Human (An Oc insert of Beastars!)

Chapter 30 - A Newer Life

The sterile hum of fluorescent lights buzzed faintly overhead, casting a cold, clinical glow across the underground office. Rows of filing cabinets and stacks of paperwork surrounded Dr. Henry Mason, the distinguished red deer whose sharp antlers seemed to punctuate every word he spoke. Behind his desk sat a well-worn leather chair, and behind that, a wall lined with framed accolades and pictures from his decades of service to the government, but his most prized possession is a picture of him and David together.
Across from him sat David. His hair looked presentable, trying to appeal to his father that he had everything under control, his hands clasped tightly together. Despite the tension in his posture, his blue eyes burned with determination. Henry was reviewing a document, a notice of separation, it meant David wanted to drop out of school.
"So, you're really doing this...?"

Henry said, leaning back in his chair. His voice was calm, but his piercing gaze pinned David like an arrow to a target. Henry is normally calm in other situations, but he feels David may be throwing his future away. David nods, certain of what he's doing, fingers tightening

"Yes. I've made up my mind. I can't stay at Cherryton anymore. It's not where I belong."

Henry let out a long breath through his nose, folding his hands together. His desk, immaculate except for a stack of freshly-sorted documents, stood as a symbol of his methodical nature. He prided himself on precision and planning. This decision from David, clearly threw that balance into chaos.

"And your plan? Drop out of school, leave behind the one stable environment you're familiar with, and... what? Where will you go, David? What will you do?"

David was feeling slightly frustrated Henry was against the idea of him leaving school. He figured if it's something he wanted, the parent would support it.

"I'll figure it out, but for now, I need a place of my own. That's why I came here. I need your help, er, financial help. Just enough to get started."

The weight of the words hung in the air, heavy and unyielding. Henry's tired eyes studied David carefully, as if searching for cracks in his resolve. When he found none, his expression softened, though his voice would groan as he spoke.

"You're asking me to support you in abandoning everything I've worked hard to give you. Do you understand how difficult that is for me to hear?"

David leaned back slightly, his expression pained but resolute.

"I know it's not what you wanted for me, but staying at Cherryton... it doesn't feel right anymore. I feel like if I stay, my decisions are going to get people hurt. I want to be out and free, figure out who I am"

Henry tapped his fingers against the desk, his gaze never leaving David. Finally, after a long silence, he sighed.

"You're being stubborn... But if this is the path you've chosen, I won't stop you. I'll help you, on one condition."

David leaned forward eagerly, waiting to hear what his dad wanted him to do.

"You don't cut ties. You call me. You let me know where you are, what you're doing. I may not agree with this decision, but I still want to be your father."

David's shoulders relaxed slightly, a small smile breaking through the tension.

"Deal."

Henry would then pull his checkbook out of his inner coat pocket, clicking his pen with a heavy sigh, signing off David's notice of separation and then the check book

"Alright then. Let's see how much your freedom is going to cost me."

As Henry scribbled down the amount, David exhaled, the weight of his decision settling more firmly on his shoulders. This wasn't just a financial transaction, it was a promise, an unspoken agreement that no matter where his journey took him, he'd always have a connection to the one constant in his life: the red deer who had taken him in when no one else would.