Professor Mia began the class with a bang—literally. The explosion left the students temporarily deaf, forcing her to conduct the first part of the lesson entirely through writing on the blackboard. Only after fifteen minutes did the ringing in their ears subside enough for them to hear again.
"Ahem, can you all hear me now?" she asked, her voice surprisingly soft.
"I'm sorry, Professor, you'll have to speak up a little," Lilly said, raising her hand with an apologetic smile.
"Tsk. You brats go deaf that easily, huh?" she snapped, loud enough for the entire class to hear. The crassness of her tone was jarring, completely at odds with her petite frame. She looked more like a porcelain doll than someone who'd cuss like a crime boss.
The contradiction was both confusing and oddly captivating.
