The Lecture Series

After the Lecture (Part 1)

Gulf Kanawut shrugged his backpack onto his shoulders and hugged the textbook for his next class to his chest. He pushed the glasses up on his nose and set out across the campus for his class. He passed through the beautiful trees and outdoor common areas making the University inviting and picturesque.

They called him the teacher's pet, goody two-shoes, ass-kisser behind his back but he didn't care. Gulf was an introvert; it was hard for him to make friends and at this campus he only had a couple of people that he enjoyed being around. The rest of the time he spent in his room or in some sport-like extracurricular. The class he was traveling to was, at first, a general class that he was forced to take and yet it had taken a wild turn into becoming his favorite.

The subject material was interesting, and it didn't hurt that his professor was easy on the eyes. He passed through the halls to whispers behind his back as he stood tall and strolled through, unbothered and eager for his first class of the day. Opening the grand, tall door to the lecture hall he made his way down the steps gradually as he kept his eyes on his feet. He had already tripped down these stairs once and was not ready for a repeat performance. In the front row, his favorite desk sat there, calling to him to come get comfortable. Before he could mosey off the last step a young man walked towards his desk intending to sit down, his backpack halfway off his shoulder when Gulf sent him his dirtiest look. To his surprise the kid jerked back and rushed around him, expression terrified.

Gulf smirked, satisfied and sat down in his desk, slid his backpack off, and pulled out his notebook and textbook, pencil poised to write. He waited patiently for the professor as his ears tuned into the conversations circling around behind him. Parties, relationships and gossip filled up the airwaves as he listened, interested. He found the idea of these parties great, in theory, but actually attending them brought about serious social anxiety. That wasn't to say that he didn't let loose, he did, just in his own way.

The room quieted as the echo of distinct footsteps sounded. Professor Suppasit was known for his hard lectures and even harder tests, Gulf found him extremely fascinating and this course a diamond in the rough. Business courses were not his focus in college, but surprisingly, the way the professor taught, kept him engaged and interested. He sat up straighter in his seat, as the professor sauntered in, his gaze sweeping the room with sharp eyes. Making his way up to the podium, Gulf perused him, his brown hair perfectly coifed and his lean, muscular build hidden behind a pair of slacks and a plain, white button up. The sleeves were rolled up drawing attention to his toned forearms and Gulf had to keep himself from drooling over the veins cutting a path down to his strong hands and manicured fingers. His gait was inherently sexy as he moved across the raised stage and settled at his position at the front of the lecture hall.

"Good morning everyone, I have a special lecture prepared for you, so you can put your books away." He began as his eyes landed on Gulf briefly before flitting away. Gulf's stomach clenched and his heart raced as he basked in the short glance.

"If we have time at the end, you can choose to stay and work on the group projects or leave, the choice is up to you but please remember that this project will not be accepted late. So please use your time wisely." His commanding voice filled the hall as he clasped his hands behind his back accentuating his broad shoulders.

Gulf nodded, hanging on his every word as he tucked his book back in his bag.

"Today we're going to delve into something that's not big in the book, but that I find interesting. Has anyone ever heard of a Ponzi scheme?" He asked, pausing for answers.

Gulf grinned and raised his hand. He could feel the eyes of his peers on him as he bravely met his professor's stare. An almost imperceptible shift of his mouth alerted Gulf to the professor's inner smile as they challenged each other. The other students, unaware of the silent battle, shifted in their seats as they waited for him to continue the subject.