I was tired with preparing for the Joint College Entrance Examination the other evening. And having been alone for several hours, I was eager to have someone to chat with me about anything but examinations. So I telephoned my best friend Mary, who was also busy preparing for the joint entrance examination.

On the telephone, I told her that I missed her very much. And I invited her to have a cup of coffee with me in a coffeehouse near her home. But to my surprise, she declined and said that she had to devote all her time to her studies. Hearing this, I could do nothing but hang up after saying “Sorry” to her. Disappointed and discouraged, I turned back to my desk and reluctantly buried myself again in my books.