Chapter 15 — Pride And Scholarship

Although the relationship with Minh Khoi has been repaired, the financial pressure from her mother's treatment continues to weigh heavily on Hoai An. The doctor informed that Ms. Hanh's condition needs to be monitored more closely in the future, which means that treatment costs will continue to increase.

Meanwhile, the school's regulations limiting overtime hours have not yet had an official response to Hoai An's application for consideration of special cases, leaving her in a dilemma - if she complies with the regulations, she will not have enough income to cover expenses; But if she continues to work overtime beyond the prescribed hours, she is at risk of having her scholarship revoked for violation.

One evening, after returning from the hospital, exhausted both physically and mentally, Hoai An sat alone in her room, holding a pen to write an application to leave school, planning to switch to a full-time job to be able to pay her mother's hospital bills. She understands that this is a painful decision, but in the current situation, she does not see any other way out.

At that moment, Lan Phuong stopped by to visit and happened to see the unfinished application on the desk. “What are you planning to do?” she asked, her voice filled with panic when she read the contents.

“I have no other choice,” Hoai An replied, her voice tired, almost exhausted, “my mother urgently needs money for treatment, I can no longer study and earn enough money according to the school's work hour limit.”

"You can't give up like that," Lan Phuong protested, her voice determined, "you have tried so much to get this scholarship, you can't give up all your efforts because of a temporary difficulty."

"This is not a temporary difficulty," Hoai An replied, tears began to flow, "this is my mother's survival. I cannot be selfish and only think about my own dreams while my mother needs me more than ever."

Lan Phuong immediately called Minh Khoi and her homeroom teacher to tell the news, not wanting to let Hoai An make a hasty decision at a time when her psychology was so severely depressed. Within half an hour, Minh Khoi and his homeroom teacher were at Hoai An's house.

"You can't give up," the teacher said, her voice was stern but full of concern, "the school is carefully reviewing your application, and Mr. Quang is also actively lobbying the board of directors to reconsider the regulations. You need to be patient a little more."

“But I can't wait any longer,” Hoai An replied, her voice choked up, “my mother needs money right now, I can't let her suffer just because I'm still pursuing a distant dream.”

"Your dream is not far away," Minh Khoi spoke up, kneeling down in front of Hoai An, holding her hand, his eyes filled with sincerity, "and your mother, I firmly believe, also doesn't want to see you give it up just because of her. Let us help you find another way, don't rush to make a decision that will make you regret it for the rest of your life."

The homeroom teacher sat down next to Hoai An, her voice softened. "I understand how much pressure you are under," she said, "but I want you to remember that education is the most sustainable way for you to change your family's situation in the long run. If you drop out of school now, even though you can solve the immediate difficulties, in the future, your chances of having a stable job and income will be limited. better to take long-term care of the mother will be greatly reduced.”

Hoai An listened, those words seemed to awaken a part of her reason that was being overwhelmed by panicked emotions. “But what should I do now?” she asked, her voice still filled with helplessness.

"I will immediately contact the school's social work department," the teacher said, "the school has an emergency support fund for students in particularly difficult circumstances, which can temporarily support part of the costs while waiting for the official decision on your application for special case review."

This information surprised Hoai An. “I didn't know the school had such a fund,” she said, her voice somewhat relieved.

“This fund is usually not widely advertised,” the teacher explained, “because the amount is limited, only for truly urgent cases. But in your case, I believe it will definitely qualify for approval.”

Lan Phuong, sitting quietly listening throughout the conversation, also added her opinion. “Besides, I have collected nearly two hundred signatures supporting you,” she said, “I think, with such overwhelming support, the school board will have a hard time rejecting your application.”

Hoai An looked around at the loving faces surrounding her - the dedicated homeroom teacher, the enthusiastic Lan Phuong, and Minh Khoi who was still kneeling in front of her with steadfast eyes. A feeling of warmth and deep gratitude welled up in her heart, gradually dispelling the despair that had enveloped her over the past few days.

“Thank you everyone,” she said, her voice choked with tears, but this time they were tears of emotion and hope, “I... I won't drop out of school. I will wait for the review results, and work with everyone to find ways to overcome the difficulties ahead."

Minh Khoi stood up, squeezed her hand, his eyes filled with relief. “Thank you for trusting us,” he said, “we will get through this difficult time together, I promise you that.”

The homeroom teacher smiled and nodded in agreement with this wise decision. "I will immediately expedite the approval of the emergency support fund for you," she said. "You can rest assured to focus on studying and taking care of your mother, I will take care of all the remaining procedures."

After the teacher and Lan Phuong left, only Minh Khoi stayed a while longer, helping Hoai An clean up the unfinished school leave application, tearing it into small pieces and putting it in the trash as a way to officially end his intention to give up his dream in the last moment of weakness.

“Thank you for coming in time,” Hoai An said, sitting down next to Minh Khoi, a feeling of relief spreading throughout his body after an emotionally tumultuous evening.

“I'm just glad I made it in time,” Minh Khoi replied, gently holding her hand, “I can't imagine how it would feel if you really gave up your dream just because of this temporary difficult situation.”

“Sometimes, pressure makes people no longer see the road ahead clearly,” Hoai An said, her voice thoughtful, “I'm grateful that there are people like you, like Lan Phuong, like teachers, always ready to pull me back when I'm about to go astray.”

Minh Khoi smiled and squeezed her hand tighter. “That's what people who truly care about you will always do,” he said, “and I believe, with this solidarity, any difficulties ahead, no matter how great, we will be able to overcome together.”

Two days Later, the school's emergency support fund officially approved Hoai An's application for review, supporting a significant portion of her mother's treatment costs while waiting for the official results of the regulations limiting overtime hours. This good news comes at the right time, giving Hoai An more time and space to rebalance life without having to make hasty, regrettable decisions.

When she told her mother the news during the next hospital visit, Ms. Hanh, although still weak, was able to sit up and talk to her daughter, holding Hoai An's hand tightly with emotional eyes. "I heard Lan Phuong tell the story about you planning to drop out of school," she said, her voice shaking, "I'm glad you didn't do that. I'd rather suffer a little longer than see you give up your future for me."

"I know mom," Hoai An replied, tears welling up again, but this time they were happy tears, "I promise to never let that happen again. I will try my best to help both of us get through this difficult time."

Ms. Hanh smiled and gently patted her daughter's head with her hand that had not yet completely recovered its strength. “I'm proud of you,” she said, “not only because of your academic achievements, but because you always know how to get up after every fall, and always find the strength to keep moving forward, no matter how difficult the road is.”

That warm moment closed a turbulent chapter in Hoai An's journey at Royal School, to open a new stage where she will continue to face the challenges that lie ahead, but now, with a stronger heart, a more reliable support network, and a deeper belief in her own value, she is ready to move on to the next stage of this meaningful journey.