𝓬𝓱𝓮𝓶𝓲𝓼𝓽𝓻𝔂❤︎

Chapter 27

The final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, and the hallways were filled with students rushing to leave or prepare for homecoming. Y/N took her time, lingering at her locker, trying to steady the nerves building inside her. All day, her mind had been spinning with thoughts of Mr. Le—especially after Harvey’s teasing. She didn’t know if Mr. Le was actually going to homecoming, but she had to talk to him before then.

The chemistry classroom was quiet now, most students already gone. Y/N walked in cautiously, the door creaking slightly as she stepped inside. Mr. Le was at his desk, scrolling through something on his computer, but he looked up as soon as he noticed her presence.

“Y/N,” he said, leaning back in his chair with a slight sigh, “what’s up? You haven’t been in class for weeks.”

Y/N felt a lump in her throat but forced herself to keep calm. “I needed some time, I guess. I just… needed to figure some things out.”

Mr. Le raised an eyebrow, watching her with a calm but curious expression. “You good now? Or is this another disappearing act waiting to happen?” His tone was light, but there was an edge of concern buried beneath the sarcasm.

Y/N shifted on her feet, unsure how to explain everything running through her mind. She hadn’t expected the conversation to start like this, and now that she was standing in front of him, the weight of everything that had happened between them felt overwhelming. She swallowed hard. “I just... wanted to talk to you before homecoming.”

Mr. Le raised an eyebrow, leaning forward slightly in his chair. “About homecoming? You seriously came to ask if I’m going? Harvey put you up to this, didn’t he?”

Y/N shook her head quickly, her voice a bit more urgent now. “No, it’s not about that. It’s... I wanted to know if we were okay. After what happened last time. You haven’t said anything.”

Mr. Le sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as if the conversation was already exhausting him. “Look, Y/N, we’re fine. You’ve been acting out, yeah, but nothing’s changed between us. You’re my student, I’m your teacher, end of story.”

His words stung more than she expected. She wanted more than that, needed more than that. Her heart pounded as she took a step closer, her voice trembling. “That’s not all it is, though. You know it’s more than that.”

Mr. Le’s expression shifted, his gaze hardening as if he was trying to distance himself from the conversation. “Y/N, don’t make this something it’s not. I’ve told you before—you need to focus on school, not on... whatever this is.”

She swallowed hard, feeling her pulse quicken. “But I can’t just pretend it’s not happening. I know you feel something too.”

There was a long pause, the silence thick between them. Mr. Le stood up slowly, walking around his desk to face her. His posture was tense, but his voice remained calm, almost too calm. “Y/N, you’re young. You think you understand everything right now, but you don’t. And whatever you think you’re feeling? It’s not real.”

His words hit her like a slap, but she refused to back down. Her voice was quieter now, filled with frustration and hurt. “How can you say that when you won’t even give me a chance?”

Mr. Le exhaled sharply, clearly trying to keep his composure. “Because it’s my job to keep boundaries, yeah? This can’t happen, no matter what you think or feel. It’s not about chances, it’s about reality.”

Y/N’s eyes welled up with unshed tears, but she quickly blinked them away, not wanting to look weak in front of him. She felt a swirl of anger and heartbreak all at once. “So, what? You’re just going to keep pretending none of this happened? Keep pushing me away?”

Mr. Le’s voice softened slightly, but his words remained firm. “It’s not about pushing you away, Y/N. It’s about protecting you—from yourself, from this situation. It’s not healthy.”

Y/N clenched her fists, feeling utterly helpless. She wanted to scream, to make him understand, but his calm, rational demeanor only made her feel more isolated. Without another word, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the classroom, leaving Mr. Le standing there, the weight of their unspoken tension hanging in the air.

As she walked down the empty hallway, the sting of his words echoed in her mind. Tonight was homecoming, and whatever happened next, Y/N knew one thing: this wasn’t over.