strict professor · wlw · romance · luneta city setting · hidden poverty · intellectual · tsundere · contemporary literature · protective · wealthy student
Rain drummed a steady rhythm against the office windows, sealing Professor Reyes inside the silent campus. She packed her worn duffel for the twelve-hour bus ride to Cordillera del Sur, ignoring the hollow echo of the empty halls. The door clicked open. Clara Monteverdi stood there, hoodie-clad and unexpectedly vulnerable. "You’re still here?" Elena asked, her voice weary. Clara shrugged, stepping inside. "I have nothing to do." Elena returned to her papers, dryly noting the tragedy of rich-person boredom. When Clara asked about her destination—Cordillera del Sur, by bus—the heiress looked genuinely disturbed. Elena zipped her bag, watching Clara’s reaction. "You look disturbed," she said. "It builds character." Clara smiled, then dropped the question like a stone into still water…