Aced

Michael managed to wake up at his usual time. He quickly freshened up, noticing with relief that the swelling on his face had subsided, and grabbed a quick breakfast prepared by his mother before she headed off to work. His route to school was a familiar one: a single jeepney ride followed by a brisk three-minute walk.

He arrived at school with ten minutes to spare before his first class. The familiar hustle of the campus brought a sense of normalcy as the midterms already ended.

Heading towards his classroom, he stepped inside to find most of his classmates already gathered. Small groups chatted animatedly while others were engrossed in their phones. Michael made his way to his usual spot in the corner, a preferred location that offered a good view of the entire class and some much-needed solitude. 

As he sat down, he couldn't help but feel the stares from some classmates. There were murmurs and glances that seemed to linger a bit too long. He guessed they were probably whispering about his recent midterm performance. It made sense; after all, he had gone from barely scraping by to acing the exams. Such a drastic improvement would naturally spark rumors and curiosity.

Shrugging off the stares, Michael pulled out his phone and opened the TIP Student Library app. He needed to find the right book for his mission: preparing for the PSME competition. The app was handy, allowing TIP students to search for specific books and resources. He scrolled through the digital library, looking for materials on advanced thermodynamics and mechanical engineering concepts.

His search led him to a book titled "Advanced Thermodynamics for Engineers. by D. E. Winterbone." It seemed perfect for his mission. He bookmarked it for later reading.

The class started filling up, and soon Professor Delgado arrived. 

"Okay, settle down class, I have some important announcements to make," Delgado said as the students scrambled to find their seats.

The room fell silent, all eyes on the professor. Delgado clicked his tongue, looking over the class with a mix of disappointment and concern. "I'm sorry to say that almost 95 percent of you failed the midterm exam. This is a critical subject, and if you fail in the Finals, you'll have to repeat it."

A somber mood settled over the classroom. Michael could feel the tension and disappointment emanating from his classmates.

But then, Delgado's tone shifted, "However, there's a silver lining. One student aced the exam, showing remarkable improvement and understanding of the subject."

The class perked up, curious to know who had managed such a feat.

Delgado paused for effect, then announced, "The student who aced the exam is none other than Michael Reyes."

A collective gasp filled the room. Michael felt dozens of eyes turn towards him, a mix of shock and disbelief in their expressions. He himself was taken aback by the public recognition, not expecting his performance to be highlighted this way.

Delgado gestured towards Michael, "Let's give him a round of applause for his hard work."

Reluctantly at first, but then more enthusiastically, the class began to clap. Michael felt a mix of pride and embarrassment, nodding his head in acknowledgment. 

As the applause died down, Professor Delgado continued. "Since you just finished your midterm exam, I'm going to give this time to you for free. So feel free to do whatever you want. In our next meeting, we are going to tackle the properties of pure substances." 

After announcing that, the students immediately relaxed. Murmurs and conversations filled the room as the pressure of the midterms seemed to lift off their shoulders.

.Just as the chatter in the classroom was reaching its peak, the door swung open abruptly. In rushed Michael's friend Psylemon, panting and slightly disheveled, clearly having sprinted to make it on time. He quickly scanned the room, his eyes landing on Michael, and he made a beeline for the seat next to him.

"Man, you won't believe the traffic I got stuck in," he gasped out, dropping his backpack with a thud and collapsing into the chair beside Michael. "I thought I'd never make it."

Michael gave him a sympathetic look. "Tough break, but you made it just in time. We're having a free period anyway," he said, gesturing around the room where students were now casually engaging in various activities.

Psylemon let out a relieved sigh and leaned back in his chair. "That's a relief. Anyways, something important happened?" 

Michael shook his head. "Sir Delgado just announced that I aced the exam and that 95 percent of the class failed in midterms."

Upon hearing that, Psylemon looked genuinely surprised. "Wow, man, that's impressive! But 95 percent failing? I think I'm part of that 95 percent."

"Yeah, it is. I was just lucky," Michael said. He was really lucky. 

"Dude…I don't have to say that this is the second time I have taken this subject. If I fail again, my family is going to kill me," Psylemon said dreadfully, his hands shaking as he thought about the possibility of failing again. "I really need to get my act together for the finals."

Michael looked at his friend with concern. "Hey, don't worry. We can study together. I can help you out. We'll make sure you pass this time," he reassured Psylemon, patting him on the back.

Psylemon's face brightened a bit. "Really? That would be awesome, man. I can't thank you enough."

"It's no big deal. We're friends, after all," Michael replied with a smile. "We'll start with the basics and work our way up. Just be ready to put in the effort."

"Definitely, I'll do whatever it takes. I can't afford to fail again," Psylemon agreed earnestly. "Now…let's play Wild Rift!" 

"This dude…" Michael clicked his tongue amusedly. "Look, I'm going to hit the library and study some materials. You want to come?" 

"Read the books in the library, that's unusual for you. But okay."

***

At the library, Michael read thermodynamics books that he found in the app while Psylemon sighed as he couldn't absorb or understand what he was reading. Nevertheless, he made an effort to understand even the gist of it. 

Their next class is at 9:30, so Michael has about one and a half hours to finish the books. And just before the clock strikes 9:25 a.m. His notification popped off. 

[Congratulations on finishing three books! You have received ten mastery points in mathematics and physics.]

[Your mastery in physics and mathematics leveled up!] 

[Your updated mastery]

Physics: Level 1

Chemistry: Level 0

Biology: Level 0

Mathematics: Level 1

Astronomy: Level 0

Meteorology: Level 0 

Oceanography: Level 0

Environmental Science: Level 0

Geology: Level 0 

Computer Science: Level 0. 

"So that's how mastery points are acquired huh?" Michael mumbled.

"What did you just say?" Psylemon snapped his head towards Michael, thinking he heard something.

"Nothing," Michael dismissed as he began to think of other things, the system points! He needed them as he only had 50 left. He used almost everything on it for his midterms, mostly on the hardest subjects, Statics and Differential Equations Other subjects were easy so there was no need. 

Later that day, he learned that he aced those exams, getting the same reaction from his classmates. As his last subject was about to come to an end, his friend Robin from Racks sent him a chat.

[Michael, when are you going to arrive, Ms. Catherine is waiting for you.] 

"Catherine? What is she doing there?"