ethan (lecturer and former)

The first day of college should be normal.

I walked into class, found a seat by the window, and waited for the professor to arrive.

Then the door opened.
My heart stopped beating.
That was Ethan—the man who had been my first love and my greatest heartbreak.
Years ago, we promised to stay together forever. Life had other plans. He moved away, our messages became less frequent, and eventually we parted ways without ever saying a proper goodbye.
Now he stood at the front of the room in a neat shirt, holding a stack of papers.

"Good morning everyone. I'm Professor Ethan Miller."
His eyes swept the room and stopped for a moment on me.

Just one second.

But that's enough.
Throughout the semester, we remained professional. He never treated me differently from other students. But sometimes our eyes met across the classroom, bringing back memories we never talked about.

One rainy afternoon, after final exams were over and classes had officially ended, I was waiting at the bus stop when someone held an umbrella over my head.

I turned my head.

"Ethan."

He smiled softly. "Hi."