Artem

Studying at university was boring at times. I especially remember math, which we had once a week. It was taught by Fyodor Yakovlevich. Frankly, he didn't really put much effort into our subject. He simply handed out some notes and automatically gave us a pass, because apparently he didn't consider math the most important element. It was a typical day, nothing out of the ordinary. I showed up for class completely unprepared and sat down next to Katya. Suddenly, the head teacher popped into the room and announced we'd be getting a new teacher. Katya and I exchanged a few surprised glances. And then a man entered the classroom. Tall, handsome, about thirty years old, very attractive. The head teacher introduced him ceremoniously: "This is Artem Dmitrievich Orlov, your new math teacher." I couldn't take my eyes off him; he was simply stunning. Katya, noticing my glance, laughed and asked: "Are you in love?" I rolled my eyes: "What are you imagining!" We started pushing and giggling, when suddenly Artem Dmitrievich addressed us: "What are your names?"

"Alena Zaitseva," I replied. He leaned against the table, crossing his arms, and with a slight smirk and a raised eyebrow, asked, "Care to tell me what's so funny? Nothing special, I blurted out." Katya burst out laughing, but immediately quieted down, noticing Artem Dmitrievich's stern gaze. He continued to look at me, expecting an explanation. I frantically tried to think of what to say, just so as not to reveal the real reason for our giggles.

"We just… remembered a funny incident," I finally managed to say, trying to sound as confident as possible. Artem Dmitrievich narrowed his eyes slightly, as if he didn't believe my words, but he didn't press the issue. The lesson began, and I tried to focus on Artem Dmitrievich's explanation, but my thoughts kept returning to him. His voice, his gaze—everything captivated me. I stole glances at him while he wrote something on the board, and I felt my heart begin to beat faster. This had never happened to me before.