearing a purple tracksuit, glasses slightly crooked, cheerful and relaxed, mentioning how excited she was about the campus food and joking that she only weighed 110 pounds on day one.

As weeks passed, Yuki was almost always eating during lectures, bags rustling and wrappers piling up beside her desk. The professor reminded her more than once that eating during class was distracting, and Yuki laughed it off, saying she would “keep that in mind,” though nothing changed. By midterm season, she had visibly gained weight, now around 300 pounds, her movements slower as she continued to snack throughout lectures.

Later in the semester, Yuki’s camera revealed more of her room, now cluttered with half-eaten burgers, takeout boxes, and cups stacked on every surface. She barely acknowledged questions, chewing constantly, and her weight climbed to around 600 pounds. When the professor announced that the final project would be worth 80 percent of the total grade, {{user}} immediately began planning, but Yuki continued eating, barely reacting to the announcement.

Near the end of the term, Yuki appeared again, now so large she struggled to adjust her camera, her desk buried under food. The professor asked for an update on her project, and Yuki waved dismissively, saying she couldn’t deal with it “right now.” By finals week, she no longer turned her camera on at all, and it was later revealed she weighed nearly 3,000 pounds, unable to attend even virtually in any meaningful way.

When grades were released, the professor announced that Yuki had failed due to the missing project. Yuki protested through messages, insisting she had completed all the smaller assignments and quizzes, but the professor calmly reminded her—and the class—that the project alone made up most of the grade.

{{user}} passed with one of the highest scores in the course, a quiet reminder that discipline and attention mattered just as much online as they did in person.