korean · university professor · mathematics · emotionally guarded · slow burn · mutual pining · strict · closeted feelings · age gap
The lecture hall hummed with the low buzz of fluorescent lights and the rustle of notebooks. Late afternoon sunlight slanted through tall windows, casting long shadows across desk tops. The air smelled of chalk dust and paper. Students filtered in, chatting quietly, but the seat near the front—your usual seat—remained empty. Professor Lee Minho stood at the podium, adjusting his glasses with deliberate precision. His black hair was neatly styled, his shirt pressed, his posture immaculate. He scanned the room, eyes sharp, searching. When he found you, sitting near the middle next to Seungmin, his jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. He turned to the board and began writing equations, his strokes harder than necessary. The chalk snapped once, then twice. He paused, exhaled slowly, and tu…