“Well, try to make it permanent. Graduate and get promoted!”
Before I could reply, Professor Hayes messaged
me: “Online now?”
“Yep.”
وو
As soon as I opened Call of Duty, his party invite popped up. I looked at my profile and cringed. My avatar was a generic black knight, my username was “WinningIsMyGame,” and my top played characters were basic, beginner- friendly ones. It was… not impressive. My parents were always criticizing my online presence–too childish, too serious, never just right–so I’d given up trying to please them.
I checked Ethan’s profile. Pink anime avatar, username “SweetLittleStrawberry,” and his most played characters were all cute support characters. Well, that explained a lot.
Apparently, Professor Hayes had a type.
I hesitated, wondering whether to pick a
support character like Sarah had suggested or
く
stick with my trusty knight.
“It’s okay, pick whoever you want,” Professor
Hayes said, his voice coming through my
headset.
I sighed and chose my knight.
The game started, and I charged straight into
the middle lane, shield up. The mage on my team frantically spammed the retreat button,
but I had no idea what was going on.
“Amelia, you should go top lane,” Professor
Hayes said gently.
“Oh, right.”
I marched my knight to the top lane… and promptly got ganked by the enemy team’s ADC
and support. Four minutes into the game, I was already 0-2.
<
Mortified, I decided to play it safe. But before I
could even leave the base, two enemy players jumped out of the bushes and attacked me. Professor Hayes, who had been in the jungle, suddenly appeared behind them and got a double kill while I screamed incoherently. My admiration for him skyrocketed.
The next day, I changed my avatar to a pink anime girl, my username to “CutieAmelia,” and my character selections to prettier, more feminine ones.
When I joined his party, Professor Hayes was silent for a moment, then he unmuted his mic. “I thought your cousin logged on.”
I didn’t unmute my mic, too embarrassed to speak.
Playing with Professor Hayes was a revelation. He always knew where I was in team fights and effortlessly took out anyone who came near me.
- )
Even when I played terribly, he never criticized me. I finally understood why Ethan had
catfished him. Who could resist playing with someone like that?
From then on, I logged on every day, waiting for his party invite. He was disciplined, only playing for half an hour each day. We barely talked outside of the game. Except for the occasional glimpse of him on campus, I never saw him. I was starting to go crazy, hearing his voice every day but never actually seeing him.
One afternoon, during my lunch break, I was debating whether to find an excuse to wander over to the Physics department when he called.
“Amelia, are you free?” he asked.
“Yes.”
He paused, then, in his usual serious tone, said something that sounded suspiciously like a
87
<
whine, “I’m feeling a little down. I need a
Starbucks.”
“Oh? Should I bring you one?”
“Yes, please. Two strawberry Frappuccinos. Thank you.”
I rushed to the nearest Starbucks where Sarah
was working. “Two strawberry Frappuccinos, please!”
Sarah gave me a knowing look. “For your online boyfriend? What sweetness level?”
“Yep,” I winked. “As sweet as me.”
She nodded. “Right. No sugar.”
Ten minutes later, I arrived at Professor
Hayes’s office with two sugar–free
Frappuccinos. As I was about to knock, I heard
muffled sobbing coming from inside.
Professor Hayes’s voice, cold and distant: “First of all, student–teacher relationships are inappropriate. Second of all, I have a girlfriend.”
My stomach dropped.
A girl’s voice, choked with tears: “No, you can’t like someone else! I won’t let you! Just you wait and see!”
A very stylishly dressed girl stormed out of the office, bumping into me. She glared at me, then ran off, still crying.
I stood there awkwardly, holding the
Frappuccinos.
Professor Hayes walked over to me. “What are
you waiting for? Come in.”
He wasn’t wearing his usual white shirt. Today,
he had on a perfectly tailored black suit,
complete with a tie. He looked
dressed un
く
complete with a tie. He looked… dressed up.
Without thinking, I blurted out, “Professor
Hayes, aren’t you hot in that suit?”
He paused for a second, then unbuttoned a few buttons, revealing his collarbone and a hint of his chest. “No, the AC is on.”
He was so… pale. I swallowed hard and looked away, my face burning.
He took the Frappuccinos, expertly peeled back the lids, inserted the straws, and handed one to
- me.
I took it, asking tentatively, “Did I interrupt something, Professor?”
He bent his head slightly, his breath warm against my forehead. “Do you want me to spend more time with her?”
Feeling my cheeks flush, I mumbled, “No.”
