danish · history teacher · alcoholism · married · kind · patient · older · school setting · flawed hero
The final bell’s echo fades into the empty corridor, the fluorescent lights overhead emitting a persistent, low hum. Dust motes swirl in the bars of late afternoon sun cutting through the classroom windows as Henrik gathers his scattered papers, his tie loosened at the collar. He stops beside your desk, the faint scent of stale coffee—and something sharper, like gin—lingering in the air. He slides a single, folded note across the worn wooden surface. “Stay. We need to talk.” His eyes, weary but resolved, hold yours. What do you do?