Chapitre 3

I met with James on the way to my room. We have three classes with the same time and professors, unlike Ciara, we only share two classes together. One is the historical subject that was newly added. “Didn’t sleep well enough?” I chimed, looking at them both, exhaust was clearly evident in his eyes. The dark circles didn’t really hide well enough. The concealer must’ve run out, or it wasn’t enough anymore.

“Fuck off, why would you tell Mr. Lee that we are starting the proposal early? Now we have to finish it within this week” James grumbles at me. Of course, he had to stay awake through the night, maybe a lot more than I did. By the looks of the color of his coffee, he definitely ordered an extra shot.

“I don’t know, it was the first thing that came to my mind when he asked. Why? You want me to tell him you don’t want to see him that’s why you let me take your syllabus?” I sipped on my coffee while chuckling slightly at him. James looks down at me and rolls his eyes. It definitely made me laugh at him more.

The room was already filled with some students when reached it. We sat down in two empty seats and the lecture started as soon as the professor entered the room. It lasted for 3 hours with two short breaks and three to four activities, and we were left with three tasks to be submitted on different due dates. We left the room, brain already exhausted, and I frown after taking a peek at my syllabus.

“Why don’t the two of you didn’t tell me that you didn’t take any class with Mr. Lee?” I frowned at James. “Do I need to answer that? ‘Mr. I-know-it-all-and-over-achiever, is one of the professors I don’t want to have a class with, and besides, he’s a research professor, everyone knows how to do research” James replies in an isn’t that an obvious tone.

I sneered back at him before saying goodbye and going in a different direction. It wasn’t Mr. Lee’s class is my next class. I am skipping the next class to sit at the café on campus, to finish my tasks on my supposedly next class. I entered and bought some food with me as well as a drink and sat down on my usual seat.

I take out my pad and notebooks before scribbling down the list of activities I have on the subject before rating it from the easiest to the hardest task. I finished half by the time I halved my order as well. Earlier, both James and Ciara notified me that they won’t be joining me at the café since they have other things to do as well. This time, it was campus-related things.

The afternoon rush busied the café, making it noisy and filled with people. “Skipped the previous class, Ms. Choi? Not very achiever like of you” I hear the baritone voice of Mr. Lee, gesturing to the seat in front of me. I take out my headphones and nodded at him, gesturing him back that he take the seat in front of me.

I sensed students glancing at our table. ‘These people are probably checking him out and making stupid claims, seeing that he’s sitting in front of me’. My thoughts drowned me. “I had tasks to do with the subject as well Sir, might as well skip the class and do the activities before it gets piled up, and I was informed that there was no professor” I smiled at him, and he nodded with a half smile before eating his lunch.

After a few more minutes of silence from both of us. A weird feeling crept up to me, not from Mr. Lee, but from the people that surrounded us. I frown and looked up from my tab, taking lowkey glances around the places confirming that I was right. I pursued my lips and bit my bottom lip softly, and continued my work.

I let out a sigh and crossed my legs while scribbling down notes. “Seems uncomfortable huh?” Mr. Lee points out, making me look up at him. I nodded a bit, giving him an awkward smile. “We do have time before our class, you don’t mind accompanying me to the library? That place is more suitable for getting work done” he smiled before standing up and taking his things.

 I followed him to the library. He did have a point about it. The silence of the library is more suitable for me, and the second floor of the place is more silent than the first one. Besides, I saw Ciara on the first floor. We had eye contact, and the way her eyes widened at me told me that she needs to hear everything from me later. Too bad, I’m going home first and not entertaining their questions because there is no story to tell her.

We sat in front of each other, Mr. Lee, or his name, Xian Brie Lee. He used to be a senior of mine before he graduated, he was three years ahead of me and also an overachiever just like Ciara. We did have interactions back then when I was still a freshman in the university since we share the same course back then, and they have a welcoming party for freshmen, that’s pretty much how I knew him.

He took educational units as well besides the course and taught in the field after graduating. Hence, him, becoming my research adviser. Though it did feel weird to view him as my professor, I did adjust well.

“So, you decided to continue a research?” he muttered, not breaking the fragile silence very much. “Mr. Go just passed me a brief of your introduction to the proposal, informing me that you will be continuing a previous research” he filled me in more. I nodded, “well it was Ciara’s idea that we should continue a previous research, it would be more convenient for us, and she claimed that she gathered several loopholes and information about the research we are going to use” I replied. Xian nodded, continuing to scroll through his laptop.

“Can I have the title of that research you are going to use?” he asked once more.