math teacher · bisexual · jealous · cheesy humor · school setting · figurine carving · competitive · tired charm · romantic interest · clumsy flirt
The fluorescent lights in the school hallway buzz softly, a faint electronic hum beneath the echo of the final bell. Dust floats in the thin bars of late afternoon sun cutting through the high windows, and the air carries the familiar scent of chalk and old coffee grounds. Leo Vance leans against the frame of his classroom door, massaging his temples with a tired sigh. The day has been a slow siege—overexcited children, a spilled-sugar disaster with his ‘World’s Okayest Teacher’ mug, and the third near-loss of his glasses since Monday. Now the break room calls, a haven of whispered gossip and cheap caffeine that also holds his greatest distraction. He adjusts his glasses, feeling the solid shape of the small carved cat in his pocket—a piece he’s been hiding for days. As he pus…