The message came in late the night before the holiday.
Short. Casual. Almost careless.
NS: Looks like the mansion thing is off. Last minute stuff. Sorry.
No explanation followed.
No one asked for one.
That was how things worked with them now. Plans shifted. Expectations bent. Life kept moving even when no one touched it.
The next morning arrived lighter than expected.
Campus 2 felt different when there were no classes pressing against the hours. No lectures pulling bodies into straight lines. No bells. No schedules pinned to the inside of everyone's head. Just three full days of national holiday stretching out like a question no one had rushed to answer yet.
XH woke later than usual.
Sunlight filtered through the thin dorm curtains, warmer than it had been the week before. He lay there for a moment, staring at the ceiling, listening to the building breathe. Doors opening down the hall. Someone laughing. Someone else playing music too loudly and not caring who heard it.
His phone buzzed once on the desk.
JP: Since we're not going to NS's place, what's the move?
XH typed back slowly.
XH: No idea yet.
Another message popped up almost immediately.
Kitty: I thought we were supposed to disappear somewhere remote and dramatic.
June: I already packed snacks for that.
XH smiled before he could stop himself.
That was how it began.
Not with a plan, but with the absence of one.
By late morning, the group had gathered in the common area between the dorm buildings, backpacks light, moods lighter. No textbooks. No lab coats. Just hoodies, jeans, and the strange relief that came from knowing nothing urgent could chase them for three days.
JP sprawled across a bench like gravity had personally offended him. "I still feel betrayed," he announced. "I mentally prepared myself for luxury."
TZ leaned against the railing. "You mentally prepared yourself for free food."
"That too."
NS stood a few steps away, hands in his pockets, gaze scanning the campus like he was checking for something he had forgotten. When XH caught his eye, NS gave a small shrug.
"Things happen," NS said.
XH nodded. He didn't ask more.
Kitty and June stood together, phones out, scrolling through city recommendations. They were close enough that their shoulders touched. Not accidentally. Not deliberately. Just naturally.
"There's a street market downtown," Kitty said. "Food stalls. Cheap stuff."
June tilted her head, considering. "Crowded?"
"Probably."
June smiled faintly. "Good. I don't feel like being invisible today."
XH watched the way she said it. Light. Almost joking. But the words stayed with him longer than they should have.
They decided quickly.
City first. No destination beyond that.
The bus ride was louder than usual. Windows open. Wind rushing in. JP telling a story that kept changing halfway through. TZ arguing with him for the sake of it. HS listening quietly, smiling at the right moments. NS seated near the back, observing everything without comment.
Kitty sat beside XH.
Not because anyone arranged it.
Because when the bus filled, that was where the empty space was.
June stood for a moment, hand gripping the rail, then took the seat across from them when someone got off at the next stop. Their knees almost touched when the bus lurched forward.
Almost.
Outside, the city unfolded in pieces.
Shops opening late. Street vendors setting up carts. A billboard flashing headlines about upcoming national competitions, math teams highlighted in bold letters, debate finals teased with dramatic imagery. A television mounted inside a convenience store replayed a clip of a university debate match, commentators speaking fast, crowd roaring.
JP leaned forward. "Hey, isn't that the national circuit?"
NS glanced up. "Yeah."
"Looks intense," Kitty said.
June watched the screen a second longer than the others. "They're good," she said softly.
XH noticed.
He always noticed.
They got off near the market.
The air smelled like oil and sugar and something grilled that made everyone suddenly hungry. Sounds layered over each other. Music. Voices. Laughter. The city didn't care who they were or what exams they had survived. It kept moving at its own pace.
They split briefly, then regrouped, arms filled with food wrapped in paper. JP insisted on buying too much. TZ complained while eating all of it anyway.
They sat on the edge of a fountain, shoes kicked off, feet dangling dangerously close to the water.
Kitty leaned back on her hands, face tilted toward the sun. "I forgot what this felt like."
"What," XH asked.
"Being outside without counting time."
June nodded. "Inside the university, everything feels like it's waiting for something. Out here, things just… exist."
NS watched people pass. "That won't last."
June glanced at him. "You're very optimistic today."
NS smiled slightly. "I'm realistic."
XH felt the space between those words.
They wandered without direction after that.
A small arcade. A bookstore with uneven floors and shelves packed too tight. A street performer playing something slow and familiar. They stopped. Listened. No one spoke until the song ended.
Later, they found themselves in a small park tucked between buildings. Someone had set up portable table tennis tables under a canopy. Couples played doubles, laughing too loudly, arguing about rules that didn't matter.
JP's eyes lit up. "I call next."
Teams formed without discussion.
XH with Kitty.
June with NS.
The game started playful and turned competitive fast.
Kitty laughed when she missed a shot, then narrowed her eyes in focus. XH adjusted instinctively, covering her side without thinking. June played sharper than expected, quick wrist movements, precise placement. NS matched her easily, calm and strategic.
Points piled up.
Cheers from JP and TZ grew louder.
At one point, Kitty stumbled back laughing and grabbed XH's sleeve to steady herself. It was brief. Unremarkable.
June saw it anyway.
She didn't react. She returned the next serve harder.
When the game ended, breathless and smiling, no one mentioned who won.
They lay on the grass afterward, staring up at a sky that looked too big to belong to their routines. Someone mentioned a rumor about elections coming closer. Another joked about stock prices. JP claimed he understood none of it and that it was all a scam.
June listened quietly.
Kitty scrolled through her phone, stopping on a short video of a woman explaining posture and turns. "This helped me once," she said suddenly, turning the screen toward June. "If you ever need it."
June blinked. "For what."
"Walking," Kitty replied lightly. "Standing. Being looked at."
June watched the video, then laughed. "You're serious."
"A little."
June tried it, standing, shoulders back, chin lifted. Kitty adjusted her gently. "Like this. Slow turn. Don't rush."
XH looked away, pretending not to watch.
NS did not pretend.
They stayed out until evening.
As lights came on and shops closed, the city changed tone. Quieter. Softer. Conversations lowered. The air cooled.
On the way back, the bus was less crowded. People leaned into seats, tired but content. Kitty rested her head against the window. June stared ahead, thoughtful. NS sat between rows, gaze unfocused. JP fell asleep mid-sentence.
XH watched reflections slide across the glass.
Back on campus, the dorms welcomed them with familiar indifference. They lingered outside longer than necessary, unwilling to end the day cleanly.
"So," JP said, stretching. "Same thing tomorrow?"
"Different thing," Kitty corrected.
June smiled. "Still outside."
NS nodded. "We should."
As they split up, Kitty and June walked together toward their building. XH and NS paused a few steps behind.
"You okay," NS asked quietly.
XH nodded. "Yeah."
NS studied him. "This is going to get complicated."
XH exhaled. "It already is."
NS didn't disagree.
That night, lying in his room, XH stared at the ceiling again.
Beyond the campus walls, the world kept moving. News ticked forward. Competitions loomed. Rumors stirred. Somewhere in the city, a small tarot shop glowed softly between shops, unnoticed by them, waiting.
For now, though, there were still days like this.
Unstructured. Unclaimed.
And that made them precious.
The holiday had only just begun.