The campus woke up like it was rehearsing for a war made of laughter.
People moved with purpose that didn't match the usual academic fatigue. Students carried boxes of supplies. Balloons stacked like ammunition. Posters got retaped when corners peeled. A few seniors walked around with clipboards and megaphones, pretending they were event managers for something far bigger than a school festival.
Water festival week always started the same way.
With practice.
With rules that nobody followed.
With "fun" that was only fun because it gave everyone an excuse to touch, chase, scream, and pretend the heart was not involved.
XH walked into the courtyard and saw a line of long tables already set up. Buckets filled halfway with water. Plastic cups. Hand pumps. Water guns laid out like props. Some majors had their own colored bands for teams. The engineering students wore dark blue. Business wore red. Computing wore green.
Health track wore white.
White bands on wrists, white sashes tied around waists, white towels thrown over shoulders like they already expected to be soaked.
JP whistled. "We look like we're going to baptize the whole campus."
TZ laughed. "Or get sacrificed."
HS clutched his band like it might curse him. "Why is it white. Everyone can see everything."
JP slapped his shoulder. "That's the point."
NS stood slightly behind them, gaze scanning the crowd. "Engineering is already staring."
XH didn't need to look to know.
He felt it.
The air itself carried that tension, like static before lightning.
Then Kitty appeared.
She walked in with NC and Jihye, hair tied high, sleeves rolled up, a towel tucked into her waistband like she was ready to fight. Her phone was in a waterproof pouch hanging around her neck like jewelry. She looked calm.
But calm for Kitty didn't mean safe.
It meant prepared.
June arrived moments later.
She stepped into the courtyard like she belonged in the center of it. Not loud, not dramatic, just present in a way that made people shift their gaze without meaning to. Her band was white too, tied tightly around her wrist.
Cherry was with her. Anna too. NC and Jihye floated between groups like they were the glue holding the girls together.
June's eyes found XH.
Kitty's eyes found XH.
It happened again. That synchronized moment, like his life had developed a rhythm that wanted to split him in half.
XH forced himself to breathe slowly and raised his hand slightly in greeting.
Kitty nodded once.
June nodded once.
It was almost identical.
That similarity made his stomach twist.
The Headmaster's voice boomed through a megaphone.
"Attention," he called, cheerful and dangerous. "Practice day. Team day. Let us see which major deserves confidence before the real festival."
Cheers.
"Rules," he continued. "No targeting faces. No pushing. No breaking phones. If you break a phone, you pay."
Laughter.
"And most importantly," the Headmaster added with a grin, "no crying."
The crowd roared louder.
XH glanced at Mr. Kim standing off to the side, arms crossed, watching like he was studying behavior more than games. THKM and Lola were nearby too, checking supplies, speaking with student council.
This was supposed to be fun.
But it never stayed that simple.
Health track students formed into clusters.
JP took charge immediately, as if leadership was a costume he put on for entertainment.
"Alright," JP said loudly. "We split into squads. Offense and defense. We bait engineering into thinking they're winning, then we drown them."
TZ clapped. "Yes."
HS whispered, "This is too aggressive."
NS's voice was calm. "It's fine. Just don't get separated."
XH's gaze drifted toward Kitty and June.
They were talking with the girls, laughing at something, then Kitty's eyes flicked over, catching him watching.
She didn't smile.
She lifted her water gun slightly, like a warning.
XH blinked.
June noticed, then smiled faintly. She lifted her own cup of water, tilting it slightly, as if saying, try me.
JP leaned in. "They are both aiming at you."
XH frowned. "Stop."
TZ laughed. "They're not aiming. They're claiming."
HS looked terrified. "Can we not say words like that."
Before XH could respond, the Headmaster blew a whistle.
A shrill sound cut the air.
"Practice match one," the Headmaster shouted. "Health track versus business."
Business students cheered loudly, already hyped. They ran forward like they had been waiting for this all year.
Health track students surged too.
The first splash hit XH's shoulder, cold and shocking. He flinched, then laughed despite himself.
Water exploded everywhere.
People screamed.
Someone shouted, "Protect the medic kids."
JP roared, "We are the medic kids."
TZ chased a business student with a bucket, laughing like a villain.
HS stood frozen for a second, then finally threw a cup of water and looked shocked that he had done it.
NS moved like he was playing defense in a real sport, stepping between teammates, blocking attacks, pushing them toward cover, calculating angles.
XH grabbed a pump and started firing, water spraying in strong bursts. He hit two business students in the chest and felt that strange childish joy that made everything else disappear for a second.
Then he heard laughter.
A familiar laugh.
He turned.
Kitty had joined the chaos, hair slightly loose now, cheeks flushed from cold and adrenaline. She held her water gun like she had trained for it.
She aimed at XH.
XH lifted his hands. "We're on the same team."
Kitty's eyes narrowed. "Practice day doesn't count."
She fired.
Water hit XH square in the chest, soaking through his shirt instantly.
XH gasped. "Kitty."
Kitty's smile appeared, quick and wicked. "Move."
He grabbed a bucket and ran after her.
She dodged easily, laughing, slipping behind a pillar.
June appeared from the side like she had been waiting.
She threw a full cup of water straight at XH's face.
It hit his cheek and jaw, cold enough to sting.
XH sputtered. "June."
June's eyes were bright, playful. "You said no targeting faces."
XH wiped his face. "You did."
June shrugged like she had never heard of rules. "Oops."
Kitty popped out from behind the pillar and fired again.
XH stared at both of them.
They were laughing.
Both of them.
And for a brief moment, it looked like they weren't competing.
It looked like they were united in one thing.
Destroying him.
JP ran past screaming, "XH is getting jumped by the girls."
TZ howled. "Deserved."
HS shouted, "Help him."
NS's voice cut through, calm and deadly. "Let him learn."
XH lunged toward Kitty, trying to grab her water gun. She spun away, quick, but her foot slipped slightly on wet ground.
XH caught her elbow instinctively, steadying her.
For a second, their faces were close.
Kitty's breath caught.
XH's hand stayed on her arm a fraction too long.
June saw it.
The playful brightness in June's eyes dimmed just slightly.
Not gone.
But changed.
Kitty pulled back gently, steady now. She didn't thank him. She didn't smile.
She just looked at him with something quiet and serious beneath the fun.
Then she turned and ran again.
June stepped closer to XH, water dripping from her hairline.
"Be careful," June said quietly.
XH blinked. "I was."
June's gaze flicked toward Kitty's retreating form. "Careful with more than slipping."
Then she stepped back into the chaos, throwing water again, laughing again, but the note had been planted.
The match ended with health track winning, mostly because JP was insane and TZ had no shame and NS refused to let anyone die.
Business students retreated, soaking wet and laughing.
The Headmaster blew the whistle again.
"Match two," he announced. "Health track versus computing."
Computing students were quieter but more strategic. They had brought homemade shields. Someone had a trash can lid.
JP screamed, "They're cheating."
TZ laughed. "Respect."
This match was more intense.
Water flew. People fell. Screams bounced off buildings. The courtyard turned into a battlefield of laughter.
XH kept getting dragged into moments with Kitty and June without meaning to.
Kitty would appear behind him, fire, then disappear.
June would step in front of him, throw water, then smirk like she dared him to do something about it.
At one point, Kitty tossed him a towel without a word when she saw him shiver.
XH caught it, stunned.
At another point, June grabbed his sleeve and yanked him behind a pillar when a computing student aimed a full bucket at his head.
"Don't be stupid," June scolded.
XH blinked, laughing. "You just saved me."
June's eyes flicked away. "I saved the team. Don't get confident."
Kitty saw them behind the pillar.
Her gaze lingered.
Not angry.
Just measuring.
By the time health track won again, XH felt like his body was soaked through to the bones.
He was cold. His hair dripped. His hands were wrinkled from water.
And yet, his heart felt too loud.
Because it wasn't the water.
It was what water revealed.
When the matches ended, the Headmaster lifted the megaphone again.
"Final practice," he announced, smile widening. "Engineering."
The crowd exploded.
Engineering students cheered like wolves.
Health track students groaned and laughed.
JP cracked his neck dramatically. "Now we fight real evil."
TZ bounced on his feet. "Let's go."
HS whispered, "Please let me survive."
NS's gaze sharpened. "They will target the girls."
XH glanced at Kitty and June.
Kitty stood near NC and Jihye, towel around her shoulders, water gun refilled, expression calm again. June stood beside Cherry, jaw set, eyes bright with competitive fire.
They both looked ready.
KM stepped forward with the engineering group, smirking. He lifted his bucket like a trophy.
Thoon, HTN, and SRM stood behind him, arms crossed, watching Kitty and June like predators.
Thoon called out loudly, "Ready to lose again."
June's smile was sharp. "That's cute coming from second rate."
HTN laughed. "Second rate. You're literally wearing a white band like surrender."
Kitty's voice was calm but cold. "White shows everything. Including dirt."
SRM leaned forward slightly. "You sure you want to talk. Everyone knows you only got one shy kiss and froze."
The words sliced.
Kitty didn't flinch.
She stepped forward, eyes steady. "I don't chase. I don't beg."
SRM tilted her head. "Then what do you do."
Kitty's lips curved slightly. "I attract."
A ripple ran through the crowd.
June's eyes flicked to Kitty, surprised, then softened slightly with respect.
Thoon scoffed. "Attracting doesn't keep a man."
June's voice snapped, sharp and clear. "Neither does being cheap."
The crowd gasped, then laughed.
Thoon's face flushed.
HTN stepped forward, eyes narrowing at June. "You talk like you own him."
June smiled. "I talk like I know what I want."
Kitty added quietly, "And like we're not afraid to say it."
For a second, Kitty and June stood side by side.
Not competing.
A united front.
XH felt something strange in his chest. Warm. Heavy. Dangerous.
Then the whistle blew.
Engineering charged.
Water exploded.
The practice match became chaos instantly.
XH tried to focus on strategy, but the match was personal for engineering. They aimed for health track students like they wanted to wash the victory off them.
NS stayed near XH, blocking, covering, pushing back.
JP screamed battle cries.
TZ threw buckets like he was avenging a family curse.
HS surprised everyone by tackling a water gun out of someone's hand and shouting, "No more."
People laughed so hard they got hit.
Kitty got targeted.
KM aimed a bucket at her.
XH saw it and moved without thinking, stepping in front of it.
Water slammed into his back, cold and heavy.
Kitty blinked, stunned.
XH turned his head slightly. "You okay."
Kitty's voice was soft. "Why did you do that."
XH swallowed. "Instinct."
June saw it too.
She didn't speak.
But her eyes sharpened in a way that made XH's stomach twist.
The match ended in a draw, mostly because the Headmaster stopped it before anyone escalated beyond fun.
Students cheered anyway.
The courtyard was soaked. Everyone was soaked.
The Headmaster lifted the megaphone, laughing. "Good. Very good. Real festival will be better."
He lowered his voice slightly. "And messier."
As students began to disperse, Kitty walked up to XH.
June followed behind her, slower.
Kitty held out a towel.
XH took it.
Their fingers touched briefly.
Kitty's eyes held his. "You didn't disappear today."
XH nodded. "I didn't."
Kitty's voice softened. "Good."
June stepped closer.
Her voice was quiet, but it carried weight. "You saved her."
XH blinked. "It was just water."
June's eyes didn't soften. "It wasn't just water."
Kitty turned her head slightly, glancing at June.
June met her gaze.
The air tightened.
Then Kitty looked back at XH. "Be careful," she said.
June echoed it, almost the same words. "Be careful."
Two warnings.
Two meanings.
XH watched them walk away together with the other girls.
For a moment, their shoulders almost touched.
Not friends.
Not enemies.
Something in between.
XH stood alone in the wet courtyard, towel pressed to his hair, watching the sky.
Clouds gathered again.
No forecast.
No warning.
He inhaled slowly.
His chest tightened.
He exhaled carefully.
And he understood something that scared him more than any engineering rivalry.
Water could be playful.
Water could be cruel.
Water could make everything visible.
The real festival hadn't even started yet.
And already, the fire beneath it was waking up.