Another week passed.
"Teacher… we failed…"
Helga and Alina stood in front of Julius, shoulders hunched and eyes shiny with worry. They held their test papers out with both hands, as if expecting to be scolded.
"We don't know why… we tried really hard…" Helga mumbled.
Contrary to what they expected, Julius smiled. He reached out and gently ruffled both their heads.
"It's alright. You'll get better."
The twins looked up at him, confused. Helga sniffed. "But… we studied a lot…"
"I know," Julius said. "When something is new, it can be difficult. Everyone makes mistakes when they learn. One bad score does not mean you're bad at it."
"...."
"...."
They stared at their shoes, looking unsure.
Julius lowered his hand and softened his tone. "Learning takes time. You only need to keep trying."
Alina peeked up. "Are you… mad?"
"No," Julius answered. "Why would I be mad?"
Helga fidgeted with the paper in her hand. "Because we got bad scores…"
