12Please respect copyright.PENANAVUmvNcIrIF
He stood quietly at the edge of the room, holding a crumpled paper in his hands. Around him, everyone was talking excitedly about rules, prizes, and winners. Words like contest, entry, and deadline floated through the air, but none of them made sense to him.
He hesitated for a moment, then slowly raised his hand.
“I… I just wanted to know what a contest was,” he said softly. His voice carried a small apology at the end, as if he was afraid of sounding foolish. “Sorry…”
For a second, the room went silent. Then someone smiled gently. Another person chuckled—not in mockery, but in understanding.
“It’s okay,” a teacher said kindly. “A contest is just a chance to show your ideas, your talent… and learn something new.”
The boy looked down at the paper again. It didn’t feel scary anymore. It felt like a beginning.
And for the first time, curiosity didn’t feel like something to apologize for.12Please respect copyright.PENANAto7kRMkLeV


