HORNS (BoyXBoy)

Chapter 140

Chapter One Hundred and Forty

The third floor of the library was the most cozy and the most secluded. Nobody was around aside from Jun and myself, which gave us ample opportunity to go over all the shit I needed to focus on after the college orientation ended. We'd already gone over five basic rules for being in a classroom setting, because apparently, there were some rules I had to follow.

I would need to raise my hand and wait until I was called on before asking a question, and stay quiet while everyone was working or while lectures were taking place. I'd need to be prompt and take notes either by hand or by computer, I'd need to be respectful to the professors, I'd need speak softly in the library whenever I chose to visit, and above all else, I needed to be prepared.

The last rule actually led to Jun handing me a paper with my class schedule.

"These are the mandatory classes you chose during your application, right along with the times they start every day," he said to me once I started scanning it. "Some of the slots, as you'll see, are blank--and that's because you'll need to choose to three electives, and one of them needs to be related to math since you got in on a math scholarship."

Irritation suddenly hit me.

"You do realize that the scholarship was years ago, right?" I asked, lifting my head and looking at him with a frown. "You keep mentioning it like it plays a factor in my time here, but it doesn't. The time to act on the scholarship I got went out the window when I was eighteen."

Jun froze, looking rather shocked. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I'm only here because my whole family made it happen," I sighed, glancing back down at my schedule. "I think they're paying for my tuition using the money they saved over the last five years, which kinda makes me feel like shit... but I've decided to do my best because getting a degree here in anything will allow me to start up a business. Once I do, I'll just earn back all the money they spent to give me an official chance at a future."

Jun studied me for a bit.

I could feel his eyes on me, though, so I lifted my own and stared him down. "What?"

"Why are you so invested in going to college when all you'd have to do is ask Sebastian to forge a license for you?" he quietly asked, head tilting to the left. "You have the option to do whatever you want, Horst. You have access to avenues other people never get to use."

I was honestly floored by his question.

"Are you serious? What kinda question is that, Jun?" I scoffed, giving him a genuine scowl. "I mean, yeah, I could have asked Bash for another fake ID, fake college credentials, and a fake medical license so I could open up a veterinary clinic, but not only would that have felt wrong... you know, like cheating... I'd have also had no idea how to help the animals people would start bringing to me, and I'd also have no idea how to do coding, design computer stuff, or program video games. I don't wanna be a fake... I wanna actually learn. I'm interested in learning."

Jun seemed amused, but flabbergasted at the same time. "You really don't know, do you?"

"Know what?" I absently hummed, frowning at the professor names on my sheet.

"That Sebastian and your father both appealed to the headmaster of this school to reinstate the scholarship you missed out on back then."

My fiddling stopped and I swiveled my ears forward, processing his words.

"They did what?" I asked, snapping my head up in shock, eyes widening. "That's impossible, Jun! I'd have had to reapply for the scholarship, taken a whole bunch of tests, and done a lot of work on top, too! Trust me, it was a pain in the ass the first time around."