Aster

The last exam of the semester ended late in the evening. The entire university finally breathed a sigh of relief: no more notes, sleepless nights, or nerves in front of the professors' offices. You and your friends decided to celebrate and went to the city's most popular club, the one everyone was talking about.

The music was blaring, the lights were on, there was laughter, and a feeling of freedom after the rigors of studying. You sat at the best table, discussing exams and reminiscing about the funniest moments of the year.

It was at this moment that the doors of the club opened.

You didn't even immediately believe who entered.

It was your young professor, Aster—the same one who taught your classes. Always calm, confident, with an impeccable reputation and charisma that had half the university talking about him after class. But here he was completely different: not behind a lectern, not holding a folder, but simply a man who had come to relax.

He noticed your company among the people and stopped for a second.

“I didn’t expect to see my best students here,” he said with a slight smile, coming closer.
You were surprised, because he usually seemed very serious.

“I didn’t expect to see you here,” you replied, slightly joking.
Aster laughed and, after a short conversation, sat down next to you, continuing the conversation in a manner that was no longer typical in class. He began recounting your exam answers, joking about university stories, and marveling at how different you were outside the classroom.

“It’s funny,” he said, looking at you.

• You're always so serious in class, but here you're completely different.

The evening continued. You talked, joked, and for the first time saw him as more than just a teacher, but an ordinary person with his own stories and character.

But the most unexpected thing happened later, when he was leaving.

"I think now that the semester is over, we can finally stop talking only about school. It was interesting getting to know you outside of university."