EX-istential Crisis

Chapter 13: The Forced Act

The hum of chatter filled the classroom as students began finding their seats. Nelly scanned the room for a spot and noticed Shin, Dan, Ryan, and Neisan waving him over. It was a mixed class today, with students from different sections, and luckily, they managed to grab seats together. As Nelly settled in, he glanced across the room.

His heart skipped a beat when he saw Mira and her group of friends sitting on the other side. They were all laughing, chatting away. Mira noticed him too and smiled, waving innocently in his direction. Nelly, caught off guard, returned the wave with an awkward smile. The moment was interrupted when their professor walked in—Sylvie.

Sylvie, a sharp and witty professor specializing in Sex Ed, immediately noticed the exchange between Nelly and Mira. Her lips curled into a smirk, and her eyes briefly flickered with amusement. This was going to be interesting.

"Alright, class, let's settle down," Sylvie began, her voice commanding attention. "Today's topic is one of the most important aspects of human connection: 'What is Sexuality?'"

She walked to the front of the room, writing the word "Sexuality" on the board in bold letters.

"Sexuality is a broad and deeply personal concept that encompasses not just physical attraction, but emotional and psychological aspects as well. It's the way people experience and express themselves as sexual beings. It's influenced by a mix of biological, emotional, and social factors. Everyone's experience with sexuality is unique—it includes identity, orientation, preferences, and, most importantly, how we communicate with our partners."

Sylvie paused for a moment, letting the words sink in before continuing. "One key component in any relationship, especially a romantic one, is communication. Before anything—physical or emotional—you need to be able to talk to your partner. Without communication, nothing else works."

She stopped and looked around the room. "So, to demonstrate this, I need a volunteer."

Nelly was half listening, trying to avoid making eye contact. But before he could react, he felt a sharp nudge from Shin, who had grabbed his arm and forced it up into the air.

"Shin, you son of a—!" Nelly hissed under his breath, but it was too late. Sylvie's eyes landed right on him, and her smirk widened.

"Ah, Nelly! Perfect," she said with a mischievous grin.

Nelly panicked, waving his hand frantically. "WAIT! No, no, wait! I'm not volunteering!"

Sylvie's smirk deepened. "Oh, I think you are. Unless you want me to show the class that video of you dancing on the projector?"

The blood drained from Nelly's face as his friends burst into quiet laughter beside him. He had no choice.

"Fine..." Nelly grumbled as he stood up and made his way to the front, feeling the weight of the whole class's eyes on him.

Sylvie clapped her hands together. "Great! Now, who's going to be Nelly's partner?"

Before Nelly could process what was happening, Mira's friends, sitting across the room, exchanged knowing glances. They started nudging Mira, who blushed furiously, her hand hesitantly raising in the air.

"Looks like we have another volunteer!" Sylvie announced, shooting a "nice job" hand gesture towards Mira's friends, who grinned back. Mira, on the other hand, was now bright red, avoiding eye contact with Nelly.

Nelly groaned inwardly, mouthing "I'm going to kill you" to Shin, who was barely holding back his laughter.

Sylvie clapped her hands together after tapping both Mira and Nelly on the shoulders. "Relax, relax!" she said with a grin. "It's just a demo of a relationship, okay? Demo. D-E-M-O!" She emphasized the word as if she was trying to put them at ease, but Nelly felt anything but relaxed.