The first academic consequence arrived like an insult disguised as routine.
It came in the form of a message on the student portal that most people didn't open immediately because they assumed it was another generic reminder. Another schedule notice. Another line of text that said nothing.
But when the message started circulating in group chats, the campus shifted.
The corridors didn't get louder.
They got tighter.
XH saw it the moment he entered Campus 2. Students clustered near the notice board again. Phones were out openly now. People weren't whispering anymore.
They were comparing.
Arguing.
Worrying out loud.
TR pushed his way through the crowd like he owned the air. "Move, move. I'm short. I can't see."
PL held his phone up. "I already sent it to you."
JP stood nearby, expression sharp. "They're responding without responding."
NS leaned against the wall, arms crossed, eyes scanning the crowd like he was assessing threats.
XH frowned. "What happened?"
PL shoved his phone toward him.
NOTICE: Academic Documentation Update
Due to ongoing administrative review, certain external verification requests may experience delays.Students applying for transfers or international programs should consult the office directly.All academic activities continue as scheduled.
XH read it twice.
The message didn't say "scam."
It didn't say "fake."
But it didn't deny anything either.
It confirmed one thing clearly: something was being reviewed.
TR's voice rose. "That's basically them saying, 'yeah we're being investigated,' without saying it."
JP shook his head. "It's damage control language."
PL looked pale. "My cousin is applying abroad. This is bad."
XH felt his stomach tighten.
Not for himself.
For everyone.
For the way fear would now have a reason to grow teeth.
June approached from behind, slowing as she sensed the atmosphere.
"What's going on?" she asked.
Her voice was calm, but her eyes were sharp. She read the notice quickly on PL's phone.
June's expression didn't change much.
But XH saw the small tension in her jaw.
"So it's real enough for them to acknowledge," June murmured.
"Yeah," TR said. "Welcome to Campus 2."
June glanced at XH. "Does this happen often?"
XH hesitated. "Not like this."
June nodded slowly, absorbing the weight without dramatizing it.
That quiet steadiness made him feel both safer and more exposed.
The New Pressure
The rest of the morning felt like walking through invisible smoke.
In lecture, students checked their phones repeatedly. Some looked angry. Some looked scared. Some looked blank, like they couldn't afford to feel anything until they knew what was happening.
The lecturer taught as usual.
But even he avoided eye contact more than normal.
XH noticed Kitty arrive late again.
She stepped into the room with her usual composure, but her presence felt different.
Sharper.
Like she had decided to stop being careful.
She wore her hair slightly different today. Not dramatic. Just different enough to signal she didn't care about consistency.
She didn't look toward XH at all.
Not even once.
She sat closer to a different group of students, laughing softly at something one of them said before the lecture started.
XH's chest tightened.
June noticed too.
Not because she was jealous.
Because she was observant.
During the break, the hallway buzzed with new urgency.
Students were talking about office hours.
"Verification delays.""Transfer consultations.""International medical school applications.""Are we even safe?"
June stood near the window, reading quietly on her phone.
XH walked toward her, stopping close enough to be heard over the noise.
"You okay?" he asked.
June glanced up. "I'm fine."
He frowned. "That sounded like a practiced answer."
June's lips curved slightly. "It is."
Then she added, more honestly, "I don't panic. I plan."
XH exhaled. "I wish I could do that."
June studied him. "You can. You just don't like feeling cornered."
The accuracy of it made his throat tighten.
Before he could reply, TR appeared like a storm.
"Okay," TR announced, "who wants to go to the office with me and demand answers like adults?"
PL shook his head. "Adults don't do that."
"They should," TR argued.
JP looked up. "If you go, be polite. Fear makes admins defensive."
TR saluted sarcastically. "Yes, father."
June watched TR leave, then turned back to XH.
"You're not like them," she said quietly.
"Like who?"
"People who perform confidence," June replied. "You look like you're thinking about what happens after the noise."
XH didn't know how to respond to that without revealing too much.
So he did what he always did.
He smiled lightly and looked away.
June didn't let him escape completely.
"What's your plan?" she asked.
XH blinked. "My plan?"
"If this gets worse," she clarified. "What do you do?"
XH swallowed. "I don't know yet."
June nodded slowly. "Then we'll make one."
The phrase we'll make one landed in him like something he hadn't known he wanted.
Kitty's Distance, With Teeth
That afternoon, the group gathered in the common area again. Not because it felt good.
Because it felt necessary.
Fear made people seek familiar faces, even if those faces were complicated.
Kitty arrived early this time, but she didn't sit in her usual spot.
She sat beside a new girl from her section, laughing softly, phone angled toward them as they scrolled.
When XH entered, Kitty didn't look up.
TR noticed immediately. He leaned toward PL and whispered too loudly, "She's acting different."
PL whispered back, "She's acting like she doesn't care."
"That's worse," TR said.
June arrived shortly after, looking composed but thoughtful.
She sat near XH naturally, not touching him, but close enough to feel intentional.
Kitty finally glanced up.
Her eyes flicked to June.
Then to XH.
Then away.
Her smile widened slightly, not warm.
Performative.
Rebellion dressed as politeness.
"Hey," Kitty said casually, as if nothing had ever happened.
"Hey," XH replied, voice careful.
Kitty's eyes stayed on him for a moment longer than necessary. "Busy lately?"
The question sounded innocent.
It wasn't.
XH felt the trap.
June sensed it too, her posture still calm but alert.
"I've just been… dealing with classes," XH said.
Kitty nodded as if that explained everything. "Same."
Then she turned to the new girl beside her and laughed loudly at something she said, the sound slightly too bright.
XH felt the message behind the performance.
You won't choose? Fine. I can pretend too.
NS entered late, took one look at the room, and sighed quietly like he had predicted this.
He sat down, not saying much, but his presence stabilized the group in an odd way. Like having a witness made the tension behave.
June and XH: A Defining Quiet Moment
Later that night, June found XH alone near the vending machines.
He hadn't planned to be alone. He just needed air.
June approached slowly.
"You're avoiding them," she said softly.
XH glanced up. "I'm avoiding… making it worse."
June leaned against the wall beside him. "You can't avoid impact. You can only choose direction."
He stared at the machine, watching the lights blink.
"I'm tired," XH admitted.
June's voice softened. "Of the rumors?"
He shook his head. "Of not knowing where to place my feelings."
June didn't ask who he meant.
She already knew.
She didn't demand answers either.
Instead, she said something quieter.
"When I transferred here, I thought I wanted a clean start," June said. "But clean starts are a lie. You always bring yourself with you."
XH looked at her.
Her eyes were steady. Honest.
"And you?" he asked quietly. "What did you bring?"
June smiled faintly. "Instinct. Boundaries. A habit of not trusting too fast."
XH swallowed. "And now?"
June held his gaze. "Now I'm watching someone who looks like he wants to be brave but doesn't know how."
The words weren't cruel.
They were an invitation.
XH felt something inside him shift.
Not a confession.
Not clarity.
But the first real movement.
"I don't want to lose people," he said, voice low.
June nodded. "Then stop walking like you're already leaving."
XH's chest tightened, and he turned his face away as if that would make the moment less intense.
June didn't chase the retreat.
She simply stayed beside him.
That was the defining part.
She stayed.
The Night Ends, But The Triangle Doesn't
When they returned to the common area, Kitty was laughing again, louder than necessary, surrounded by people who weren't XH.
She looked happy.
She wasn't.
XH saw it.
June saw it.
NS saw it.
Everyone pretended not to.
TR clapped his hands suddenly. "Okay! New rule. No one talks about rumors for ten minutes."
PL groaned. "That's impossible."
"Then talk about love," TR joked, instantly regretting it.
Kitty's smile froze for half a second.
June's expression didn't change.
XH felt his heart drop.
TR waved his hands dramatically. "I was kidding! I was kidding!"
But the damage was done.
The topic lingered in the air like smoke.
Kitty stood up a few minutes later. "I'm going to bed."
XH looked up. "Kitty—"
She smiled politely. "Goodnight."
Then she left.
June watched her go, eyes thoughtful.
"She's hurting," June said quietly.
XH's voice came out raw. "I know."
June nodded. "Then don't let her hurt alone."
XH didn't answer, because he didn't know how to do that without making everything worse.
Outside, the campus remained calm. Lights glowed. The building stood tall. Schedules continued.
But inside, something had broken.
Not hearts.
Not yet.
Just the illusion that waiting would keep everyone safe.