Gemotions

He’d known, of course, that it was a long shot. But still, the email’s blunt refusal felt like a physical blow. He slouched in his chair, the cheap plastic digging uncomfortably into his back. The classroom around him buzzed with the chatter of his classmates, but all sound seemed distant, muffled.

A wave of nausea washed over him, and he leaned forward, resting his forehead on the cool surface of his desk. He felt a throbbing ache behind his eyes. He had meticulously calculated every expense, every potential income source. Now, that careful structure was crumbling.

He took a deep, ragged breath, trying to regain some semblance of control. The upcoming exams loomed large in his mind, and this news threatened to derail him. He lifted his head, a strange tightness gripping his jaw.