When Teon and Kelly got home, she quickly took a shower and went straight into the study room to review what she had beamed. Her part-time job took up her evening's study time, so she had to use this time to consolidate what she learned that day. Time passed unnoticed until there was a knock on the door.

“Em coming in,” Leon called.

As soon as the door opened, Tren saw the young woman sitting at the desk, books spread out in front of her, pen in hand, seemingly absorbed in what she was writing. The soft light bathed her, and her focused expression made it clear her attention was on her textbooks. Leon placed the warm milk on her desk and spoke gently, “Don’t forget to drink the milk.”

Lost in thought, Kelly absentmindedly nodded, “plore.”

Leon glanced down at her open book. It showed a diagram of the heart, with text explaining the pulmonary and systemic circulations. Noticing her furrowed brow, he asked, “Do you need help?”

Kelbe looked up at him, her eyes lighting up. How could she forget? She had such an excellent professor right by her side, yet she was still struggling to understand the difference between pulmonary and systemic circulation. In no time, a chair appeared beside her desk. Leon sat next to her, his hand resting on a blank sheet of paper, then started sketching a heart with swift, precise movements, bringing the anatomy to life on the page.

Leon’s voice, calm and steady, filled the quiet night as he explained, “This is the coronary cross-section of the heart. On the left and right, we have the left and right atria, as well as the left and right ventricles. The tricuspid valve separates the right atrium and ventricle, while the bicuspid valve separates the left atrium and ventricle. Let’s start with the pulmonary circulation.”

Leon circled the right ventricle on the diagram and extended a line upwards. “From here, a blood vessel called the pulmonary artery emerges, and blood flows into the lungs…”

His voice was slow and soothing, and with each word, a clear and precise diagram of the pulmonary and systemic circulations began to form on the page. He used red and blue pens to mark key details. Leon’s hand, steady and precise, drew without even needing to glance at the textbook. His knowledge of human anatomy seemed deeply ingrained, as if it had been etched into his bones. The organs he sketched were lifelike, and Kelly had already seen his talent in class. Many of the students joked that Leon had been “ruined” in anatomy as an artist by his career.

“Next, we have systemic circulation. Blood flows from the left atrium into the left ventricle, where it’s pumped into the aorta…” Absorbed in his explanation, Kelly found her mind wandering. Her gaze drifted over his face, from his eyebrows to his nose, and finally to his lips. His mouth moved with every word, perfectly shaped and mesmerizing. Then her eyes traced down to his Adam’s apple, which subtly moved as he spoke. Having studied anatomy for some time, Kelly knew that although people had similar structures, there were always differences. And Leon’s bone structure seemed like a perfect gift from nature.

Just as she became entranced by him, his voice startled her like a thunderclap. “Are you listening?”

Kelly’s eyes widened as she met his dark, steady gaze. Damn it. She had been caught daydreaming again. Her face turned bright red in an instant. “I–I’m sorry.”

Leon leaned back in his chair, his deep eyes never leaving her. “This is the second time you’ve spaced out in my class.”

Kelly wanted to crawl into a hole and hide. She felt utterly embarrassed. “Professor Butler, I’m really sorry.”

His tone became a little stricter. “Tell me, what made you lose focus?”

Her face was visibly flushed with embarrassment. She struggled to come up with an excuse to brush it off, but his gaze was so sharp, much like her high school homeroom teacher’s. Desperately, she looked at him with pleading eyes. “Do I have to say it?”

Leon raised an eyebrow. “What do you think?”

Kelly knew she couldn’t avoid it. She mumbled quickly, stumbling over her words, “Because you’re too good-looking.”