ɪ'ʟʟ ʙᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʜᴏᴍᴇ ➻〚𝙣𝙘𝙩 𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢 𝙤𝙩7〛

Flashback: Cracked

Mark's POV-Age: 16

"Mark Lee? It's your chance to now answer this question. This could be it for the competition," the moderator announces into the microphone, his aged eyes looking expectantly at me. He's done this for decades, and with a banner plastered "South Korean National Math Finals" above his head, the pressure is sure to cease from relieving off of me.

The best of the best mathematicians in the country compete in this competition, and even after weeks of tireless nights spent working on advanced school projects and preparing for other competitions that my parents and teachers have unknowingly pressured me into, I still find myself in the finals of the competition, even with tired bags under my eyes and all. This is no easy feat, and I'm still trying to figure out how I made it this far in the competition.

Gulping nervously, I run over the calculations in my head for what seems like a million times, just to ensure that I haven't made an error that could cost me the win for this competition. Sweat drips down the back of my neck, and I look up for a second, disrupting the flow of math being completed in my head.

I see my parents and the principal of my high school, looking so worried, yet incredibly proud of me and how far I've progressed. My life could change immensely if I win. But, I'm not sure if I really want my life to change. I love where I am right now; only with the exception of the huge emphasis on academics, which has been loaded on me since elementary school.

I know that my parents just want me to unlock my full potential, be successful in life, and be recognized for my intelligence, but the pressure on me is just that much more intense because of this. They aren't "tiger parents" by any stretch of the imagination; they let me have free time and have fun, but at the same time, it's easy to tell when they want me to do something, and when they're disappointed when I decide not to do something they want. And shit, I'm so scared of disappointing them because of all they've sacrificed for me.

To be honest, I fucking hate competitions; I hate the immense pressure, I hate trying to outdo other people by intelligence, and I hate the emotional baggage and expectations they carry of you once you win one. Competitions aren't the only way to test one's knowledge and intelligence; all they test is how well you work under pressure.

Panic runs through me, even though I'm almost certain of the answer to this question. Part of me wants to blurt out the wrong answer to make a statement to my parents and school that I don't want this kind of life and that I don't care about these achievements. But I just can't. I can't disappoint them.

Without giving my heart a chance to betray my mind, I blurt out the correct answer into the microphone, "The answer is -87, sir. The method to solve it was quite simple."

The time-worn moderator's eyes light up in a way I haven't seen this whole competition, "Why, Mark Lee. You are, in fact, correct, whereas your opponent was incorrect, which makes you the winner of this year's South Korean National Math Competition. Congratulations! You will receive 10,000 won, as well as a scholarship to study at one of the most prestigious colleges in Canada in two years, once you've graduated! Not to mention, you're our youngest winner to date!"

Everyone in the room raises to their feet to give me a round of applause, and in the distance, my parents rejoice, hugging each other with the brightest grins painted on their faces. I chuckle slightly. Obviously, they're a lot more excited than I am. Like just about every other competition I win, I don't feel that accomplished. I don't feel special, and I certainly don't feel excited. I smile a little bit to be respectful and to make it seems as though I'm content, but the truth is that I feel quite indifferent.

Having this title doesn't make me feel ecstatic or proud like it would for most others. After all, I'm still the same person I was about a minute ago before I won this competition. And I haven't changed at all.