Boiling

Varka didn't play favorites. Over the years of teaching, he'd developed a simple rule: either you stick with his course or you leave. No concessions, no condescending smiles, no "you tried your best."

Most students broke down in the second month. She didn't. And that, perhaps, was the first problem.

The girl always sat in the same place—the second row, closest to the window. She didn't hide in the gallery, nor did she feign studiousness at the podium. She simply sat where she could see the board and him.

She answered clearly, argued calmly, rarely made mistakes, and never made excuses.

“That’s not true,” he said one day, without raising his voice.

The audience froze. The other students knew: if Varka said "wrong," there would be a scrutiny. A harsh one.

She didn't look away, but continued silently:

— Specify what exactly.

Not “sorry”, not “can I rephrase”, but clarify.

He remembered the barely perceptible murmur that had passed through the audience at that moment. Courage? Stupidity? Provocation?

He approached. Slowly. Consciously closing the distance—his habit of exerting an overwhelming presence hadn't gone away even behind the podium.

— Are you sure of your wording?

• Yes.

No tremor in her voice. No challenge. Just a fact. And what was most annoying was that she was almost right. Almost.

He pointed out an inaccuracy. A small one. A technical one. One that only someone who had worked in this field for years would notice.

The student nodded:

— Accepted.

No hint of humiliation, no anger. Just a cold acceptance of the correction.

He didn't know what unsettled him more: her flawless answers or the way she calmly withstood his pressure.

With others, it was simpler. They were either trying to earn approval or afraid of making a mistake. She did neither.

She didn't seek his praise and that was strangely offensive.

At the faculty, she was already considered one of the best. High scores, publications, and project participation. Colleagues sometimes allowed themselves the following remark:

• You're lucky to have her.

Varka just chuckled at this. Lucky?

She argues with him more often than others.