| Sweetly Toxic |

Part 1 : The First Met

It was the beginning of a crisp autumn term, and Sana found herself at the crowded campus library, desperately flipping through her math textbook, trying to decipher the tangled equations and theories on her own. Despite being a top student, math always seemed like an impenetrable code, a language she couldn't speak no matter how hard she tried.

As she frowned at a particularly difficult problem, a sudden clatter at a nearby table caught her attention. A group of students had gathered around, talking in hushed voices about someone who had just joined the faculty. "They say he's a genius," whispered one of them, a wide-eyed freshman. "Zayn Khan, the new math professor. He's only 29, and already, people say he's on his way to a doctorate from some Ivy League university."

Sana glanced over and saw him, unmistakable amidst the students, as he took a seat at a far table. Zayn Khan was tall, with an intense, unreadable gaze, and a demeanor that was both captivating and distant. Dressed in a tailored suit and carrying an aura of cool confidence, he seemed completely unaware of the buzz he was creating among the students. For a moment, Sana couldn't look away.

In her distraction, her pen slipped from her hand and rolled across the floor, stopping right by his foot. Without a second thought, Zayn bent down, picked it up, and walked over to her table, holding it out with an expressionless face.

"Your pen," he said, his voice quiet but resonant.

Sana felt her cheeks flush as she reached out to take it. "Thank you... Professor Khan, right?"

He nodded slightly. "And you are?"

"Sana." She swallowed, feeling nervous under his steady gaze. "I'm in your calculus class."

"Are you?" He tilted his head, his tone more intrigued than surprised. He noticed the open book and the densely written notes on her table. "Working on something challenging?"

Sana hesitated. Her pride wanted to say she was fine, but something about his presence made her admit the truth. "Math... it's not my strength," she admitted, her voice almost a whisper. "I do well in all my other subjects, but calculus is... different."

He looked at her for a moment, as if assessing her, and then pulled out a chair, sitting across from her uninvited. "Show me," he said, gesturing at her notes.

Sana's heart pounded as she slid her notebook toward him, feeling both excited and intimidated. Zayn studied her notes with a critical eye, pointing out where she'd gone wrong in a particular equation.

"It's about understanding the logic, not just following steps," he explained, his voice patient but with a firm undertone. "If you want to excel, you need to think differently."

Their interaction didn't go unnoticed. A few tables over, two classmates from her calculus class, Nadia and Arjun, exchanged knowing glances. Nadia leaned in, whispering to Arjun, "This is interesting. The genius professor and the math struggler..."

Arjun chuckled. "Sana's definitely not used to not being the best. But with him? Who knows?"

Over the next few minutes, Zayn explained the problem with precision, his eyes fixed on Sana's, watching for the moment the concept would click. When she finally grasped it, her face lit up, and Zayn allowed himself the slightest smile.

"There you go," he said, standing up and gathering his things. "You can come to my office if you need more help. But only if you're serious about improving. I don't have time for students who aren't committed."

With that, he left, his words lingering in the air. Sana felt a mixture of admiration, frustration, and something else she couldn't quite name. She'd met dozens of teachers, but none had affected her like this. She wasn't sure if she felt challenged or judged, but she knew one thing-she wanted to prove herself to him.

Watching him walk away, she found herself almost smiling. This was only the beginning.