If you want something done right, do it yourself.

It was Friday, and Neo walked through the school hallways, observing the busy students preparing for the big party that would take place the next day. 

He felt a mix of excitement and curiosity about the event, but he was also beginning to grow desperate as he hadn't yet found what he was looking for. Takeshi's words continued to echo in his mind, tormenting him.

The gymnasium was packed with people, each carrying various decoration items, most of them members of the student council. Neo was curious to see how the venue was transforming. Some flowers and ornaments already adorned the walls, but the space still seemed incomplete, preventing him from envisioning the fully decorated gymnasium.

The council members seemed somewhat overwhelmed and stressed with the amount of work they had ahead and the limited time available. Neo was starting to feel compassion for them. Two of them approached a boy, their expressions reflecting guilt.

"Richard, we have a problem," one of the members said.

Richard, a muscular young man slightly shorter than Neo with short blond hair, recognized as the one who caught his attention in chemistry class and instructed him to go to the infirmary. Neo had finally discovered his name.

"Sarah! Leonard! You know that we can't have any issues, we're running out of time," Richard reprimanded.

"Unfortunately, the sound system isn't working. We've tried everything, but we can't get it back up," Sarah explained.

"How did this happen?" Richard asked, frustrated.

"We're not sure," Leonard replied.

"How can you not be sure? You're responsible for the sound. Can't you do anything right?" Richard shouted in a burst of anger.

"Richard, there's no need to shout. It's not our fault," Sarah defended.

Richard took a deep breath as he thought of a solution to this new problem. "Call Apolo, he should know how to fix this."

The two hurriedly left, avoiding further anger from Richard. Neo continued to observe the boy as he argued with various organization members scattered around the gymnasium. Each time he spoke to a different person, he discovered a new issue, and his fury grew, turning him into a runaway train, running over anyone in his path and venting his anger on multiple people.

In the end, Richard was left alone with the task of hanging the welcome banner in a high place. But without anyone to hold the ladder, it could be dangerous. Neo thought about helping but hesitated for a moment, fearing his assistance might not be well received.

Richard clumsily ascended the ladder, holding the large banner, and it was only a matter of time before he had an accident. Neo couldn't leave the boy alone. He decided to confront the anger.

"Hey, Richard! Need a hand?" Neo called out in a friendly tone, cautiously approaching.

Surprised by the offer of help, Richard turned and, upon noticing who was offering assistance, became even more surprised. Reluctantly, he realized he did need additional help.

"Could you hold the ladder while I climb?" Richard asked in a friendlier tone.

"Sure, I can," Neo replied.

As Richard climbed the ladder to hang the banner, Neo watched the other council members fixing everything Richard had complained about. Once Richard descended, he let out a relieved sigh and assessed the work done so far. He was satisfied.

"Thanks for helping, Neo," Richard said, seeming more relaxed.

"You're welcome," Neo replied, though a sense of unease lingered. "But isn't it unfair that you guys are here facing so many difficulties while other students are relaxed at home? Maybe if you had more people, it would be easier to finish."

Richard stared at him, a mixture of indignation and reflection in his eyes. "We chose to be here, Neo. It's not a problem."

"Why?" the confused boy asked.

"I couldn't leave this to someone else. I've had plenty of experiences where I let others do things for me and got back shoddy or unsatisfactory work. Someday you'll understand."

As Neo pondered Richard's words, he realized he hadn't considered the effort everyone there had put into the school.

"Well, when everything is ready, I'm sure the end result will be worth it. I need to talk to the council members, you reminded me of something."

He lightly slapped Neo's shoulder, turned around, and headed toward a group of students.

Neo was almost forgetting his main goal and raised his voice a bit to ask, "Richard, I almost forgot, do you have a formal outfit to lend? Or do you know someone who does?"

Without turning to Neo, he raised his hand and waved it back and forth. "Ask Erick, he'll help you."

Neo was incredulous. "True! Erick!" he thought as he rushed to find him.

Neo didn't see what happened in the gymnasium after he left, but Richard, after their conversation, apologized to everyone. He realized that even though he was right to criticize the flaws, it wasn't right to take out the anger he was feeling.

The counselor's office was quietly closed, but muffled sounds leaked out, revealing the ongoing conversation inside.

"You understand that these concerns aren't just a product of your imagination, right?" the voice sounded like Erick's.

"Yes, Erick, I understand," came an anguished voice. Neo couldn't recognize whose it was, but he imagined it was a student.

Erick continued with a serious tone, sharing a personal story: "A close friend used to tell me repeatedly that if someone truly loves us, that person usually comes back to us. They always come back. Let me ask you: If you let your girlfriend go, do you believe she'd come back for you?"

"Yes, of course. She loves me," came the confident response.

"Then why not put that to the test?" Erick challenged.

As the dialogue unfolded, Neo knocked on the door, eager to address the issue that was bothering him.

"You can come in," Erick invited.

Neo entered the room and found a visibly troubled boy. His black hair was messy, as if he didn't care to tidy it up. Neo greeted both of them and asked, "Erick, are you busy?"

"Yes, I am busy."

"I just came to ask a question."

Erick thought that if it were quick, he could spare the time, so he turned his attention to the boy sitting on the couch and asked, "Do you mind waiting a bit, Lenner?"

"Okay. Sure."

Erick got up and served Lenner a glass of water.

"Have some, it'll calm you down for now."

"Thank you," the boy replied as he took the glass of water.

Erick left the room, closing the door behind him. Neo felt a mix of curiosity and concern, trying to decipher the earlier conversation.

"Well?" Erick asked, gesturing for Neo to state his purpose.

"Do you have a formal outfit to lend?"

"Are you asking about the party tomorrow? Why didn't you talk to me earlier?"

"I didn't think about it."

Erick looked at Neo with a hint of sadness, almost disappointed that Neo hadn't considered him a reliable person. But these thoughts faded as he realized that sooner or later, Neo had come looking for him.

"Fortunately for you, I do have one. I wore it when I was younger. It might be a bit old, but I can fix it up to make it look new. I'll do that when I get home and deliver it to your room."

"Thank you, Erick, you're a lifesaver."

Neo was ready for the party.