"That's okay," she said gently. "The Huo Dong Ben is for your learning, not for perfection."
He took a breath. "I wrote about the Chinese Orchestra tryouts. How I didn't fit in. And… I wrote that the only thing that would have helped was if someone just… said I could sit next to them."
They moved through the answers. Three ways Singapore promotes religious harmony. Jun Hao had them: the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act, Inter-Racial and Religious Confidence Circles, and common spaces like community centres. Wei Jie had written: 1. Don't pray too loud. 2. Share cookies during CNY and Hari Raya. 3. The teachers shout at you if you make fun of someone's turban.
Last year, during CCA selection. I wanted to join the Chinese Orchestra because my grandfather played the erhu. I went to the trial. I was the only one wearing torn school shorts. Everyone else was from the gifted programme. They spoke in perfect English about their grade 8 certificates. I said I learned by watching YouTube. They laughed. I felt like a piece of Lego that didn't fit. I just sat in the corner until my mum came to pick me up. What could someone do? Maybe just say 'you can sit next to me'. That's all. Huo Dong Ben Answers Sec 3
Jun Hao, the model student, read aloud perfectly: "Two benefits are economic resilience through diverse skills and cultural innovation, and a richer social fabric with varied traditions and perspectives."
Wei Jie had tried on Section 3. He really had. He'd written about racial harmony, about the importance of National Day, about not judging someone by their favourite hawker food. But his answers were scribbled, desperate guesses. He stared at his first answer: "List two benefits of a diverse society." He had written: 1. More types of food. 2. Can learn new swear words in Tamil and Malay.
"Open your Huo Dong Ben to page 37," Ms. Priya said, her voice echoing in the tense silence. "Let's go through the answers for Section 3: 'Managing our Diverse Society'." "That's okay," she said gently
He gripped his pen. He was going to erase it. He had to. It was too real.
He quickly slammed his notebook shut.
The class turned. Wei Jie felt the spotlight. He could lie. He could parrot Jun Hao's answer: "One should foster an inclusive environment by demonstrating empathy and active listening." How I didn't fit in
Instead, his mouth opened. "Ms. Priya, I… I didn't write a model answer."
A collective, quiet groan. For most, the Huo Dong Ben was a swamp of blank lines, confusing infographics, and questions that felt like they had been written in a different language. But for one student, Wei Jie, it was a battlefield.
The class went quiet. This wasn't a textbook answer. Jun Hao even hesitated.
Wei Jie looked down at his battered Huo Dong Ben. He didn't erase his answer. Instead, he drew a small star next to it. He finally understood that sometimes, the right answer wasn't in the teacher's guide. It was in the messy, brave, terrifying space between the lines.
Then came the final question of Section 3. Ms. Priya’s voice was soft. "Number 12. This is the reflection question. 'Think of a time you felt excluded because you were different. How did it make you feel, and what could someone have done to help?'"