As we were caught up in our teasing conversation or rather, him teasing me more than anything, a movement in front of us suddenly grabbed our attention.
I glanced up, only to see Samantha standing there, arms crossed, her lips curling into a knowing smirk. Her expression screamed one thing: Busted.
"Well, well, well," she drawled, tilting her head. "What do we have here? A casual morning coffee… or should I say, a coffee date?"
I nearly choked on my drink. "It's not what it looks like!" I blurted out, shooting her a glare.
Professor Elsher, on the other hand, simply leaned back in his chair, amusement dancing in his eyes. "And what exactly does it look like, Miss Choi?" he asked smoothly, taking a slow sip of his coffee.
Sam gasped dramatically, placing a hand over her heart. "Oh no, Professor, don't try to turn this around on me. I caught you two flirting... in broad daylight, no less!"
I groaned, covering my face with my hand. "Sam, I swear, I will throw this coffee at you."
She laughed, sliding into the seat next to me. "Relax, I'm just saying what anyone else would be thinking if they saw this little moment." She wiggled her brows at me before turning to Professor Elsher. "So, Professor, do you always have private coffee sessions with your students, or is Noa just special?"
I gasped and nudged her. "Sam!"
He smirked but didn't look the least bit flustered. "Miss Schmid is quite an interesting student," he said simply.
Samantha let out a satisfied hum. "Mmm-hmm, interesting indeed." She then leaned in close to me and whispered, "He totally has a thing for you."
I groaned again, shaking my head, but deep down, my heart was racing.
I shot Samantha a warning glare, but she only grinned wider, clearly enjoying my discomfort.
Professor Elsher, still as composed as ever, glanced between the two of us before setting his coffee down. "Well, Miss Choi, if you're so curious, why don't you join us? That way, it won't be mistaken for a date." His tone was light, but there was a hint of teasing beneath it.
Samantha gasped dramatically again. "Oh no, Professor, I wouldn't dare intrude on your special moment with Noa." She turned to me, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Besides, I'd hate to be a third wheel."
I groaned. "Sam, for the love of..."
Professor Elsher chuckled, shaking his head. "You have quite the dramatic friend, Miss Schmid."
"You have no idea," I muttered, taking a sip of my coffee while Sam winked at me.
"So, Noa," she continued, propping her elbow on the table, "since you and the youngest, most brilliant professor in the department are getting along so well, does this mean you'll be getting extra credit?"
I nearly choked again. "Sam!"
Professor Elsher smirked, clearly entertained. "I don't give special treatment, Miss Choi."
"Right, right." She nodded, then leaned in with a smirk. "But hypothetically speaking… if Noa were to ask for some tutoring..."
"I would treat her like any other student," he cut in smoothly, meeting my eyes for a second longer than necessary.
Sam wiggled her brows at me before leaning back. "Uh-huh. Sure."
I buried my face in my hands. "I'm going to need another coffee if I'm going to survive this conversation."
"Make it two," Professor Elsher said, signaling to the barista.
Samantha let out a delighted laugh. "Oh, I like you, Professor." Then she turned to me. "You're in so much trouble, Noa."
I sighed, shaking my head. What have I gotten myself into?
The barista brought over our coffees, and I used the moment as an excuse to avoid Samantha's smug expression. Professor Elsher, however, seemed entirely unfazed as he took a slow sip of his drink.
"So, Miss Choi," he said casually, shifting his attention to Sam, "since you seem to know so much about Miss Schmid, do you always keep tabs on your friends, or is this just special treatment for her?"
Sam gasped dramatically. "Professor! You wound me. This is just best friend duties, keeping an eye out for any interesting developments in Noa's life."
I groaned. "Sam, please. I beg you. Stop talking."
"Fine, fine," she said, waving a hand dismissively. "I'll give you a break—for now." But then, turning back to Professor Elsher, she added, "You should know, though, she never used to be this easily flustered."
I shot her a glare, but to my horror, Professor Elsher looked intrigued. "Oh? That's surprising." He glanced at me with a smirk. "You seemed pretty composed in class yesterday."
"Because that was class," I muttered, stirring my coffee aggressively. "I didn't expect to be ambushed by this one..." I pointed at Sam, who simply beamed. "while having my morning coffee."
Sam leaned her chin on her hands. "Admit it, though, it's more fun this way."
"Not for me," I grumbled, but even I couldn't help the small smile tugging at my lips.
Professor Elsher chuckled before checking his watch. "Well, as entertaining as this is, I do have a meeting soon." He stood up, grabbing his coat. "Miss Schmid, Miss Choi, always a pleasure."
Samantha gave him a playful salute. "Bye, Professor! Take good care of our Noa, okay?"
I smacked her arm. "Sam!"
Professor Elsher simply smirked, adjusting his coat. "I'll see you in class, Miss Schmid."
And with that, he walked out of the coffee shop, leaving me to deal with the absolute menace sitting across from me.
Samantha turned to me with an excited grin. "So… are we finally going to talk about this insane chemistry between you two, or am I just supposed to pretend I don't see it?"
I groaned, covering my face. "Sam, I swear..."
"Oh, come on!" she laughed. "Don't tell me you don't feel it!"
I let out a deep sigh, shaking my head. "I… don't know what I feel. But whatever it is, it doesn't matter."
Sam raised a brow. "And why is that?"
I hesitated. Because deep down, I knew.
Because even if there was something there—even if I felt something pulling me toward Professor Elsher—none of it would matter.
Not when everything about him was off-limits.
I forced a smile, shrugging. "Because it's nothing, Sam."
She didn't believe me for a second. "Mmhmm. Sure."
I rolled my eyes and took a long sip of my coffee.
I sighed, staring down at my coffee as I absentmindedly traced the rim of the cup. No matter how much I tried to deny it, there was something about Professor Elsher that I couldn't shake off, like an invisible string pulling me toward him.
It wasn't just attraction, though I'd be lying if I said he wasn't dangerously good-looking. No, this was something else. Something deeper. It was like my soul recognized him, even if my mind didn't.
Sam watched me with knowing eyes. "You're thinking about him, aren't you?"
I scoffed, shaking my head. "You are so annoying."
She grinned. "Oh, I know. But I'm also right."
I opened my mouth to argue but stopped myself. What was the point? Even if I denied it a thousand times, it wouldn't change the fact that whenever I was near him, it felt like something in me was aligning, as if I was remembering something I had long forgotten.
"You ever heard of the concept of an invisible string?" I asked suddenly, glancing at Sam.
She tilted her head. "Like, fate?"
"Kind of," I said, choosing my words carefully. "It's the idea that two people, no matter where they are in life, are always connected by an unseen thread. No matter how tangled or stretched it gets, it always leads them back to each other."
Sam leaned forward, intrigued. "And you think he is your invisible string?"
I hesitated. "I… don't know. But being around him feels like déjà vu. Like I'm standing in a place I've been before but can't remember when."
Sam's playful expression softened into something more serious. "Maybe you should stop running from it, then."
I let out a breathy laugh, shaking my head. "It's not that simple, Sam."
"Why not?"
"Because I don't even know what this is. It could be nothing, just my brain playing tricks on me."
Sam leaned back, tapping her fingers against the table. "Or… it could be something you lost. Something you're supposed to find again."
Her words hit me harder than I expected. I looked down at my wrist, at the cello bracelet I had found that morning. A piece of a past I didn't remember, yet somehow, it had resurfaced.
And now, so had he.
Maybe it was all just a coincidence. Maybe this was nothing but a fleeting fascination.
But deep down, in the part of me that still remembered how to feel even when my memories failed me…
I knew it wasn't nothing.
It was something.
I just didn't know what yet.
"Well, since Professor Elsher already left, I think we should get going too. It's almost time for our first class," Sam reminded me, glancing at her watch.
I blinked, snapping out of my thoughts. "Right. Yeah, let's go."
She smirked as she grabbed her bag. "You were totally lost in your own world for a second there. Let me guess—you were thinking about him again."
I rolled my eyes, standing up and adjusting my bag over my shoulder. "You really have a one-track mind, you know that?"
Sam shrugged, linking her arm with mine as we walked toward the door. "Hey, I'm just saying, if fate keeps throwing someone in your path, maybe you should stop dodging and see where it leads."
I let out a soft laugh. "Or maybe I should just focus on not being late to class."
"That too," she said, grinning. "But where's the fun in that?"
We stepped out of the coffee shop, the crisp morning air greeting us as we made our way back to campus. And though I tried to push the thought away, I couldn't ignore the tiny pull in my chest, like an invisible string, tugging me toward something… or someone.
As we walked toward campus, Sam nudged me with her elbow. "You know, I've read about things like this."
I gave her a confused look. "Things like what?"
She smirked. "That feeling—like you're being pulled toward someone, no matter how much you try to ignore it. Some people call it fate, others call it destiny."
I scoffed, shaking my head. "Or maybe it's just a weird coincidence."
Sam gasped dramatically. "Noa Schmid, the girl who believes in music and emotions, doesn't believe in destiny?"
I let out a chuckle. "I believe in science, logic, and things that can be explained."
She raised a brow. "And yet, you can't explain why your heart races every time Professor Elsher looks at you."
I opened my mouth to argue, but nothing came out. Instead, I sighed. "I think you're reading too much into this, Sam."
"Am I?" she teased. "Because from where I'm standing, it's like there's this invisible string tying you both together. No matter how much you push it away, it keeps pulling you back."
I fell silent for a moment, the idea lingering in my mind longer than I wanted it to.
Sam gave me a knowing look as we reached the university gates. "You don't have to admit it now, Noa. But just wait. Sooner or later, you'll see it too."
I shook my head, rolling my eyes playfully. "Let's just get to class before you start writing a novel about my love life."
She laughed. "Oh please, if this were a novel, you'd already be in a whirlwind romance with a brooding professor by now."
I groaned, pushing her gently. "You're impossible!"
"And yet, you love me," she teased.
I sighed, unable to hold back my smile. "Yeah, yeah. Now hurry up before we're late."
As we walked through the bustling halls, I tried to shake off Sam's words. But deep down, I couldn't ignore the small part of me that wondered—was she right? Was there really something pulling me toward Joshua Alexander Elsher?