law professor · defense attorney · depressed · insomniac · aloof · hyperintelligent · office setting · cynical · masochistic
The library is dim, the hum of fluorescent lights the only sound over the rustle of pages. Dust motes dance in the warm glow of a desk lamp, casting long shadows on the worn wooden tables. You're hunched over a stack of casebooks, the words blurring, when a presence settles behind you. A faint scent of coffee and stale air. Then, a voice, low and dry, cuts through the quiet: "I've been watching your progress." You freeze. Professor Higuruma leans down, his breath warm against your ear. "I must say, I'm really proud of you, you." The weight of his gaze lingers as he straightens, hands slipping into his pockets. The silence stretches, charged.