James stepped out into the campus, still fuming in frustration.
"That stupid Roxy…" he scoffed, kicking at the pavement as his thoughts churned. "What are we going to do now?"
The thought of the project pressed down on him. If only they had their last member, things wouldn't feel so overwhelming. The only option left now was to tell Professor Rose. Maybe she could help. Afterall, she assigned the project — she had to know what was going on.
With a sharp exhale, James turned toward the academy block, determined to try.
But before he could go far, a voice came from behind him.
"James!" He turned, surprised to see Lucy rushing toward him.
He stopped, waiting for her to catch up. When she finally reached him, she bent forward slightly, catching her breath."haah... haah... You walk really fast..."
"I didn't think you'd actually come after me." James muttered.
"Of course I did." Lucy straightened up, brushing stray hair from her face. " I'm sorry about Roxy. She was way out of line."
They fell into step together, heading toward the faculty offices. A comfortable silencesettled between them as they walked.
"So…" Lucy finally broke the silence, "I guess we're doing this project without her help."
"Looks that way." James let out a bitter breath, staring at the path ahead. "We wouldn't be in this much of a mess if we had a third partner."
"Probably not," Lucy admitted. She glanced at him sideways. "We should go talk to Prof. Rose. Maybe she's found someone by now."
James nodded. "Yeah. That's exactly where I was heading."
Before Lucy could reply, her phone buzzed loudly in her bag. She pulled it out with a light frown. Her expression grew more tired as she read the screen.
James glanced over. "Something wrong?"
Lucy stared at the text a moment longer, then slipped the phone back into her bag. She forced a small smile.
"No, it's nothing serious. Just my cousin texting me. She needs help with something tonight — family stuff again." She let out a soft sigh. "We should probably hurry and meet Prof. Rose quickly. The sooner we sort this project thing out, the faster I can go see her."
James nodded. "Alright then. Let's go."
They picked up the pace, walking side by side across the campus lawn. It didn't take long before they reached the academy block
James held the door open for Lucy. She gave him a quick, grateful nod as they stepped into the sophisticated building.
They made their way through the academy block, making occasional turns as they headed toward their faculty wing. The corridor was a lot quiter now than in the afternoon, most students already gone for the day.
When they reached Prof. Rose's door, James turned the handle and stepped inside with Lucy right behind him.
Prof. Rose was seated at her desk, eyes locked on her laptop screen, fingers typing rapidly. She didn't look up immediately upon their entry. When she finally did, her eyes had a dry, unimpressed stare.
"Did I tell you to come in?"
James and Lucy both froze mid-step. The door clicked shut behind them.
"Oh, sorry," James said quickly, raising his hands. "We didn't mean to intrude. The door was open, so we thought—"
"—Save the excuses." Prof. Rose tilted her head slightly, her expression one of mild irritation. She closed her laptop with a soft snap.
"What do you need?"
Lucy spoke first with a polite tone. "It's about our group project, Professor."
Prof. Rose leaned back in her chair. "What about it?"
James stepped forward a little. "We still don't have a third member. The group was supposed to be three people, but no one's been assigned to us."
Prof. Rose studied them for a moment, then let out a soft, tired sigh. "I see." She leaned back further, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "About that… I wasn't able to find a third member for your group."
James blinked. "So what are we supposed to do? We can't handle interviewing fifty students between just the two of us."
Prof. Rose's gaze sharpened. She leaned forward, planting her elbows on the desk and interlacing her fingers. Her expression turned serious.
"You won't be interviewing fifty students like the other groups. Since it's only the two of you, I'm reducing it to thirty. That should be manageable if you're efficient with your questions and scheduling."
She paused, eyes moving between them.
"That works for you, right?"
James hesitated, the weighing whether or not it was worth not havinga third member.
He glanced sideways at Lucy who gave him a small, encouraging nod, though she looked just as unsure as he felt.
Then, he turned back to the professor. "Yes… that works for us."
Prof. Rose gave a single, satisfied nod. "Good." She opened her laptop again, her attention already shifting back to the screen. "Now, if there's nothing else — back the way you came. I still have quite a bit of work to finish before I can call it a day."
James and Lucy nodded and stepped out of the office, clicking the door shut behind them silently.
James let out a tired huff, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well… that changes nothing."
"Pretty much," Lucy agreed softly.
They walked side by side quietly down the long faculty wing. By the time they pushed through the exit doors of the admin block, the campus had slipped into a calm evening glow. The sky had turned a deep orange, and strings of lights along the pathways were beginning to flicker on.
Lucy stopped just outside the building, turning to face him. "So I guess that means we'll still have to work with Roxy."
James frowned, shaking his head. "I don't think that's going to work. Not after how she acted."
Lucy folded her arms and gave him a flat, expectant stare. "Alright then… do you have any other ideas on how to do the projecf?"
James remained quiet. His jaw tightened from tension. He wanted to argue, but the truth was that they were backed into a corner.
Lucy noticed his frustration and her expression softened, her arms dropping to her sides. "Don't worry, James. I'll talk to her. She won't be rude anymore, okay? I promise I'll handle it."
James let out a long, defeated sigh. "Fine. It's not like we have a choice anyways."
Lucy's face brightened with a small, relieved smile. "Great! I'll text you when we're ready, okay?"
Before he could respond, she gave him a quick wave and turned, heading off toward the campus entrance gate. James watched her go for a moment, then took a deep breath.
I need sleep.
With that, he turned in the opposite direction and started walking toward his own dorm, the strain of the day finally catching up to him.