Weeks passed, and something in me began to shift.
The long nights of studying, the advice from new friends, the quiet support from Tope — they all started paying off. I wasn't just surviving classes anymore… I was actually understanding them.
One morning, our lecturer handed back graded essays. My hands trembled as I flipped mine over — and there it was.
An A−.
It wasn't just a letter. It was a breakthrough.
I looked over at Tope, who was already smiling. "I told you," she whispered. "The magic is in you."
But it didn't stop there. During group discussions, people started listening when I spoke. Some even asked for my help. Miguel invited me to join a tech club. Zara recommended me for a student mentor program.
I was becoming someone different — someone better.
The real turning point came when I received a message from the school board: You've been nominated for the Rising Scholar Award.
I couldn't believe it.
From the boy who once couldn't answer a simple question in physics… to this?
That night, as I walked back to the dorm, I caught my reflection in a glass window.
For the first time, I saw someone I was proud of.