Chapter 2: Try Again

The classroom was quieter than usual.

No one spoke much.

"Did you finish the assignment?"

"Are you crazy? It was impossible."

Jimin sat in his seat, staring at his notebook.

The same equation.

Again.

And again.

The door opened.

Silence fell instantly.

Min Yoongi walked in.

"Submit your work."

Papers shuffled quickly.

One by one, students walked up.

Jimin hesitated.

"... It's not perfect."

"Nothing is perfect in his class," someone whispered.

Jimin stood up anyway.

He placed his paper on the desk.

Yoongi didn't look at him.

"Sit."

Jimin nodded.

Minutes passed.

Yoongi picked up the first paper.

"Wrong."

Another.

"Incomplete."

Another.

"Careless."

The room grew colder with every word.

Then-

He picked up Jimin's.

A pause.

Longer than before.

Jimin's breath stopped.

Yoongi flipped the page once.

Then-

"Jimin."

Jimin stood immediately.

"Yes, sir."

"Come here."

He walked to the front.

Yoongi placed the paper down.

"Explain this step."

Jimin looked at it.

"I... corrected the differentiation-"

"Explain it."

Jimin swallowed.

"... I applied the formula, then simplified-"

"Wrong."

The word came instantly.

Jimin's fingers curled slightly.

"... Where?"

Yoongi tapped the paper.

"Here."

Jimin leaned closer.

"But I followed the same method you showed-"

"Then you followed it incorrectly."

A few students looked away.

Jimin's voice lowered.

"... I checked it three times."

"Check it ten."

Silence.

Jimin looked at him.

"... Am I really that bad?"

The question slipped out before he could stop it.

The room froze.

Yoongi didn't answer immediately.

Then-

"Yes."

It was simple.

Sharp.

Final.

Jimin's eyes dropped.

"... I understand."

"Do you?"

Jimin clenched his jaw.

"I will."

Yoongi held his gaze for a moment.

Then-

"Sit."

Jimin went back slowly.

Whispers followed again.

"He's done for."

"Why does sir always pick him?"

Jimin ignored them.

His grip tightened on his pen.

"... I'll fix it."

......................

That evening.

The classroom lights flickered faintly.

Jimin stood at the board.

Alone.

"Differentiate... simplify..."

He wrote.

Paused.

Erased.

"No... again."

The chalk moved faster now.

"Why is this wrong...?"

He stepped back.

Stared.

"... Tell me what I am missing."

Silence answered him.

The door creaked open.

He didn't turn.

"Substitute first... then differentiate..."

He tried again.

Step by step.

Carefully.

He reached the final line.

Stopped.

"... This should be right."

A voice behind him-

"It's not."

Jimin froze.

He turned.

"... Sir."

Yoongi stood there, expression unreadable.

"You repeated the same error."

Jimin shook his head quickly.

"No, I changed it-"

"You changed the surface, not the logic."

Jimin's breath hitched.

"... Then tell me the logic!"

Silence filled the room.

Yoongi stepped closer.

"If I tell you, you'll depend on me."

Jimin's voice creaked slightly-

"Then what am I supposed to do?"

"Think."

Jimin laughed softly _ but it broke halfway.

"... I am thinking."

"Not enough."

The words hit harder than before.

Jimin looked away.

"... I stayed after class."

"... I tried again and again."

Yoongi didn't respond.

"... Is it still not enough?"

A long pause.

Then-

"No."

Jimin's eyes stung.

But he didn't cry.

He picked up the chalk again.

"... Then I will try more."

Yoongi watched him.

Silent.

Unmoving.

Jimin started writing again.

Slower this time.

More careful.

His hand trembled _ but didn't stop.

Yoongi turned slightly toward the door.

Then paused.

"... Second step."

Jimin froze.

He looked at the board.

"... What?"

"Check it."

Jimin quickly scanned it.

His eyes widened.

".... I..."

He erased it immediately.

Rewrote it.

Step by step.

Carefully.

He reached the end again.

Stopped.

Looked at it.

"... Is this right?"

Silence.

He turned.

Yoongi was already at the door.

"Figure it out."

And he left.

Jimin stared at the board.

Then whispered-

"... I will."

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