Chapter:5 The Lecture

Leo's POV

The week passed faster than Leo expected.

Between sleepless nights and endless typing, the research paper was finally done. It wasn’t perfect, but it was his best effort. He had checked every source twice, formatted everything, and even printed extra copies just in case.

When the deadline arrived, Leo messaged the group chat early in the morning.

> “Hey, let’s go submit together after lunch.”

No reply.

He waited for half an hour before one finally responded.

> “Bro, I have another assignment due today. You go ahead and submit for us.”

Then another message—

> “I’m leaving campus early. Sorry 😅”

And that was it.

Leo stared at his phone in disbelief. Seriously?

They barely helped with anything, and now they couldn’t even show up.

In the end, only one member, Rayan, agreed to come along. He was quiet and shy, probably too scared to say no.

Carrying the file, Leo made his way to Miguel’s office. His palms were slightly sweaty—not from fear, but from anticipation. A small part of him still hoped Miguel would praise his work. Maybe he’ll notice I tried. Maybe he’ll say it’s good.

But the moment they entered the office, Leo’s hopes shattered.

Miguel looked up from his desk, expression unreadable. “Where are your other group members?”

Leo swallowed. “They… couldn’t make it, sir.”

Miguel’s brow furrowed. “It’s a group project, Leo. Everyone is supposed to be here for submission and evaluation.”

Leo froze. “I—I told them to come, but—”

Miguel sighed, rubbing his temple. “Excuses won’t help. You’re all responsible. And what’s this?” He flipped through the pages, frowning. “This isn’t properly formatted. The data section is incomplete, and your analysis looks rushed.”

Leo’s heart sank. “It was my first time doing a research paper, sir. I’ll do better next—”

Miguel cut him off sharply. “There won’t be a next time for this project. And look—” he held up another group’s neatly bound paper, “—this group managed to do it properly, and it’s their first time too.”

The words hit harder than Leo expected.

He bit the inside of his cheek, his throat tightening. Why does it hurt so much?

Miguel continued marking something on the file, voice firm but not unkind. “You should’ve coordinated better with your team. Group work isn’t just about effort—it’s about communication. Anyway…” he closed the file and placed it on his desk, “I’ll accept it. Just make sure next time, you don’t carry everyone’s burden alone.”

Leo nodded stiffly. “Yes, sir.”

He turned and walked out with Rayan, the sound of his heartbeat drowning out everything else.

Outside the office, the air felt heavy. He clenched his fists, his disappointment twisting into anger.

“All this effort… for nothing,” he muttered.

Rayan glanced at him nervously. “Hey, at least he accepted it—”

Leo snapped. “Accepted it? I got lectured in front of everyone because they didn’t show up! Where the hell were they?”

Rayan flinched at his tone but stayed quiet. Leo’s voice trembled with frustration. “I stayed up nights finishing it while they did nothing. I thought—” he stopped himself before saying I thought he’d be proud.

He exhaled sharply, looking away. “Forget it. Let’s just go.”

They walked back in silence.

Inside, Leo felt the weight of something deeper than anger—a quiet ache that came from being unseen, unappreciated… especially by the one person whose approval meant the most.

Miguel's POV

After they left, Miguel leaned back in his chair. He stared at Leo’s file lying on his desk, a faint crease forming between his brows.

He flipped it open again.

The work wasn’t perfect, but it was detailed—too detailed for one person. He could tell Leo had done most of it alone.

“…He really tried,” Miguel murmured under his breath.

He tapped his pen against the desk, conflicted. Maybe he had been too harsh. But then again, if he’d gone easy on him, people might notice the bias—and that was something he couldn’t risk.

Still, the image of Leo’s downcast eyes and tight fists lingered in his mind long after the door closed.

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