The calm before the storm

“Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.”

– Buddha

. . .

As Hiro waited in line for his lasagna to be served, distractedly wiping at his glasses with a handkerchief from time to time (for lack of anything better to do), he was suddenly approached by… he squints at the woman waving at him. He hurriedly placed his glasses back on his face to see who it was, only to find himself standing face to face with the head of the math department, Megan Griffins.

She was somewhere in her late forties but actually looked way much younger than that with her dark blonde hair and hazel brown eyes, equipped with an easygoing smile.

And despite her deceptively young looks, Megan was actually well-known in the world of elites because not only she was a renowned animator and designer, but her late husband also (God bless his soul) was a CEO of some massive tech company in England and overall, just someone Hiro thought that Lunamor might actually want to spend her time with talking to since all she seemed to think about are her grades, work and family.

Really, that girl needs a hobby...

“How nice to finally see our youngest joining the land of the living,” Megan greeted with a playful wink and Hiro chuckled at that. It had been some sort of running joke in their department that Hiro practically lived in his office… no thanks to Steven.

“Not for long,” Hiro chuckled, grinning back at her, “I'm just getting something to eat and then this zombie will be out of your face, ma’am.”

Megan hummed before she snapped her fingers, her warm eyes shining, “Oh, I just remembered! I’ve been meaning to ask… how are your classes been going so far, Hiro?”

“Oh, they’re fine,” Hiro answered, shrugging his shoulders, “You know, the usual–same old, same old. The students aren’t giving me a headache… yet. Hopefully never, but who knows,” he turned away from her for a moment to pay for his food.

“Say… that Italian girl, Cassandra Lunamor, is in your class, right?” Megan suddenly asked after a moment of pause in their conversation.

Despite himself, Hiro felt his lips curling into a smile.

“Yup, smart girl, that one.”

But the proud smile on his face immediately faded as he watched Megan worry at her bottom lip, “She isn't giving you any trouble, is she?”

Hiro blink, “Why would she?”

Lunamor’s really… not that bad?

“Nothing, it’s just,” Megan sighed, “Last week, I heard one of the professors from World Religions and Belief Systems had apparently resigned because of her.”

“Wait… WHAT?!”

“Hiro, your voice,” Megan chided, gently.

“S-sorry...” Hiro sheepishly glanced around. Fortunately, none of the students didn't seem to be listening too closely about their conversation.

“You really didn't know then...?”

“What... no! I just first heard this from you.”

The older woman gave him a sympathetic glance and a short, reassuring squeeze on the arm that Hiro barely felt, “Uh-huh. That was my reaction too sweetie, when I heard one of her professors in advanced programming apparently suffered from an emotional breakdown during a heated debate in the middle of their class discussion… can you believe that?”

Having an impromptu debate in class sure does sounds like the Lunamor he knows... but at the same time, Hiro thought, no. Maybe?

He doesn't know.

Something doesn't add up...

From what he can tell, Lunamor wasn't the type to agitate unless provoked. She was usually quiet or just listening in the background during class. And Hiro wasn't really comfortable judging someone unless he knows the full story. He wants to know what Lunamor has to say for herself about this.

“The things that girl said to her professors...” Megan was saying as she shook her head disapprovingly, a hint of bitterness in her eyes, “I heard it was pretty intense.”

Hiro… hadn’t really heard of that.

Any of it.

And he was pretty sure it was well-written all over his face because Megan sighed at the look of disbelief he was pretty sure he was currently giving her, “Not my words, Hiro. That's just what I've heard.”

He frowned, “Exaggeration, most likely...”

She shrugs, “Seems pretty real to me.”

Not to Hiro though... and he was the one who had been interacting with Lunamor, not Megan. Sure, Lunamor can be very blunt that it can be considered rude or harsh most of the time, but it was nothing worth having a breakdown over. Not unless you're already ill or something.

Hiro should know.

He already had several discussions with Lunamor often, he had initiated and even engaged in a heated debate with her over a lesson about mathematical theories on the first week of class... and survived unscathed as well.

No, Hiro decided firmly.

He refused to believe any of this.

The other professors’ sudden resignations probably had to do with more than just having Lunamor in class… these rumors just sounds too alarming to be true.

“Well actually... Lunamor’s one of the best students in my class,” Hiro suddenly found himself telling his boss, “I've told the others about some of the discussions I've had with her during office hours though it mostly sounds like having a debate with another professor sometimes, to be honest. It was kind of… thrilling, I guess.”

Megan placed a hand on his shoulder, “Yes, yes, she's some kind of a genius. Typical, Lunamors. I already heard all about that… but I still worry about you. Not because you're basically new and one of the youngest professors around here, but because of what I've been hearing about that girl.”

Hiro shrugs. “Just rumors, obviously.”

She gave him an uncharacteristically serious look, “No. If she's giving you trouble, I want to know immediately. I don’t care if the dean is scared of that girl or her blood money. We’ll do something if she bullies the math teachers. Know that I will act.”

Hiro blinks.

“Do I make myself clear, Hiro?”

And Hiro almost gave the older woman a bear hug for that one... she almost sounds like his mom. God only knows how much he missed her. It was also kind of touching to know that the head of department was genuinely concerned and looking out for him.

He chuckled instead, lightly patting the hand on his shoulder, “Sure thanks… but really Megan, I enjoy having her in my class so no, please don’t take away one of my star students.”

“Fine, whatever you say…”

“In fact, I'm supposed to be having lunch with Lunamor right now to discuss one of the lessons she had missed. If you're not too busy Megan, you could join us if you want?” Hiro offered, beaming at her.

“Wait… Lunamor is having lunch with you? For real?” Megan asked in turn, her eyebrows almost reaching her hairline as she stared at him.

“Her little brother suggested it but… well, a lot of things happened, and we ended up stuck with each other, so yeah,” Hiro answered, shrugging again as he tried to grasp the right words explain. He didn’t want his boss to get the wrong idea or something, after all.

Megan stared at him for a moment, brows furrowing.

“You…” she hesitated, looking a bit uneasy, “Are you two close, Hiro?”