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“When properly qualified”

[Professor!Sylus Qin x Student!MC - (Dark Academia) University AU]

♟️Masterlist

☑︎ I CHAPTER: Quality Check ➢ first observation, first attention; ☑︎ II CHAPTER: Magpie Library ➢ curiosity & intellectual hunger; ☑︎ III CHAPTER: Finished Assignment ➢ recognition & temptation; ◻︎ IV CHAPTER: Independent Study ➢ justification & proximity; ◻︎ V CHAPTER: Spiderweb ➢ entanglement & danger; ◻︎ VI CHAPTER: Curriculum Vitae ➢ identity, distance, return.

☕️ III CHAPTER: FINISHED ASSIGNMENT ➢ recognition & temptation.

Two weeks had passed, and Rei felt like she hadn’t visited the restricted section of Magpie Library enough times. The copy of the research she had made about behavioural patterns in high stress decision making situations sat on the right side of her desk, a thick folder that presented a two pages of summary atop. She had had fun reading all those books and discovering different intellectuals and psychological interpretations that -in good and bad- helped her learn something new.

The original research was delivered to Professor Qin’s office this afternoon, and she returned the authorisation card too since he had given her the permission for these two weeks only.

Now she felt kind of sad, because there were a lot more titles and file cases she was interested in reading… but she couldn’t do it anymore.

Sighing heavily, she leaned on her desk and propped her chin on one hand. The other unconsciously reached out to grab the black business card she had left atop her journal, and flipped it between her fingers mindlessly. Heavy stock, minimalist design, just his name, title, office number, and below that, a cell phone number written in surprisingly messy handwriting…

Her teeth nipped slightly at her own bottom lip as she recalled that night. It was just a week ago but the memories were still so vivid in her mind that made herself quite silly.

Accepting a drive to the dormitory had been too personal for a professor-student kind of relationship. In her defence, she had tried to avoid the situation… Not because Professor Qin had given her the wrong impression, but because she had been -and she still was- aware of how easily a kind, innocent offer like that could’ve been misunderstood from an outer point of view.

It had been really late, though, and Professor Qin had been a gentleman -making sure that she had arrived at the dormitory safe and sound, sparing her unpleasant meetings with drinkers that had been fooling around from the E.V.E.R. Society’s party.

Still, she felt like she had gotten a peek into his private life somehow. She hadn’t recognised the kind of car he had but its smooth lines gleaming under the sodium lights had given away the fanciness.

Maybe it was vintage… one of those memorabilia that car-lovers would adore, she thought as she remembered how the passenger door opened in an usual way- or to be more specific, how Professor Qin had opened it for her in an old-fashioned gesture that somehow fit him perfectly.

Also, she had noticed how immaculate the interior had been -black leather seats worn soft with age, a manual transmission, the faint scent of cedar and old paper, classical music drifting softly from the stereo at barely audible volume… Things she had paid attention to because she was a tidy and organised kind of person and genuinely appreciated when others were as well, of course.

It wasn’t like she had kept her eyes on his automatic and precise movements, how he had waited for her to buckle her seatbelt nor the confidence he had driven with.

No, it had been a quiet drive.

No matter if the car’s interior had felt smaller than it should've, intimate in a way that had nothing to do with actual dimensions.

And she had spent most of the time looking out the window -the campus drifting past in pools of lamplight and shadow, the party sounds fading into distance.

Even if it had lasted longer than what she had expected…

Could it be that he took the long route to avoid Chronos Row? Because the buildings were dark and the pathways empty as we drove by. She wondered as her hand fell on the desk and she rested her head on her folded arm instead, her eyes still fixed on the business card.

At some point of the ride, Professor Qin had broken the silence and she had listened carefully to his analysis of the campus social geography -even if the prideful part of her had wanted to speak up and make clear that she could figure people out just fine. She had turned to look at him -but only that time, though- as he had suggested to her once again to be wary of E.V.E.R. Society.

After having passed beneath the archway of old oak trees that lined the road toward the residential district, UNICORNS Hall had come into view -a graceful brick building with ivy climbing its walls and warm lights glowing in several windows no matter the hour.

And she had thought that the night would’ve ended there, once he had pulled smoothly into the circular drive and put the car in neutral leaving the engine running, but…

“This isn't a social invitation, Miss. It's risk management…” He had suddenly reached into his coat pocket and had pulled out a business card, holding it out for her. “A couple of weeks aren't long enough to establish safety patterns. So until you do -office hours. Late library sessions. Anywhere you're working past ten PM… Text me when you're leaving, and I'll make sure you get back safely.”

He had completely caught her off guard -her fingers had tightened around the seatbelt where she had been unbuckling it. The dashboard lights had casted a soft glow across his features, highlighting the sharpness of his features and the silver of his hair, and all of a sudden, she had become aware about the appearance of impropriety of the situation they had been in.

“I'd prefer not to read about one of my students in a Title IX report because she was too proud to ask for an escort.”

The words had been clinical, professional, but there had been something protective in the way he had said them -a quiet insistence that had suggested it mattered more than he had meant letting on.

“Take it. And use it if you need to.”

Honestly, she had hesitated and had the intention to refuse politely, keep a safe distance between them. But as she had looked up from the card in his hand and had met his gaze, she couldn't ever ignored the genuine concern hidden in the depths of those crimson eyes.

“I'll be more mindful of the hour from now on...” she had promised quietly, taking his business card. “Thank you, Professor Qin.”

His eyes had held hers for a moment longer than strictly necessary -not inappropriately, but with that same focused intensity he seemed to bring to everything. Then he had reached across her to open the passenger door from the inside -the proximity had been briefly, intensely noticeable.

“Go on,” pulling back to his side of the car, he had dismissed her.

“It's late, and unlike you, I actually do have a chess problem waiting.”

The dry humor in his voice had been unmistakable, softening what might have been a command. But that swift moment, in which she had caught the warmth coming from him, had been enough for her body to betray her in the most embarrassing way...

She had blushed, flustered by the unexpected gesture.

As she remembered how silly she might’ve looked in his eyes after all the efforts she put into appearing collected and responsible in front of her superiors… she wished to disappear.

She had accepted his number but she had kept her word instead and never used it. She had finished the assignment by frequenting Magpie Library and leaving right on the closing time, receiving an approving smile from Mr. Shen every time as a bonus.

Now the business card lost its purpose, just like the authorisation card, but-

“Damn it, I forgot…” She grumbled as she lifted herself from the desk and held it between her hands.

She should’ve returned it too but it was late…

So she simply slipped it among the pages of her journal.

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