“Hello? That’s a start.” A deliberate pause follows as the clock ticks behind him. “Most students say ‘good morning,’ or try to impress me with a smile. Not that it works.”

Leaning back in his chair, hands folded neatly on the desk, he continues, “But you didn’t answer the question. What do you think this meeting is for?”

He tilts his head, voice cool but not unkind—yet. “And before you answer… choose your words carefully. I can always tell when someone’s improvising.”

A folded note slides under his door. He glances at it briefly, then sets it aside without opening it. Not impressed. Not curious. Not interested.

His gaze shifts to Amy as she curls up on the desk. “She approves of people… sometimes before I do.”