As I made my way toward his desk, he leaned back in his chair, his arms casually resting on the armrests, watching me with an unreadable expression. His eyes squinted slightly, and the corners of his lips curled into a teasing smile.
Damn it.
For a second, I felt my palms start to sweat. Why the hell did he have to look so effortlessly attractive, sitting there like some kind of movie scene? The way his white dress shirt stretched across his chest, the sleeves rolled up just enough to reveal his toned forearms—God, focus, Noa!
I swallowed hard, keeping my pace steady, determined not to let him see how much he was getting under my skin. When I finally reached his desk, I crossed my arms and raised a brow. "You needed to talk to me, Professor?" I emphasized the last word, reminding both of us of the very thin line between us.
He chuckled, the sound deep and smooth, and gave me a smirk that sent an involuntary shiver down my spine.
"You say that like you don't want to talk to me, Miss Schmid," he said, tilting his head slightly as he studied me.
I rolled my eyes, shifting my weight onto one foot. "Well, considering our last encounter wasn't exactly pleasant, can you blame me?"
His smirk widened as he leaned forward, resting his forearms on the desk. "Fair point," he admitted. "But I actually wanted to ask—how's your first day going? Adjusting well?"
I narrowed my eyes, suspicious of his sudden shift in demeanor. Was this him being genuinely concerned or just another one of his teasing games?
I took a deep breath and answered sincerely, "It's been... overwhelming, to be honest. Being back in school after everything feels surreal. But I'm managing."
His expression softened for a moment, the teasing glint in his eyes replaced by something unreadable. "That's understandable," he said. "Adjusting takes time. Just don't push yourself too hard."
I nodded, appreciating the rare moment of seriousness from him. "Thanks, Professor Elsher."
He smirked again, the moment gone. "Professor, huh? That's new, considering you were ready to strangle me in the hallway earlier."
I scoffed. "Trust me, the urge is still there."
He chuckled, shaking his head. "Fair enough. Alright, you're free to go, Miss Schmid. See you next class."
I turned to leave, but not before catching the amused glint in his eyes. This was going to be a long semester.
"Oh, before you leave," he said, stopping me just as I turned to go. "If you ever need anything—clarifications, help with the coursework—you can always approach my desk or contact me here."
He reached into his pocket and handed me a sleek black calling card. His name, Joshua Alexander Elsher, was printed in elegant silver lettering, along with his contact information.
I hesitated for a second before taking it. "Right. Thanks, Professor," I said, tucking the card into my notebook.
He smirked. "See? That wasn't so hard, was it?"
I rolled my eyes. "I guess not."
As I walked away, I couldn't help but steal one last glance at him. He was already gathering his things, but I swore I saw the corner of his lips lift into another amused smirk.
This man was going to be the death of me.
As I stepped out of the classroom, I was surprised to see Sam leaning casually against the wall, arms crossed and a knowing smirk on her face.
"You took your sweet time in there," she teased, pushing off the wall to walk beside me.
I let out a sigh, shaking my head. "Don't even start. He just gave me his contact info… for academic purposes."
Sam raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Mhm, sure. Just academic purposes."
I nudged her playfully. "Oh, shut up. Let's go grab some coffee before our next class."
She chuckled, linking her arm with mine. "Now that's the best idea you've had all morning."
As soon as I heard the door open, my eyes instinctively flickered toward it. And there he was—Professor Elsher. Our eyes met, and for a brief moment, time seemed to slow. He didn't say a word, but instead, he flashed that effortlessly handsome smile, the kind that could make anyone's knees weak.
I quickly looked away, pretending to be completely unbothered, but the warmth creeping up my cheeks betrayed me. Sam, who had been scrolling through her phone beside me, noticed my sudden stillness and followed my gaze.
"Oh, wow," she muttered under her breath. "That man has illegal levels of attractiveness."
I quickly snapped out of my daze when I heard Sam's voice.
"Let's go?" I asked casually, hoping she hadn't noticed the way my cheeks were probably betraying me after Professor Elsher flashed me that damn smile.
But of course, she did.
She smirked, tilting her head as she gave me a knowing look. "Irresistible, isn't he?"
My eyes widened in horror. "Let's go!" I blurted out, grabbing her wrist and practically dragging her away before she could tease me any further.
She chuckled. "Oh, Noa… this is going to be fun."
At a cozy coffee shop near the university, Sam and I settled into a corner table, sipping on our drinks as we waited for our next class. The atmosphere was warm, filled with the comforting aroma of freshly brewed coffee and the soft hum of conversations around us.
We had only met this morning, but it already felt like we had been friends forever. Sam was effortlessly funny and ridiculously talkative—there was never a dull moment with her. She had this way of making even the most mundane stories sound like an adventure, and I found myself genuinely enjoying her company.
"You know," she said, stirring her iced latte with a straw, "I think fate really wanted us to be friends. I mean, what are the odds that I'd end up sitting next to Noa Schmid in class?"
I chuckled, shaking my head. "Oh, please. I'm just a normal student now."
"Uh, no. You're basically a celebrity in the classical music world," she argued. "I still can't believe my sister is going to scream when she finds out I'm friends with you."
I rolled my eyes playfully, but I couldn't help the smile tugging at my lips. "Fine, fine. But let's just keep it low-key, okay?"
She grinned. "No promises."
As I took a slow sip of my coffee, savoring the warmth, my eyes casually drifted toward the entrance. The moment I saw him walk in, I nearly choked on my drink, coughing as I tried to regain my composure.
Sam raised a curious brow. "You okay there?" she asked, half-laughing, half-concerned.
I quickly looked away, my face heating up. "It's... It's Professor Elsher," I muttered under my breath.
Her eyes instantly lit up with amusement. "Oh? Where?" She subtly glanced toward the entrance and let out a low whistle. "Damn. Even outside class, he looks like he just stepped out of a magazine spread."
I sighed, trying not to look his way again, but the universe had other plans. Just as I forced my gaze to my cup, I felt a presence approaching. My heartbeat picked up. Please don't—
"Miss Schmid," a deep, familiar voice greeted.
Damn it.
I looked up, and there he was—Professor Elsher, standing right beside our table, holding a cup of coffee, looking effortlessly charming in a fitted black coat. That teasing smirk played on his lips again.
"Fancy seeing you here," he said, clearly enjoying the flustered expression I was trying so hard to hide.
I swallowed hard, gripping my cup as if it were my lifeline.
"Uh… yeah, fancy that," I said, forcing a casual smile. "Didn't expect to run into you here, Professor." I made sure to emphasize his title, hoping it would set some sort of boundary—not that it would stop my heart from racing.
Sam, on the other hand, was having the time of her life witnessing my misery. She leaned back in her chair, arms crossed, a mischievous grin on her face. "Well, it's a coffee shop near campus. Pretty common for students—and professors—to come by," she quipped.
Professor Elsher chuckled, shifting his weight slightly. "Touché." His eyes flickered back to me. "How was the first class? Did you find the lecture… engaging?"
Oh, he was enjoying this.
I cleared my throat, straightening in my seat. "Yeah. It was, uh, very informative."
Sam snorted. "That's Noa's way of saying she was too distracted to absorb anything."
I shot her a warning look. Shut up, Sam.
Professor Elsher smirked, amused. "Good to know. If you ever need help—clarifications, guidance—my office hours are open, and of course…" He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out another business card. "You already have this, but just in case you lose the first one." He placed it on the table in front of me, his fingers lingering just a second too long before pulling away.
I stared at the card, then back at him. "Uh… thanks. I'll keep that in mind."
He nodded, still smiling. "Enjoy your coffee, ladies."
As he walked away, Sam nudged me—hard. "Oh. My. God. Noa." She dragged out my name like a giddy schoolgirl. "Did you see that? Did you feel that? That was not just a normal professor-student interaction!"
I groaned, slumping back in my chair. "Shut up, Sam."
She cackled. "No way, girl. You're so in trouble."
Sam leaned in, wiggling her eyebrows. "So... are you going to keep staring at that business card, or are you actually going to use it?"
I rolled my eyes, quickly sliding the card into my bag. "Oh, please. He probably gives these out to every student. It's not a big deal."
Sam scoffed. "Right, because professors totally just hand out their cards twice to students they bump into at coffee shops." She took a sip of her drink, eyes twinkling with amusement. "Tell me, Noa, are you going to email him? Or maybe a casual text? Hey, Professor Elsher, quick question—do you always flirt with your students, or is this just my lucky day?"
I nearly choked on my coffee. "Sam!" I whisper-yelled, looking around in panic. "Keep your voice down!"
She giggled, completely unfazed. "Relax, he's not even looking this way. But you are so blushing right now."
"I am not!" I protested, instinctively touching my face. Okay, maybe I was a little warm.
Sam smirked. "Denial is the first stage, sweetie."
I sighed dramatically. "For the record, I am not interested in my professor. He's just… objectively attractive. That's it."
"Uh-huh." Sam rested her chin on her hand, looking at me like I was the most entertaining thing in the world. "And the way you were staring at him in class? The way you gawked when he walked in here? Just admiring his… teaching methods, I assume?"
I groaned. "You are impossible."
"And you, my dear Noa, are in denial." She took another sip of her coffee, then grinned. "This is going to be fun."
I narrowed my eyes. "Fun for who exactly?"
Sam winked. "Me, obviously."
As I sipped my coffee, I found myself stealing glances at him, trying to be subtle yet utterly failing. He sat at the corner of the café, effortlessly composed, flipping through some papers while occasionally sipping his own coffee. He looked… focused. Professional. But there was something about him—something I couldn't quite put my finger on.
Maybe it was the way he carried himself, exuding a quiet confidence. Or maybe it was the way his brows furrowed slightly when he was deep in thought, only to relax again when he took a sip of his drink. He had this… aura—like he was used to being in control, yet still approachable in a way that made people want to be near him.
Sam caught me staring—again.
"You're so obvious," she teased, her voice full of amusement.
I quickly looked away, pretending to be deeply interested in my cup. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Sam leaned forward, resting her chin on her palm. "Mhm. Right. So, what exactly is it that Professor Elsher has that's got you so intrigued? His mind? His looks? Or maybe it's just the forbidden romance vibe?"
I nearly choked on my coffee. "Sam!" I hissed, glaring at her.
She just laughed, completely unfazed. "I'm just saying, you look like you're trying to solve a mystery over there. So? What's your verdict?"
I hesitated, glancing back at him—at the way his fingers tapped lightly on the table, his gaze focused yet distant. "I don't know," I admitted. "There's just… something about him."
Sam smirked. "Uh-huh. And that something has nothing to do with the fact that he looks like he walked straight out of a romance novel?"
I rolled my eyes but couldn't fight the small smile creeping on my lips. "Let's just say… he's interesting."
Sam wiggled her brows. "Oh, sweetie, he's dangerously interesting."
"You wanna know something really interesting about him?" Samantha said, leaning in with a mischievous grin.
I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What is it?" I asked, setting my coffee down.
She smirked, clearly enjoying the suspense. "Well, Professor Joshua Alexander Elsher wasn't just some random law graduate who decided to teach—he was actually the Top 1 bar exam passer last year."
My eyes widened in surprise. "What?" I nearly gasped.
Sam nodded knowingly, stirring her coffee as if she had just dropped casual gossip. "Yup. And not just that—he passed with one of the highest scores in the last decade. The legal world was buzzing about him. Everyone thought he'd go straight into a big firm, maybe even politics, but instead, he chose to teach here."
I blinked, processing the information. "Why would he choose to teach instead of practicing law?"
Sam shrugged. "No one really knows. Some say he turned down multiple offers from prestigious firms. Others think he's just waiting for the right opportunity. But whatever his reason, the guy is brilliant—and now, he's your professor."
I let out a breath, still trying to wrap my head around it. "Wow… I mean, I knew he was smart, but Top 1? That's insane."
"Uh-huh," Sam said, taking a sip of her coffee. "And don't even get me started on how he's basically every girl's academic crush on campus. Brains, looks, charm? It's almost unfair."
I glanced over at him again, watching as he effortlessly flipped through the pages of his book, completely unaware of the effect he had on people.
"Great," I muttered, shaking my head. "As if having him as a professor wasn't already intimidating enough."
Sam laughed. "Oh, honey, you have no idea."
I took another sip of my coffee, still watching him discreetly as he flipped through his book, his brows slightly furrowed in concentration. There was something about him—something beyond the brilliance, beyond the title of Top 1 bar passer. It was the way he carried himself, effortlessly confident yet somehow unreadable.
I leaned back in my chair and exhaled softly, a small smirk forming on my lips.
"Joshua Alexander Elsher… you're quite interesting."