Some time had passed since Xiumin had last spoken to the dean. He could tell that decisions were being made about him behind his back because of the way certain teachers were looking at him. He hated every minute of the unwanted attention. Not to mention, he hasn’t stepped foot inside the lecture hall since the professor first put him out. He doesn’t know what part of the lesson they are on or how much to study for the upcoming exams. For that information, he has to stalk the students that attend that class for notes and test dates. It’s not an easy task, especially since not too many students are willing to give up their notes for him, not even the females.   Going to the university quickly became something he despised because of this.  This was a bittersweet life he found. Constantly trying to make ends meet just to fail in the long run. Why try?    Xiumin knew what he liked, what he wanted from life. He worked so hard to make his grandmother proud, but not just her, himself as well. True, he had lost his parents at a young age, but that was never an excuse for him to be a failure. He never blamed heartache, or his parentless status as the reason of why he couldn’t succeed. If he made a mistake or he didn’t move upward, it was because he was too lazy or he didn’t push hard enough. Usually when he put his mind to it, he accomplished all his goals because no one was in his way but himself.   However, this situation-this predicament-there was nothing he could do about it. It was an unfair system meant to keep people like him down and out of winning, of succeeding. No matter how hard he pushed or put his mind to it, there was no way for him to keep his job and continue attending school at that particular university. It was either one or the other.   The decision really should have been easy. He didn’t love working at Agit Night, though it had its perks. He needed his education. He put himself through three of the four years, and with only one more year left he couldn’t give up now. So the easy choice should be to quit. But the problem with that is he got the job to support his backed university fees and the ones to come. He didn’t save the little money he made for spending on himself. He gave it all wholeheartedly to pay off his debt from last year and to keep up with the fees for the current year, not to mention the fees that will come next year.    For the five months he has worked at Agit, he has had one client steadily. Sure she left him glorious tips, but he was only a black brief level so his salary from Agit itself was rather low. Any extra money literally came from commission. Xiumin was just thankful that he didn’t have to pay for a place to live, for the food he ate, or the clothes he wore. All of it was complimentary from Agit. He thought he had found the job that would support him through the rest of his student life.   But it seems he thought terribly wrong.   Or someone was playing a cruel joke.       ~~~~~~~~~~       Luhan quickly packed up a small bag with his important papers. He would be meeting with Sehun today so he can speak to the financial coach and get things in order. Not only that, but he figured now would be a better time than never to talk to his family and…her, about the living situation of his little one to come. He wasn’t too keen on including his parents in on his plans, but he figured he owed them some form of an apology and acknowledgment that he was trying to do better. Sure his father probably wouldn’t want him inside the house, but he had to talk to them some kind of way.   He was just hoping they would listen.   He caught a taxi, quickly directing the driver to his address. The whole ride was loud, with the driver belting out his own toneless toons, not that Luhan was complaining. He found the friendly and loud nature of the driver to be oddly relaxing. By the time they pulled up in front of Luhan’s quiet house, both the driver and he were belting out the highest notes to the latest love song on the radio. As Luhan exited the car to walk up to the front door, he realized that maybe he should have spent some time going over what he wanted to discuss with his family first instead of singing with the taxi driver.   He pulled out his phone to call Sehun instead of knocking, hoping the younger boy may have better ideas about how to approach a conversation with  his parents. It didn’t take but the first ring for Sehun to pick up and let Luhan know he would be outside in a few seconds.   True to his word, the door unlocked and out stepped the slim body of Sehun. He seemed anxious as he looked  Luhan up from toe to head.   “You look well,” he mumbled with a small smile.   “You don’t,” Luhan crossed his arms.   Sehun rubbed at his hair, sighing out with a shaky breath, “I sort of told them you would be stopping by to talk to them.”   “And?” Luhan leaned in curious.   “They didn’t take it too well. I mean, mom seemed like she wanted to see you, but dad and Vanica-,”   “Please don’t say her name,” Luhan