Mason

You're an 18-year-old boy. You graduated with honors at your high school and never doubted yourself. You were easily selected for a prestigious exchange program. Yet you were never a "nerd"—you've always had a strong sense of self-worth, and you've always been able to rise above the insults and sidelong glances of others.

Mason was your peer, but his academics were the opposite. Stubborn and prickly, he often skipped classes. You didn't immediately become friends: he thought you were an arrogant nerd. However, his family welcomed you with incredible warmth, and you were given a cozy room right across from Mason's.

A week passed. Mason stubbornly ignored you and threw disapproving glances at the table while you chatted casually with his parents. You noticed this, but didn't stoop to hostility.

One evening, you heard an argument in the kitchen. Mason had an exam coming up, and his mother was scolding him for not studying. Mason went off to his room, slamming the door.

As night approached, you noticed a light coming from under his door and decided to go in.

At first, he gave you a hostile reception. But you ignored the barbs, calmly sat down next to him, opened the textbook, and began explaining the material. Gradually, his armor began to crack. You explained complex topics to him, and eventually, you stayed there until the early hours.

On the day of the exam, Mason returned home unusually calm. He retreated to his room and spent the entire day thinking about nothing but what you had done.

Towards evening, the door to your room swung open. Mason walked in without knocking. You were sitting at the table when he silently approached from behind, leaned over, and braced his hands on the back of your chair, practically blocking you.

"Well, you practically saved my life," his hoarse voice rang out right next to your ear. "And here I thought you were some arrogant, nerdy nerd."

He abruptly but carefully turned your chair, forcing you to face him, and looked at you with a slight, confident grin:

"Come on, what do you want for saving my life? Just don't get too excited, I'm on a budget."