Office Hours

First Glance

I was lying on my bed, phone in one hand, scrolling through my feed while my girlfriend well, my “i********: girlfriend” posted another story flexing that she was dating me. Blonde, perfect smile, influencer vibes. She didn’t know me. She really didn’t care. She just liked showing off. And I didn’t mind, she was convenient, pretty, and made me look good. That was enough.

The sunlight fell through my blinds, and my room felt like the only calm place in my messy life. I had never cared much about lectures, homework, or anything serious. People whispered about me everywhere, girls loved the way I moved, the way I looked, the way I didn’t even try but none of that mattered until today.

My phone buzzed. It was my best friend:

“Bro, we finally got a new lecturer today for Literature 405. Heard she’s hot. You have to come.

I rolled my eyes. Hot lecturer? Please. That wasn’t enough to get me out of bed.

Another message,

“Seriously bro.Your attendance for the course already sucks and you’re failing it. I know you’ve been through a lot bro but you have to try at least.” I’m just looking out for you.

Before I could argue, my friends were at my door, dragging me up and forcing me to get dressed. Reluctantly, I slid on clothes that were “presentable enough” and headed to class, grumbling the entire way.

And then I saw her.

The door opened, and the room shifted. The sunlight caught her long curly black hair. Her eyes bright brown, impossible to look away from. Confidence radiated from her in a way that made me feel… small, unprepared, like I’d never experienced before.

She wasn’t a girl trying to impress anyone. She didn’t care about attention. She didn’t need validation. And suddenly, I noticed something I’d never noticed before, a beauty that wasn’t just on the outside.

“Good morning, class .I’m miss Elara Mckries. I’m your new lecturer for this course”, she said, calm and bright.

I froze in my seat at the back. She’s… the lecturer? Young and beautiful, with this quiet elegance. I couldn’t believe it. How could someone like her be standing here, about to teach us?

My breath stalled. The sleeves of her fitted top fell neatly to her elbows matching her flay skirt. Amazing sense of style. It made the whole thing feel like it belonged together. Nothing about her outfit tried too hard. Just a few delicate pieces of jewelry caught the light, subtle enough to miss it if you weren’t looking closely.

Her long black curls were gathered back with a claw clip.Sandals on her feet. She didn’t look like a lecturer. She didn’t even look like she was trying to be anything at all. She almost looked… perfect.My heart thudded, my thoughts scattered, and all I could do was sit there, stunned.

The lecture started. I tried to focus, but my mind kept wandering back to her. Every word, every glance, every subtle gesture pulled me in.

And in that moment, something about her stopped me. Not just the way she looked but the way she was calm, certain, untouchable and somehow… hard to ignore.

Because for the first time, I saw a woman and I truly saw her and it terrified me.

And somehow… after that day, I never skipped class again.