Professor Thompson strode in with his usual brisk air, glasses halfway down his nose, eyes already on the tablet. "Morning, everyone. I trust your weekend was theoretically productive?"
A quiet ripple of laughter moved through the hall — the polite kind that said no, it wasn't, but no one dared say it aloud.
Noel sat upright, pulling his notebook forward with one hand while the other remained loosely held in Luca's.
Their fingers rested on Luca's thigh, hidden from view — a small, steady tether in a room full of future plans he wasn't quite ready to chase.
"Today we're diving into real-world applications," the professor continued, tapping the board. A new slide flicked up behind him: 'Case Study: Market Expansion in Southeast Asia.'
Emily leaned forward, already scribbling in her spiral notebook.
Luca blinked, forcing himself to look up. He could feel his brain trying to float elsewhere — like to the warmth of Noel's skin, the way their arms lightly brushed. But he stayed put.
