It just so happened that my friends and I were in the same group for our research project, and I ended up being the leader. For context, that friend of mine is really known for always being late—whether it’s for hangouts, classes, or any kind of activity. Despite that, his grades were consistently high for the past three semesters, so he had a strong chance of pulling up his overall average.

In our research, there’s an evaluation form where the leader can rate the members. I’m not stingy when it comes to rating, but there are just some things I can’t overlook. One of those is being late. Punctuality means a lot to me because I believe it reflects how much you respect your teammates.

The problem is, it’s that same friend who’s always late. Not just once—for every task I assign, he’s always the last to submit. What’s worse is, I already give them a long time to work on things. When they ask for extensions, I usually agree. He even mentioned once that he likes doing his requirements at midnight. My point is, I hope he realizes that this isn’t an individual activity. It’s inconsiderate if the rest of us have to stay up late just to wait for him.

And that’s not his only issue. When I ask him to revise his part, he resists. He’ll only follow if the instruction comes directly from the teacher. So what’s the point of me being the leader if he won’t listen to me? He even thinks I’m singling him out, that his part is the only one that constantly gets corrected. But the truth is, he’s the one who frequently fails to follow instructions. That’s why in every chapter, his section always needs revisions.

At the recent recognition ceremony, he wasn’t on the high honors list. A few of my classmates asked if I gave him a low rating. And yes, I did. I know my rating was fair, but I can’t help feeling guilty—because after all, he’s still my friend, and I know how important his grades are to him.