Episode 9

The following day felt strangely different. I woke up feeling oddly light-hearted, despite the early morning stress of class. It was probably because I kept thinking about the ride with Professor Sungit. I couldn't shake the image of her smirk and the way her voice had softened just before I left the car. She wasn’t the robot-like professor I thought she was—there was more to her, and I wanted to know more.

But as I made my way to class, I couldn’t help but remind myself that I had to keep a certain distance. It was easy to get lost in overthinking, especially when I found myself curious about someone like her. But she was still my professor, and I couldn’t let myself forget that.

I arrived a bit early, walking through the empty hallway. The familiar smell of freshly brewed coffee wafted from the faculty lounge, but I didn’t stop. I just kept walking, trying to shake the thoughts that kept swirling in my head.

It seems like I’m early today, huh? I’m not usually this early, especially when I’m going in alone. Usually, when I have to go in early, it’s with Jenna.

The hallway was quiet and empty, the only sound echoing was the soft footsteps I made as I walked towards the classroom. I wasn't used to being this early, let alone being in the hallway alone. I usually walked with Jenna, but she was still back at the dorms, probably still asleep. I couldn't help but feel a bit out of place, the silence making the butterflies in my stomach feel even more intense.

As I turned the corner, I saw the familiar wooden door to the classroom. The butterflies in my stomach fluttered even more as I thought about what lay beyond that door.

I peeked through the door and saw Professor Sungit. Wow, she’s early too.

It was a bit surprising to see her there before everyone else, especially since she usually arrives just in time for class. She was sitting at her desk, going through some papers, her usual serious expression on her face.

I hesitated for a moment, not sure if I should go in yet or just wait outside. But then I figured, might as well just get it over with. I opened the door slowly and walked in, trying to act casual.

"Good morning, Professor," I said, though it felt a little odd saying it when it was still so early.

Professor Sungit glanced up from her papers, her serious expression softening for a brief moment. "Morning, Alexis," she replied, her voice steady but with a hint of acknowledgment. It was strange hearing her use my name. I wasn’t sure if she did it out of habit or if it was something else.

"What are you doing here? This isn’t even your classroom," she suddenly asked.

I blinked, a little caught off guard by the question. "Uh, yeah, I know. I just came in early. I was passing by and saw you here, so I thought I'd wait."

She raised an eyebrow, her gaze still fixed on me. "You’re sure you’re not lost?"

I chuckled nervously. "Nope, not lost. Just early, that’s all."

She seemed to consider that for a moment, then went back to sorting her papers without saying anything else. I could tell she wasn’t too interested in small talk, but I couldn’t help but feel a bit more comfortable now that we’d exchanged a few words. It was still an unusual interaction, but I wasn’t about to overthink it.

Professor Sungit continued to go through her papers, seeming completely engrossed in her task. I leaned against one of the desks, not sure if I should say something else or just stay quiet and wait for the other students to arrive. I glanced at her, studying her face. There was an air of seriousness around her, but there was something else there too, something I couldn’t quite place.

As if sensing my stare, Professor Sungit looked up at me, her eyes narrowing a little. “What? Is there something you need?” she asked, her voice betraying no emotion.

I shook my head quickly, realizing I had been staring a bit too long. "Oh, no, I'm fine. Just... waiting for class to start," I replied, a hint of nervousness in my voice. I looked away from her, trying to seem nonchalant.

She held my gaze for a few more seconds before looking back at her papers. The silence between us felt a bit awkward now, each of us not sure what to say next.

"You should go and head to your class, stop looking at me," she said, her tone as blunt as ever.

I blinked, a bit taken aback by the sudden sharpness of her words. Stop looking at her? I thought, trying to hold back a chuckle. Was she serious?

"Alright, alright," I said, a little amused, as I stood up. "No need to tell me twice."

As I walked out of the room, I couldn’t help but wonder what had gotten into her. Guess I’ll have to figure that out later, I thought with a smirk. Professor Sungit’s got some interesting ways of starting conversations.

As I walked down the hallway, the smirk on my face didn't fade. The whole interaction had felt so oddly... casual. Professor Sungit was always so serious, and to see her act that way—snapping at me one moment, but in a way that didn’t feel completely unfriendly—had me more intrigued than I cared to admit.

I couldn’t help but think about how much had changed in the short time since our last encounter. Yesterday, she was all business, sharp and detached, but today there was a little less of that steel in her demeanor, a tiny shift that made me wonder about her. She wasn’t the unapproachable professor I had always assumed she was.

It was easy to get caught up in overanalyzing things, and I knew better than to read too much into a few offhand comments, but I still couldn’t shake the feeling that something had shifted. Whether she knew it or not, she had caught me off guard.

I walked back to the hallway, trying to shake off the lingering thoughts about her and focus on the class ahead. Jenna would probably get a good laugh out of the whole situation once I told her about it later.

Still, it didn’t escape me how much my mind kept drifting back to her. I reminded myself again to keep my distance—she was still my professor, after all. But the curiosity that had bloomed inside me, unbidden, was harder to ignore than I expected.

I took a deep breath, making my way back to the classroom once more. I had no idea what to expect now, but I was starting to realize that sometimes, it wasn’t about the class material at all—it was about figuring out the people who were part of it.

:))

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