Barely an adult by the world's standards, Kevin stared at the envelope containing his final exam results, knowing what lay inside without even opening it.
His mathematics bachelor's degree hung in the balance, and he knew he had failed spectacularly. The past four years of his parents' sacrifices, their unwavering support, their hopes and dreams for their middle child—all of it felt like it was crumbling in his hands.
He hadn't studied. Not really. While his classmates buried themselves in textbooks and spent sleepless nights solving complex equations, Kevin had retreated into his room, lost in endless hours of gaming and internet browsing. The shame burned in his chest as he thought about his parents' proud faces when they told neighbors about their son studying mathematics at university.
His older brother Steve had already established himself as a successful engineer, and even his younger sister Emma, still in high school, showed more dedication to her studies than he ever had. They were the family's bright stars, while he had become its greatest disappointment.
The rain began to fall as Kevin wandered the streets, too ashamed to return home. How could he face his parents? How could he look into their eyes and admit that he had squandered everything they had given him?
Their modest family had stretched their finances to support his education, believing in him when he couldn't even believe in himself.
"If only I could start over," he whispered to the empty street. "If I could go back and study properly, work hard, make them proud instead of breaking their hearts..."
The regret consumed him. All those wasted hours, all those missed opportunities to change course. He had known this day would come, had felt it approaching like a slow-motion disaster, yet he had done nothing to prevent it.
Lost in his thoughts, Kevin barely noticed the commotion ahead until he heard raised voices. Two high school girls stood arguing in the middle of the street with a bewildered-looking boy caught between them—all three in their school uniforms, completely oblivious to their surroundings as they sorted out what appeared to be some kind of romantic drama.
Kevin couldn't help but think about harem anime as he watched the scene unfold. The classic setup: two girls fighting over one guy. It reminded him of those countless hours he'd spent watching anime instead of studying, escaping into fantasy worlds where awkward protagonists somehow ended up surrounded by girls who inexplicably liked them.
The memory struck him suddenly—back in middle school, there had been two girls who would talk to him regularly. Sarah, his childhood friend who lived next door, and Jessica, his classmate who always seemed to find excuses to sit near him during lunch. At the time, he hadn't thought much of it, too naive and focused on video games to consider that they might have had crushes on him.
But now, remembering their shy smiles and the way they'd compete for his attention during group projects, he realized how blind he'd been. If he had been more aware back then, more focused on the girls who were clearly interested in him instead of his games.
He could have taken advantage of their feelings. Maybe convinced one of them to meet him in an empty classroom after school, or during lunch break when no one was around.
The thought of what could have happened in those private moments made his heart race even now.
Sarah had always been so trusting, so eager to please him. And Jessica, with her competitive nature, probably would have done anything to win his attention away from Sarah. He could have played them against each other, enjoyed the attention, maybe even...
But those opportunities were long gone. Sarah had gotten married just last month, her wedding photos all over social media showing her radiant happiness with her college sweetheart. And Jessica was somewhere in Europe on a prestigious academic scholarship, probably working toward her PhD while he was here, a dropout about to disappoint his parents.
"Just like an anime," he thought bitterly, "except the protagonist never gets the girl in real life. And I was too stupid to take what was right in front of me."
That's when Kevin saw it: a delivery truck barreling toward the three students, its driver slumped over the wheel, clearly having fallen asleep. The students were directly in its path, too caught up in their drama to notice the approaching danger.
For a moment, time seemed suspended. Kevin thought about his own failures, his wasted life, his inability to make his parents proud. But in that instant, he realized he could do something meaningful—perhaps the only truly meaningful thing he had ever done.
Without hesitation, he ran toward the students, his legs unsteady from years of inactivity. The broken dreams and self-loathing that had weighed him down suddenly felt insignificant compared to the lives in danger.
"Move!" he shouted, his voice cracking from disuse.
He reached the first girl and shoved her out of the way, then grabbed the second girl and pushed her toward safety. The boy, finally noticing the approaching truck, stumbled backward. But Kevin's momentum carried him forward, directly into the truck's path.
In his final moments, as the world slowed around him, Kevin felt something he hadn't experienced in years: the satisfaction of doing something right. For once in his life, he had acted without hesitation, without self-doubt, without the paralysis that had defined his existence.
'I wish I could have been better,' he thought as everything went white. 'I wish I could have shown them who I really wanted to be.'
The last thing he saw was the three students, safe on the sidewalk, alive because of his choice. For the first time in years, Kevin smiled.