“Alright, for the first 30 minutes, I want you all to turn to page 55 and read until the end of the chapter.” The instructor took their seat and began silently taking roll. They pointed at each student, counting heads to ensure everyone was present. When they got to the last name on their list, Ayliea Zimmers, the instructor paused.

  Ayliea was hunched over her desk in a black dress with white stripes, whispering to my star student, Kay Olaiz.

  For the past few weeks, Kay had been arriving in class with Ayliea and sitting farther from her usual front-row seat, gravitating toward the back row, where Ayliea had claimed her comfort zone. The instructor hadn’t commented yet; Kay’s participation and grades remained stellar, so they held onto the hope that Ayliea might start participating more too.

  Putting their pen down for a moment, the instructor debated whether to intervene. Curiosity won out, and they decided to observe instead.

  Kay’s eyes shifted left to right as she turned a page in the novel, a frown tugging at her lips. The subject matter was heavy, unpleasant, and challenging. Ayliea, thinking herself sly, leaned toward Kay, reaching for her hoodie sleeve and whispering, “Are we still hanging out today?”

  The instructor almost missed it—Kay swatted Ayliea’s hand away with swift precision, whispering a sharp “Shh!” in return. Ayliea’s face reddened, and she slumped over her desk, pretending to read, likely worried she’d been caught.

  The instructor smiled faintly. Kay’s focus on her notes suggested the moment had passed. Satisfied, they returned their attention to the monitoring software on their desk. But as the instructor scrolled, their smile faded. Their brow furrowed.

  Kay had torn a page out of her book and slid it toward Ayliea.

  The move was so fast it could’ve been missed, but not by Ayliea. She flinched, batting the page to the floor in visible frustration.

  Now the instructor had no choice but to step in.

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  Walking between the desks, they bent down and picked up the paper. Without so much as a glance, they carried it to their desk, where it was unceremoniously shoved into a drawer. A quick tap on the desk brought the live screen to life beside the classroom’s ancient green boards.

  As the instructor began lecturing, they couldn’t help but notice Kay glaring at Ayliea. A low sigh escaped her lips. Meanwhile, Ayliea tilted her tablet upward, burying herself behind it to avoid eye contact.

  Frustrated, the instructor turned their back to the class and gestured at the model diagram on the board.

  “Whatever. It’s fine. We’ll just ask for that back after. They aren’t a mean teacher,” Kay muttered, resting her hand lightly on Ayliea’s forearm.

  Catching herself in the tender moment, Kay pulled her hand away and finished reading the chapter. “Sorry,” she whispered.

  “You don’t have to be sorry,” Ayliea replied softly, her fingers finding Kay’s hand.

  “Stop it!” Kay hissed, yanking her hand back.

  Ayliea reached out again, this time more forcefully. “No, this is stupid.”

  Kay pulled her hand close to her chest and sat up straight, fixing her gaze on the board. “We’ll talk about this later.”

  “I’m sorry,” Ayliea said, inching her chair closer.

  “Later.”

  As the lecture concluded, the assignment was sent out to the students’ tablets. While the class worked quietly, the instructor reopened the drawer and unfolded the page.

  ‘I’m sorry, but you know we can’t do this in public. My parents could find out, and we’re bad for branding.

  So what do you think I should do?’

  The instructor sighed. While not illegal, despite the efforts of the so-called “God Emperor” back in 2025, the relationship could devastate the Olaiz family if others found out. The Olaiz family relied heavily on religious donors, and their image mattered above all else. They would probably disown their child if they found out about a romance with a Zimmers.

  With the grace of a newborn deer, the instructor stood. Their hip popped audibly, dislocating before slipping back into place. A soft warning screen appeared behind their eyelids:

  ‘Right hip: Model Zim224. Error detected. Please seek maintenance.’

  Under the guise of checking on their students, they approached the back row. Stopping near the pair, the instructor shredded the note with a flourish, dropping the pieces into the wall’s recycling slot. As the fragments disappeared, they glanced back at the pair in the corner. Some things, they thought, one day the city will attack you for this. But, that doesn’t have to be today.