Chapter 3
Leon sat by the window, the sunlight casting a soft glow across his perfectly sculpted features. His eyes, narrow and thoughtful, held a curious mix of warmth and cool indifference, making him incredibly alluring. The slight bump along the bridge of his nose gave him a unique look. At that moment, it felt as if even the sunlight outside favored him.
Kelly gasped the second she laid eyes on him.
“Holy shit, he’s hot,” she thought. But then she reminded herself that this was not the time to swoon over him.
“Professor Butler,” she called out nervously. Then, she dropped her gaze immediately. It was as if she had done something wrong, but she was just trying to hide her own unease.
Leon, on the other hand, was calm and composed. He simply pointed to the chair across from him and said, “Have a seat.”
However, Kelly smiled sheepishly and declined his offer. She said, “N-No, it’s okay, Professor Butler. I’ll just stand here.”
Leon had already risen to his feet. He towered over her, and she had to tilt her head just to look him in the eye.
“So, what was it that had you so distracted during class?” he asked casually, as if he was genuinely curious.
Of course, Kelly couldn’t tell him the truth.
After a brief mental scramble, she blurted out, “I just… didn’t sleep well last night.” Then, she hastily added, “I’m sorry, Professor Butler. It won’t happen again!”
Whether he believed her or not, she couldn’t tell. He walked over to a little drink station, unwrapped a cup of instant milk powder, and slowly poured in some hot water.
The way he moved—unhurried, elegant, and graceful—was oddly soothing to watch. Even the rising steam looked like it belonged in an aesthetic commercial.
“I’ve just returned from abroad, and I’m still figuring out how things are done here. If my class is boring, I hope you’ll tell me.”
All of a sudden, Kelly felt guilty and ashamed for disrespecting someone like Leon, who was both attractive and humble.
“N-Not at all! You’re doing great, Professor Butler,” she hastily responded. She hadn’t exactly paid attention in class, but judging by her classmates’ reactions, he had definitely done a good job.
Leon smiled. “That’s good to hear.”
With that, he handed her the cup of milk he had just prepared.
His fingers were well-defined, and his nails were neatly trimmed, clean, and smooth. “This is from another professor. I figured kids your age like them.”
Did he just call her a kid? Kelly felt her cheeks flush as she reached out to take it.
“Thank you, Professor Butler.”
The cup was warm but not hot enough to burn her hands. The scent of creamy milk drifted up with the steam.
From the moment she walked in, her whole body had been tense like a coiled spring. However, he hadn’t mentioned that night at all. His calm tone, the casual conversation, and the warmth of the drink slowly eased her nerves.
Kelly lowered her head and took a sip. The sweetness spread across her tongue.
Just then, Leon’s voice sounded. “It was you that night, wasn’t it?”
His words hit her like a thunderclap. Her head snapped up, locking eyes with his. His gaze was intense, and it felt like he could see right through her.
That was when she realized that he had been chatting with her and making her the hot milk in order to lull her into letting her guard down. Kelly almost choked on the drink.
Leon calmly handed her a tissue like he’d been expecting that. Kelly accepted it, dabbed at her lips in a panic, and denied it as soon as she calmed down.
She said, “It wasn’t me! I wasn’t there.”
Leon narrowed his eyes, a faint smile playing on his lips. “I never said which night I was referring to… or what happened.”
Kelly realized she’d outed herself and panicked. The drink in her hand suddenly didn’t taste as good anymore. “I have no idea what you’re referring to, Professor Butler. But I’m sure it wasn’t me, which is why I’m denying it.”
Leon’s expression didn’t change as he abruptly reached for her hand. His fingers wrapped gently around her wrist, and the moment their skin touched, Kelly jolted, as though she had been burned.
What was he trying to do?
Her heart raced.
“I remember you have a mole on your palm.”
After saying that, he turned her hand over. Sure enough, there was a mole in the center of her palm.
Busted. Leon lifted his gaze and looked at her. “Well, what do you have to say for yourself?”
Kelly immediately felt like there was nowhere to hide. To be honest, she could have easily played dumb. After all, she wasn’t the only woman with a mole on her palm.
However, his presence was too overwhelming, and he was her professor. Plus, the way he looked at her—so calm and so sure—she knew that Leon was sure that the woman was her.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she choked out, “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry, Professor Butler. I shouldn’t have had a one-night stand with a stranger. I made a huge mistake.
“Can we just… pretend it never happened? Please? I promise I won’t do it again!” Kelly felt like she was about to have a meltdown. Before her tears could fall, she spun around and bolted out the door.
The door slammed shut behind her.
Leon stood frozen, a little stunned. He hadn’t even gotten the chance to say anything yet, and she had already run off.
Honestly, all he wanted was to talk. He wanted to figure out how they were going to handle this situation. It wasn’t like this had ever happened to him before either.
He was allergic to alcohol and never drank. However, that night, his friends had thrown him a welcome party, and he had accidentally picked up someone else’s drink. He had only realized it was alcohol after taking a sip.
Not long after, his body started heating up, so he went to the restroom to splash some cold water on his face to clear his head. But before he knew it, a young woman had crashed into his arms, looking up at him with big, teary eyes.
Perhaps the alcohol was to blame, but he ended up making the biggest mistake of his life. He lost control for the first time and had sex with a stranger. When he woke up the next morning, she was gone.
He had tried to look for her. The stain on the sheets—the fact that she’d clearly been a virgin—weighed on him. He could tell that he was older than her, and he wanted to take responsibility for his actions.
But he hadn’t expected her to be his student. The realization made him lose his composure in class. And judging from the way she had run away, she was even more panicked than he was.
