My Hacking System

Vice President's Office

“Adrian.”

A voice suddenly came from beside their table, making both Adrian and Kaitlyn immediately jerk backward.

While Adrian turned around to find a male student standing there with a slightly awkward expression, clearly regretting the fact that he had interrupted them at exactly the worst possible moment.

“Y—Yeah?” Adrian looked at him.

The student shifted his weight and glanced between Adrian and Kaitlyn as though he could feel the tension he stumbled into, then cleared his throat before speaking.

“The university's vice president was looking for you. He told me to find you and send you to his office.”

“The vice president?”

Adrian's eyebrows immediately furrowed, because as far as he knew he had never spoken directly with anyone that important, and he certainly couldn't think of a reason why the university's vice president would suddenly want to see him.

“Yeah. He said it's important.” The student said with a nod.

“Did he tell you why he wanted to see me?” Adrian's expression became serious.

“No. He just told me to bring you to his office as soon as possible.”

Adrian nodded once, then turned back toward Kaitlyn.

“You are as confused as I am.”

Kaitlyn gave him a look that said she absolutely was, because the entire situation had gone from flirting and breakfast to some kind of unexpected administrative summons in the span of a few seconds.

“We should finish here quickly and go to the vice president’s office.” Kaitlyn looked at him with a concerned face.

“We? Will you accompany me?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, why not? I will stay outside his office.” She smiled.

Soon they both finished their meal and headed toward the administration building, and by the time they reached the top floor and stood in front of the polished wooden door and the brass nameplate read ‘Barnaby J. Nordenfelt,’ Adrian already had a very bad feeling about it.

and something about the expensive office hallway, the quiet carpet, and the polished atmosphere made the whole thing feel less like a conversation and more like a decision had already been made before Adrian even got there.

Adrian knocked once.

“Come in.”

Adrian pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The carpet was thick, the walls were lined with framed certificates and academic photographs, and the desk near the back of the room looked more expensive than all the furniture in Adrian's apartment.

The vice president himself sat behind that desk with a calm expression, and as Adrian walked in, the older man's eyes flicked over him once before settling back on the folder in front of him.

“You're Adrian Miles.”

“Yeah. You asked to see me.” Adrian stopped in front of the desk.

“Yes, I did. Sit down.” The vice president folded his hands and gave a small smile. 

Adrian pulled out the chair across from the desk and sat down. He leaned back slightly, not enough to look relaxed, but enough to keep the man from thinking he was intimidated.

“I have reviewed your scholarship file.” The vice president opened the folder in front of him, glanced over the papers inside, and then looked back up with the same polite expression as before. “I'm afraid I have to cancel your merit scholarship.”

For a moment, Adrian didn't respond. He just looked at him.

“Cancled?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Your academic record is fine, but the scholarship fund has reached its limit for this year.” The vice president's expression remained calm, which somehow made the situation feel even more insulting.

Adrian stared at him. The answer didn't sit right for even half a second.

“But I was awarded a merit scholarship in my acceptance package. So why is it suddenly being canceled now?” Adrian said, keeping his voice flat and careful.

“I'm sure your circumstances are difficult, but the committee has to make decisions based on limited resources.”

“Limited resources?” Adrian repeated.

“Yes.”

The vice president opened the folder again, glanced down at it, and for the first time Adrian noticed that the man wasn't really looking at the papers so much as using them as a shield, something to hide behind while he tried to sound official.

“Your scholarship application will remain on record for next semester, but I wouldn't advise relying on it. You should consider part-time employment or alternative funding sources.”

Adrian let out a short laugh under his breath. Part-time employment. As if he hadn't already been doing exactly that.

“So that's it?” He leaned forward slightly.

“Yes.” The vice president looked up.

“No explanation?” Adrian held his gaze.

“The explanation is simple. The university cannot fund everyone forever.” The vice president's tone didn't change.

Adrian held his gaze for a moment before slowly nodding, but the movement was more controlled than accepting.

He didn't believe a word of it. The vice president refused to meet his eyes for more than a second at a time, and that was all Adrian needed to know that there was more going on here than some vague budget issue. This wasn't a real explanation. It was a script. A neat little performance. One he'd probably given to other students before Adrian walked in, and maybe one he'd give again after Adrian left.

Adrian's fingers had started curling against the armrest of the chair.

“I'm done here then?”

“Yes.”

The vice president gave a small nod and lowered his eyes back to the papers, already acting like the conversation had ended exactly the way he wanted it to.

Adrian stood, the chair scraping softly against the carpet.

Then Adrian looked down at the desk, at the folder, at the neat stack of scholarship records sitting beside it, and something about the sight made his stomach turn colder than the air-conditioning in the room.

It was not canceled, but transfer… taken… stolen.

Adrian's jaw tightened.

He turned toward the door, then paused with his hand on the knob and looked back one last time.

The vice president was already sitting again, already opening another folder, already behaving as though Adrian had simply been another problem he had finished dealing with.

Adrian's mouth twitched slightly.

I see it now. I haven't just lost a scholarship. I have been robbed for one.

The thought sat in his chest like a stone.

For a second, he imagined dragging the truth into the light so hard that the whole office cracked open around it.

Instead, he let go.

“Thank you for your time.” He said. The words came out so calm that even he almost believed them.

Then he opened the door and walked out.

“What happened in there?” Kaitlyn looked up the moment he stepped into the hallway.

“Let’s go to the library.” Adrian's face was blank when he looked at her, but his voice had already gone cold.

“Adrian. What happened?” Kaitlyn frowned, because she could tell from the look on his face that whatever had just happened in that office was far worse than a simple conversation.

“Not here.” He started walking.

That was all he said, and the way he said it made her stop asking questions for the moment.

She gave him a small nod and fell into step beside him, her silence showing that she had already understood something important: whatever the vice president had told Adrian, it had hit him hard.