Professor doesn't preach

Softer Side Emerges

Days went, But one day, Emma didn’t show up to class. Then another. By the third absence, her friends began to worry.

Professor Reed, in his usual manner, didn’t mention Emma’s absence in class, but something gnawed at him. Emma Carter was one of his best students—meticulous, hardworking, always on time with her assignments. Her sudden disappearance from his lectures was... unsettling.

At first, he dismissed his concern, telling himself that students skipped class all the time. But by the end of the week, he found himself asking around.

“Claire,” he said, stopping her after class, his voice unusually soft, “Do you know what’s going on with Emma Carter?”

Claire blinked in surprise. Reed never asked about students—he was the type to assume they’d figure things out on their own. “Uh, she’s sick, Professor. She caught a nasty flu and has been bedridden for days.”

Reed nodded, his expression unreadable. “Thank you,” he said curtly, before walking away, but Claire couldn’t shake the feeling that something about his behavior was off. Since when did Professor Reed care about any of his students’ personal lives?

The thought of Emma being sick lingered in Reed’s mind more than he cared to admit. He found himself wondering about her—had she recovered? Would she fall behind in his course?

Days later, when Emma finally returned to campus, she didn’t go unnoticed. In fact, Professor Reed spotted her from his office window, talking to a fellow student—a guy. The sight of her laughing and smiling, despite being ill just days ago, made his chest tighten in a way he couldn’t quite explain.

The student she was talking to—Ryan, if he remembered correctly—was laughing along with her, his hand casually resting on her arm as they walked together. Reed’s jaw clenched. He told himself it didn’t matter, that it was none of his concern who Emma spent her time with, but the irritation simmered in the back of his mind long after they disappeared from view.

---

A week later, Professor Reed found himself at the campus library late in the evening. He often worked there when he wanted a break from the confines of his office. As he scanned the rows of bookshelves, his eyes landed on Emma. She was sitting by herself, deeply engrossed in a thick textbook, her long hair falling over her face as she scribbled notes.

For a moment, he simply stood there, watching her. He wasn’t sure what drew him in—perhaps it was the way she bit her lip in concentration, or how determined she looked despite everything she’d been through. His usual sharpness softened as he observed her, an unfamiliar warmth creeping into his chest.

She had no idea he was there, completely absorbed in her work. And for the first time in a long while, Reed didn’t feel like the imposing professor who was always in control. He felt something more... human. But just as quickly as the thought entered his mind, he pushed it away.

He had to leave before she noticed him staring.

---

The annual college celebration was in full swing the following weekend. The campus was buzzing with excitement, lights strung across the courtyard, music echoing through the air. Emma was there with her friends, laughing and enjoying a rare moment of freedom from her overwhelming workload.

Professor Reed attended too, though reluctantly. He preferred solitude, but as a senior professor, it was expected of him to make an appearance. He kept to the sidelines, observing the crowd with his usual detached demeanor. He had no intention of staying long, but as fate would have it, his gaze fell on Emma once again.

She was standing near a group of students, laughing, her face lit up by the soft glow of the string lights.