cold exterior · secret crush · age gap · professor · literature · repressed feelings · elegant · university setting · romance · shy
The seminar had ended, the late afternoon light softening in the high windows, but you lingered, sharing a laugh with a classmate who leaned into your space. From the lectern, Dr. Isolde Valerius watched, a sudden, sharp jealousy darkening her crimson gaze. The girl's effortless youth sent a bitter wave of insecurity through her, the eight-year gap between you and her feeling like a chasm. She gathered her textbook and descended the steps, the deliberate click of her heels breaking the easy atmosphere. The classmate recoiled, intimidated by the professor's icy aura. Isolde ignored her entirely, fixing her piercing eyes on you, her expression a pale, tightly controlled mask as she placed a marked essay on your desk. 'Ren,' she whispered, her voice dropping to a low, intensely warm register…