Chapter 26 CHAPTER 026
There’s a thin line between infatuation and obsession, and honestly, Sage thinks he’s about to cross that line because he’s definitely no longer infatuated; he’s obsessed.
He tilts his head while a crazed smile curls on his face as he watches Professor Reis move from one end of the class to the other, teaching a bunch of Water Elementals, adjusting the glasses at the bridge of his nose once in a while. Sage doesn’t sneak in this time; he watches from the doorframe.
Sage realizes the man is the only professor in the academy who teaches every elemental without yielding his element. Sage has never seen him use his element, almost as if he has no element, almost as if that’s the reason he teaches his students history only instead of how to perfect their elements, but the academy won’t let a non-elemental into the academy.
Sage’s lips curl into a smile of curiosity and fondness. The professor is more intriguing than he thought. Sage couldn't care less about his classes when he gets to see the object of his obsession.
Soon, the class ends, Sage leans against the wall outside, and watches students leave the classroom one at a time, and by the time Sage peeks his head inside, there’s only the professor left.
Sage grins and strolls over to the man behind his desk. “Reis,”
Instantly, the man whips his head up at the sound of his name, and immediately his jaw clenches.
Sage instantly wears a charming smile. I meant Professor Reis, with all due respect, of course.
Reis shakes his head and returns to arranging the papers on his desk. “What brings you here again, Mr. Alavarez?”
“Came to see if you changed your mind about our little date and to see if you need my help?” Sage says causally, reaching out to grasp the professor’s flies, but the man yanks them away from Sage’s grasp.
“I told you, Mr. Alavarez, you’re a student, and I’m a professor,” the man says dismissively.
“You didn’t seem to care when you kissed me last time,” Sage states bluntly.
Reis freezes, and then his head snaps up once more, almost as if he’s seeing the kid for the first time. “Watch your words,”
“What? Just because you keep pretending doesn’t mean it didn't happen. You kissed me at the club, remember?” Sage smirks because he remembers that name vividly, and from the look on the professor’s face, Sage can tell he remembers.
It was the night Sage turned eighteen. He and Xavi had sneaked out of the academy and went to the city. They had gone into a club, where Sage flirted with a man fourteen years older than him, and they shared a kiss, only to realize he was a professor at the academy.
It was their little secret. Sage swore never to utter a word of it as long as Reis didn't report his little sneak-out in the city until now.
Sage got fed up.
“It’s been months; we swore never to speak of it, ever.”
Sage places his palms on the table and leans his body forward; the naughty and mischievous look in his eyes intensifies. “It’s been months, and I got tired of you pretending I don't exist.”
"That night should have never happened; you lied about your age. I didn’t know you were a kid.”
Sage shrugs. “It doesn’t matter. You were lonely, and I gave you company. It’s been months, yet I still can’t stop thinking about it. I tried dating my peers, but you’ve stuck in my head, and right now, I’m tired of pretending. I want you, Professor Reis, and you can't say no.”
Reis stares at him with a clenched jaw. “I told you that night should have never happened, and whatever you want between us can't happen either. You're a student; I'm a professional. You're a kid; I'm a man in my thirties. We're incompatible, and besides, I have a fiancée.”
Sage tries to act like the words don't hurt, but they do; they make his heart and hands clench. “Being engaged doesn't mean married, so I'm not giving up yet. I'll make you like me, Professor Reis."
Despite sharing a kiss, the professor had never shown that he liked Sage in any way. Sage sneaks into every class, awestruck at the sight, while Reis barely spares him a glance, pretending he doesn't exist.
In a way, Sage knows he's fighting a lost battle by chasing the man, but it doesn't hurt to try, and again, Sage has crossed the line between infatuation and obsession.
Reis’s expression hardens instantly. “That won’t happen.”
Sage opens his mouth to speak, but before he can say anything, a high-pitched voice suddenly interrupts.
“Reis,”
Sage whips his head speedily to see a woman standing there, dressed in a knee-length dress and a pair of heels, looking like she just stepped out of a magazine with her overflowing red hair and full lips. Sage has to admit she's pretty, but who is she?
Sags can swear he has never seen her at the academy before.
“Reis,” she calls again, smiling widely as she walks in, approaching the man behind the desk, and without warning, she pulls him in and seals their lips together in a kiss.
Sage feels like he stopped breathing for a moment as he watches with wide eyes; his breath catching, and his hands suddenly clench into fists at his side, nails already digging into his palm.
“Ren, not in front of a student,” Reis scolds softly as he breaks the kiss and she wipes the gloss off his lips with her finger. like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
Ren laughs softly, completely unbothered. “Oh, please, you act as if you’ve never done worse,” she teases, her voice light and playful as her gaze finally shifts and lands on Sage. She pauses, eyes narrowing slightly in curiosity. “Well,” she murmurs, tilting her head as she takes him in. “And who is this?”
Reis clears his throat, stepping away from her. “A student.”
“That much is obvious. I meant his name.” Ren replies, amused, and Sage finally forces himself to speak.
“Sage,” he says, his voice steadier than he feels. He feels like his insides are burning and, at the same time, falling apart.
Ren smiles, “Sage. Pretty name. I'm Ren, Reis's fiancée. It's actually my first time being at the academy. I'm not an elemental like the rest of you all,”
She seems friendly, chatty, and all smiley, but Sage doesn't like her. He doesn’t return the smile; his gaze flickers to Reis, but the man is already looking away, busying himself with the papers on his desk like nothing just happened.
“…I should go,” Sage mutters while still keeping his gaze on Reis.
“Nice meeting you, Sage.” She waves at him, and Sage nods, then turns and walks out with a clenched jaw, yet his sliver eyes twinkle because…
Sage has never had a problem breaking up couples before.