Triggered

“No sight is more provocative of awe than is the night sky.”

–Llewelyn Powys

…

Ever since Hiro had lost one of his classes to Megan, his office hours for that week had become vacant and he had dedicated himself to spend those hours working on some of his other paperwork until 5 pm.

He wouldn’t dare to admit it out loud though, especially with the rumors going on about him and Lunamor, spreading about like wildfire but it’s kind of too… quiet in here since he had grown quite used to having said person around for a discussion or debate about this or that.

And he sincerely doubted that Megan, despite being generally a nice woman, would be just as accommodating as him considering the stunt Lunamor had pulled on their first meeting.

First impressions are important.

Still, Hiro made it a point to show up for his office hours despite having no one, not even Lunamor to come… that is until the next day.

Friday, specifically.

Hiro had found himself beaming at spotting one of his former students waiting for him, already sitting outside by his office door.

It was Rachelle Grace, one of the smartest student in his class and the one who normally sat in the front center of his class (…that is, until Lunamor decided to steal her usual seat for a day, Hiro pointedly ignored that little fact) and she was also pretty popular for her good-looks and playful demeanor, added with her fiery red hair and shining green eyes, Rachelle was easily considered as one of the prettiest girls in the academy. Not to mention, she was also ranked fourth in the academy’s entrance exams.

“Hi, Professor Hiro,” Rachelle greeted amicably, fiddling with a DSLR camera that seemed to be surgically attached to her hand.

Despite feeling a bit surprised to see her (Rachelle was very responsible and diligent, often taking such detailed notes and won’t even let him leave the classroom until she had asked all of her questions), Hiro was still pleased to have someone to show up to office hours today. It would be also kind of nice to hear what Megan was teaching them now.

“Good afternoon, Ms. Grace. How’s your day?” Hiro greeted in return as he opened the door and let himself in, letting the door remain wide open as he gestured for her to come in.

“It’s been alright, Professor.” Grace answered as she sat down in front of his desk, worrying at her bottom lip, before reluctantly asking: “Aren’t you really going to be our professor again?”

Straight to the point as always.

That’s why Hiro was fond of her.

He chuckled a bit, placing his stuff on his desk, “No, I’m afraid not, Ms. Grace. Why? Is there something wrong with your class?”

Rachelle worried at her bottom lip for a moment again as she shifted in her seat uneasily, her gaze on her DLSR camera, “It was okay, I guess… but it’s just… well, I mean, I’m not the only one because there were some things we were confused about.”

“Really? Like what?”

“Terminologies… and uh…”

Hiro sighed and fixed his glasses for a moment as he leaned back on his swivel chair, considering just how confused and messed up his former students are under Megan's teaching method. Because really, he couldn't say that one was unexpected. In fact, he had seen this coming.

That's why he told them he's still available.

As far as Hiro was concerned, Megan specializes in teaching civil engineering and programming though she is still capable of teaching general mathematics, albeit overqualified for the job. Obviously, she was unaccustomed to teaching students who weren't majors in the aforementioned courses and so, she had tended to use other terminologies or even analogies that some of his students might not have known, hence the confusion.

Hopefully, those students would either show up to his or Megan’s office hours for clarifications or ask Megan their questions during the next lectures to clear up the confusion.

“Right, fire away.”

Rachelle beamed, “Thanks, sir!”

It so happened, a few minutes later, while Hiro was still in the middle of discussing some of the terminologies and equations that Rachelle had fortunately jotted down in her notebook... Lunamor unexpectedly walked right into his office (the door had been left half-open) without even bothering to knock or announce her sudden presence which was fine with Hiro because he was used to it.

But Rachelle was not.

Rachelle had looked up sharply at her classmate in confusion and alarm while said classmate froze on the spot at the sight of another student. Lunamor was already three steps inside the office, looking both confused and almost… angry… if her furrowing eyebrows were anything to go by.

“What... Lunamor...? What are you doing here?” Rachelle managed to ask, obviously startled by her classmate’s sudden (and rude) entrance.

Hiro frantically glanced at his cell phone.

Its only 4:19 pm. What on earth is Lunamor doing here so early? “Ms. Lunamor, I’m sorry but can you please wait outside for a few moments–”

She snarled, “Get out.”

Rachelle’s brows pinched together, “Excuse me?”

“You heard me.”

“Seriously, you’re the one who just barged in here–!”

“Are you deaf?” Lunamor snapped.

Hell no, not this again...!

Hiro angrily rose from his seat to be on her eye-level, glowering at Lunamor… though his hands immediately shook when Lunamor’s piercing eyes of silver and dark gray instantly hardened into such a murderous look that instantly reminded him of lightning itself marking amongst the dark skies before they struck the earth.

Or a polished blade prepared to strike.

It was frightening.

And Hiro determinedly planted his hands firmly on the table to keep them from shaking. Because he will not be bossed around by a student just because she’s rich–he didn’t care what the Dean says. He refused. He won’t back down from this without putting up a hell of a fight.

“Ms. Lunamor, you don't have an appointment for office hours, so can you please wait for a few minutes outside?” he repeated his demand, more firmly this time. “Ms. Grace and I still have something important to discuss.”

The Dean may be scared shitless and under her family’s thumb and she may have already bossed and tossed some of the other professors around to the point that they voluntarily chose to quit (if those rumors were true) hell, Lunamor even insulted his boss and as a result, he lost one of his classes but still... Hiro liked to believe he wasn’t someone to be cowed down so easily no matter what.

Not even if he need the money.

He could only accommodate Lunamor to a certain degree because of the Dean’s wishes before it became really ridiculous and unreasonable– I mean, who the fuck was he kidding? He had even gotten involved in a stupid rumor because of her damn it!

Still, while Hiro may no longer be her professor anymore, there was no way in hell that he would just sit here and let her to toss one of her classmates out of his own damn office.

Not on his watch.

But Lunamor remained unmoving by the doorway, her stony expression as still as a China doll. Although her eyes told a different story. Her eyes were narrowed, and her gloved hands were clenched into fists by her side. “…You know I don't have time to sit around and wait.”

She was obviously angry with him right now.

And while an angry Lunamor made him nervous (sure, she had been annoyed from time to time, but he had never seen Lunamor’s temper snap for real), Hiro was still not about to let her boss him around–especially right in front of another student. She may be the vice president of a multi-billion-dollar company, but she is not his fucking boss here and this is not her office; THIS IS HIS, DAMN IT!

Lunamor can’t just make someone leave, not when he’s standing right here!

Despite the growing urge to lose his temper there and then, Hiro managed to keep his face deliberately calm: “You do, starting now. Get out, Cassandra.”

Lunamor looked like she might have wanted to actually say something else to that, maybe to obviously protest... but something in his expression might have changed her mind and immediately made her realize that he wasn’t going to budge to her selfish demands, not this time, unlike the others who’d follow her whims if she so much as hinted to want something to be done.

...or maybe it was because he said her name.

Before Hiro could dwell more on it, Lunamor suddenly focused the entirety of her glare to Rachelle’s direction for a moment, perhaps trying to mentally threaten her classmate into walking out of the office.

But Rachelle wasn’t like most of her other classmates or some of the professors who were obviously intimidated by her money either–because to Hiro’s astonishment (and satisfaction); Rachelle only glared right back at Lunamor, the look on her pretty face obviously daring Lunamor to make her stand up and leave because she sure as hell not doing it.

After a moment of tensed staring contest between two of the academy’s most intelligent students, Lunamor suddenly turned her eyes away from Rachelle’s to glare at him and hissed:

“Fine, later.”

Then, after one last scathing glare at Rachelle Grace (one that clearly promised divine retribution… Hiro suddenly felt very worried) Lunamor turned away, her fair hair whirling around her at the abrupt movement as she stalked right out of his office without another word, the door slamming loudly right behind her, making Hiro wince.