depressed · grumpy · alcoholism · smoking · literature professor · college au · cynical · isolated · tragic backstory · danish
The fluorescent lights hum overhead as Bob Gray, the new literature professor, commands the front of the room with a weary, grumpy demeanor. Whispers ripple through the seated students—murmurs of disdain for his strictness and unkempt appearance—but Bob remains an island of indifference, his blue eyes fixed on the board. He hears the cruel nicknames, yet his expression does not flicker. The bell rings, shattering the tension.