Chapter Text
It was a quiet morning. MC woke up early and had time to prepare for the day at university. The semester had just started, so she still had courage and determination to make studying something more than a survival — a challenge. A pleasant one, at that.
August had swept her up in summer’s pleasures, and somewhere between warmth and freedom, she completely forgot about organising her schedule and choosing her professors, so by the time she logged into the system everything had already been assigned for her.
The hope dies last, so she treated that inconvenience with a sense of wonder. It made the first two weeks feel like surprises, one after another.
But when she was on her way to the “Principles of Clinical Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning” lecture, she decided to check her Professor’s name.
Professor Z. Li.
This isn’t just a whimsical surprise.
Are there a lot of people in this city whose name starts with Z and ends with Li?
MC slowed her pace, stopping completely near the hallways’s wall, leaning against it to let her mind settle down.
“It can’t be him…” she muttered, her voice quiet, barely audible.
“Is this some kind of universe’s cruel joke?”
She shoved her phone into her pocket, starting to walk towards the lecture hall, her steps regaining force.
I need to see for myself.
—
MC always sat in the first row next to the window. This way, she wouldn’t get a lot of uncomfortable eye contact with the Professor and still see and hear everything she needed to know.
I’m not hiding away from him.
When she was about to check the time, the laughter and chatter among the students started to die down.
MC didn’t turn her head, she didn’t need to. She could feel his presence by the shivers on the back of her neck.
Zayne’s steps were steady. Measured. Deliberate. He walked to the desk with the same calm detachment she remembered from years ago. Without a word, he began arranging the lecture materials, his expression unreadable.
MC felt like the air had been knocked out of her lungs, her heart hammering so restlessly in her chest she felt like she was trembling.
Calm down.
The voice in her head cut through the fog like a blade. She took a few deep breaths, opening her notebook and writing down the date to distract herself.
He’s your professor now, not the boy you remember.
Right on time, Zayne stood up and moved to the front of his desk, his eyes familiarly sharp, but with a new coldness she couldn’t recognise.
“Good morning, everyone.”
He scanned the audience.
MC’s muscles tensed just slightly. She was anxious, but her academic focus took precedence over old wounds. Thankfully, Zayne’s gaze focused on the middle of the room, not her.
“Welcome to Principles of Clinical Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning.”
“My name is Professor Zayne Li. I’ll be your lecturer for this course.”
“This subject will require not only memorization, but application—pattern recognition, logic, and a fair share of emotional resilience. If you’re hoping for something easy, you’re in the wrong hall.”
Professor Li paused, letting his words settle.
“Let’s begin.”