Gemotions

The afternoon sun blazed through the window, spotlighting the dust motes dancing in the air of Mr. Kim’s classroom. He surveyed the chaotic scene. Markers were uncapped, chairs were askew, and a half-eaten bag of chips lay discarded on his desk. He wanted to lock the door and just… leave. A student from years ago, now a successful architect, stood awkwardly in the doorway. He was holding a scale model of the building he designed. Mr. Kim felt his shoulders slump. He didn't want to look at it. He didn't want to feign interest. The student began speaking, enthusiastically describing the intricacies of his project. Mr. Kim just nodded, his gaze fixed on the messy room.