Delicate | Jaerosé oneshots

Heaven knows

"Chaeyoung, can I talk to you briefly?" her professor addresses her, picking her out from the stream of students vacating the room. She internally groans, not happy with the thought of being held back after a three hour lecture, but stops anyway not wanting to get on the professors bad side. Regardless of it being mid afternoon, she just wants to get back to her dorm room, throw herself on her bed, and sleep. Or watch trashy reality tv, depending on her mood.

"I read the essay draft you handed in last week" he begins when the last of the students have made their way out, maintaining steady eye contact with Chaeyoung that she so badly wants to break. He pauses, for seemingly intentional dramatic effect, taunting her with the prospect of his opinion.

She sucks in a breath expecting the worst.

"And I'm impressed" he continues, Chaeyoung's eyebrows shoot up in genuine shock. She's been warned that professor Wallace was notorious around campus for being very hard to please, namely by her friend and roommate Jennie. The girl had leaned over Chaeyoung's shoulder on the first day of term to glance at her younger friend's newly given timetable. "Oof you poor thing, he's literally the worst"

Apparently Jennie'd had him for literature last year and he'd bumped her down a few whole letter grades all because of one unfinished assignment. Although after a few minutes of questioning from Chaeyoung and their friends she's caved and revealed that she hadn't even made it past the introductory line of said essay.

"What? Don't put 'and remember guys, less is more!' as a piece of advice at the bottom of an assignment if you don't want me to take it" Was what she'd had to say in her defence.

"Well don't act so surprised, have a little faith in yourself" professor Wallace jokes, pulling Chaeyoung from her thoughts. From the look he was giving her, she quickly realises he is expecting her to say something in return.

"Uh, thanks professor Wallace" she says half heartedly. If she is being honest, she barely remembers what essay he is referring to.  All she can remember of it is knocking it off in an evening, with the help of a mountain of borrowed notes and too many cups of coffee to count.  

"You're welcome" he returns, looking like he had more to add. "You're writing style shows great promise. And I found the way you explored the themes and ideas shared in the novel very interesting" he continues. Chaeyoung's shock over the professor's praise steadily wears off. As much as she would like to relax and soak up all the compliments, she can sense a 'but' quickly approaching. 

"However.." ah, clever.

"The subject matter seemed a bit limited" they both pause, the professor on his words and Chaeyoung on her thoughts.

What does he mean by that?

She'd picked the first novel on the syllabus if she remembers correctly. How can a source, that the college themselves recommended, lack subject matter?

"Look, your not the first student in this class that I've approached about this" he begins "I just think some of you have the ability to challenge yourselves in this course, because I can see your potential, and I can see you as being one of the students to achieve the highest grades, but your not going to get the highest grades by taking what's put in front of you and running with it" he pauses again, looking as if he's gauging Chaeyoung's reaction. When she slowly and silently nods to show that she's following, he continues.