I remember the scene; almost as if it were like yesterday. Despite it occurring several years back. Although the events that followed before and after still elude me. It was the day of our class play; the whole day we stood on the hot ground practicing with dreary steps; however, the sun showed us no mercy, intently glaring upon us, while the wind remained stagnant. Drenched in sweat and with my parched throat, the steps grew barge and languid. I looked around and observed the lack of enthusiasm; however, I was not the only one who observed this. The teacher looked at us briefly with a dissatisfied look and concluded that that was enough practice. Soon after, evening followed, and the time for us to present our play had arrived. The desolate ground had been replaced by a myriad of parents who remained seated silently and had their eyes in perfect sync towards us. We stood on the ornate stage, with an array of colorful poster patterns which resonated with our cosplays. The gentle cold wind brushed against my cheeks with calm serenity, surrounded by the cheers of the audience. Unmoved – I averted my eyes towards my classmates, focusing on the interval of time between each presentation, and the echoing of their footsteps as they left the stage – seconds felt like infinity. A shroud of uncertainty had enveloped my mind – blank. Inadvertently, my teeth began clenching, and the coldness crept inside my skin; I began shaking. I couldn’t focus; my eyes began trailing everything around me aimlessly until they met my teacher’s glare, her lips tightened toward one side: a stern expression. The look of general injunction on her face suggested to me to be dismissed. Shamefully, I exited the stage – disappointed in myself. Everything had been for naught.

Reflecting on that day now, I realized that everything turned out for the better. The resentment that I felt for my teacher was unfounded as she had saved me from the embarrassment of humiliating myself in front of everyone.