6:30 AM.
Vash sat at his desk.
Four textbooks were stacked in front of him.
Mathematics.
English.
Science.
Social Studies.
He looked at them for a few seconds.
Then he looked at the calendar.
14 days.
"Two years of study..."
Vash sighed.
"...fourteen days to catch up."
He opened the system.
---
[ACADEMIC OBJECTIVE]
Objective: Class 10 Admission Assessment
Time Remaining: 14 Days
Subjects:
Mathematics
English
Science
Social Studies
Preparation Status:
Not Started
---
Vash stared at the last line.
"Not started."
He nodded.
"Then let's start."
He picked up the mathematics textbook.
---
Vash decided to begin with mathematics.
It had always been one of the subjects that required more effort from him.
He opened the first chapter.
The topic was something he had studied before.
But the later sections were unfamiliar.
He read the explanation once.
Then again.
At first, the formulas looked confusing.
Vash frowned.
"Why does this look so complicated?"
He read the example carefully.
Then he tried solving a similar problem.
He got the first step right.
The second step was wrong.
He erased it.
Tried again.
Wrong.
He stared at the question.
"This is annoying."
He read the example one more time.
This time, something clicked.
"Oh."
He looked back at his own work.
"I was using the wrong step."
He tried again.
The answer was correct.
Vash blinked.
"I got it."
The system appeared.
---
[LEARNING PATTERN DETECTED]
The host is adapting to structured learning.
New related concepts may now be understood slightly faster.
Learning Efficiency: +5%
Note:
The system does not provide knowledge automatically.
Practice and study are still required.
---
Vash stared at the message.
"Five percent?"
[Correct.]
"What does that actually do?"
[It improves the efficiency with which the host understands related information.]
"So I still have to study."
[Correct.]
Vash smiled.
"Good."
He looked back at the textbook.
"That means I still have to earn it."
---
Vash continued studying.
The next problem was similar to the previous one.
This time, he understood it faster.
The problem after that took even less time.
He wasn't suddenly brilliant.
He still had to think.
He still made mistakes.
But something felt different.
Once he understood a concept, the next related concept didn't feel quite as difficult.
Vash leaned back.
"Maybe this won't be impossible."
The system appeared.
---
[MATHEMATICS]
Current Topic: Basic Algebra
Concept Understanding: 18% → 24%
Learning Efficiency Bonus: Active
---
Vash smiled.
"Only six percent."
[Progress is measured according to demonstrated understanding.]
He nodded.
"Slow is fine."
---
After studying mathematics for some time, Vash closed the book.
His head felt heavy.
He looked at the other three textbooks.
English.
Science.
Social Studies.
He reached for the English book.
Then stopped.
"No."
He placed it back.
"One subject at a time."
He had already learned that rushing wasn't useful.
He needed to understand what he was studying.
Not simply finish pages.
---
After breakfast, Vash helped at Grandpa's Noodles.
He carried ingredients from the storage area.
He wiped tables.
He helped serve customers.
His walking had improved enough that he could move around the restaurant much more easily.
Grandpa noticed.
"You've been walking a lot today."
Vash smiled.
"I'm practicing."
"Good."
Vash continued working.
A customer called from one of the tables.
"Vash, two egg noodles!"
"Coming."
He walked toward the kitchen.
Halfway there, he stopped.
He realized something.
A few weeks ago, he would have needed help.
Now he was carrying orders himself.
Small progress.
Again.
---
In the afternoon, Rohan arrived.
He looked at the textbooks.
"You started studying?"
Vash nodded.
"Mathematics."
"How was it?"
"Hard."
Rohan laughed.
"That's normal."
"But it became easier after I understood the first concept."
Rohan looked at him.
"Really?"
Vash nodded.
"I don't know how to explain it."
He paused.
"It's like once I understand one thing, the next thing makes more sense."
Rohan smiled.
"Then use that."
Vash looked confused.
"How?"
"Don't try to memorize everything. Understand one concept, then use it to learn the next."
Vash nodded.
"That makes sense."
---
Later, Rohan helped him with rehabilitation.
Standing.
Walking.
Balance.
Rest.
Then repeating.
Vash walked across the room several times.
His legs were tired.
But he didn't fall.
The system appeared.
---
[RECOVERY DATA UPDATED]
Rehabilitation Progress: 1.6 → 1.7 / 10
Walking Stability: 1.3 → 1.4 / 10
Balance: 1.5 → 1.6 / 10
---
Vash looked at the numbers.
"Still slow."
[Correct.]
He smiled.
"But still increasing."
[Correct.]
---
That night, Vash returned to his desk.
He opened the mathematics textbook again.
He solved another problem.
Then another.
He made one mistake.
Corrected it.
Then solved the next one correctly.
After a while, he closed the book.
He looked at the calendar.
13 days remaining.
Vash took a deep breath.
"One day is already gone."
He looked at the remaining textbooks.
There was still a lot to learn.
But now he understood something.
He didn't need to learn everything in one day.
He only needed to keep moving.
Vash opened the system.
---
[DAILY TASKS]
1. Walk 20 steps. ✓
2. Rehabilitation exercises. ✓
3. Drink 500 ml of water. ✓
4. Study for 30 minutes. ✓
5. Help at Grandpa's Noodles. ✓
Tasks Completed: 5 / 5
Reward:
+3 System Points
System Points: 66 / 100
---
Vash smiled.
"Sixty-six."
He closed the system.
Tomorrow, he would continue mathematics.
After that—
English.
Then Science.
Then Social Studies.
Fourteen days had seemed impossible that morning.
Now there were only thirteen.
But Vash wasn't afraid anymore.
He had learned something important.
Learning was getting easier.
Not because the system was doing the work for him.
But because, for the first time, he was learning how to learn.