The Year I Stopped Being His novel Chapter 420

The restaurant was a small spot just off the north gate of campus, cozy and blessedly quiet.

Warm yellow wall sconces cast private halos of light over the booths. Replicas of ukiyo-e prints lined the walls, and the sizzling sound of eel fat dripping onto hot charcoal drifted from the open kitchen.

They picked a booth by the window. Piper, moving with lightning speed, instantly slid into the prime window seat, patted the empty space next to her, and beamed up at Sloane.

Before Sloane could even take a step, Josh casually bypassed her and slid right into the spot next to Piper. He turned to the freshman, using his most polite, authoritative professor voice.

"Piper, the lighting over here is much better. It's better for your eyes."

Piper glared out the window. It was practically pitch-black outside. What lighting?!

"Professor Jace, you just did that so Sloane couldn't sit next to me, didn't you?"

Josh completely ignored her, settling comfortably into the seat.

Left with no other option, Sloane took the bench across from them.

Josh looked up, catching her eye through the flickering candle on the table, a tiny, deeply suppressed glint of triumph in his gaze.

"...So petty," Piper muttered under her breath. But she wasn't quite bold enough to wage open war against the man who controlled her final grade, so she aggressively shoved the menu across the table to Sloane instead.

Sloane opened it, didn't bother asking for opinions, and immediately flagged down a waiter.

She ordered three eel bowls, a sashimi platter, grilled mackerel, shrimp tempura, two side dishes, and a carafe of hot sake.

"Sloane, are you sure you should be drinking?" Josh asked quietly.

Sloane's finger paused on the menu.

Piper side-eyed him. The articulate, commanding professor from the lecture hall was currently sitting there looking like a lost, overwhelmed kid.

Sloane looked at him, a self-deprecating smile touching her lips.

"You thought I was dead, didn't you?"

Josh didn't answer, but his eyelashes fluttered downward, as if the question had struck something incredibly raw.

"Sloane... where have you been all these years?!"

"I've been in a hospital, actually."

Sloane picked up the teapot, pouring herself a cup of barley tea before refilling Josh's, her movements steady and unhurried. "I had a brain tumor. I was in a coma for ten years. But don't worry, I'm currently receiving treatment at Haven Medical Center under Dr. Garrison Foster's team. The tumor is low-risk now."