Kyungsoo apprehensively sat down in an empty desk as his eyes wandered around the classroom. Everything seemed quite natural; the dusty chalkboard, the uneven row of desks, and even the stack of textbooks that sat untouched in the corner. His delicate fingers fiddled with his HB mechanical pencil as he examined his classmates. Some were praying while others seemed to be cramming information into their already swollen brains. Anxiety slowly crept towards him as beads of perspiration formed against his forehead. He decided to fix his gaze elsewhere to escape the bitter obscurity that suffocated the room. The rising sun caught his attention as he watched its vibrant amber rays illuminate the sky to mark the start of a new day. Kyungsoo felt warmth wrap around him like a cashmere blanket. A look of amusement appeared on his angular features. A soft chortle was emitted from his cracked lips as he whispered to himself, "This is my apex." 

Do Kyungsoo was born and raised in a very affluent part of Seoul. His mother was a professor at the elite Yonsei University and his was a cardiologist. From an early age, he was expected to walk the path they had carved for him. He would come home just before the of midnight with bloodshot eyes. 

"How was your day?" his mother would casually ask as she took off his heavy backpack off his frail shoulders. "It was absolutely wonderful," he would sarcastically reply as he stormed to his bedroom. As soon as he heard the click of the door locking, he broke. Droplets of salt water poured down his pale cheeks. He wanted to let his parents to realize how exhausted, how tired he was from school but he knew they would see him as a coward, as a disappointment. Instead, he chose to hide his painful calluses on his fingers he had gotten from spending hours on hundreds of mathematical equations. He appeared strong and determined on the outside, but on the inside, there was a invisible gash on his palpitating heart. 

Six years later, when Kyungsoo was about to enroll into middle school, his mother announced that she would be leaving on a one year trip to Florida to teach at a local university. She begged him to join her so he could have the opportunity to expand his English. Kyungsoo was skeptical about the entire idea. English was more or less his worst subject. He eventually complied, as his curiosity devoured his hesitance. 

He vividly recalled his first day at William S. Talbot Elementary School. Twenty eight pairs of doe eyes started back at him as he slowly strode to the front of the class. He clenched his fist as his sharp, eagle like eyes glared back at them. 

"Class, we have a new student who'll be joining us," the teacher announced in her thick American accent that Kyungsoo always despised. "Why don't you tell us your name?" she continued. When he did not reply, she repeated herself once more. Kyungsoo stubbornly remained silent. Patience ran out of the teacher as she distastefully clicked her tongue, "Why are you even here when you can't even say your name in English. Go back to your own country." 

Kyungsoo was furious. His breath became irregular as an ocean of malice filled his eyes. He felt like a crumpled piece of paper, thrown in the trash and left to decompose. But he knew very well that a crumpled piece of paper could be reused. He was going to prove her wrong. 

The memory after that was a distant blur. Kyungsoo only remembered spending hours at his study desk, flipping through millions of pages of various English novels. There were days where he almost felt like giving up. His heart felt tormented by paranoia and pressure but he suppressed them because he had a dream- no an ambition- to get accepted into one of the most prestigious academic institutions in the world, Harvard University.  

When Kyungsoo finally got his acceptance letter from Harvard,  all he remembered were the looks of joy that appeared on his parents face. "Son, you never fail to make us proud." his father beamed with pride as they gathered around the dinner table. Strangely enough, this was not what he had expected. The rush of euphoria did not come. He remained still in his sit as he tried to comprehend his conflicting emotions. "Are you alright dear?" his mother quietly asked. Kyungsoo quickly nodded and turned to focus on his plate of uneaten food. 

Then suddenly, it hit him. The letter from Harvard was only the beginning of his parabola. When would he reach its summit? There was no definite answer. 

"Life is like bitter coffee. The bitterness represents the pain, the suffering, the consequences that we humans face. The caffeine reenergizes us with courage and reminds us to never give up, because life is filled with an endless number of surprises that could very well turn out to be our greatest triumph. Our apex." - Do Kyungsoo