The next afternoon, I made my way to Professor Chou's office, my heart racing with a mixture of excitement and nerves.
I had promised to help her with her project, and I was determined to make a good impression.
As I knocked on the door, I took a deep breath, mentally preparing myself for whatever witty banter I could muster.
"Come in," came Professor Chou's calm voice from inside.
I opened the door and stepped in, a wide smile plastered on my face.
"Professor Chou, good afternoon. Ready for some serious brainstorming? I've got my thinking cap on, and my brain is ready to explode with ideas!"
She looked up from her desk, a slight smile forming as she gestured for me to sit.
"Ms. Minatozaki, always ready for some serious brainstorming. How was last night? Did you heed my advice and avoid the heavy drinking?"
I feigned a dramatic sigh. "Unfortunately, I had to settle for soda. The horror! My social life is practically in shambles."
Professor Chou chuckled softly, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "What a tragic fate."
I leaned in closer, trying to keep the mood light. "Well, I had to save my energy for today. You know, just in case I needed to impress you with my brilliance."
She raised an eyebrow, her expression still composed. "And how's that working out for you so far?"
"Pretty well, if I do say so myself," I shot back with a playful grin. "I mean, look at me—I'm here, right? In your presence. The brilliance is practically radiating off me."
Professor Chou rolled her eyes, but I could see a hint of a smile creeping in. "I’m glad you made the effort. But let’s focus on the project, shall we?"
As we dove into the discussion about her paper, I couldn’t help but throw in a few flirtatious comments here and there. "You know, Professor, if you ever need a co-author, I’m available. We’d make quite the dynamic duo. Think of it as a power couple of the scientific world!"
She remained composed, her eyes never leaving the papers in front of her. "Ms. Minatozaki, I appreciate the offer, but I think I’ll manage. Besides, you can’t handle the profound genius that is quantum entanglement."
I gasped in mock horror.
"How dare you underestimate my capabilities! I could be the quantum queen if I wanted. I'd wear a crown of Schrödinger's cats and rule the universe!"
"Right," she replied, her tone dry. "And I’m sure you’d wear a crown made of Schrödinger’s cats."
We continued bantering back and forth, each trying to outwit the other, and before we knew it, the sun dipped below the horizon. I glanced at the clock and realized how late it had gotten.
"Wow, time flies when you're having fun," I said, reluctantly standing up. "I should probably get going."
"Good idea," Professor Chou said, gathering her papers. "You don’t want to be out too late."
As I reached the door, I turned back and flashed her a smile. "Thanks for the fun discussion, Professor. I’ll be waiting for my co-author offer!"
"Don’t hold your breath," she replied, her tone still nonchalant.
I waved goodbye and stepped outside, feeling giddy from the exchange. Just as I reached the gate, I heard footsteps behind me. I turned to find Professor Chou approaching, her expression as calm as ever.
"Ms. Minatozaki," she said, catching up to me. "I thought I’d walk you home. It’s not safe to be out this late by yourself."
I felt my heart flutter at her concern. "Really? You’d do that for me? You're a lifesaver!"
She shrugged, her composure unwavering. "It’s just common sense. Our houses are on the same street anyway."
"Well, I appreciate it," I said, trying to keep my tone light. "And here I thought you were just a brilliant professor. Turns out you’re also a knight in shining armor."
Professor Chou chuckled softly. "Let’s just say I believe in looking out for my students."
