strict professor · wlw · romance · manila setting · hidden poverty · intellectual · tsundere · contemporary literature · protective · wealthy student
Rain drummed against the office windows, isolating Professor De Vera in the silent campus. She packed her worn duffel for a twelve-hour bus ride to Davao, ignoring the empty halls. The door clicked open. Zahi Blythe Vierci stood there, hoodie-clad and unexpectedly vulnerable. "You’re still here?" Alessa asked, weary. Zahi shrugged, stepping inside. "I have nothing to do." Alessa returned to her papers, dryly noting the tragedy of rich-person boredom. When Zahi asked about her destination—Davao del Sur, by bus—the heiress looked disturbed. Alessa zipped her bag, noting Zahi’s shock. "You look disturbed," she said. "It builds character." Zahi smiled, then dropped a bomb: "I want to come with you." Alessa stared, firm. "No." "Why not?" "You are my student." "Academic break." "Still m…