Dan entered the house, soaking wet from head to toe. "I'm home," he called out weakly, slipping off his shoes. His mother rushed toward him, worry etched across her face. "Dan, why are you drenched? What happened?"
"I… walked," he muttered, avoiding her eyes. He set his enrollment documents on the table.
"You walked all the way from school without an umbrella?" Her eyes widened. "Didn't I give you enough money?"
Dan hesitated. "…Yes."
"Then where is it?" she asked, trying to understand.
He pulled out his wallet and handed her the untouched bills. "You need it more than me."
"You didn't use any of it?" she asked softly. Dan kept his eyes lowered. Her expression softened, but he stepped away, heading upstairs before she could say more.
In his room, he changed into dry clothes and let out a long sigh. His mind felt heavy, tangled with thoughts he couldn't shake.
A soft knock broke his focus.
"Come in," he called.
His mother stepped inside, concern still present in her voice. "Dan… please use the money I give you. I'm working so we can build a better future. Don't deprive yourself."
Dan nodded quietly. She smiled faintly, picked up his wet clothes, and left the room.
When the door closed, Dan tapped his foot nervously against the floor, then sat at his desk. He turned on the lamp and opened his notes.
His phone lit up with a notification.
He grabbed it. "I forgot to turn this off…"
Another loan message.
> Pay the ₱20,000 at the end of the month.
Dan sighed. 'This is the fifth loan since yesterday. I'm sure more will text tomorrow…'
He put the phone face down and rubbed the corner of his eyes, exhausted.
"Augh…" He couldn't focus. His mind kept circling back to the loans, the money, the pressure. Everything.
He slammed his head on the table—hard.
A loud thud echoed.
His mother rushed in immediately. "Dan! Are you alright?" she asked, panic filling her voice.
"Yes… I'm fine," he mumbled, forehead still pressed to the wood.
She exhaled shakily. "You left the enrollment documents downstairs." She placed them beside him. "Are you sure you're alright?"
"Yes," he answered, barely lifting his head.
She closed the door behind her.
Dan slowly sat upright, staring at the documents. After a moment, he shoved them into his drawer. He picked up his pen and forced himself to write.
---
"I want to become a lawyer when I grow up!" little Dan announced proudly.His mother laughed and pinched his soft cheek. "That's a wonderful dream, Dan. I'm looking forward to seeing you achieve it."
Grade 6 Dan stared at his report card. Math: a line of 7.
'I always answered correctly… so why?'
His stomach twisted. It was the first time he felt genuinely disappointed in himself. He worked so hard, yet the paper mocked him.
Later, things only got worse.
When he returned to school after stopping for two years due to financial struggles, every subject bore the same line of 7. He had missed the first quarter exams entirely.
And now he was two years older than his classmates.
Dan stared at those grades, devastated. Not because he wasn't smart—but because life kept pushing him back, no matter how hard he tried to move forward.