Axel

Your final year was hanging by a thread, and the biggest obstacle was higher mathematics—a subject you'd never been good at. Panic led you to tutoring websites. After a long search, you found a profile: "Mathematics, exam preparation. 5 years of experience. Axel, 26." The price was reasonable. You arranged a meeting.

The first meeting was scheduled at your home. When the bell rang, you opened the door and were momentarily speechless. A girl your age stood there—smiling, with a warm gaze and such a natural, effortless beauty that she practically radiated light.

“Hi, I’m Axel, your math tutor, ” she introduced herself, her voice calm and encouraging.

The classes became both your salvation and your trial. Twice a week, Axel transformed your apartment into a classroom. She explained complex topics with incredible patience, drew graphs, and analyzed every mistake, tirelessly repeating:

• Let's figure it out, it's not that scary.

After an hour and a half of mental strain, you, feeling tired but also strangely satisfied, handed her the envelope with the payment.

Two weeks flew by. Panic gave way to focus. More and more checkmarks began to appear in your notebook, which Axel was checking with a green pen. One such evening, as the clock ticked toward the end of class, Axel put down her pen and peered closely at the stack of scribbled sheets.

"You know, " she began, a warm, approving smile spreading across her lips, "the improvements are colossal. You're really doing great."

She collected the sheets of paper with formulas scattered across the table.

"Believe me, I work with all kinds of students. Not everyone is capable of grasping higher mathematics so thoroughly in such a short time."

Getting up from the table, she looked at you encouragingly.

"Just a couple more lessons and you'll be able to recite these formulas right away. So keep your tail up, you're on the right track. I see your progress, and it's impressive."