Saix had been on his way out of class when, surprisingly, his professor had called him back. It was nearly enough for him to raise a brow at, if he hadnât been worried about being disrespectful. All of his professors were rather easy to deal with, especially for a student like him â he came, he listened, he took notes, he did his work, he turned it in on time. There were no problems to be had. Well, that was what he thought, at least.
Instead of getting out, grabbing a coffee and reviewing some notes before he went back to his room, he stood in front of his professorâs desk and received a lecture. On how they were âworriedâ â âyou donât get along with any of your classmates, Saix, you hardly talk unless itâs required of youâ â âand not to mentionâŚâ
He hated every second of it. Especially that last comment. While the statement had been retracted and they had gone on about some other reason they were worried about him, it wasnât hard to deduce what they meant. Even though it was out of genuine goodwill and concern, all he wanted to do was forget about⌠all that, but it seemed at every turn something was intent to remind him.
His attempts to convince his professor that things were fine with him only seemed to lead to more doubt and more probing questions. Eventually, he acquiesced, wanting to just get out of that room and breathe some fresh air. They turned around, wrote up a quick email, and then gave him a card with instructions that he hastily thanked them for before speeding his way out of the classroom.
Saix walked across the entire quad to get some space of his own before he allowed himself to settle on a bench. He nearly felt like he was about combust from all the built up anxiety.
âŚAfter giving himself a few moments to calm down, he thought that perhaps it wouldnât be the worst thing in the world just to have a chat with someone. And he had been assured that this⌠Professor Wilhelm would be understanding.
Well, he could certainly give it a try, and if he decided he just wanted to go home and ignore that this day had happened, he could do that, too.
When the time came, Saix made sure he was in front of Professor Wilhelmâs door. He took a deep breath, steadying himself, before he knocked. He was met with an almost instant greeting, which almost made him feel more nervous, but he let himself in nonetheless.
âHello, sir. Uh⌠My name is Saix? One of my professors asked me to meet you here at this time.â
  Reinhardtâs eyes scanned the person in front of him, and to the picture he saw when he looked up the student on the collegeâs website. Yep, this was Saix. He wasnât too sure if they would show up today, but Rein wouldnât have blamed them: talking to a professor that youâve never had a class with wouldâve scared the shit outta him too. Reinhardt mentally commended the boy and his courage.
  Putting on a big smile, âAh! Hello there Mr. Saix, Iâve been expecting you! Please, sit down!â
  Reinhardt crossed one of his legs and adjusted to see the boy properly. He did seem nervous, but hopefully he could help him in any way he could.
  Lowering his tone a little, to show he was being serious, âBut, yes Mr. Saix, your professor did reach out to me to ask that I speak with you about your...behavior? I donât believe that is the right word, but maybe it will come to be. After looking through your professorâs notes, they really do seem to worry about you. Before we talk about these notes: I want to know more about you. So, and I know this is probably the most awkward thing youâve done in your life, but I want you to talk about yourself for a bit, that way I can get to know you a little bit more, and not just assume everything.â
  Taking a little breath, Reinhardt nodded his head at Saix, ready to listen.
