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Chapter 3 - Chapter 03

Today I finished

3 test papers completely

For a moment,

my confidence returned—

quiet, fragile,

but real.

Yet peace didn't stay.

My mind still runs

for twenty-four hours straight,

asking the same question again and again:

What if I fail?

What if I'm not enough?

What if selection never comes?

This isn't the life I once imagined.

I'm far from the people

I wanted to grow with.

They've moved ahead,

cleared their paths,

and I'm still here—

trying,

struggling,

comparing without meaning to.

I thought hard work

would help me stand beside them.

But now it feels like

no matter how much I try,

I can't match their pace.

That truth hurts more

than I like to admit.

These thoughts sit with me constantly.

I don't know

what to do,

what to choose,

what will work,

or what won't.

So I decided

to disconnect—

not from life,

but from the noise.

From expectations.

From comparisons.

From everything that pulls me apart.

Now I just want to study.

Quietly.

Honestly.

Whether it clears or not,

I want to give it my name,

my effort,

my sincerity.

Maybe clarity doesn't come

all at once.

Maybe it comes

one chapter at a time.

And for now,

that is enough.I want to test myself—

just once—

to see how strong I really am.

When I don't get into a good college,

I slowly stop reaching out.

I don't contact anyone,

because maybe I'm afraid

I won't be able to handle

their questions,

their concern,

their pressure.

I don't have the courage

to message people anymore.

It feels like I'd be burdening them,

like I'd be interrupting

their settled lives.

They are busy building futures,

while I'm still trying

to hold mine together.

So I stay silent.

I pull away.

And in that silence,

everything feels incomplete.

I keep telling myself

that one day

everything will fall into place—

but maybe I forgot

that life doesn't pause

just because I'm unsure.

Everyone is busy now—

with their own lives,

their new friends,

their new routines.

Maybe one day

they'll remember me again.

Or maybe they won't.

And maybe that's okay.

Maybe this is the part

where I learn

to stand alone,

to face myself,

to grow quietly

without waiting

for a message

to prove I matter.

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