Reaching for the Stars

Chapter 42: One's Own Way

Just a subtopic again for chapter 2, but Max couldn't find the will to do it. Ugh, thesis was really complicated. Tom told him that it was just a big essay, and in a way, he was right, but he did not specify just how big it was actually.

Leaning on the chair, Max wiped his face, fighting the urge to open OurTube instead. He'd been slacking away already. A 5-minute break turned out to be a 45-minute one.

Anyway, the wolf had given him his thesis draft, the one which he was going to defend, and... he couldn't really understand the content. He made sure to follow the structure and important points. Grammar and sentence constructions, on the other hand, he might need to consult with Tom before submitting his draft. The dog sighed and gripped his head; he really was not a match for the wolf.

Tom did win a national conference, after all. Such a smart guy he was. Dumb Max for not asking for more study sessions. That way they could've spent more time together.

Uh, yeah... more time together. Anyway—

Before he could ponder more about the wolf, the door opened and someone came inside. Max didn't turn around; maybe it was just his roommate going back from classes or from his baseball exercise. Max expected him to throw himself to bed and rant about how cold was it to do exercise and the indoor courts didn't help at all. It would be a welcome distraction.

What he didn't expect was a familiar scent entering his nose, a pile of books being dumped next to his laptop with a lunchbox on top of it, and someone ruffling his head fur before throwing themselves to the bed.

Wait,

"Eat something, you look dead."

Wait,

Max turned his head and sure enough, he saw his brother splayed on the bed, playing with his phone like he owned the place.

"H-Hans?"

"The one and only."

"What are you doing here?!"

"Saving you from thesis, duh." he didn't even look up.

"Wuh... what? What are you even doing in Barrowisle?!"

Hans rolled his eyes and looked at him as if he were told to state the obvious. "Do I need a reason to go pay my lil bro a visit?"

"That's beside the point!"

He then stood up and walked towards the door. "'Kay then, if lil bro don't want me here I'll go back home."

"Wait—"

"Nooo~! My little brother kicked me out!" He did a fake cry and tried to pull his hand from Max's grab.

"You think you're funny, huh?"

"You know I am." He turned around and flicked his brother's ear, then pushed him to sit back on the chair. "Eat, and I brought you some books for your thesis."

Max just sat back down, too confused at the situation. His brother was here, okay... wait what?

He looked at the lunchbox. It was still the same lunchbox Hans brought for him when he was in high school. "Did you bring me food all the way from home?"

"'Course not. Octo was kind enough to lend me his kitchen." The darker-furred dog laughed. "And now I'm gonna make sure you actually do your thesis."

Max looked at him, then back at the lunchbox, then back at him. Then he facepalmed. "What do I do with you?"

"Take me somewhere! Your guest wishes to be served to the Max."

"Did you just make a pun on my name?" He groaned. "That's horrible, disgusting. Eugh!"