An eventful weekend finally came to an end and it was the start of a new week now. You had decided to begin the new week with a fresh mindset, not brooding over the past and working hard for the future. Your mid-terms were going to begin in three weeks, the perfect time to showcase the fruits of Ms Rosalyne's efforts on you and you were determined to make her time worthwhile.
Your mother talked to the examination authorities over the weekend, asking for some consideration for the scholarship but it bore no fruits. Disheartened and worried you were, you had promised her to only focus on studies and trust her with the rest. Ms Rosalyne had also been slightly worried for you about losing the scholarship, she had thought to call your mother over the weekend to ask for details but she decided against it as she felt she was interfering where she shouldn't.
Still, she had wished she could do something. She came to be known as the Ice Queen due to a few incidents in the past where she came off as unwavering and merciless to failing students; what they couldn't see was that she did her best even back then to ensure nobody failed. She never used any unethical means to increase grades nor did she cut slack beyond a few miniscule marks, she simply worked hard to teach everyone.
"Lisa, remember that case you mentioned about Y/n?" Rosalyne asked her friend, Lisa, during her break time on Monday.
"Mhm, what is it? Are you curious?~" Lisa teased, not expecting a serious answer.
"Actually....I am." Rosalyne replied firmly, catching Lisa by surprise.
"Oh my, didn't think you'd ever be interested in such gossip~ What happened?"
"....." Rosalyne remined quiet, thinking whether she should tell her then sighed out and started speaking.
"You know that last Saturday the results were announced for the previous semester?"
"Yes, I do. Oh, wait....is this related to Y/n's result?"
"Yes, do you know how much she scored?"
"Unfortunately, I don't, since I haven't had a chance to talk with her. Do you know?"
Rosalyne nodded, "Yes, she got 68%...."
Lisa's eyes widened in worry, "Doesn't that mean she....lost the scholarship?"
"Yes, she did..."
Lisa sighed out, "So? Do you want to help her in some way?"
"There's nothing I can do....for now, at least."
Lisa chuckled, "Hehe~ I see, that's fair. So, regarding that case, I had told you I don't know much."
"Tell me what you do know."
"Fine fine. I had heard Mr Akito and Ms Yun saying something along the lines of a police case involving her parents, I believe her parents are divorced that's why she and her mom moved here. There was something about her father coming here and forcing them it seems."
Rosalyne looked at her in shock, "That's....more serious than I was expecting."
She trailed off and looked away, thinking back to a certain thing you said on Saturday, "If only those things didn't happen last year."
"It's quite unfortunate, I must say...." Lisa interrupted Rosalyne's thoughts, "What is?"
"Her losing the scholarship, of course. She seems like a sweet girl and judging from what you have told me, she's very hard working in studies."
"Ah...that's true." Rosalyne went silent again as things didn't make sense to her, she remembered your crying self that day and felt extremely bad.
"Anyways, I'm curious about something else. How come you don't know about this case? You are her departmental head, if this case reached the Dean and Vice President then surely it should have passed through you as well by protocols." Lisa spoke with concern, making Rosalyne question it as well.
"You are right, it should have. Yet, the first I heard of it was through you that day...."
"Hmm....who was her class teacher last semester?"
Rosalyne pondered for some time before fiddling through her bag in search of her departmental record. She opened the page records of the teachers in her department and looked through to see who had your section last semester. She found the name at last and suddenly became annoyed then sighed.
"Mr Ren."
Lisa looked at her in surprise then sighed, "No wonder you don't know then. Hah~ That man is so gullible; one moment he's trying to flirt with you and the other he's completely disrespecting you. Someone needs to teach him a lesson...."
"I have no time to think about him. I need to get to the bottom of this case." Rosalyne spoke determinedly, making Lisa slightly surprised.
"Hmm, look at you~ Caring so much for a student, Ms Ice Queen~"
"Lisa, this isn't the time for your teasing." Rosalyne spat, earning a small laugh from Lisa, "Of course, I know. Don't worry about me. So, what do you plan on doing?"
"I'll talk to Mr Akito first and find everything about this case then I'll see if something can be done about Y/n's scholarship."
"Mhm, sounds good. Do you need my help?"
Rosalyne looked at her wrist-watch then got an idea, "Her class should have a free lecture now, she's more than likely to come here...."
She then trailed off and thought for a moment before continuing, "Try....talking with her? She seemed a bit down in class today....A-Ahem, cheer her up perhaps? You are good at those things and she's familiar with you as well. But don't mention any of our conversation."
Lisa looked at her wide-eyed then chuckled, "So you want me to comfort her...Roger that, Ms Ice Queen~"
Rosalyne smiled at her after a sigh then nodded before getting up to go out of the library in order to meet Mr Akito, the Dean of Science department. Almost 10 minutes later, just as Rosalyne had predicted, you indeed came to the library and greeted Ms Lisa.
"Good afternoon, Ms Lisa."
"Oh, a lovely afternoon to you too, Y/n. How have you been?~"
"Oh....q-quite well. What about you?"
Ms Lisa looked at you with concern then smiled, "Ah, I had a fun weekend so I'm feeling rather delightful~"
"That's good to hear...." You smiled then looked around the library, as if searching for something.
"Do you need some help, Y/n?"
"O-Oh, I was wondering if Ms Rosalyne was here? I had a few doubts...."
Ms Lisa chuckled, "I'm afraid you'll be disappointed, she left for a class some time ago."
"Oh, that's alright. I-"
"But....you have me~"
"Huh? What do you mean, Ms Lisa?"
Ms Lisa stood up from her desk and walked over to one of the study tables on the side and seated herself, patting the chair beside her. You looked at her in confusion but walked up and sat beside her nonetheless.
"So, what doubts did you have?"
"Y-You are going to teach me....?"
"Mmm, I suppose it's understandable you wouldn't know...." she paused then came near your ear to whisper, "....I have the same base degree in chemistry as Ms Rosalyne~"
Your eyes widened in surprise, "What?! Really?! W-Wait, then why are you a librarian?"
"Oh?~ It seems you are interested in my past~"
"A-Ah, I'm sorry I didn't mean it that way. I was just surprised; I know you two are childhood friends but I didn't know you even did the same majors after school...."
"Hehe~ It's alright, I understand. We in fact studied in the same university as well and were classmates."
"I see....wait, you said the same base degree? What did you do later?"
"Well, she went on to do even Masters in chemistry while I started working. I did some teaching assistant jobs in high schools before coming here and settling as the librarian."
"Why librarian though? You could become a chemistry teacher...."
"Mmm, how to put this....I got tired of teaching bonds and reactions~"
Ms Lisa giggled causing you to chuckle as well and nod, "I can certainly relate to you, that's perhaps why I admire Ms Rosalyne....to be able to do such deep study and research then teach the same things for so long."
"Oh, that's something I relate with you. I have no idea how Rosa can keep doing this, I would have left the job long ago~"
"Haha~ That does sound like you. As for Ms Rosalyne...." you paused then thought back to seeing the photo of her husband at her home, several questions rising in you but you decided to hold them off as they were too personal.
"Hm? What about her?" Ms Lisa questioned, interrupting your thoughts.
"O-Oh, nothing. Just that I really do admire her for her dedication, I had wished to study from her ever since taking admission here and she really is the best...."
Ms Lisa looked at your dreamy expression in surprise then smirked, "Oh my~ Am I sensing a crush?~"
"W-What?! No! Ms Lisa, that's so wrong in so many ways!" you exclaimed out in embarrassment while Ms Lisa just continued giggling.
"Hmm, what ways?~"
"Huh?! W-Well, she's my teacher, much older than me, we are both women and to top it all she's married!"
Ms Lisa looked at you with a melancholic look then nodded, "Alright alright, fair. I was just kidding anyways~"
You rolled your eyes in exasperation then finally took out your books to study, she explained you some of the topics until the next lecture began and you thanked her then went back to your class. Lisa then sat at her desk and took out her phone to talk to Rosalyne.
Hey, any progress?
Rosalyne: Yes, I'll tell you later. Was everything fine with Y/n?
Mhm, you could say I kept her thoughts distracted. She seemed to be doing fine.
Thank you. I have a class soon, ttyl
Bye~
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Rosalyne paced towards the Dean, Mr Akito's office swiftly, slightly infuriated but she knew she had to keep her composure if she wanted to help you in some manner. She was allowed inside after 10 minutes and sat on one of the chairs opposite to his, waiting for him to finish his phone call.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Ms Rosalyne. How can I help you?"
Rosalyne assumed a confident posture, arms folded over her chest. "I wanted to discuss a case regarding one of my students, Y/n L/n. Does the name ring a bell?"
Mr Akito's relaxed expression shifted slightly, "Yes, it does....What would you like to do discuss?"
"Well, for starters, how about you tell me the police case she was involved in last year that you have so conveniently kept from me by skipping over the protocols?"
Rosalyne squinted her eye and spoke with a heavy tone, making Mr Akito laugh nervously.
"Haha, you don't have to take such things to heart, Ms Rosalyne. It was a simple....overlook, nothing else."
"Alright, so let's correct that now. Shall we, sir?"
"Of course, of course. So, about this student, you must be aware she took admission on maximum scholarship in first year due to her overwhelmingly good percentage on the entrance exam. Last year, around the midway of her third semester, she stopped coming to classes. She had maintained 100% attendance up till that point then she suddenly went down to 67%. Her class teacher talked to her and she simply said she had been ill for some time and will cover up in the remaining months."
"Then? Was she able to cover up?" Rosalyne questioned.
"She was, barely. But sufficient to not be debarred and be allowed to sit in the finals. She scored decent in the third semester and obtained the second-tier scholarship."
"What illness did she have? Did she submit some medical application?"
"Well....turns out there wasn't any illness but personal issues with her father."
"....What issues?"
"Ms Rosalyne, this information is kept confidential as asked by Y/n's mother, you have to ensure it isn't leaked to the institute. It was wrong of me to not involve you initially but you'll understand now."
Rosalyne became anxious all of a sudden hearing that, she had no idea what kind of things happened to you.
"Go ahead, she is one of my students now so I have the right to know."
"Fine. Her parents divorced a few years ago which is why she and her mother moved here and settled down. Her father, however, couldn't handle the separation it seems. We weren't fully told how the divorce went but it seems her father lost his job and succumbed to depression and alchoholic addictions. He...probably mistreated the both of them causing her mother to leave him. They were able to find a place here and settle down rather peacefully in the beginning after a tiring court case."
"They thought they had gotten away from him but as soon as he got out of prison, he tracked them down here. Around the middle of third semester, he spotted Y/n on a public train one day and began stalking her. He remained discreet for weeks until Y/n finally opened up about the uneasy feeling she had been getting and started coming less, that's the time she informed about her illness. Then one day he came face to face with her when she was returning home and....kidnapped her then kept her in some warehouse."
Rosalyne's mouth parted in a gasp and eye widened, her heart beating faster than ever.
"Her mother filed a report after she didn't return home and didn't answer any calls. The institute got involved as she was going back from here and asked everything about her schedule and connections, she didn't really have any close friends so nobody was able to provide any useful information. Then, after a few days of police search, her father directly called her mother and threatened her for money. He showed her a glimpse of Y/n and she was....fortunately, if I can say that, in an okay condition."
"The police tracked the warehouse using the background of the images he sent of Y/n. He didn't really think his plan through as there were a lot of loopholes and he was doing it all alone, he was caught and jailed. Y/n was rescued with minimal injuries, just some physical bruises here and there from hitting and nothing else, she was also being given bare minimum food and water. In her confession, she said that he kept pleading her to accept him again and come back with him- all the while she was tied and gagged to a chair and after being refused too much, he'd hit her."
Mr Akito paused and looked away, feeling anxious from just recalling the incident. Rosalyne remained quiet and had no words to speak at all, too shocked by the horrors she was hearing.
"Then, she somehow sat in the final exam but in the next semester she rarely attended any classes. Her attendance was around 35% by mid-terms and just 47% by finals. Her mother requested special consideration; apparently, they were busy shifting to a new house as her father had found the previous one. They decided to come closer to the institute and also bought another car for Y/n to commute on her own. And, I imagine she must also be scared to come...."
Mr Akito stopped and drank a glass of water then sighed, "Well, that is the full case, Rosalyne. Do you have any questions?"
Rosalyne looked at him, terrified. She too drank a glass of water then composed herself.
"That's....horrible, how far can people go....and his own daughter at that." Rosalyne mumbled and Mr Akito nodded in agreement.
"Ahem, Mr Akito, the reason I came to ask this was because of Y/n's percentage in the last semester. You should be understanding enough that she wouldn't have been able to study well hence she scored less and lost the scholarship. And now that you have told me that they had to relocate and buy a new car, then it's natural they'd have financial problems."
"Mhm, I do understand that. H-"
"Then, can't we make a special consideration for her? She got 68%, it's not too far off the third tier of scholarships that starts at 75%. We have all the official reports and evidence to-"
"Ms Rosalyne." Mr Akito stopped her from speaking.
"Ms Rosalyne, we already did many special considerations for her last semester. She didn't reach the required attendance but we excused that and let her give the exam and we also didn't cut her attendance credits in the final result. In fact, she scored 68% only because we didn't cut the 10% attendance bonus. Her mother called the examination cell yesterday and we told her the same. You....have to consider our position here."
Rosalyne became shocked hearing such absurdity, "Do you hear yourself, Mr Akito? You just recalled the entire case and showed your sympathy and you are saying this now? You are concerned about your position and not a student's well-being?!"
"Rosalyne!" Mr Akito shouted at a loud voice, catching her off guard.
"This is why we didn't involve you because you'd start your preaching for justice! You don't understand anything! If we give her the scholarship then that means this case reaches the Board of Directors and they'll question our student safety protocols! Or worse, they might have Y/n expelled because they can't have a....black spot on their pure white presentation of this prestigious institute! It already took a lot of connections to keep this case away from the media!"
Mr Akito harshly spoke, making Rosalyne even more shocked. Was she really hearing such absurd things from the mouth of her own Dean?
"I can't believe you all....how can you be so heartless....greedy....All you care about is your own reputation....."
Rosalyne gritted her teeth then slammed her hand on the table, "Shame on you!"
She swiftly stood up and furiously left the office, paying no heed to Mr Akito's shouts from behind. She went to her own office and locked it then sat down at her desk, holding her head in frustration. She sighed deeply and thought about you; she felt helpless, confused.
But, she wasn't going to give up so easily.
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