"Have you talked to your dad yet?" Link asks, gently caressing my leg. I look past the pages of the novel in my hands to meet his eyes.

"Not really. I'm still upset with him."

"Right."

I have been trying to avoid home for the past few days and have only been there to sleep and get ready in the morning. Other than that I spend most of my time at school or in Link's room. Like right now. He's lying on his bed, phone in hand, while I'm sitting against the wall with my legs lying across his hips.

"Are you nervous about tomorrow?" I ask him.

"No," he lies. He's been tense all day. I offered to take his mind off of tomorrow's appeal hearing but he wanted to spend the day at home.

"Have you talked to Mipha lately?"

"What?" He puts his phone down and sits up slightly.

"I'm asking, because... well, I think... Link, I don't think I can be your advocate tomorrow."

"My what?"

"Your character witness."

"Why not?"

"I'm biased."

"Isn't that the point? Someone who can tell them that I'm a good person and all that?"

"Yes, of course, but I'm your girlfriend. It may seem unprofessional."

"You're also the president's daughter though. Being a member of the Hyrulean family would technically put you against me but you'd be on my side even though it's your school who wants me gone. So, I think you're the perfect choice for my defense."

"I think it should be Mipha. She's your childhood friend, a model student, and she witnessed the fight without directly being involved in it."

"We haven't really talked much this year..."

"How come?"

"I dunno. Just haven't," he shrugs.

"Don't you miss her?"

He hesitates. Does he really have to think about it? "Yeah I guess, it's not like I don't want to see her, we just haven't talked much since the hospital. We've both been busy I guess. What does it matter?"

Why is he getting so defensive? "Never mind."

"I want you in that room with me," he concludes.

"And I want to be by your side, always. I was just thinking of other options to enhance your chances. That's all. I really don't want your expulsion to be permanent... Remember, the school doesn't know you the way I do. They don't know what we've been through together. All they know is what happened that day, not why. Having your girlfriend as your defense may be seen as amiss."

"I don't think it'd be wrong to have my girlfriend by my side," he quietly answers.

"Okay. It was just a suggestion."

"Wait..." He moves my legs and sits next to me, then he takes my hand and holds it in his lap. "I think you might be right. Maybe choosing Mipha for my character witness would be good for me but..." He looks at me, then back down at our hands. "I really want you there tomorrow. I... need you."

"I'll be there," is all I say.

"Are you done with finals?"

"My last exam is tomorrow."

"Which class?"

"Phylogenetic Biology. I'm well prepared."

"Of course you are." He plants a kiss on my hand and holds it dearly. "What time?"

"It's at 8.45 in the morning. So I will definitely make it to the appeal hearing at 3 PM."

"Okay, thank you. I really want you to be there. I guess I'm biased too," he smiles faintly. I place my head on his shoulder and stroke the back of his hand with my thumb.

"I will gladly be the one to attend your hearing. And boy, will I fight for you."

"Okay but don't yell at anyone."

"No promises."

He kisses my head. "Wanna stay the night?"

"Final exam at 8 AM," I remind him.

"Oh right. Guess you'll be here tomorrow night anyway. Got any plans for Anju's bachelorette party?"

"Kafei and Anju want both their parties to be happening at the same time at the frat house. They want to make their last party their biggest one yet."

"I know. I was wondering if there's any specific plan for it. Since you're the maid of honor and all."

"Not really. She told me everything was already planned for."

"You sure? 'Cause usually people hire strippers for those kinds of stuff," he laughs.

"Not when the fiancé is in the same room," I say, cheeks burning hot. "Anju assured me I don't have to worry about anything. All I have to do is show up, hold her hair if she throws up, and make sure nobody spills their drink on her dress. So basically everything I've been doing for Impa for the past three years."

"It'll be weird living here without Kafei and Anju. If I have to leave too, Ravioli will have the best year of his life..."

"Don't think like that. You're going to be fine. They'll hear your story and give you a second chance, I'm sure."

"Thanks. You always make me feel better."

If only he knew how much those words mean to me. He said it so lightly, his mind has likely moved on already while my whole being is clinging to those words as if they were the oxygen in my lungs, the blood in my veins. He has always been my pillar, I never thought I had the strength to do the same. But lately I have had to take on that role, and despite many struggles and failures, he seems to find comfort in my presence. 

I won't take his words for granted! Every day I will strive to make it a day he enjoys.

"You too," I return with flushed cheeks and a wide smile, keeping my thoughts to myself.

✤ ✤ ✤

As I am taking my final exam, my mind fights the urge to focus on Link's upcoming hearing. I studied a lot to perform well on this test and land a high score, so I am not completely appalled by the distraction happening in my mind.

I answer the questions at a decent speed and am the first to finish. Now I'm just double-checking the backs of each paper to make sure they're all blank, then I hand in my final and quietly step out of the classroom. When I turn my phone back on, I receive a message from Link and instantly open his chat, horrified by the many dreadful things that could have happened in the past two hours.

*Hey, lmk how the final goes*, it reads, with a kissy emoji.

I sigh in relief and answer, *I have a good feeling.*

It takes him a few minutes, but by the time I reach the exit of the building, he sends a text back. *Proud of you!*

*Are you all set for the hearing?* I ask on my way to the sports fields.

*Think so*, he answers. 

His words are lacking confidence. I'm sure he's nervous. It's understandable, this is a big deal. Today's hearing will decide over his future. Goodness, I'm probably more nervous than him.

I spot Urbosa from far away and as I am approaching, she sees me too and waves at me. Her track team is currently practicing pole jump and hurdles. I walk up to her with a wide smile and bring my hand up to my forehead to shield my eyes from the sun as I look up at her.

"Hello, Little Bird," she smiles down at me.

"Hey Urbosa, how are you?"

"I can't complain." She looks down on her stopwatch, then back at her hurdlers. "Are you done with classes already?"

"Yes, I just got out of my last final."

"Really? You must feel at ease now that finals week is over! Are you satisfied with your answers?"

"For now," I nod. "It feels... strange... I'm done with my first year of college. I don't know, I kind of expected it to feel different. In a way, it's comparable to birthdays. Even though we celebrate the ending and beginning of a year, whether academic or not, nothing really changes overnight."

"At least we get to take breaks from college," she laughs, one hand on her hip. "Depending on how far we make it in the championship, my summer break will be delayed. Last week lots of my athletes came in first at a track event and a good handful are going to compete at the nationals this year."

"Wow, congratulations! That's amazing!"

"It truly is," she says, smiling with pride at the team in front of us. "Are you headed home?"

"No, I will go to the library and start preparing for next semester while I wait."

"Wait for what?" Right, I haven't even told her about Link's expulsion yet. I didn't want to tell anyone, because if it all gets resolved, nobody will have to know about it. While I'm visibly struggling to find a good answer that doesn't require a lie, Urbosa asks another question. "It's good that you're here, I've been meaning to ask you something. I know it's short notice but I was hoping you could look after Riju tomorrow night."

"Oh, I–I actually can't. I'm sorry."

"No worries, I should have asked sooner. Of course a beautiful young girl has already made plans for a Saturday night."

"I am actually attending a wedding tomorrow."

"Interesting. May I ask if I know who's to be wed?"

"Link's roommate; Kafei. I doubt you've met. He is not an athlete."

"I see, I'm assuming Link will be there too?"

"Indeed," I blush. We haven't really talked about Link at all. I can tell she wants to tease me about it but she has been trying not to overstep a line. And I'm certainly not going to bring it up first.

"Don't forget to catch the bouquet, it's good luck."

"Good luck?" I arch a brow. "You do know that the superstition of catching the bouquet is that that person will be the next to get married, right?"

With a hearty laugh, she puts her hand on my shoulder and gives me a smug expression. "So go on and catch it if it's just a superstition."

Just as I come up with a way to respond, my phone vibrates and I look at the screen. It's rude to text while talking to someone, and I would surely ignore the notification if it was anyone other than Link. I unlock my phone and read his text without hesitation.

*Can I come hang out with you till the meeting?*

"Urbosa, I have to get going, Link wants to meet with me."

"Give him my regards," she smiles.

"I will, thank you. Good luck with practice!"

I leave the track and head to the parking lot until Link gets here. I worry for him, I worry beyond the hearing. I worry that he is scared of the outcome and ashamed of his actions. I'm not sure how to take those burden away but I will do everything in my power to help him stay at this school.

When Link arrives, I walk up to his car and give him a hug after he gets out. He looks tired. I don't bother asking how he's doing, I can sense he is anxious.

"Thanks for... hanging out with me," he says, scratching the back of his head.

"Anytime. How would you like to spend the remainder of our time?"

"Can we just sit somewhere and go over what I should say during the hearing?"

"Of course, anything you want."

Link walks me to the soccer stadium. It's deserted. We find a seat in the stands and quietly discuss his defense strategy. We don't have much, barely anything really, but I pray it will be enough to convince the board of members to give Link a second chance, well third chance.

"Even if they let me stay, they might take my scholarship away..." Link quietly says after our fourth run-through.

"It's a full-ride scholarship, right?

"Yeah and I definitely can't afford HU without it..."

"I can help. I can pay your tuition, Link."

He gives a chuckle of ridicule. There is no hiding his despair. „Do you know how much tuition is?"

"Around $50,000."

"Yeah, maybe for you. It's that but times two for international students."

"100 thousand dollars?" I gasp

"A little less. But yeah roughly 100 K."

"Why is it so expensive for you?" Link shrugs. „Well, the offer still stands."

"I'm not going to borrow a tenth of a million dollars from you."

"You're not borrowing, it would be a gift."

"That's even worse."

"Why? It's a gift, you can't decline."

"If the gift has the same value as a house then yes, I'm declining."

"Fine, it's not a gift, it's a scholarship. A sponsorship."

"Zelda, no. Thank you, it's really sweet, but no."

I wrap my arms around his torso and place my head near his heart as I let out a sigh. "I didn't really expect you to accept. I just don't want you to lose something you care about... I want you to be happy so badly."

"I appreciate it. You're already doing so much for me though. You don't even realize how happy you make me." He kisses my forehead and holds me for a while longer.

At 2:45 PM we finally make our way back to the main building where we meet Father at the provost's office. With a pounding heart, we step inside the hearing room and take a seat at a table, looking at 5 intimidating board members sitting across from us. I only recognize three people in the room; Link, Father, and the student representative.

The meeting begins and Link and I tense up. Every second of silence seems to be sucking the air out of the room. I can hear the sound of my breaths competing with the thumping of my heart. My nails dig into my thighs as I try to prevent them from shaking. I am as nervous as if it was I who had to defend myself.

The man sitting in the center asks Link to either accept or refuse responsibility for a list of violations, then he continues to mention the letter that was sent to Link and the fact that he never attended the expulsion hearing. Link politely waits for him to finish before he cautiously begins admitting to his mistake of opening the letter when it was already too late and apologizes for missing the expulsion hearing.

I can tell by their looks and lack of words that they're surprised by Link's calm and sincere behavior. They probably expected him to either be violent or inappropriately quiet. But Link is a kind-hearted, witty man, and I wish they could see that too. Hopefully by the end of this meeting their perspective will have changed completely.

"We appreciate your apology, Link," one of the elders says in a grave tone as she folds her hands. "However... Here at Hyrule University we value a sense of home, we want our students and staff to feel welcomed. But in order to make a place feel welcomed, it must feel safe. And as much as I regret to say this, our students do not feel safe with you on campus. We have received excessive amounts of complaints from worried parents who now question whether they invested in the right school."

I can't listen to this. They make it sound as if Link is a criminal when in reality he got tricked into a fight by disproportioned facts and ended up paying for it all while the real criminals got off easy. Link only nods and looks down, not saying a word. I gather all my courage and speak with just enough confidence to hide the slight quiver in my voice.

"With all due respect, if you wish for Link to be honest during this hearing, you should exhibit the same decency and admit that it is not solely the safety of the students you care about, but the public image of the school that has been tarnished by Link's actions. I'm not saying his behavior was right or justified, or that his actions didn't hurt the school's appeal, but if you mark him as a perpetrator I must disagree not only as someone who admires Link for his sportsmanship and character but as someone who has been there by his side during the highs and lows of the past year.
Even during the times he was consumed by despair, he prioritized everyone else before himself. Link takes loyalty extremely seriously and hardly ever puts himself first. Beyond that, his heart is purer than that of the majority of students at this school. I've met a lot of people during my freshman year but no one has shown as much generosity and courage as Link. He has fought every day to reach beyond expectations. Mentally as well as physically. And never did he do it for himself. Every sacrifice he made, he made for all of us. Hyrule University is a vastly praised school, yes, but if you expel Link, you'll lose half its merit. Because Link is by far the most selfless person at this school and the most kind-hearted person I have ever met. He is the heart of Hyrule.
I'm aware that you aren't familiar with his character, that's why I am here as his character witness, but if you truly believe that he is a dangerous man and that the school would be better off without him, then you should question your discernment. With unwavering confidence, I can attest that Link would never hurt one of our students or anyone else without rational reasoning."

"If that is true, please enlighten us in your reasoning for starting a fight with Karusa Valley on February 22nd," one of the men says to Link.

Father and Link both give me the exact same look. A look that requests consent to share my secret. But I remain silent and avoid their eyes by staring at my lap. 

Link replies with wariness. "That's personal."

I know I could help him by speaking up about Karusa's revolting behavior toward girls but... I just can't bring myself to talk about it in a room full of judgmental strangers, especially with the majority being male. I clench my fists beneath the table and tense my jaw, trying to force the words out. My heart is beating in my throat. I can't do it... It's not possible. The harder I try, the more knots tie my tongue. I'm sorry, Link... I'm not as brave as you...

"Is there anything you'd like to say on your behalf before we move forward?" The man asks Link while the student representative takes notes.

We practiced this question. I know he has an answer memorized but for some reason, he appears to be doubting himself. Why is he hesitating? He's not going to just give up and accept his fate, is he? He belongs to this school! Even if he disagrees, I know he has earned his spot at HU.

"I..." Link looks down at his hands as he collects his thoughts. "I messed up." That's not what we rehearsed! "When I got accepted to HU, I made a promise. I promised you guys I'd always fight for this school. I know you didn't mean like this. Not with my fists. I won't even argue that what I did was wrong. And even if I told you what started the fight, it wouldn't excuse what I did. And I don't think there's anything I could say to make up for it. People got hurt. And as much as I'd like to say that that wasn't my intention, I did throw the first punch so... um..."

He's trying to remember... I can tell... But he hasn't been able to recover that memory and quite frankly, I don't think he will... That might be for the best. It was a traumatizing day and if I could, I would forget it too.

"My actions caused so many bad consequences..." The volume of Link's voice has shrunk. "For a while I even forgot who I was. But even then, I never broke my promise. Every step I've taken before and after the coma was for Hyrule. And despite everything that happened, I still want to keep my promise. I want to keep fighting for this school... I will work so much harder than before and take the soccer and baseball teams to the nationals next year and the year after. At least I want to try. And I want to bring pride back to Hyrule."

He exhales a timid breath. His eyes are studying his own hands but does he know that he is holding the silence of the entire room?

"I'm pretty sure you guys have already made up your minds about my expulsion... but..." He looks up at the members now. "But the person you expelled isn't the same person that is sitting in front of you. I'm not the guy who got into that fight. That person doesn't exist anymore."

My eyes are drawn to his words. In agony, I try to figure out what he means by that. Everything he is saying sounds so genuine. Does this mean he has been pretending to remember his past? Is he not who he claims to be? I'm confused. Who is he if the person I fell in love with doesn't exist anymore?

"I will fight every day to earn back your trust and respect. I swear, I'm more determined than ever. And I'll do everything I can to be a good student inside and outside the classroom."

"And I'm sure many other schools in the country will count themselves lucky to have a student as dedicated as you," the man returns in a grave tone.

Link shakes his head faintly. "Hyrule is more than just a school to me though. It's my home. It's exactly how you said it. It feels safe and welcoming and... I want to be part of why it feels that way. I want to protect it... That's all I want."

"Thank you, Link. We will take that into consideration while we make our final decision," the man says to us before putting down his pen. "If that is all, we will now proceed to determine whether or not you may continue your studies at this institution. The decision will be fair, based on all the information provided, including your and Miss Hyrule's statements. Please step out of the room. Our decision shouldn't take longer than 15 minutes."