Chapter 9 — After Kicking the Medical Professor

I turned around and ran up the steps. As I pushed open the door to enter the building, I couldn't help but turn around and look. He still stood in place, waving to me. The next morning for class at eight o'clock, I arrived two minutes late. When he pushed open the back door to enter the classroom, Tham Khinh Chu was already standing on the podium. He looked up at me, said nothing, and continued to lecture. But as soon as I sat down, my phone rang. Tham Khinh Chu: [Did you have trouble sleeping last night?] Me: [No.] Tham Khinh Chu: [What do you mean by dark circles?] I unconsciously touched my eye bags, they were actually a bit swollen. Me: [Dreaming about you.] After I sent it, I realized what I just said and wished I couldn't take it back immediately. But it was too late, he was standing facing the PPT projector screen lecturing about nerve pathways, still holding the laser pen, looking like he was not looking at his phone at all. Yet three seconds later, he replied to a message. Tham Khinh Chu: [Nightmare or good dream?] I looked at the screen and thought for a while, then answered with two words. Me: [Nice dream.] Tham Khinh Chu on the podium turned to the next PPT page, the red dot of the laser pen stopped firmly on the cross-section of the nerve bundle. His expression didn't waver at all, but I noticed the index finger of his left hand gently tapped twice on the teacher's desk. That's his little habit when he's in a very happy mood. I bowed my head, hid my face behind the textbook, the corners of my mouth could not be pressed down. At the end of class, Tran Du approached again: "Are you and teacher Tham flirting?"

“With which eyes do you see?”

“Both eyes.” He counted with his fingers, "He was lecturing and looked at me seven times. I bowed my head and smiled five times. Both of our phones vibrated several times at the same time. If this wasn't a private chat, I would have eaten this textbook."

Me: “…” I kicked him and told him to go away. At noon, while waiting in line at the cafeteria, the phone rang again. Tham Khinh Chu: [Class is over this afternoon, right? Go to the office once.] Me: [What to do?] Tham Khinh Chu: [In return for the meal you owe me. Didn't you say you dreamed about me this morning? Now let me see the real person.] I typed then deleted, deleted then typed again, finally texted a sentence. Me: [Little Uncle Tham, if you keep doing this I'll tell my dad.] Tham Khinh Chu: [Meet what? Are you asking me to fulfill my responsibility to take care of my students? Mr. To is expecting me to take care of you more.] Me: [If your father knows that the way I take care of you is to tease your daughter, see if your father will break my leg.] The other end was silent for a minute. Tham Khinh Chu: [Then don't bother.] I stared at this message and suddenly felt a bit funny. It seems like he's really scared. I replied one more sentence. Me: [Let's see what your expression is like first.] After I sent it, I put my phone in my pocket, picked up my lunch tray and went to find a seat. A long time later when I took it out to look again, he had sent a voice message. I listened, pressing it close to my ear. His voice carried a bit of a helpless smile: "To Van Le, you are truly my nemesis." 6 In the afternoon when I arrived at the office, Tham Khinh Chu was reclining in his chair reading documents. Seeing me come in, he turned his phone screen face down on the table, his expression returning to his leisurely and calm look.

“Already here?”

“Yes.”

I pulled out a chair down, glanced at the table top. The screen he just turned face down was a chat window. My eyes were sharp, I immediately saw my avatar. He was re-reading our chat history. I pretended not to notice, put my backpack down at my feet: "Why did you call me here?"

“Extra tutoring for you.” He pulled out a stack of printed documents and pushed them over, "This is the main content of next month's exam, review it first."