As the lecture ended, students shuffled out of the hall, looking drained.
Vanitas wiped the chalkboard clean, his back turned to the exit.
"Professor, I'm so glad you're back," Ezra said, placing a hand on Vanitas's shoulder.
His voice was laced with relief. Vanitas blinked, glancing at him, then shifted his eyes to Karina, who quickly looked away.
It wasn't that Karina hadn't done her job while Vanitas was away. She did. She just tried too hard to mimic him.
But with her clumsy nature, it didn't quite land the way she intended.
Her attempts to be strict came off awkward. Instead of commanding respect, it triggered secondhand embarrassment for everyone in the room.
Even Karina seemed aware of it, making her more embarrassed in the process.
To be fair, she was trying her best. And that, at least, was something everyone respected.
But still…
It was quite the spectacle.
