Friday morning began with chaos.
Not normal campus chaos.
The serious kind.
The kind where everyone was talking about the same thing.
Kim woke up to thirty-seven WhatsApp notifications.
He stared at his phone.
"What's happening?"
Brian was already dressed.
"Don't ask."
Kim sat up.
"Why?"
"Because you'll get angry."
Kim opened WhatsApp.
His class group was exploding with messages.
"Is this true?"
"Someone explain!"
"Who is Daniel?"
"Linet must speak."
"I knew there was something about that girl."
Kim's stomach tightened.
"What happened?"
Brian sighed.
"Someone posted something about Linet."
Kim opened the attachment.
It was an old photograph of Linet and Daniel.
Underneath it was a long message accusing Linet of cheating on Daniel and abandoning him.
Kim stared at the screen.
"This is a lie."
Brian nodded.
"I know."
Another message appeared.
"Ask Kim why he is dating a girl who destroys relationships."
Kim's jaw tightened.
"They're trying to turn everyone against her."
Brian looked at him.
"And you."
Kim immediately called Linet.
No answer.
He called again.
Still nothing.
"Where is she?"
Brian shrugged.
"Probably in class."
Kim grabbed his jacket.
"Let's go."
The campus was already buzzing.
Everywhere Kim walked, people whispered.
Some stared.
Others quickly looked away.
Kim hated it.
But he cared more about Linet.
He found her outside the administration block.
She was sitting alone.
Her eyes were red.
Kim walked toward her.
"Linet."
She looked up.
"Kim…"
He sat beside her.
"Are you okay?"
She shook her head.
"No."
He looked at her.
"You don't have to explain anything to me."
She wiped her eyes.
"Everyone thinks I'm a terrible person."
"I don't."
"But you don't know everything."
"I know enough."
She looked at him.
"Do you?"
Kim nodded.
"I know someone is trying to hurt you."
Linet looked away.
"Maybe they are telling the truth."
Kim frowned.
"What?"
"Maybe I did hurt someone."
"Linet—"
"I ended the relationship badly."
"So?"
"I lied."
Kim became quiet.
She continued.
"I told Daniel I was going to visit my aunt. I actually went out with friends."
Kim looked at her.
"That doesn't make you a terrible person."
"I know. But I also started talking to another guy before I officially ended things."
Kim paused.
"Were you cheating?"
Linet looked down.
"I don't know."
Kim sighed.
"Linet…"
"I was confused."
"Who was the other guy?"
She hesitated.
"His name was Eric."
Kim nodded slowly.
"Okay."
"He wasn't my boyfriend. We were just talking."
"Then why is Daniel saying you cheated?"
"Because that's what he believes."
Kim looked at her.
"And you?"
"I believe I made mistakes."
There was silence.
Then Linet said something Kim wasn't prepared for.
"Maybe you shouldn't be with me."
Kim stared at her.
"What?"
"You heard me."
"Why?"
"Because I'm bringing problems into your life."
Kim shook his head.
"That's not a reason to leave someone."
"It is when you're hurting them."
"You're not hurting me."
"Look around."
She pointed toward the students.
"Everyone is talking about you because of me."
Kim looked around.
He saw the whispers.
The staring.
The judgement.
Then he looked back at her.
"I don't care."
"But I do."
For the first time since they had met, Kim and Linet argued.
Not loudly.
Not dramatically.
But painfully.
Linet wanted distance.
Kim wanted answers.
She stood up.
"I think we should take a break."
Kim froze.
"A break?"
"Yes."
"How long?"
"I don't know."
Kim swallowed.
"Because of Daniel?"
"Because of everything."
He looked at her.
"So after everything we've been through, you're just walking away?"
"I think it's better."
Kim's voice became quiet.
"Do you still like me?"
Linet looked at him.
"Yes."
"Then why?"
"Because sometimes liking someone isn't enough."
Kim looked down.
That sentence hurt more than he expected.
Linet walked away.
Kim remained seated.
Brian found him thirty minutes later.
He sat beside him.
"You okay?"
Kim shook his head.
"No."
Brian didn't make a joke.
For once, he knew it wasn't the time.
"What happened?"
"She wants a break."
Brian sighed.
"I'm sorry."
Kim stared at the ground.
"I don't understand."
"Neither do I."
"I thought everything was finally working."
"It was."
Kim laughed bitterly.
"Campus relationships are complicated."
Brian nodded.
"Very."
Kim looked at him.
"What should I do?"
Brian thought for a moment.
"Give her space."
Kim frowned.
"That's it?"
"Yeah."
"What if I lose her?"
Brian looked at him.
"If you really care about her, you can't force her to stay."
Kim nodded slowly.
It was difficult advice.
But it was true.
That evening, Kim went back to the hostel alone.
The room felt strangely empty.
Brian sat on his bed.
Kim lay down and stared at his phone.
He opened his chat with Linet.
Their last message was from the previous night.
Linet:Goodnight ❤️
Kim stared at it.
Then he started scrolling through their old messages.
Their jokes.
Their arguments.
Their first conversations.
The silly photos.
The plans they had made.
He smiled.
Then his eyes became wet.
Brian noticed.
"You can cry, bro."
Kim quickly wiped his face.
"I'm not crying."
Brian nodded.
"Of course."
"I'm not."
"Your eyes are just sweating."
Kim laughed.
"Shut up."
Brian smiled.
"At least you're laughing."
Saturday arrived.
Kim decided to stay away from campus drama.
He went to the library alone.
He found a quiet table.
For two hours, he studied.
Then someone sat across from him.
Kim looked up.
Kevin.
"What do you want?"
Kevin sighed.
"To talk."
"About Linet?"
"Yes."
Kim closed his book.
"What?"
Kevin leaned forward.
"Daniel isn't telling the whole story."
Kim frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"Linet didn't cheat on him."
Kim stared at him.
"Then why is he saying she did?"
"Because he wants revenge."
Kim's expression changed.
"Why?"
Kevin lowered his voice.
"Because Linet rejected him."
Kim nodded.
"That sounds like what she told me."
"But there's more."
"What?"
Kevin looked around.
"Daniel has been contacting people at this college."
Kim frowned.
"Why?"
"He wants everyone to believe Linet is a bad person."
Kim leaned back.
"Why would he go that far?"
Kevin shrugged.
"I don't know."
Then he handed Kim a flash drive.
"What is this?"
"Evidence."
Kim looked at it.
"Evidence of what?"
"Messages between Daniel and Linet."
Kim hesitated.
"Why give it to me?"
"Because you need to know the truth."
Kim took the flash drive.
"Where did you get this?"
"From Linet."
Kim looked surprised.
"Why didn't she give it to me?"
"Because she was afraid you'd judge her."
Kim shook his head.
"I wouldn't."
Kevin stood.
"She still loves you."
Kim looked up.
"You think so?"
Kevin smiled.
"I know so."
Then he walked away.
That evening, Kim sat alone in the hostel room.
He connected the flash drive to his laptop.
There were dozens of screenshots.
Messages between Linet and Daniel.
At first, everything looked normal.
Then the messages became disturbing.
Daniel repeatedly demanded to know where Linet was.
He accused her of cheating.
He threatened to expose her.
Then Kim found something that shocked him.
A message from Daniel:
"If you leave me, I'll make sure nobody else wants you."
Another:
"I'll make everyone believe you are the problem."
Kim leaned back.
Now he understood.
The rumours.
The photographs.
The threats.
It was all connected.
His phone suddenly rang.
Linet.
Kim stared at the screen.
For a few seconds, he didn't answer.
Then he picked up.
"Hello?"
Silence.
"Linet?"
She finally spoke.
"I miss you."
Kim closed his eyes.
"I miss you too."
"I don't know what to do."
"You don't have to decide tonight."
She began crying.
"I thought leaving you would protect you."
Kim's voice softened.
"You don't have to protect me by leaving me."
Silence.
Then she whispered:
"Can we meet?"
Kim smiled.
"Tomorrow?"
"Yes."
"Okay."
"Goodnight, Kim."
"Goodnight, Linet."
The call ended.
Kim looked at Brian.
Brian was smiling.
"What?"
Brian nodded.
"Love has returned."
Kim laughed.
"Don't ruin the moment."
Brian raised his hands.
"I'm silent."
But before Kim could say anything else, his phone vibrated.
Another message.
Unknown number.
"You found the messages."
Kim's smile disappeared.
A second message arrived.
"Now you know what happens when you interfere."
Kim stared at the screen.
Brian stood up.
"What happened?"
Kim slowly turned the phone toward him.
Brian read the messages.
Neither of them spoke.
Because now they knew something important.
Daniel knew Kim had discovered the truth.
And whatever happened next would no longer be just about rumours.
It was personal.
To be continued…