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The rest of the day passed in a blur. I couldn’t focus on my classes, my mind constantly drifting back to the conversation I was going to have with JM. My heart raced at the thought, and every time I thought about it, I felt a mix of excitement and nervousness.

After the final class of the day, I gathered my things and made my way to the campus café, where we’d agreed to meet.

I was a little early, so I took a seat by the window, watching as students passed by.

The sun was starting to set, casting a warm golden glow over the campus.

The café had a peaceful atmosphere, with only a few students lingering around, enjoying their afternoon coffee.

A few minutes later, I saw JM walk in, his eyes immediately finding mine. There was something different in the way he looked at me now—a sense of anticipation, as if we both knew something had shifted between us.

He walked over and took a seat across from me, his usual calm demeanor replaced by a certain intensity.

"Hey," he said, his voice soft, almost hesitant. "I’ve been thinking about last night. About... everything."

I nodded, feeling my stomach tighten. "Yeah, me too."

He leaned forward slightly, his gaze focused on me. "Junno, I don’t want to make this weird, but I can’t deny that there’s something between us. I’ve been feeling it for a while now, but I didn’t know how to handle it. You’re a student, and I’m your professor, and that makes things complicated."

I swallowed hard, trying to steady my nerves. "I know. I’ve been thinking about it a lot too. And honestly, I don’t know what it means either. But I can’t ignore how I feel about you."

He smiled softly, though it was tinged with a hint of sadness. "I’m glad you feel that way. But I don’t want to lead you into something that could make things difficult for you. You’ve got your whole life ahead of you, and I don’t want to be the one who complicates it."

I shook my head, my heart racing. "But what if we just... took it one step at a time? We don’t have to figure it all out right now, but I don’t want to just pretend nothing’s happening between us."

JM looked at me, his expression thoughtful, his eyes searching mine. "I don’t want to ignore it either," he said finally. "But I also don’t want to risk either of us getting hurt."

There was a moment of silence between us, filled with the weight of unspoken words. I could see the conflict in his eyes, the way he was torn between his feelings for me and the responsibility he had as a professor.

"I understand," I said quietly, trying to keep my voice steady. "But what if we just tried? What if we didn’t have to label it right away? We could just... see where it goes."

JM seemed to consider this for a long moment, and for a second, I was worried he was going to pull away. But then he sighed, leaning back in his chair.

"I think... I think that’s the best we can do for now. But I need you to understand that I’m not taking this lightly. I care about you, Junno, and I don’t want to hurt you."

I felt my heart skip a beat at his words. "I care about you too, JM. And I’m not going into this blindly. I just want us to figure it out together."

His expression softened, and for the first time that evening, I saw a glimpse of the warmth I’d felt during our dinner—the way he looked at me with something deeper than just admiration.

"Alright," he said, a small smile tugging at his lips. "We’ll take it one step at a time."

We sat there for a while longer, just talking about everything and nothing, the weight of our conversation slowly lifting.

The tension between us hadn’t disappeared completely, but it felt different now.

We had a sense of understanding, a quiet agreement that we would move forward—slowly, cautiously, but together.

As the café began to empty, JM stood up, and I followed suit.

"Thanks for this, Junno," he said softly, his eyes meeting mine. "I’m glad we talked."

"Me too," I replied, my voice a little more confident now. "We’ll figure it out. Together."

He smiled, and for a brief moment, I forgot all about the world outside. All that mattered was this small step we’d just taken together.

"Goodnight, Junno," he said, his tone almost intimate. "I’ll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, JM," I replied, watching him walk away, my heart still pounding in my chest.

As I made my way back to my apartment that night, I couldn’t help but replay our conversation over and over in my mind.

It wasn’t a promise, not yet, but it was a step—a step toward something neither of us had expected.

And even though the road ahead was uncertain, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was just the beginning of something real.