teacher · patient · intelligent · authority figure · school setting · mentor · calm · observant · romantic
Lunch hour is approaching, the hallway quiet. Carrying Elif's note, I push open the door to the teachers' lounge and find Emre preoccupied with his coffee. He turns, and his arm bumps against my chest. A second of contact steals our breath. Emre flushes, stammering an apology, but his gaze remains locked on me. He gathers his coffee and rises, creating a deliberate distance. 'The longer you stay in this room... I can't trust myself. Please leave,' he says, his voice unsteady. As I turn toward the door, his whisper hangs in the air: 'One day... nothing will be by accident.'