[ Rain's POV ]
"Oi! What is this? Why are you two—?!"
My heart nearly jumped out of my chest as Michael appeared out of nowhere, shouting at the top of his lungs. Fran and I were sitting on one of the school benches, sharing snacks and talking just like we used to. The atmosphere on campus had shifted; the judging gazes from the online scandal were fading. And if anyone did dare to stare, Fran would glare back with an intensity that sent them running in the opposite direction.
"What, Michael? Why are you shouting?" I asked, trying to steady my breath.
"Well, just yesterday, you two were... you know," Michael said, gesturing wildly with his hands to signal 'separated' and 'fighting.' "And now, I see you two like this—chub chub." He made a face like he couldn't find the right words to describe us feeding each other.
"Well, Fran and I are friends again," I said, glancing at Michael before turning to Fran.
But when I looked at Fran, I was the one who ended up shocked. He looked... disappointed? Hurt? I blinked, a big question mark practically floating over my head. Why that face? Doesn't he want to be my friend again?
"Well, aren't we?" I asked him directly.
Fran didn't answer. He just tightened his jaw and looked away, his expression dark.
"It's time for class. Let's go, Rain," Michael said, pulling me along. We moved toward the building, leaving Fran standing alone by the benches.
During the lecture, my phone wouldn't stop buzzing. It was Fran, texting me about random topics and sending funny videos. I found myself ducking behind my textbook, trying to stifle my laughter.
"Hey. What's so funny?" Michael whispered, leaning in. Even Sean turned to look at me, his brow arched in curiosity.
"Nothing," I whispered back, my eyes still on my screen. "Just some funny videos Fran sent."
"Oh..." Michael reacted, his eyes shifting meaningfully toward Sean. Sean didn't say a word, but he turned back to his notes, his pen moving a little faster than before.
[ After Class ]
"Should we work on the final project at the condo today?" Sean asked as we packed our bags.
"Sure," Michael jumped in. "I'll sleep over, too. Besides, someone needs to tell us a very interesting story tonight." He pointed a finger at me, winking.
"Yeah, yeah. I know. Let's go," I sighed.
But as we walked out of the building, a familiar figure was leaning against a motorbike by the entrance. Fran.
"Let's go," Fran said, pushing off the bike the moment he saw me.
"Actually, I'm going back with Sean tonight, Fran. We have to work on the final project. You can go home first."
"I'll take you," Fran insisted, his gaze fixed on me.
"You don't need to! Michael and I are already riding with Sean."
"Yeah, you can save some gas, Bro," Sean added with a smug smirk.
Fran's eyes snapped to Sean's. "I don't need to save gas. I can buy a gas station." He stepped forward, taking my helmet and placing it firmly on my head. "I'll take you."
I looked at Sean's annoyed face, then at Fran's stubborn one. I knew this battle was over before it started. I gave up and followed Fran to the bike.
We arrived at the condo first, but it wasn't long before Sean's car pulled into the lot. I hopped off the bike and handed Fran his helmet.
"Thanks for the ride," I said softly.
"Rain," he called out as I turned to go. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he just shook his head. "Don't work too late."
I nodded, said my goodbyes, and headed inside to face the interrogation waiting for me with Michael and Sean.
We were halfway through the research for our final project when Michael suddenly threw his arms up, stretching until his joints popped.
"Ahh... why did I enroll in this course? My brain wasn't built to store this many words. And it's only the first year!" He let out a dramatic, fake sob.
"Hahaha. Just take it slow, Michael. The deadline is still far. We can do it," I said, trying to motivate him. But as I spoke, Michael's expression shifted. His playful whining vanished, replaced by a sharp, curious gaze and a teasing smile.
"Hmm... yeah. We can take it slow," Michael said, leaning in until his face was inches from mine. "Just like you can slowly tell us what actually happened."
I hesitated, my eyes darting toward Sean. He was leaning back, watching me intently.
"Yeah," Sean added, his voice quiet. "The page with the rumors suddenly vanished yesterday, too."
"Well... I think it was all a misunderstanding," I started, picking at the edge of my notebook.
"When I went back to pack my things, Fran showed up. We talked. He told me he went to Athena to tell her to stop bothering me. It turns out... Athena was the one who posted those rumors."
"F*ck, for real?" Michael recoiled with a disgusted face. "Her 'angel' face definitely doesn't show that."
"Athena isn't a bad person," I said softly. "It's actually my fault. It wouldn't have gotten this big if I'd just had a proper closure with her back then."
"Yeah, right. Good that you know," Michael said bluntly.
"Michael!" Sean hissed, kicking him under the table.
"What? I didn't mean it in a bad way!" Michael defended himself, his tone suddenly turning serious. "Proper communication is always the key to a good relationship. But you guys were still young back then though. Besides, communication doesn't work if the listener refuses to listen anyway. The important thing is you've accepted it and tried to fix it many times."
He paused, his voice suddenly becoming loud and angry again. "But still! What that Athena did to you is totally out of line! That's just wrong!"
His sudden outburst made me let out a genuine laugh. "Haha, okay, okay. That's enough."
"Let me get us some snacks," Sean said, standing up abruptly.
"But what's the status now?" Michael asked, refusing to let the topic go. "Are you guys back to being best friends?"
"Hmm. Maybe?"
"Eh? Why 'maybe'?"
"I don't know. Well... Fran confessed to me. And I did, too," I said, the heat rising to my cheeks.
CLATTER.
The sound of a bottled juice hitting the floor echoed through the room. Sean stood frozen for a second, then calmly picked it up. He sat back down beside me, his aura unusually still.
"Wow. For real?" Sean asked, his voice steady. "So you two are dating now?"
"Dating? I really... don't know. " I said, thinking back to the apartment. "He didn't say anything like that. We didn't really make it clear. Maybe that 'I love you' was... different? We used to say it when we were kids. But... that almost-kiss..."
I trailed off, feeling confused. "We're taking it slow. Everything is clear between us now, and that's what matters. We can go back to how things were."
Later that night, the work grind caught up to us. Michael was the first to face-plant into a pillow, and eventually, I drifted off right there at the table.
When I woke up, the condo was silent. I looked around and saw Sean standing on the terrace, staring out at the city lights.
"Sean? Aren't you going to bed yet?" I asked, walking toward him. I noticed he was holding a cigarette, but it wasn't lit. He didn't even have a lighter. He hid it behind his back the moment he saw me.
"I'm not sleepy yet," he said, not looking at me.
"Are you okay? You've seemed... out of it today." The usual Golden Retriever energy was gone. He looked tired.
"I'm fine. Just thinking about things."
"You can tell me, you know," I said sincerely, stepping closer. "You've helped me so much. I want to do the same for you."
"Then, can you—" He stopped mid-sentence. He turned to me, his gaze serious and filled with an affection that made my breath hitch. After a long moment, he forced a small smile and looked away.
"Before that, you should check your phone," Sean said, gesturing toward the street below. "I think someone is going to run out of blood because of the mosquitoes."
I followed his gaze. Downstairs, parked near the entrance, was a familiar silhouette sitting on a motorbike.
I scrambled for my phone. There were several messages from Fran.
[11:30 PM] Are you done yet?
[12:15 AM] Just tell me when you're going to bed.
[12:45 AM] I'm downstairs. Don't come down, it's cold. Just checking on you.
My heart did a somersault. Without thinking, I grabbed my jacket and sprinted for the door.
"I'll be right back!" I called out to Sean and sprinted outside.