Lesson in Desire

chapter 13

The night felt longer than usual. The moon hung low in the sky, casting a silvery glow over the quiet campus as we exited. Sitting beside him in the car, the world outside blurred into insignificance. My mind, however, was sharp and unrelenting, replaying every moment—how his lips had claimed mine, the way his smirk had lingered like a taunt, and his intense stare that felt as though it could see straight into my soul. It all consumed me. 

The hum of the engine filled the silence, yet my chest felt heavy, my thoughts louder than the soft purr of the car. Minutes later, we arrived at my house, the vehicle coming to a smooth halt. Neither of us spoke. For a moment, the silence stretched between us, unbearably taut, broken only by the sound of our breathing. 

My hand reached for the door handle, but hesitation rooted me to the spot. Something unspoken, something desperate, lingered in the air between us. I opened the door slightly, letting in a gust of cold night air, but the fire within me refused to be extinguished. 

Before stepping out, I turned back, my fingers instinctively reaching for the fabric of his coat. The material felt firm under my grip as I pulled him closer, my movements fueled by a need I couldn’t quite name. The world outside the car no longer existed. 

The tension that had built over the night boiled over in an instant. I leaned toward him, my breath mingling with his, as I pressed my lips to his. It wasn’t gentle or tentative; it was a kiss born of hunger and unspoken emotions. It was the need to reclaim a piece of myself I’d left in his presence, to momentarily escape the whirlwind of thoughts he had stirred within me. 

He responded immediately, his lips moving against mine with an equal fervor, his hand instinctively finding the back of my neck as if anchoring me in place. Time seemed to collapse around us, the moment stretching endlessly, yet fleeting all the same. 

When I finally pulled away, our faces were still close, our breaths mingling in the confined space of the car. My heart pounded in my chest, my fingers reluctantly releasing his coat. 

“This... this is the last one,” I whispered, though my voice betrayed me, trembling with doubt. 

I stepped out of the car, the cold air biting at my flushed skin. Without looking back, I walked toward the house, leaving behind the man who had just complicated my night—and perhaps, my heart.

The next day, I managed to pull myself together before stepping onto campus. I squared my shoulders, kept my head high, and strode through the building as though I didn’t feel the weight of the stares following me. Yet, no matter how hard I tried to ignore it, the faint smirks and knowing glances people threw my way felt unnervingly pointed. 

Their eyes lingered a little too long, their hushed murmurs just loud enough to hint that I was the subject of their gossip. The looks weren’t malicious—no, they were far more amused, as though they were recalling some scandalous scene straight out of a romance novel. 

I swallowed hard, willing myself to stay calm as I entered the classroom. Sharon and Jimin were already there, their faces lit with teasing smiles that they made no effort to hide. I took my seat, trying not to let their expressions rattle me, but their silence was almost worse than if they’d bombarded me with questions. 

That was until a snippet of conversation floated from a group of girls nearby. 

“Did you see the way he held her waist and practically carried her to the room? Oh my god, Professor Kim is like every fictional man we all dream about!” one of them whispered, her voice tinged with awe and envy. 

“And the kiss!” another chimed in, barely able to contain her excitement. “I can’t believe we actually saw it. It was straight out of a movie!”