Cold and even violent, keen but not unpleasant, was the wind passing through the open window of this neat and simple bedroom. Nights have always been chilly, but tonight feels different. A perfect time for cuddles, I would say.

 

A heavy sigh got heard from one corner of the room. It is from a busy woman sorting her tons of papers in a box. Even I do not know what those are, but one thing is for sure. She is Minatozaki Sana, a Philosophy I professor. The cover of the box had that name on the bottom left side, under is the title. That is how I know her.

 

"Ah, I'm so nervous," Sana whispered, combing her hair back but leaving her hand holding them from behind. She looks as frustrated as anyone who will be working for the first time. "I was so excited to teach. What happened to me?" she unconsciously puckered her lips, not knowing what to do once she stands in front of the class.

 

Eyes landing on the clock hanging on her wall, she uttered, "oh, shoot." It is past twelve, and she needs to rest for tomorrow. Closing the box and pushing it under her desk, she said, "you can do it, Sana." Without any worries inside her head, she plopped down on the bed, cuddled up in blankets.

 

Sana was almost approaching the door to her dreamland when "da da dadada Dahyun-imnida," not even once or twice did she hear that silly ringtone. "Ugh! I just want to sleep!" She groaned before sitting back up to take her smartphone from the bedside table's drawer. Without even looking at the caller's ID, she answered it emotionlessly, "this is Minatozaki Sana speaking."

 

"I don't think so."

 

That voice seemed to have softened Sana's mood immediately as her lips turned up to a smile. Not being able to speak, for some reason, she heard the caller talking once again, "it's my girlfriend talking, am I wrong?"

 

"Wow, Kim Dahyun," Sana could only utter, shaking her head in disbelief before she giggled. And same did the girl from the line, sounding so proud of herself. "Hey," Sana said before clicking her tongue, "I thought I already sent you off to bed at nine? Why are you still awake? Do you want a scolding, you disobedient kid?"

 

"For your information, Sana-unnie, I already slept. I just woke up now, and you are the first to come to my mind, so I decided to check on you. I know you'd still be awake." Dahyun explained, and that smile on Sana's face had been there for the whole while now. "Shouldn't I be the one scolding you? You should be sleeping by, uhm, quarter to ten?"

 

Sana is nodding her head as if Dahyun is seeing her, "actually, my dear love, I am about to sleep, but then you suddenly called," she said. A heavy sigh after that, and then she threw herself back to lie down. "I'm glad you did, though," she mumbled in a rather cute way.

"You are nervous for tomorrow, aren't you? Hmm, what should I do?"

 

Instead of an answer, Sana pouted her lips, too embarrassed to tell the truth. She is older than Dahyun, and she gets ashamed whenever the younger one would do things, absurd or not, only to cheer her up and keep her smiling.

 

"You are pouting again, aren't you? Baby, you know I can't come and kiss you," Dahyun melodiously spoke. Everyone's heart will probably melt if they take Sana's place, even for a short while. "How about...I'll come and visit you after school?"

 

"Wouldn't you be tired?"

 

"For sure," the girl on the line uttered, "but when was I ever tired of you?"

 

Sana rolled her eyes. Hearing sweet words from Dahyun is something you should always expect. Sometimes, though, she would still smile like a fool whenever she hears those. "You can come over, only if you promise that you aren't tired. Dahyunie, you know that I always prioritize your health. You get sick easily, so I need you to rest well," she told her girlfriend.

 

Dahyun whined over the line, "but unnie," she cutely said, "can't I rest inside your arms instead? I sleep so well when you are hugging me.

 

"It's not like you will listen to me," Sana chuckled, "Fine, come over tomorrow."

 

"Yes!" Dahyun wanted to say it quietly and hide her excitement, but she seemed to have forgotten to take the phone off the side of her face. Sana laughed over that, and soon after, both had to say,

 

"I love you," to end the night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The first day of classes has never been an exciting day for Dahyun, especially that she is a freshman, knowing not even one around. What has got her more annoyed is that she is sitting beside a high school's top student.

 

"Doesn't she know she's annoying?" Dahyun would whisper to herself every time the girl would raise her hand in every question asked by every professor who came in. "Tch, show off," she would add as the girl would smile a smug one whenever she gets a correct answer.

 

"I'm never into philosophy," the girl spoke to her, and so Dahyun faked a smile and bobbed her head. "But I think I'll do better," with a smirk on her face.

"Yes? Then good for you," Dahyun said emotionlessly, whispering, "our professor does not like show-offs," she smiled.

 

"Did you say something? I didn't quite catch that."

 

"Nah, I just said it is good for you."

 

The girl then nodded her head, "but do you know the real reason why I am excited about this subject?"

 

"What?"

 

"They said our professor is young and pretty," and that caused Dahyun to squint her eyes. Well, it looks like she needs to compete with that annoying woman now.

 

With a straight face on, Dahyun said, "then I am interested too."

 

Just then, the door opened, revealing a sure young and pretty professor. Dahyun had her eyes fixed on the woman who walked by, towards the front.

 

"Ah, I told her to look at the class and smile when she goes in. Why is she looking like a terror professor now?" She whispered to herself. Smiling, she shook her head, "my Sana is nervous," in a quiet voice.

 

"Okay," the professor, Sana, finally spoke, raising her head to see her students' faces. It is funny how her eyes first landed on Dahyun, who is smiling sweetly back at her. She lost her words for seconds there. I mean, who would not? Seeing your girlfriend in your first class is sure to be surprising.

 

"Fighting!" Dahyun mouthed, simply closing her fist to cheer Sana up.

 

"G-good morning, everyone," Sana spoke, not being able to break eye contact with Dahyun. That caused some students to look at that side. And so Dahyun had to pretend she is writing in her notebook, feeling her seatmate bumping elbows with her.

 

"The professor's looking at you. You should listen and stop doodling smileys."

 

Dahyun mouthed, "sorry," before looking at Sana again. Finally, the woman is not staring anymore, "cute," she mumbled.

 

"My name is Minatozaki Sana," she formally said, "everyone, repeat it after me, Minatozaki," and so did everyone, "Sana," once again, "Minatozaki Sana."

 

"Are we children?" Dahyun whispered, holding back her laughter.

 

The good thing about Sana is that she was able to keep everything professional despite knowing that her girlfriend is in there. But then, she is now facing another problem, the PowerPoint presentation on her laptop. Well, it is not really about that, but the desktop wallpaper.

"I'm sorry, but my laptop froze, so I couldn't show you the presentation I readied," Sana reasoned out. "It was working just fine earlier."

 

Dahyun knows how her seatmate would raise her hand and help Sana out, so she did it first, "I will help you, Miss Minatozaki," she said.

 

"No, it's okay, I don't—"

 

"But I want to help you!" Dahyun whined, forgetting that they are in a classroom. Even the others were puzzled by her sudden behavior. "P-please," stuttering, she added.

 

Sana's eyes widened, but she quickly acted out, smiling a fake one. "Okay. What's your name?" She asked, pretending not to know.

 

"Kim Dahyun."

 

"Okay, Dahyun, thank you," she said while watching her girlfriend approach her with a huge, proud smile.

 

"Your laptop looks okay," Dahyun whispered, "your password is still my name, right?" She asked in a silent voice.

 

"That's not really the problem," Sana whispered as well. "You are also the wallpaper, and we don't want them to see that do we?" Dahyun's mouth got left agape while she bobs her head.

 

"Ah, you need to let this rest for an hour or so," Dahyun said in a louder voice, wanting everyone to hear it. "Do you need that presentation that much?"

 

"No," Sana smiled, "it's just things about me, so..." she chuckled, "it's fine."

 

After Dahyun got back to her seat, Sana thought of something else to do. "I would ask you about your expectations, but that would be boring," she chuckled. "I think students hate those," to which everyone agreed.

 

"Since this is Philosophy, there is no right and wrong ideas. I hope everyone can participate by sharing thoughts whenever we are in a discussion."

 

"Yes," everyone answered.

 

"Do you want to talk about anything in particular? Today? So that we could at least have something to do with the remaining time." And that running-for-top student raised her hand, "Yes, may I know your name?"

 

"Myoui Mina."

 

"Okay, Mina. What is it?" Sana asked with a pleasant face.

 

"Why don't we talk about a philosophical idea everyone is probably interested in? By that, I mean love."

 

"Hmm," Sana hummed before she nodded her head, "love?" And then she bats Dahyun an eye. "Alright, then. So, here is what we are going to do. I will ask each of you to write a question about love on a piece of paper. Fold it and place it inside this—box," lucky she is, there is a small box at the table, and it is empty. "I'll pick several questions, and people from the class would answer them voluntarily."

           

"Any question about love?" A student asked, causing Sana to nod her head.

 

After a short while, everyone already had placed their paper inside. "Okay, is everyone ready?" And when several 'yes,' were heard, Sana took one out of the box.

 

"I'll read the question now," she said, "what is the difference between love and passion?"

 

It has not been even five seconds when Dahyun raised her hand, surprising everyone since she is not that type to volunteer. Well, from the last subjects, she was just quiet. That captured Sana's interest too, and so she uttered, "Yes, Dahyun?"

 

The girl stood up, looking at the class, "love is more of general, and if not, then it comes in different levels. It varies. For example, I love my mom, but I do not love my mom the same way I love my partner, and I don't love my partner like how I love my food—or maybe..." that caused laughter inside the class. Sana did not know how to react to that, but her ears have turned red.

 

"Anyway, passion is a strong desire for something. It is barely controllable. It often comes with enthusiasm. These two differ in a way that passion is more of for non-living things, realistic or not. And love is usually for living things. Sometimes though, they come together, like I am passionately in love with Ramen. Which means I love it in a crazy way. To put it, love comes with passion, but passion can go without love."

 

"Wow," Sana uttered in silence while watching Dahyun sit back properly. "That is very well said," she said, nodding her head. "Anyone else?"

 

"No," few voices got heard, "she already said it all," they said.

 

"Let's proceed then," Sana said before taking out another piece. She knows well who wrote this question, from the handwriting and words. "Empty paper," she chuckled before putting it inside her pocket. Of course, you would not want to read a 'will you marry me?' question in front of a class, would you?

 

Dahyun grinned, shaking her head, knowing it is the question she wrote. "Do those who love us, really love us, or do they simply love what they think we are?" Sana spoke, "interesting. Yes, Mina?"

 

"At the start, one does not love a person for what they are yet, especially if they are only at a time of getting to know each other. It is more of they got attracted in what they see physically, or the potential one shows. Love is something that grows, like life, it starts small. One cannot say I am madly in love with you the first time they see each other, can they? That would be weird. Therefore, people can love us both as they think we are, and what we truly are in different ways, at different times."

 

Dahyun listened very well, and when Mina finished talking, she spoke, "I screamed I love you so bad the first time I saw my girlfriend," making everyone laugh again. "We have been together for two years now," she added, and Sana could only shake her head.

           

"You must be lucky then, Dahyun." She told her girlfriend.

 

"Oh, you have no idea, Miss Minatozaki."

 

Sana shrugged, "alright! Down to the last question," she said, taking longer than usual picking a question. And "when is the best time to say, 'I love you'?" More hands up in the air now, but Dahyun was faster than anyone.

 

"Me?" Dahyun asked when Sana pointed to her. "Okay," she stood up, readying herself.

 

What a very much unexpected answer, "I love you," she said while staring right through Sana's eyes.

 

"Y-yes?" Her girlfriend said in a startled tone while everyone made teasing sounds. Sana could not speak any more words after that.

           

"See, it works," Dahyun faced the class. "The answer isn't now or any other time. Not when someone looks sad, or worried, angry, or when someone is expecting to hear it. You say I love you every time you have the chance to, even in front of the crowd," she said before smirking at Sana. "You didn't expect that, right?" She chuckled. No one from the class took it that seriously, though. They thought Dahyun only did that as an example.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sana just got home about ten minutes ago when she heard the doorbell ringing. She stood up lazily, turning the doorknob open, and "good evening, Miss Minatozaki," Dahyun bowed respectfully.

 

Sana is just looking at her with a straight face, so she chuckled nervously. "Unnie, hehe," Dahyun uttered. Still without a word from Sana, the latter held her in the ear, pulling her inside, "ouch! Unnie! I am sorry!!! I just wanted to surprise—unnie, please! My ear!!" Dahyun's voice is slowly fading as they go further inside.

Maybe that is love—the chaos made by a Philosophy I professor and a cheeky student who only wanted to surprise her girlfriend. How would they go through a semester together, peacefully? That is another philosophical question only they can figure out.