Episode 18

As I sat in the cafeteria, picking at my food, my thoughts continued to spiral. Watching Professor Sungit from afar felt like an unintentional habit at this point. There was something magnetic about her presence—something I couldn’t explain, no matter how much I tried.

“Stop it, Alexis,” I muttered to myself, shaking my head. But my gaze still flickered back to her. She carried her tray to a table by the window, her movements poised and confident. Alone, she sat down and started eating, her focus entirely on her meal.

For some reason, that made her feel more human—less like the intimidating figure who stood at the front of the lecture hall, and more like someone… approachable.

I caught myself mid-thought and frowned. No, she’s not approachable. She’s Professor Sungit, for crying out loud.

But my traitorous mind wasn’t listening.

---

After lunch, I headed to my next class, hoping the distraction would help me refocus. As I walked through the hallway, my phone buzzed in my pocket. Pulling it out, I saw a message from Jenna.

Jenna: Hey! Free after class? Let's catch up.

I smiled, glad for the distraction.

Me: Yeah, let’s hang out. Where do you wanna meet?

Her reply came almost immediately.

Jenna: Our usual spot at the library. I need coffee too.

Finally, something normal.

---

By the time I met Jenna, the afternoon sun was filtering through the library windows. We grabbed our drinks and settled into a cozy corner.

We didn’t really do much—just studied a bit. She asked to catch up, but all she did in front of me was work on her damn projects. Meanwhile, I was sitting there, zoning out and feeling sleepy. Eventually, I gave up, rested my head on the table, and said, “Wake me up when you’re done with that.”

---

When I woke up and looked up, I froze. Ms. Celeste was sitting right in front of me, typing on her laptop. I instinctively stood up, startled, and she glanced at me.

Then, out of nowhere, she laughed. What’s so funny, huh?

“Here,” she said, handing me her handkerchief.

I frowned, confused, until it hit me—I had drooled in my sleep.

I quickly wiped it off with my hand, feeling utterly embarrassed. "No need... thank you," I muttered, my voice barely audible from the shame.

I glanced around, looking for Jenna. Where is that girl? I thought angrily. She’s so dead when i get home.

“Looking for someone?” Ms. Celeste asked, her voice calm but laced with amusement. She leaned back in her chair, watching me with a slight smirk.

“J-Jenna,” I stammered, trying to avoid her gaze. “She was here earlier.”

“Well, she’s not here now,” she said, gesturing to the empty seat across from me. “She left about ten minutes ago. I believe she said something about an errand.”

I groaned internally. Of course, Jenna would leave me like this, without even bothering to wake me up.

“I see,” I mumbled, avoiding her eyes as I stuffed my things into my bag. “Thanks for, uh… the heads-up.”

As I turned to leave, Ms. Celeste’s voice stopped me. “Alexis.”

I froze. Why does my name sound so… different when she says it?

I turned slowly, meeting her steady gaze. “Yes, Professor?”

“You should take better care of yourself,” she said, her tone almost... gentle. “Falling asleep in public isn’t exactly the safest habit.”

Her words caught me off guard, and I didn’t know how to respond. Was that genuine concern? From her?

“I’ll, uh… keep that in mind,” I said awkwardly, shifting on my feet. “Thanks.”

She nodded, her expression unreadable once more.

---

Later that evening, I confronted Jenna the moment I got home.

“You left me in the library?!” I exclaimed, throwing my bag onto the couch.

Jenna looked up from her phone, completely unbothered. “You were snoring. I figured you needed the sleep.”

“I—what?! I do not snore!” I shot back, glaring at her.

“Oh, you definitely do,” she said with a grin. “But hey, at least someone looked after you.”

“What do you mean, someone?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.

“Professor Sungit,” Jenna said casually. “She walked in right after I left. She seemed... interested when I told her you were asleep.”

My jaw dropped. “You told her?!”

Jenna shrugged. “What? She asked.”

I groaned, covering my face with my hands. “Jenna, I swear…”

“Relax,” she said, patting my shoulder. “It’s not like she’s going to hold it against you or anything. Honestly, I think she might’ve been worried.”

I froze at her words. Worried? Her?

“Anyway,” Jenna continued, “you’re welcome for the nap. Don’t say I never do anything for you.”

I glared at her, but deep down, a part of me couldn’t shake the memory of Ms. Celeste’s soft chuckle and her unexpected kindness. Maybe Jenna was right. Maybe… she did care, even just a little.

Or maybe I was reading too much into it.

Again.

The next few days passed in a blur of classes, assignments, and the constant internal battle between focusing on my studies and the distractions that came with thoughts of Professor Sungit. Jenna’s words kept echoing in my head, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something more to Ms. Celeste’s actions than just being polite. She wasn’t like the other professors—there was something... different about her.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to the next lecture, despite the chaos that was my schedule. That feeling of being in her presence, of hearing her voice, of watching her interact with the class— it all drew me in.

But the logical part of me, the one that had always been focused on my goals and the future, couldn’t help but remind myself: she’s your professor. You can’t let these feelings get out of hand. You have to focus, Alexis.

But as I sat in the back of the lecture hall, watching Professor Sungit walk in, my thoughts once again went blank.

---

After class, I was packing up when i looked at the window wow it's kinda raining.

As I gazed out the window, the rain started to pour, soft but steady, against the glass. The rhythmic sound of droplets hitting the window seemed to calm my racing thoughts, but it also gave me a sense of melancholy, like everything outside was mirroring the uncertainty inside my mind.

I turned to grab my bag, but before I left, I checked if I had an umbrella with me. Of course not, I’m too lazy to bring one, I thought to myself. Good thing I have my car now. I don’t want to end up in Ms. Celeste’s car again.

"Ms. Cruz? Aren’t you leaving yet? There’s no one else using the room, so I need to lock it now," Ms. Celeste said, snapping me out of my thoughts.

“Oh, yeah, sorry,” I said quickly, standing up and gathering my things. “I was just... distracted.”

Ms. Celeste gave me a soft smile, almost like she understood, before glancing at the window. “It’s really coming down out there, isn’t it?” she said, her tone light. “You sure you’re okay with driving in this?”

I froze, the sudden reminder of the rain bringing a small wave of anxiety. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. It’s just rain.”

She studied me for a moment, and I couldn’t tell if she was just being polite or if she was genuinely concerned. The last thing I needed was for her to think I couldn’t handle a little weather.

---

The next day, it was still raining heavily. It seemed like a typhoon was coming, but as usual, being a college student, the storm didn’t really affect us. Other schools had already suspended classes, especially in elementary and high school, but not us. College students, we loved the thrill of braving the rain.

Yeah, that's what they say, but seriously, I didn’t want to go to class. I might end up getting sick, charizz—okay, maybe I’m just overreacting.

The rain continued to pour outside, and as I stared at the window, I found myself dreading the walk to campus. I could already feel the cold dampness creeping into my bones, and I wasn’t in the mood to deal with wet clothes all day. Still, I couldn’t just skip class, especially with all the assignments piling up.

I grabbed my bag

I went to Jenna’s room without knocking, because let’s be real, she does the same to me. "Hey, wake up," I said, surprised that I was actually the one waking her up for once. First time for everything, I guess.

Jenna groaned as she rolled over, pulling the blanket over her head in protest. "What time is it?" she mumbled, her voice muffled by the fabric.

"Time to stop pretending you're still asleep," I replied, a hint of annoyance creeping into my voice. "It’s raining cats and dogs out there, and we have class to get to."

"Ugh, can’t you just let me sleep in?" she grumbled, throwing a pillow at me. "You know I hate rain."

"I’m not the one who stays up late binge-watching shows," I shot back, knowing full well that I wasn’t exactly one to talk, either. But she needed to wake up, and I needed a partner to suffer through the storm with me.

Jenna finally sighed, throwing the covers off and sitting up. "Fine, fine," she muttered, rubbing her eyes. "But I swear, if I catch a cold because of this, I’m blaming you."

"Sure, blame me. Just get dressed so we can get this over with." I headed back to my room to grab my things, but I could already hear her grumbling behind me.

---

When we finally got outside, the rain wasn’t showing any signs of slowing down. It seemed like the storm was just getting worse by the minute, and with each step, the cold water seeped into our shoes, making every movement feel like a chore.

Jenna glanced at me as we walked. "You’re really going through with this? You know the classes are probably gonna end early with this weather, right?"

I shrugged, trying to ignore the discomfort. "We’re already here. Plus, I need to get things done. I’ve got a ton of work to catch up on."

"Yeah, yeah," she said, shaking her head. "Always the responsible one. I’m just here for the ride."

I didn’t argue, though part of me wished I had just skipped class. The whole ordeal felt like one big inconvenience, but it was better than falling behind.

---

When we finally made it to class, I was wet through and through, my clothes sticking to me like a second skin. I tried not to think about it as I walked to my seat, glancing around to see who else had braved the storm.

Ms. Celeste walked in a few moments later, looking as poised as ever, her hair seemingly untouched by the rain. She gave a small nod to the class, but her eyes lingered on me for a brief second, probably noticing how disheveled I looked.

"Good morning, class," she started, her voice clear and steady, even with the storm outside. "I hope everyone made it here okay despite the weather. Let’s make this a productive session, shall we?"

:))

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