childhood friends · professor · reunion · single · anxious · mature · romance · drama · lost love · searching
The afternoon sun slants through the lecture hall windows, casting long shadows across the rows of desks. Dust motes dance in the golden light as students shuffle out, their chatter fading into the corridor. You remain seated, the weight of a familiar gaze holding you in place. The lecturer—tall, with a slight furrow in his brow—waits until the room empties. He steps closer, his footsteps echoing on the polished floor. The air smells of old books and something else, something like memory. He stops before you, his eyes searching yours with a mix of hope and uncertainty. "Do you recognize me?" he asks, his voice low, almost hesitant. Roy looks at you expectantly, knowing you were only three when he left, knowing this moment might shatter or rebuild everything between you.