SOUR

'Feels like that weight is on my back,'

milli

It's 10:15, the meeting was supposed to start at 10. I text Sunwoo to see if he's coming, but no response. In fact, he hasn't texted at all, or tried to call since our kiss. It's starting to eat away at my insides.

I bite my nail until Professor Young jogs over.

"So sorry, Milli, got stuck in traffic." He says and unlocks his classroom.

"It's okay," I answer and we go into his lecture hall. "Did you hear anything from Sunwoo? Why isn't he here yet?"

"Oh." he says and takes a seat at his chair. The chair is much higher than mine. It feels as if he's looking down at me. "Sunwoo actually isn't coming. The meeting is just for you and me."

So that explains why Sunwoo seemed so confused about it yesterday. I shouldn't have assumed he was just blowing it off.

"Oh... sure, then why are we meeting again?" I ask skeptically.

"Just to do a progress check." He brings a file of papers out of his drawer. "Come over here."

I stand next to him as he sits in his leather chair and organizes the papers in front of me.

"Aren't these his grades? I don't think I'm allowed to be looking at these," I say.

"Don't worry, it's quite alright to look." He answers in a low voice.

"Er... okay," I scan the papers, not really sure what I'm looking at here. The progress has been none at all, in fact the test scores have gotten worse for the both of us.

"See I asked you to help me out here," he says.

"I-I'm sorry we didn't really work out a formal study plan, and then we went on break so there's no real-"

"I don't care about Sunwoo. I care about you."

The hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I refuse to look him in the eye but I know he's looking at me.

"I think, you could use some help from me directly, seeing as your grades are slipping." He says.

"Slipping? I've gotten a few B's, and thats all." I say.

"Is there a distraction in your life? Maybe Sunwoo?"

"N-no! It's... I should go," I say.

"I think you need a little motivation, that's what I think." He says.

When I glance at his eyes I see a hunger. I see someone who won't listen to me if I say no. Someone who's called me here to be alone. He may think I'm dumb, but I'm not, and I have that to my advantage.

"What are you doing tonight?" Professor young asks.

If his intentions weren't confirmed before, they are now.

"I have plans." I say quickly.

"With who? Sunwoo? Jacob? Olivia?"

"No-- how... how do you know my friends? Have you been watching me??" I try to raise my voice as loud as I can in hopes someone is crossing the hallway.

"You're my favorite student, I'm trying to look after you. And from what I've noticed you're too good for all your friends and the people around you. You're too kind to them, even the ones that bug you, you help people more than you help yourself." He says. "You need someone mature to look after you for once."

"...I don't need you, I can look after myself." I say sternly, imagining that Olivia were here coaching me.

"Oh come on, don't be like that." he hooks his arm around my leg, drawing his hand up and I try to move away but he tightens his grasp. "Just one dinner. Please? Off the record, I can give you an immediate A for the semester."