I wish tonight didn't have to end.

I staggered into my dorm room, my body too tired to unbutton my shirt, let alone go down the hallway to brush my teeth. My hand fumbled around the wall until I hit the switch. The light came on instantaneously, momentarily blinding me. I left it on just long enough for me to see where I was putting all my stuff. I quickly yet groggily empty my pockets, tossing the contents onto the surface of my already-messy desk.

With my pants now free of keys and wadded-up receipts, I slipped my arms out of the straps of my backpack. I let it down nice and easy next to my desk's chair; didn't want to damage all the gaming equipment inside. Expensive stuff. Especially the new arcade stick I had just bought.

I came back from an end-of-semester party put together by my fellow dormmates. Earlier that morning was the last exam session for finals. We decided to celebrate with a little get-together on the floor's lounge. It was an all-night event and man did I stay up all night. I took a glance at my phone. After blinking a few times, I managed to get a good look at the time on the screen.

5:14.

The fun had to end eventually. I tapped the side button of my phone and let it go to sleep before chucking it onto my bed. I let a yawn escape as I stretched one arm above my head. Barely able to walk, I limped to my mattress and plop on it back first. I shut my eyes and the events of the party played through my mind.

I'm not anyone interesting. I tend to keep to myself whenever I can. Making friends isn't something that's alien to me, but I wouldn't say that it's something that I really enjoy doing either. Most of the people that I'm close to at this university live on my floor, hence the reason why I stayed up all night and into a good portion of the morning gaming. A lot of the other people here are like me; Nerdy. Reserved. And love video games.

Usually it's hard for us to coordinate a good time to get together and play something seeing as how courses and conflicting schedules get in the ways. Sometimes I'll come across a fellow hallmate in the lounge and we'll chat for a bit and make a promise about getting together to play something but it rarely pans out. And during the rare, once-in-a-blue-moon weekends where everyone in our small group is free, we end up teaming together in the same MMO in our respective rooms.

Don't get me wrong, I love playing RPGs online with my friends. It's not my number one genre, but I think the fact that I'm with friends is what it makes so enjoyable rather than the mechanics and gameplay itself. Besides, I'm always stuck being the healer and support. Everyone else gets to play DPS or tank, leaving me fill the other niches. Not trying to diss on people that prefer that kind of playstyle. Just not my cup of tea.

Fighting games are where I shine. Can't get enough of them. Played every single one that I can get my hands on, and I stay up to date on all the new titles. Don't want to think about how much I've spent on DLC and Season Passes. Unfortunately, it's not the most popular genre out there. Seems like people don't want to spend the time memorizing combos and complex inputs. They'd rather grind their way to the top by slaying the same monsters over and over again. Can't blame them, though. Took me a few months before I could get a consistent half-circle input to come out. And now I'm here winning online tourneys every other weekend. If I could enter in-person events, I would. But there isn't really a scene in my area so that's not an option for me.

Some of the other guys on the floor like playing them though even though they have no idea what they're doing. Introduced them to a few games and they love the characters. Rumble Circuit and Lethal Combo were pretty big hits for the guys on the floor. They're beginner friendly too, so even button mashers can feel like they have a chance when going up against seasoned players like myself. And that's what I was doing from 1:30 in the afternoon until a few moments ago. Finally getting to play my favorite games non-stop for hours on end.

Even got to teach one of the exchange students a few combos with Enidri Saelex in Rumble Circuit. I don't speak a lick of Russian but he seemed like he had fun. Other moments kept running through my mind. That double KO between Vic and Selene in Lethal Combo. The way Will from the second floor pulled off that clutch ring out with two seconds left on the timer. All the compliments I got during my winning streak. People lining up just to get a chance to try and beat me. What an absolute blast.

As I shut my eyes, the events became murkier. I tried to relive them, but something kept getting in the way. Like a puff of sand from the ocean mucking up crisp, blue water. And I knew exactly what it was.

My Statistics and Probability exam.

I took the test in the morning. Did some studying the night prior. Well, all of my studying the night prior. Right after I tested out the newest character added to Rumble Circuit. I already wasn't doing too hot in the class, but everyone said the exam would be easy. Even the TA said that the questions would be toned down from the usual tests seeing as how it would have material from the entire year. I was told to focus on content from the latter part of the course since the midterm covered first two months.

What a lie.

It's like whoever wrote that test wanted me to fail. There were questions from topics that we only discussed for one lecture! And of course the professor had to use the "two-point" system. One mark for the correct answer and one for showing my work. From the first page I could tell that I wasn't going to get anything above a "C," and that's being generous. I'm banking on whoever is grading to have mercy on this sophomore's soul. Maybe with the guaranteed points I'd get for showing my work, I could scrape out a high enough score to pass.

The worst part about all of this is the fact that the TA said all exams will be graded and in the system by five in the morning. I reached underneath my leg and raise my phone to my face. I tapped the power button and looked at the time.

5:17.

My fate was sealed. I couldn't even go to sleep if I wanted to. The fact that my grade was ready to be looked at chipped away at my soul. All of a sudden, I was no longer tired. I wanted to go to sleep but my mind was racing too fast. I'd shut my eyes, tell myself to look at it when I woke up in the afternoon. But after just a few minutes of shut eye, they'd open again.

I took in a deep breath. My heart beat through my wrinkled up shirt and through the thin sheet that I wrapped myself up with. I started to stare at my phone and watched the time tick forward.

5:23.

I couldn't take it anymore. As much as fear kept me from wanting to see my final grade, I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep without at least looking at it. So I unlocked my phone. Logged into my student account. The notification bell on the main menu was a bright red. With sweat slipping down the side of my head, I pressed the button.

System Notification: Final Grade for [Statistics and Probability 2500] Now Available]

Just one more press. I tapped the message. The final letter grade stared back at me in a big, bold and red font.

D+

I shot up, sitting upright and knocking my blanket onto the floor. Blood was coursing through every inch of my body. My skin was covered in a thin film of sweat. I tossed my phone across the room. Didn't know where it landed, but I could hear it break something.

My parents were going to kill me. Possibly literally. My mother was born and raised in Arizona. True American, through and through. Keeps a gun in every room and is a firm believer in capital punishment. My father grew up in the one of the poorest neighborhoods in South Korea. He's got a knack for pushing education. So clearly, me failing this class is going to make both of them livid.

My heart raced. Felt like it was going to jump right out of my heart and plop onto the floor. I staggered out of bed, wiping away the tears that swelled in my eyes to unblur my vision. My hand reached for the door and fumbled to turn the lock. Once I opened it, light came rushing through and overwhelmed my eyes. I quickly slipped my shoes back onto my feet and walked down the hallway.

Some of my fellow hallmates were out and about. I kept my head low, avoiding eye contact so they wouldn't notice me weeping. They'd ask what was wrong and this isn't the kind of topic I'd want to discuss. That D killed any chance of me keeping my scholarship. No way I was going to be able to afford staying in college without it.

A small bit of fresh air was all I needed. Clear my mind. Come up with a plan. I sprinted down the steps to the bottom floor and stretched out my hands in front of me, pushing the exit door wide open.

Of course it was raining.

But I didn't care. The rain wasn't too heavy. I crossed my arms over each other to keep the bare skin warm as I jogged down the winding sidewalk. My dorm was at the top of a hill, so the path down to the rest of campus took plenty of steep dips and wide turns. All the students with bikes hated going up and down it, but that just meant more time for me to gather my thoughts.

I could beg the professor for a regrade. At least there was a nonzero chance of that happening (one of the few things I did remember from that damn Prob-Stat course), but I had too much dignity to write out a long and lengthy email begging for a second chance only for it to get shot down by a stubborn old professor. Trying to get enough funds to pay for another semester was another idea I toyed with. I'm already going to be broke once I graduate... if I graduate. Don't see how a few extra grands would make a difference in the grand scheme of things.

Plenty of other thoughts and ideas ran through my mind as I walked down the trail, rain pattering against my head. It was a light sprinkle. Kinda refreshing against the warm night air. But the pleasant contrasting sensation only served to take my mind off my troubles for a moment. All the stress and fear came rushing back in no time.

I kept pondering what to do as I continued down the trail. Half an hour must have passed because I was taking my sweet time and I eventually made it towards the edge of campus. I had never seen the school at this hour; most of the buildings had their lights out, giving the entire area a really eerie feel. That's when I decided to take my mind off the matter at hand and pay attention to my surroundings.

Everything was silent. As I turned around to see if there was anyone... or anything... behind me, the rain started to fall. Hard.

"Great," I muttered. I unbuttoned my shirt and pulled it over my head as best I could. Didn't do a thing but make me look ridiculous as I ran from building to building, tugging on the doors with the hope of one of them being unlocked. But as luck would have it, they were sealed tight. After trying the fourth door, I kicked it in frustration and stood underneath the narrow awning as much as my slim body would allow.

The sound of crashing rain snapped me out of my stupor. I took a moment to stop thinking about my predicament to scan the campus for any dry location. I paused. I could hear something over the noise of heavy raindrops splashing into the ditch-turned-lake next to the building.

"Help! Please!"

It was clear that time. Someone was in trouble. Sounded like a woman. I put my shirt back on properly and sprinted to the noise, my foot dipping into the aforementioned puddle. My entire pants leg was soaked but I paid that no mind. I turned around the corner and saw a few silhouettes moving around among the narrow gap between the building.

"Stop!" the woman shouted. I stepped closer and the figures became more distinct. There were two men. One held onto her arm while the other dug through something. I could only assume it was her purse or backpack.

I clenched my fists. All the weight from the water that drenched my body didn't matter. My worries about my grades left my mind. I inched forward; fists still wadded tight as I focused on the man holding the woman. He seemed too intent on keeping her still while his partner continued to go through the contents of the bag. Papers flew in the air as he tossed them over his back. Dude was probably going for her wallet.

The thug holding the victim pushed her against the back of the alley. Must have gotten tired of her trying to fight back so he grabbed her other wrist and pressed her against the brick wall. That meant they both had their backs to me. Perfect.

Forgot to mention that I'm pretty competent when it comes to hapkido. I'm a black belt, and this is the exact kind of situation my teacher had been preparing me for. The guy gripping the girl was the closest, so naturally I target him first. Ran up to the guy and before he could turn his head all the way around, I got into the proper stance and followed through with a straight jab towards the face.

Bastard turned at just the right time. Almost like he was trying to block my punch with his jaw. The attack connects like it was taken right out of the textbook. The man's hood went flying off as he staggered back and slide down against the wall. His friend took the time to stop rifling through stuff that wasn't his to see him plop on the pavement.

I don't give the other guy a chance to get up. His head was at the perfect height for a frontwards spinning kick.

And that's exactly what I did.

My shoe. His cheek. Almost like they were made for each other. Thug Number Two goes tumbling to the side, dropping the woman's wallet onto the drenched sidewalk. My eyes darted from the two guys. They were both squirming. I quickly picked up the wallet and turn around to give it back. The poor lady was still trembling, even after I thoroughly floored her two attackers. With a lot of hesitation, she took her wallet back. But not before wiping away the drenched brown locks of hair that covered her eyes.

Maybe that's why she was still scared. She couldn't see anything.

Anyways. I pick up the purse and I hand her that too. "T-Thanks..." she stammered before lifting it over her head and running off out of the alley. I just stood and watched her flee into the night. I was shocked. And a bit disappointed. I know doing a good deed was supposed to be a reward in and of itself. But I'd be lying if I said that I didn't expect just a bit more than a one syllable word.

And on the topic of things I was expecting, I really shouldn't have taken my eyes off those pair of goons. Just as I was about to check on them, a pair of hands seized me underneath my arms. The other guy got in front of me and punched me square in the gut.

I coughed. Probably spat a bit of blood. As my head dangled over the front of my body, the same thug followed up with an uppercut. Pretty sure that one broke my nose. At that point, the dude holding me let go. I stumbled sideways and landed on my arm. All I can remember from then on was a barrage of stomps and kicks. The water underneath me turning red. A lot of obscenities.

And then darkness.

The very last thing I remember thinking?

Why didn't I just study for that damn exam?

If you liked this, you might like my other work as well!
Magical Girl Fantasy: Hidden Beacons 
Sci-Fi Fighting Game Dystopia: Rumble Circuit
Urban Martial-Arts Action: Lethal Combo