Page 37 of Love, Academically
(chiefly Japanese fiction) A fictional character who fits the archetype of being cold or even hostile towards another person before gradually showing a warm and caring side.
Rhys
It was the day he had been dreading.
His first seminar with the students who hated him. Supervised. In Lila’s office.
He wasn’t sure which was worse; having to do his job in full view and scrutiny of someone else, or the fact that it was Lila, who he had wound himself around like ivy last week.
Why had he agreed to this again? Oh, that’s right, because a formal complaint on his record would never be erased. Even if it wasn’t upheld, the allegation would still be there. There would still be a record. His slim chance at the Fellowship would slip from his grasp. And his father would find out. Somehow, in some way, his father always found out.
He’d replied to Elin and called his mother to say that he would be at the dinner and drinks party, and that he was bringing someone. He’d then avoided the calls from Elin, and put a quick stop to the questions from his mother. What was he supposed to say? Yes, she’s coming as a favour to me because I pretendedto be her boyfriend once. Well, twice. No, she’s not my real girlfriend, not really even a friend.
Rhys was slowly articulating in his mind how to explain his family to Lila. Logically, it wasn’t a difficult thing to understand. He’d just left the family business. There we are, done. But the iron band wrapped around his chest tightened whenever he thought of verbalising what a disappointment he was to everybody. The disparaging curl of his father’s lip whenever anyone asked Rhys about his work. The gleam in his eyes whenever the five years that Rhys had been given to make a success of himself was discussed. Because that five years was very nearly up. Then he would be enveloped back into the family machine, the unrelenting corporate grind. He’d be expected to toe the line, work every hour God sent, be embroiled in the awful family arguments that pitted siblings and cousins against each other.
Not unlike today’s seminar topic; Henry II’s relationships with his sons, starting with Henry the Young King. They’d move on to Richard, John and other children later on in the semester.
Rhys gathered his paperwork, because he always gave out source material to encourage the students to actually read original texts, or the closest translations thereof and to make up their own minds, not just regurgitate something someone else had made up their own minds about.
That’s what teaching was all about, getting them to think properly. It was so frustrating when they couldn’t be bothered to give it some proper, independent thought. But teaching was a means to an end, a means so he could study and do what he wanted to do.
He didn’t know why his stomach dropped as he walked to Lila’s office. It was like he had to perform in front of her, to make sure that she thought he was good enough. He really didn’t needany academic validation from her, of all people. She was not an academic.
Rhys hadn’t exactly been avoiding Lila. No, it was more like if he didn’t have to see her, he wasn’t going to go out of his way to see her. Most things could be dealt with via email. Besides, the awkwardness had grown. How was he supposed to act around the woman he had spent the night with? Especially after so suavely disparaging her and putting her down. Like Jason.
Just so people don’t think I spent the night with you.
But he hadn’t meant it like that. It was more that he didn’t want it to be awkward for her, people thinking that she was sleeping with a lecturer (which, technically, she had). But it hadn’t come out like that. Well, she certainly hadn’t taken it like that. He should have been more tactful, but it was so hard to understand what people thought sometimes.
He’d noticed she was walking without crutches now, but he hadn’t seen Petunia in the car park.
Petunia. What a ridiculous name for a car.
“Hello, Lila,” Rhys said, waiting to be invited to her little sitting area rather than overtaking her office completely.
“Rhys, why hello. How lovely to see you,” she said, and a small smile touched her lips. Her blonde hair was trying to escape, and she dutifully tucked a strand behind her ear.
“Nice to see you as well,” he replied, a little confused. Did she not have this seminar in her calendar? Did it not pop up as a reminder an hour before?
Lila grinned. She was teasing him. Again.
“Go on, make yourself at home,” she said. “There are cookies on the table.”
He frowned. This wasn’t a social call, it wasn’t a mother’s gossip group, there should be no need for cookies. But the aroma of vanilla sweetness in her office was making his mouth water.
“Thank you.” Rhys put his coffee and papers on the table, making sure they were nice and neat. “How have you been?”
Lila blinked at him.
“Good, thanks. How are you?” she asked, turning her chair to face him and clasping her hands in her lap.
“I’m fine.”
He sat back in the chair by the coffee table, trying to be calm, but his shoulders and jaw were way too tense for any kind of ‘relaxed’.
Lila tilted her head to the side, narrowing her eyes at him. “Are you?”
