Raining over Murphy Secondary School ranked number 1 in Ireland, atop of the third floor was classroom 3-B, where exchange students were gathered for their studies. Busy rooms all over the school, students learning, teachers expressing their passion for their specified subject. A complete utopia for the driven and motivated.

"Shi, take out those headphones and pay attention!" yelled our homeroom Teacher.

The Teacher started to wave his hands to get Shi's attention.

"Be more attentive to our lecture. No one is excluded, it's fair for everyone else." explained the Teacher.

"Right, sorry." Shi replied. The young student packed away his headphones. He grabbed his pen, as he was listening to the yet another boring lecture he began to twirl it between his finger. All of the students were looking at him, he was quite familiar with having the attention on him. His friends and even acquaintances smiled at him. After the lecture Shi was asked to stay a little bit after class. As the rest of the students left the classroom the Teacher started the conversation.

"Shi, you have one of the best grades in the class. does this make you discouraged to be involved like the rest of the class?"

"It's just all too repetitive sir. I have no drive to try anymore." explained Shi.

"Is it my teaching? You're in your last year of your senior cycle. Do you have any direction to where you want to go in life?" asked the Teacher.

"I haven't given it much thought. My dad has been pushing me into enlisting. "Doing my duty" as he would say." replied Shi.

"Well why don't you enlist? Perhaps maybe in the police academy? That way you can have time to think about your future." suggested the Teacher.

"I'm not saying enlisting isn't meaningful but I would rather chase other paths. I'm almost done with school, some people in my year have already figured out where they want to go. I need to find my own path." replied Shi.

"Tomorrows assignment consists of this topic so get those gears turning. Get home safe." said the Teacher.

Shi gathered his things and left for the door. Upon opening the classroom door he came face to face with a girl. Almost practically bumping into eachother, the girl managed to skip out of the way.

"Right, sorry" Shi said ending with a smile.

The girl looked at him, visibly embarrassed but for what reason? From how clumsy she is? Maybe because of Shi's handsome looks? Shi noticed the girl was red.

"Are you alright? Do I do something wrong?" asked Shi.

"No you're fine, sorry I almost bumped into you." the girl said in a quiet voice.

The Teacher then interrupted their conversation.

"Ah June I see you made it. Your stuff is in the back for you." said the Teacher.

"Thank you Mr. McCarthy." replied June.

Shi stepped to the side to let June pass and began to make his way to the front door of the school. He passed many of his friends, waved and greeted with a goodbye to follow. As he got halfway down the hallway, he heard someone shuffling towards him. Turning around he came to see June, too close for comfort.

"Shi wait, I overheard you were talking to Mr. McCarthy about your future. You're clueless right?" asked June.

"You were eavesdropping on something private? What kind of person are you?" said Shi showing a hint of embarrassment.

"I'm in a club that can give you ideas and ways to enter in a career! Why don't you join?" explained June. Upon finishing her sentence she pointed to a paper pinned behind him. The paper had "Lost in a world that you can't find yourself in? Find your skills and join the Rising Loaf club! Feel accomplished and confident now!". In small print at the bottom: "Meets every thursday :)".

"Accomplished and confident huh?" Shi whispered. Turning around to face June again he questioned

"Why haven't I heard of this clu-"

Realizing June had already left and nowhere to be seen. Tearing the paper off Shi began to walk home talking to familiar faces on the way. On June's way back home from the train, she began to hum songs she enjoyed while crossing potatoe fields. Both Shi and June ending their evenings in their houses.

Letting a heavy breath of air escape his dry throat eventually turning into a sigh of relief. Shi was just about finished with his homework when his mother bursts through the door. Shi turns around frantically and meets eyes with his mother. An expression that he has never seen. Tears rolling down her face, a tissue covering her nose in one hand, and the other hand gripping onto the wooden door frame as if it was about to crumble to pieces. Shi spoke with a dryness to his voice,

"What's happened? Why are you crying?"

Struggling to form the words to convey such emotions of sorrow and heartbreaking sadness.

"It's your father. We have to go." Shi's Mom said with tremendous effort and a nasally tone. Grabbing his phone and comforting his mother with such speed, he followed her out to the car their father worked so hard for his family.

Upon arriving to the hospital, Shi tried his absolute best to comfort his mom without having a clue to the event that transpired. With the same enthusiasm, Shi's mom burst through the hospitals front doors and ran towards the front desk clerk.

"I need to see my husband." rushed Shi's mom.

"Are you Mrs. Keng?" questioned the clerk.

"Yes I am. I need to see my husband as soon as possible." demanded Shi's mom.

"Go right through that door to your left, take a right, down the hall, he is in room 23." replied the clerk. Both Shi and his mom began to run towards room 23 when they were confronted with the police that was outside his hospital room.

"Are you Mrs. Keng?" asked the officer. Covering her mouth with her hand she replied,

"Yes, why are you outside my husband's door?"

"I need to speak to you privately ma'am." said the officer. Shi walked away from his mother. At this point Shi has not said a word since arriving at the hospital. The expression on his face when he sat down in a nearby waiting room read from a range of emotions. Confusion fled from his face, sadness began to peel from his eyes; the windows to the soul and surround the room, anxiety was screaming from the tapping of his foot and biting of his bottom lip. The anticipation of what had happened to his dad is the driving motive of these cold and unwanted emotions. To Shi it must have been hours of waiting, but five minutes after sitting down his mother gestured for him to come to the room.

Entering the room, the temperature read 17 celcius but to Shi and his mom it must have felt like 10 celcius. His eyes first caught a foot peeking from a hospital bed. the rest of the person's body was being blocked by shades preventing from anyone seeing a reason for an eventual broken family. As Shi walked closer he visibly started to shake. His father laying in the bed was littered with gauze and tubing piercing his arms and legs. A moment of happiness shot Shi in the heart when his dad opened his eyes and smiled seeing his family again. Thought the dad could not speak, Shi and his mom could already hear what he was saying. It was time for him to go. His father gestured his son to come towards him, and so Shi did. Shi kneeled beside his dad. His dad grabbed his hand and Shi knew what was about to occur. Without a moments notice his father pulled Shi and his mom towards his lips. Kissing them both on the forehead, the noise of the flat lined monitor swallowed the room whole. Tears flowed out of Shi it was as if the room was to be filled with the loving tears of losing his father. A sensation began to flow in with Shi's body, elevating him off the ground, shoving him into the atmosphere of our beautiful planet. The blue marble spoke to Shi, and Shi spoke back.

"Is this all that life can give? Heartbreak and sadness?" said Shi. Finishing his sentence, our star that we revolve around peered above the Earth. A feel overwhelmed him, a sort of weight lifted from his shoulders. He looked at his mom and hugged her. They were all they had left in their family. That night Shi drove his mom back to the house, she fell asleep in the car. Carrying his mom into the house, he looked up at the bright stars engulfing their home. He felt small yet oddly bigger than normal. He has to take care of his mom now. With the passing of his father, it gave Shi a whole new feeling of motivation to become something great and do something great for this world.