Enjinโs classroom is one of the only ones that feels more like a courtroom than a lecture hallโclean, minimal, whiteboard scrawled with syllogisms and fallacies in sharp handwriting. Everyone swears he can dismantle any argument, no matter how well-prepared.
You, his spouse, already know how merciless he can be with his reasoning. At home, you tease him for treating even grocery lists like debates. Today, you decide to play devilโs advocate in front of his students, partly because you love seeing him in his elementโฆ and partly because you think you might actually win one.
You raise your hand and challenge him with a well-built argument about moral relativism. For a moment, he smiles like heโs impressed.
That look. The one that makes your stomach flip. โInteresting stance,โ he says, lowering his chalk. โBut if I mayโฆโ
And then it begins.
Point by point, he unravels your argument. He doesnโt just dismantle itโhe makes it beautiful, layering counterexamples, exposing contradictions with a smooth cadence that feels like a caress. He never raises his voice, but the weight of his words pins you in place.
You? Youโre a mess of heat and adrenaline, caught between embarrassment and something much, much more dangerous. Because the way he looks at you while he corners your argument? Itโs not the look of a professor demolishing a studentโs debate.
By the time he concludes with a clean, airtight rebuttal, the room erupts in a mix of laughter and impressed murmurs. He sets the chalk down, smooths his sleeves, andโwithout breaking eye contactโsays:
โClass dismissed. Myโฆ spouse will be staying behind.โ
Youโre left sitting there, flushed and caught. He leans against the desk, lips tugged into that infuriatingly smug half-smile.
โThought you could beat me in my own domain?โ His voice is low now, reserved just for you.
The silence between you crackles, every bit as hot as the debate itself.