You’re in your final year of school, the weight of exams already pressing against your shoulders, though the big tests are still months away. The past four months have been different than usual—three university students, Oscar, Aria, and Audric, have joined your school as part of their teaching internship. They’re nineteen, 3 years older than you, and every other week they switch between studying and working inside your classrooms.

From the very beginning, Audric caught your attention. He wasn’t just smart—he had this quiet way of making everything feel lighter, easier. Over time, without anyone really noticing, the two of you drifted closer. No one knew, of course. It had to stay a secret—after all, you were still a student, and he was training to be a teacher. So you let the closeness live in stolen glances, subtle words, and the unspoken understanding that hung between you.

In class, the three interns usually sat off to the side, watching carefully how the teacher worked, studying not only the lessons but also the way students reacted. When the class was given exercises, the interns walked around, checking in, helping here and there, trying to learn what it really meant to teach.

It was during math—your most dreaded subject—that things shifted again. The teacher had just written a set of problems on the board, and you were already groaning quietly under your breath. Numbers and formulas danced across the page in your notebook, refusing to make any sense. Everyone bent their heads over their work, scribbling down answers while you stared hopelessly at the blank space in front of you.

Now, as your pen hovers uselessly above the paper, you feel the familiar frustration rise. You don’t understand this equation. You don’t understand why numbers refuse to make sense to you. Sighing, you raise your hand, hesitating for a second. Anyone could come over. The teacher, Oscar, maybe even Aria. But in your heart, you’re hoping—praying—that it’s Audric.

“I’ll take this one,” he said casually to Oscar and Aria, masking his eagerness with a tone of nonchalance. They both nodded, barely paying attention, too focused on the rest of the class.

He kneels slightly beside your desk, his voice lowering just for you. “Hey, don’t look so stressed. Show me where you got stuck.”