My parents always thought I lacked academic talent, and it wasn't until the year of my elementary school graduation, when education policies changed and we couldn't afford private school, that they started scrambling to get me tutors and enroll me in extra classes.
However, I hated attending classes and was always finding excuses to skip and cause trouble.
There was one memorable incident when my mom, furious, almost threw a freshly cooked piece of meat at me.
Malcolm stepped in to protect me, saying, "The meat is just done. It'd be such a waste to throw it away!"
To save the meat, Malcolm promised to personally tutor me.
Under his relentless guidance, my grades began to improve, hovering around the middle of the class.
"If you can get into the same middle school as me, I'll grant you one wish," Malcolm said, using this as motivation for me to study harder.
This promise totally hooked me. At the time, I was obsessed with a band, so I made a deal with Malcolm: if I got into the school, he'd take me to see my favorite band.
Little did I know this deal revealed my hidden potential.