The first thing Campus 2 did when they returned was pretend it had never been afraid.
The dorm entrance lights were on. The security desk was staffed. The vending machine hummed with the same tired confidence it always had. The courtyard trees shook in wind like they were scolding the sky for being loud, but the buildings stayed still, glass reflecting storm-light in clean, indifferent rectangles.
It was familiar enough to make people breathe again.
It was unfamiliar enough to make breathing feel suspicious.
After everything at the junta school, the small normal things at Campus 2 carried strange weight. A door handle. A stairwell sign. The smell of detergent drifting from the laundry room. Normal had become a costume, and everyone was learning how to wear it again without tearing the seams.
Tonight's storm made that harder.
Rain came down in sheets, the kind that erased edges. Wind chased it sideways so it hit the ground like thrown handfuls of needles. Thunder rolled low, not theatrical, just constant and close, like a massive animal pacing behind the clouds.
No forecast.
It had followed them home.
The rides from the embassy had scattered the group into smaller pieces, not because they wanted to split, but because drivers cancelled and roads clogged and the city turned into a flooded maze. Andrew had done his best, arranging cars, tracking pins, texting updates, and making sure no one stood alone too long. He was the kind of person who stayed calm because someone had to.
And the kind of calm that costs you sleep.
NC's SUV reached Campus 2 first with Anna and Jihye and Cherry. They stumbled into the dorm lobby damp and laughing in that exhausted way, like they were still riding the last adrenaline from the embassy games.
Cherry's hair was wet. Her expression was irritated. But she was there, which meant she had cared enough to come back with the group instead of peeling off alone.
Anna said nothing, but she stayed close to NC, the way she always did, like her silence was a steady hand.
Jihye was the first to pull out her phone and whisper, "We survived."
NC answered, "Not yet. We're only inside."
Jihye grinned. "Inside is survival."
Cherry rolled her eyes. "You two are poetic when you're soaked."
NC checked her messages immediately. Andrew's last text was short.
"Kitty and XH are in a cab. JP and TZ are behind. I'm still coordinating. I'll update."
NC exhaled slowly and typed back.
"Got it. We're inside. Call me if you need me."
Then, because NC was NC, she opened the group call app again and stared at it for a second, thumb hovering.
She had started the call earlier to June, NS, and Cherry as a simple show-and-tell. It had become something else. It had caught moments it wasn't supposed to catch. It had turned a hug into a story before anyone meant it to.
NC didn't like that.
NC also didn't like leaving people unseen.
Tonight, under Sleepy Man's new rules, Health Track students had a strange kind of privilege. They could go back to their parents' homes after classes for "recovery," framed as mental and physical relief after the junta school arc. The university called it care. It was also image management. A softer headline for a hard year.
Most students still stayed in dorms because home wasn't always comfort, and because travel cost money, and because routine was easier than change.
But Kitty, June, and NS were the ones who used that privilege the most, not just for recovery, but for schedules. Brand shoots. Commercial clips. The university's new obsession with public image turned certain students into faces they wanted to show the world. And faces had calendars.
Today, though, June and NS had used the privilege differently. They had stayed in dorms, not gone home. It was the kind of day you stayed inside, saved energy, kept yourself available, waited for tomorrow's assignments and the next round of controlled expectations.
June was in her room with her desk lamp on, her hair tied back in a ponytail that showed her greenish highlights clearly.
Her phone sat on top of a neat stack of notes. She wasn't studying. She wasn't resting either. She existed in that middle space where you tell yourself you are calm, but your body doesn't believe it.
NS was down the hall in the boys' dorm section, sitting on the edge of his bed, phone in his hand, the slick-back skin fade still looking sharp even after storm-day mess. He had stayed in tonight because he could. Because he wanted to. Because sometimes watching from the inside was easier than acting in the open.
And because he liked knowing where everyone was.
Cherry, the one on the call earlier, was in the dorm too, but she wasn't in the same building. She had stayed back for her own reasons and didn't explain them. She never did unless it benefited her. But she always heard more than people assumed.
NC decided a second call would be harmless.
Just clips.
Just reassurance.
Just a little warmth to end a messy day.
She tapped the screen.
The call rang.
June picked up quickly.
Her face appeared on screen, lit by warm lamp light, expression controlled.
"NC," June said.
NC smiled lightly. "We're back. We made it inside."
June's eyes flicked past NC's face, scanning the lobby. "Where's Kitty."
NC blinked, then answered carefully. "In a cab. With XH. They're almost here."
June's mouth tightened slightly. "Okay."
NC pretended not to notice the tightening.
A second face joined.
NS.
His background was dimmer, his expression calm, but his eyes sharp like he was listening even when he wasn't speaking.
"You made it," NS said.
NC nodded. "Yeah. Soaked. Everyone is soaked."
Cherry joined last, face appearing on screen for half a second, then shifting like she was lying back in bed.
"Are you filming again," Cherry asked.
NC laughed softly. "Not filming. Just checking in."
Cherry's expression stayed arrogant, but there was a flicker of relief in her eyes. She didn't like admitting she cared. She cared anyway.
NC lifted the phone and turned it slightly so June could see the dorm lobby, the security desk, the wet footprints on the floor, the warm lights.
"We're home," NC said.
June watched quietly. "Good."
Jihye leaned into frame, waving dramatically. "Hi June. Hi NS. Hi Cherry."
Cherry looked like she wanted to hang up, but she didn't.
NS nodded once. "Jihye."
June's gaze stayed focused. "Did you have fun."
Jihye laughed. "Yes. And we almost got trapped in traffic forever."
June's eyes flicked. "Thunder is loud."
NC nodded. "It's getting worse."
Anna stepped into frame briefly, giving a small nod to the phone, then stepping away again like she didn't want to be part of a show.
June's expression softened a fraction. "Anna."
Anna's voice was quiet. "Hi."
That was it. That was all Anna needed to say.
Cherry's eyes narrowed slightly like she was evaluating the room. "Why are you calling."
NC answered honestly. "Because today was messy, and I wanted to show you we're okay. And I have embassy clips."
June's eyebrows lifted slightly. "Clips."
NC smiled. "Yeah. The games. The toddler. The treasure hunt. JP getting dropped in the dunk tank."
NS's mouth twitched. "Show that."
Jihye giggled. "We didn't record the dunk tank."
NS's expression flattened. "Tragic."
NC began swiping through videos, showing short clips on camera. The embassy lights. The prize wheel. A blurry shot of XH tossing a ball. A quick clip of Kitty cheering, voice bright.
June watched those clips with a strange stillness. Seeing something you missed always hurt more when it looked warm.
Cherry watched too, interest flickering in her eyes when she saw the embassy grounds. "That place is huge."
NC nodded. "Yeah. It felt like a different world."
NS said quietly, "Different worlds always end."
June's gaze snapped to him briefly, then softened again.
The call kept going.
NC was tired, but she didn't stop. She didn't notice how her hand trembled slightly holding the phone. She didn't notice that her voice was getting looser, more casual, the way it does when you're exhausted and not guarding every word.
She also didn't notice the way June's eyes kept returning to the same question.
Where is Kitty.
Where is XH.
The lobby doors opened suddenly with a gust of wind and rain.
JP and TZ stumbled in together, soaked, laughing like they had survived war.
JP shouted, "WE MADE IT."
Cherry's voice on the call snapped, "Lower your voice."
JP blinked at the phone and grinned. "Cherry. You're watching me."
Cherry replied, "I'm regretting it."
TZ gave a calm nod to the phone. "Hi."
June said, "You're loud."
JP laughed. "It's my love language."
The security guard looked up, unimpressed.
JP lowered his voice slightly. "Okay. Quiet hero mode."
TZ shook rain off his sleeves like it was nothing.
JP's eyes scanned the lobby and then he made a face. "Where's Kitty."
NC answered, "In a cab. Coming."
June's jaw tightened again.
NS's gaze sharpened slightly, then relaxed, like he was already calculating something and didn't need to rush.
JP flopped onto the lobby couch dramatically. "I'm dead."
TZ said, "You're alive."
JP replied, "Emotionally dead."
Cherry rolled her eyes on screen. "Go sleep."
JP snapped his fingers. "See. She cares."
Cherry said, "No."
NC laughed, then turned her phone slightly toward the lobby window.
Outside, rain was falling hard enough to blur the streetlights. The dorm entrance canopy was visible, a small shelter in a storm.
NC spoke into the phone like she was narrating a documentary. "Look at that. It's pouring."
June's face stayed still. "No forecast."
NC nodded. "No forecast."
Kitty had said those words earlier.
Now they echoed again, like the story itself was reminding them.
NC's phone buzzed.
A message from Andrew.
"Kitty and XH are at dorm entrance. Security check is slow. They're under canopy."
NC read it out loud without thinking. "Kitty and XH are under the canopy. Security is slow."
June's eyes sharpened. "Under canopy."
NS's voice stayed calm. "They're fine."
Cherry's expression tightened slightly, not caring about the romance, but caring about the fact NC was narrating something she didn't need to narrate.
Cherry said, "Stop reporting."
NC blinked. "I'm just… updating."
June's gaze stayed fixed. "Can you show."
NC hesitated.
She shouldn't.
But she was tired. She was trying to keep everyone included. And June asking sounded reasonable on the surface.
NC turned the phone toward the lobby doors.
The lobby doors opened again.
A gust of wind came in.
Two silhouettes appeared briefly through rain blur.
Kitty and XH.
They were at the entrance, still not fully inside, still dealing with security check.
NC's camera caught them from a distance, through glass, under the canopy.
Kitty's hair was damp, her shoulders slightly hunched from cold. XH stood close beside her, body angled like a shield against wind.
The camera didn't catch faces clearly.
But the closeness was obvious.
June's breath caught slightly.
NS's gaze narrowed.
Cherry's expression went flat like she was about to say something sharp.
NC shifted the phone away quickly, embarrassed. "Okay. They're here."
June didn't respond immediately.
Then she said, controlled. "Good."
NS said, "End the call. Let them enter."
NC nodded. "Okay. I will. I just wanted to show the clips."
Cherry said, "Finally."
NC didn't end it yet.
Not because she wanted to spy.
Because her phone slipped slightly in her wet hand, and then she was distracted by the security guard asking a question and JP complaining about needing hot soup and Jihye running up the stairs.
Chaos did what it always did.
It stole the moment where you should have pressed the button.
Kitty and XH were still outside.
Under the canopy, the storm sounded louder, more violent. The dorm entrance lights made rain look like falling strings.
The security check was slow because Sleepy Man's new policies had tightened everything. Swipe, check, name, list, confirm.
They treated the campus like a place that needed gates.
Kitty stood with her arms crossed tightly, shivering slightly, trying not to look scared because she was sick of looking like she needed protection.
But storms didn't care.
Thunder cracked louder, closer, sharp enough to make Kitty flinch.
Kitty's hand shot out instinctively and grabbed XH's sleeve.
She froze immediately after, embarrassed.
XH turned to her, eyes steady. "It's okay."
Kitty swallowed. "I'm not scared."
XH nodded as if he believed her. "Okay."
Kitty's cheeks warmed. "I just… hate the sound."
XH's voice was quiet. "I know."
Kitty blinked. "How."
XH hesitated, then answered honestly. "You told me once. A long time ago. You didn't think I heard."
Kitty's throat tightened.
That sentence did something to her.
It wasn't romantic. It wasn't a confession.
It was attention.
The kind that stays.
Kitty looked away quickly, staring at the rain.
"Why is it always rain," Kitty whispered, more to herself than him.
XH didn't answer right away.
Because part of him wanted to say something bigger, something honest, something like: I don't know, but it follows us, and I'm tired of it.
Instead he said quietly, "Maybe it's just the season."
Kitty's gaze snapped to him, surprised.
XH's mouth twitched slightly like he regretted saying something poetic.
Kitty's lips parted slightly, then she laughed softly, a small breath of sound. "You're weird."
XH nodded. "Yeah."
The security guard finally said, "One more moment."
Kitty exhaled slowly.
XH didn't move away.
He stood close enough that Kitty could feel warmth through damp clothes.
Thunder rolled again.
The wind pushed rain sideways.
Kitty's breathing sped up slightly.
She hated that it affected her.
She hated that her body did what it wanted.
XH watched Kitty's hands. They were clenched in her sleeves.
He spoke quietly. "Breathe."
Kitty blinked. "You too."
XH nodded.
They breathed together.
In.
Out.
In.
Out.
Kitty's shoulders lowered slightly.
Then the security guard stepped away to check something again, and the waiting stretched.
Kitty's eyes stung from cold wind. She blinked hard, trying not to show weakness.
XH noticed anyway.
He shifted closer, enough that his body blocked some wind.
Kitty whispered, "You don't have to do that."
XH replied, "I want to."
The words slipped out before he could stop them.
Kitty froze.
XH froze too.
They stared at each other for a second.
Rain hammered.
Thunder rolled.
The dorm lights flickered slightly.
Kitty's voice came small. "Want to what."
XH swallowed. "Help."
Kitty's eyes narrowed slightly, like she didn't fully accept the retreat.
Kitty Pov
The rain started as a fine mist, then became a sudden, decisive downpour. We didn't run. We simply ducked under the broad, protective leaves of an old banyan tree, its branches creating a dense, green canopy that muffled the world. The scent of damp earth and wet foliage rose around us, mingling with the faint, lingering notes of my jasmine perfume and the unmistakable, clean scent of him. The party's chatter and distant music faded, replaced by the rhythmic percussion of rain on leaves above.
We stood inches apart in the sudden, enforced intimacy of our small, dry island. The fabric of my dress clung to my thighs where a few drops had managed to splatter through. XH's jacket, which he'd instinctively wrapped around my shoulders moments before, was heavy and warm, carrying the heat of his body and the subtle, woodsy fragrance of his cologne.
"You'll catch a cold," he said, his voice a low murmur that seemed to vibrate directly through my skin. His hands lingered on my arms, adjusting the jacket, the contact searing even through the sleeves. His eyes, dark and intense in the dim light, held mine. They held all the unspoken words from the past months—the shared coffee runs, the stolen glances across the library, the sharp pang of seeing him laugh with someone else. It was all there, swirling in the depths of his gaze.
I looked up at him, my breath catching. "I'm fine." The words were a whisper, barely audible over the downpour. My hands, trembling slightly, came up to rest on his chest. I could feel the steady, solid beat of his heart beneath my palm, a rhythm that seemed to call to my own. The world shrank to this small space, to the warmth radiating from him, to the air thick with everything we hadn't said.
He didn't move away. Instead, one of his hands slid from my arm to the curve of our waist, pulling me just that fraction closer until there was no space left between us. The soft fabric of my dress was a flimsy barrier against the hard line of his body. His thumb brushed a slow, deliberate circle against my side, a silent question and a promise all at once.
"Kitty," he breathed, my name a sigh of resignation and longing on his lips.
And that was all it took.
I leaned into him, tilting my head back. He met me halfway, the kiss slow at first, a gentle exploration that quickly deepened into something hungry, desperate. It wasn't a gentle peck; it was a collision of months of unspoken desire. His lips were soft but firm, tasting faintly of wine and something uniquely him. I parted my lips on a soft gasp, and he deepened the kiss, one hand moving from my waist to tangle in my hair, angling my head to give him better access.
My hands slid up his chest, fingers curling into the front of his shirt, clutching the damp fabric. I couldn't get close enough. The rain hammered a frantic beat above us, a wild symphony that seemed to echo the frantic pace of my own heart. He kissed me like he was drowning and I was the only source of air, a raw, consuming passion that left me breathless and trembling.
One of my legs slid up, wrapping around his calf, trying to anchor myself to him. He responded by pressing me back against the solid, rough trunk of the banyan tree, the bark a cool, stark contrast to the heat of our bodies. The jacket fell from my shoulders, pooling forgotten at our feet. His other hand roamed down my spine, tracing the curve of my hip, gripping me with a possessiveness that sent a thrill straight through me.
He broke the kiss, but only to trail his lips along my jawline, down the sensitive column of my throat. I tipped my head back against the tree, a soft moan escaping my lips as he found a particularly sensitive spot just below my ear. His teeth grazed the skin there, a delicious, sharp sting that made my toes curl. His breath was hot against my wet skin, and I could feel the scrape of his evening stubble, a rough, thrilling texture.
"XH," I gasped, my fingers tightening in his hair, holding him to me.
He responded with a low growl, a sound of pure, unadulterated need that vibrated through my entire being. His kisses became more demanding, more urgent. He nipped at my collarbone, his tongue soothing the small sting before moving lower, to the swell of my breasts peeking from the neckline of my dress. The cool air kissed my skin where his lips had just been, leaving a trail of fire in their wake.
My hands were no longer passive; they were exploring the hard planes of his back, the strong muscles of his shoulders, the nape of his neck where his hair was slightly damp from the rain. I wanted to memorize every inch of him, to claim him as he was claiming me. The world outside our green canopy didn't exist. There was only the rain, the tree, and the two of us, finally giving in.
He pulled back just enough to look at me, his chest heaving, his eyes black with desire. His thumb came up to brush against my swollen, tingling lips. The look in his eyes was so intense, so full of raw emotion, it almost hurt to witness. It was a look of relief, of possession, of a hunger that had finally been sated, at least for this moment.
"We can't stay here," he murmured, his voice raspy with emotion. But he made no move to let me go. He kept me pinned against the tree, his body a firm, warm weight against mine.
"I know," I breathed, but I couldn't bring myself to care. All I wanted was for him to kiss me again, to lose myself in him again.
As if reading my mind, he did. This kiss was different. Slower. Deeper. It wasn't the desperate kiss of starving men, but the confident, thorough kiss of a man who had claimed what was his. It was a kiss that spoke of forever, even if neither of us was ready to say the words.
Inside the dorm lobby, NC's phone was still on the call.
June, NS, and Cherry were still connected, watching from their rooms, hearing everything they could catch.
NC didn't realize the call hadn't ended.
She had propped the phone on the couch for a second while she answered the security guard's question and grabbed a towel from the desk for JP to stop dripping on everything.
The phone lay angled slightly upward.
The camera showed the lobby ceiling and a slice of the glass doors.
It looked like nothing.
But audio still carried.
The storm sound was loud through the doors.
And the silhouettes under the canopy were visible at the edge of the frame if you stared long enough.
June stared.
NS stared too.
Cherry's voice came low. "End the call."
June didn't.
NS didn't.
They were watching like they couldn't look away even if it hurt.
On the couch near the phone, JP was ranting quietly about how the embassy day was "almost romantic" and "almost tragic" and "why does everything feel like it's building toward something."
TZ told him to shut up.
Cherry rolled her eyes on screen.
NS's voice was calm. "You're still live, NC."
NC blinked and looked down at her phone, realizing the call was still running.
"Oops," NC said, embarrassed. "Sorry."
June's voice was controlled. "It's okay."
NS said, "Just… be careful."
NC nodded. "Yeah, okay. I'll end it."
Then the dorm doors opened again and NC got distracted.
Because Kitty and XH finally stepped inside.
They entered with rain on their shoulders, damp hair, cheeks flushed from cold. Kitty's eyes were bright, not from happiness, from adrenaline.
JP sat up immediately. "KITTY."
Kitty looked at him, expression stiff. "You're wet."
JP said, "So are you."
Kitty snapped, "No kidding."
TZ stood up slightly, calm. "You good."
Kitty nodded. "Yeah."
XH said nothing, scanning the lobby, the faces, the phone on the couch.
He saw the screen.
He saw June's face still connected.
He saw NS's face.
He saw Cherry.
He froze for half a second.
Kitty followed his gaze and realized too.
Kitty's cheeks warmed instantly. "NC, you're still on call."
NC looked down, startled. "Oh my god."
June's voice came through speaker, controlled. "Hi."
Kitty's throat tightened. "Hi."
NS's voice came calm. "Made it."
XH nodded. "Yeah."
Cherry's voice cut in, sharp and short. "End it."
NC swallowed. "Okay. Okay."
NC ended the call.
The screen went dark.
But the moment didn't end.
Because June had seen Kitty and XH arriving together, damp and close.
Because NS had watched XH's eyes flick to the phone like he cared what they saw.
Because Cherry had heard enough to sense the tension rising like static.
Kitty walked away quickly, pretending she needed to fix her hair, but really she needed a second to breathe without being watched.
XH followed her with his eyes.
JP noticed that too and smiled like he was storing future chaos in his pocket.
TZ watched quietly.
Andrew texted from outside, "All groups safe?"
NC replied immediately, "Yes. Everyone here. Thanks."
Then NC's phone buzzed again.
A message from June.
Not to NC's phone, but to Kitty's.
Kitty's phone buzzed in her hand, and she froze.
XH saw it.
Kitty's eyes flicked up to his briefly, then away.
Kitty didn't open the message.
She shoved her phone into her pocket like it was hot.
JP leaned toward TZ and whispered, "It's happening."
TZ whispered back, "Stop narrating."
JP grinned. "No."
NC, exhausted, started ushering people upstairs.
"Shower," NC said. "Dry clothes. Hot drinks. Tomorrow we can talk."
Kitty nodded too quickly.
XH nodded too.
JP said, "Tomorrow is fake."
Cherry wasn't there physically, but her words lived in the room anyway, like a shadow.
NC went upstairs with Anna and Jihye.
JP and TZ went toward the boys' side.
Kitty walked toward her room.
XH walked toward his.
For a few minutes, the dorm settled into quiet.
Water running in showers.
Doors opening and closing.
The building trying to become normal again.
Then the storm struck harder.
Lightning flashed.
Thunder cracked loud enough to make the dorm hallway lights flicker.
Kitty flinched in her room, towel around her hair, phone in her hand again.
She opened June's message finally.
It was short.
"Are you okay."
Kitty's chest tightened.
Not because it was kind.
Because kindness from June always came with weight.
Kitty stared at the screen.
She didn't reply yet.
Her phone buzzed again.
Another message.
From NS.
Just one line.
"Storm is loud. Don't panic."
Kitty's throat tightened.
Kitty didn't like being handled.
Kitty also didn't like storms.
And suddenly she felt like everyone could see her weakness and everyone wanted to use it differently.
She threw her phone on the bed and sat down hard, breathing fast.
Thunder rolled again.
Kitty whispered, frustrated, "Stop."
In the boys' dorm, XH stood by his window, hair still damp, wearing a hoodie, staring at rain hitting the glass like the sky was trying to get inside.
His phone buzzed.
A message from Andrew.
"Glad you're safe. Rest."
XH replied, "Thanks."
Then another buzz.
A message from NC.
"Sorry about the call. I didn't mean to keep it on."
XH stared at it.
He typed slowly.
"It's okay."
He didn't send anything else.
Because it wasn't okay.
Not really.
The call had turned everything into a stage again.
XH's phone buzzed again.
A message from NS.
"Tomorrow. Talk."
XH's jaw tightened.
He didn't reply.
He could feel the irritation in his ribs, the kind that comes when someone says "talk" like they own the timing.
He couldn't name why it bothered him.
Maybe because NS had seen too much.
Maybe because June had been soft with NS earlier.
Maybe because the storm was making everything feel like a warning.
XH leaned his forehead to the window.
The rain was heavy.
No forecast.
Just like always.
He whispered to himself, voice raw, "Not again."
Down the hall, Kitty sat on her bed, towel falling off her shoulder, breathing uneven.
She didn't know why she was shaking.
Not from cold.
From the sensation of being watched and misunderstood.
She stared at her reflection in the mirror.
Her eyes looked too bright.
She whispered, "Get it together."
Thunder cracked again, louder.
Kitty flinched hard this time.
Her breathing sped up.
She tried to slow it.
It didn't work.
She grabbed her hoodie and rushed out into the hallway, bare feet quiet on the floor, towel still half on her hair.
She didn't want to be alone in storm sounds.
She didn't even think about where she was going until she was moving.
She ended up at the stairwell door, hand on the knob, hesitating.
Then she heard voices.
JP and TZ laughing on the boys' side about something stupid.
The sound made her feel worse.
Not because it was bad.
Because it meant life continued while her chest felt like it was tightening.
Kitty turned away.
She walked toward the lobby.
The dorm lobby was empty now, lights dimmer, security guard half asleep behind desk.
Outside the glass doors, rain poured down.
The canopy at the entrance was still there, visible through glass, water falling off it like a waterfall.
Kitty stood by the doors, breathing fast.
She wanted air.
She wanted noise.
She wanted anything except the trapped feeling in her chest.
The security guard looked up lazily. "Miss. It's storm."
Kitty nodded. "I know."
The guard shrugged. "Stay inside."
Kitty didn't move.
Her hands trembled slightly.
She stared at the rain.
Lightning flashed again.
Thunder cracked.
Kitty's breath hitched.
She felt panic rising like water.
Then she heard footsteps behind her.
She turned.
XH.
He was wearing a hoodie, hair still slightly damp, eyes tired. He looked like he had followed instinct, not thought.
Kitty's throat tightened.
XH stopped a few feet away. "You okay."
Kitty tried to lie. She couldn't.
Her voice came small. "No."
XH nodded as if that was allowed. "Okay."
Kitty blinked rapidly. "I hate storms."
XH said quietly, "I know."
Kitty's voice cracked. "It's stupid."
XH shook his head. "It's not."
Kitty swallowed hard. "It feels like… it feels like the sky is angry at me."
XH's eyes softened. "It's not you."
Kitty's hands trembled. "It doesn't feel like that."
XH stepped closer slowly. Not sudden. Not pushing. Just closing distance like he was careful not to scare her further.
Kitty whispered, embarrassed, "I'm sorry."
XH replied, "Stop."
Kitty blinked. "Stop what."
XH's voice stayed calm. "Stop apologizing for being human."
Kitty's eyes stung.
She looked away quickly.
XH stood beside her at the glass doors, both of them watching rain pour down like the world was being washed too hard.
Kitty whispered, "Everyone saw the call."
XH's jaw tightened slightly. "Yeah."
Kitty's voice was bitter and small. "I didn't want that."
XH nodded. "Me neither."
Kitty looked up at him. "Does June hate me now."
XH didn't answer immediately.
Because he didn't know.
He only knew June's pride was a sharp thing.
He knew June didn't like losing.
He knew June didn't like being second.
Kitty's voice softened, almost pleading. "I didn't do anything."
XH's voice was quiet. "I know."
Kitty swallowed. "Then why do I feel guilty."
XH looked at her face for a long second.
Then he said softly, "Because you care."
Kitty blinked.
XH continued, voice even. "You care about her. You care about what people think. You care about not being the reason something breaks."
Kitty's throat tightened.
She whispered, barely audible, "I'm tired."
XH nodded. "Me too."
Thunder cracked again, louder.
Kitty flinched hard.
Her shoulders rose.
Her breathing sped up.
XH turned fully toward her.
He spoke gently. "Look at me."
Kitty's eyes lifted, wide.
XH inhaled slowly, demonstrative. "Breathe with me."
Kitty tried.
In.
Out.
In.
Out.
Her breathing slowed slightly, but fear still sat in her chest like a stone.
Kitty whispered, "It's not working."
XH's voice stayed steady. "It will."
Kitty's eyes filled suddenly. Not full tears. Just bright, watery edges.
Kitty whispered, almost angry at herself, "I hate being like this."
XH's gaze held hers. "You're allowed."
Kitty blinked. "Allowed what."
XH answered, honest. "Allowed to be scared."
Kitty's lips parted slightly.
Lightning flashed again.
Thunder cracked.
The dorm lights flickered.
For a second, Kitty looked like she might run.
Instead she stepped closer to XH, body moving without permission, closing the space like she needed warmth and solidity.
Kitty's forehead pressed briefly against his chest.
XH froze for half a second.
Then his arms lifted slowly and settled around her shoulders.
Kitty's hands gripped his hoodie lightly.
XH's chin hovered above her hair, breath warm against damp strands.
Kitty whispered into his chest, voice muffled, "Don't leave me alone."
XH's throat tightened. "I'm here."
Kitty's body trembled slightly, not just fear now, but release.
XH held her.
Outside, rain poured.
Inside, the lobby felt like a small safe world.
But safety had consequences.
Because it felt good.
Because it felt easy.
Because it felt like something they should have stopped a long time ago.
Kitty pulled back slowly, cheeks flushed, eyes bright.
Her voice was barely audible. "Sorry."
XH shook his head. "Stop."
Kitty whispered, "I keep doing things without thinking."
XH looked at her. "Me too."
Kitty's breath caught.
The sentence landed like a confession even if it wasn't meant to be.
Kitty's eyes searched his face, like she was looking for permission.
XH didn't know how to give permission to something he didn't fully understand.
But he knew he didn't want to step away.
Thunder rolled again.
Kitty flinched less this time.
Instead she laughed softly, shaky. "It's still loud."
XH's mouth twitched slightly. "Yeah."
Kitty whispered, almost joking, "You're my thunder shield."
XH's chest tightened. "Don't say that."
Kitty blinked. "Why."
XH swallowed. He didn't have an answer that was safe.
Kitty's gaze stayed on him.
Her cheeks were pink. Her eyes were wet. Her lips were slightly parted from breathing too fast.
XH noticed everything.
And noticing became too much.
Kitty whispered, quieter now, as if she was afraid her voice would break the moment, "I'm scared of storms."
XH nodded.
Kitty's voice shifted, becoming something else, something more honest. "I'm more scared of… losing things."
XH's eyes narrowed slightly. "What things."
Kitty's throat moved as she swallowed. "Things I didn't even know I had."
XH stared at her.
The air between them tightened.
The storm outside was loud, but the silence inside became louder.
Kitty's gaze dropped to XH's mouth for half a second.
Then back to his eyes.
Kitty's breath caught like she hadn't meant to do that.
XH felt his own breath stall.
His body didn't move.
But his mind did.
This is dangerous.
This is unfair.
This is going to hurt someone.
Kitty whispered, almost pleading, "Say something."
XH's voice came low. "I don't know what to say."
Kitty nodded slightly, like she understood that pain.
She laughed softly, bitter. "You never know what to say."
XH's jaw tightened. "I'm trying."
Kitty's eyes softened again. "I know."
The words were gentle.
The moment was not.
Because gentleness between two people can become intimacy without warning.
Kitty stepped closer again, slow, like she was walking into a line she had promised herself she wouldn't cross yet.
XH didn't move back.
Kitty's hand lifted and touched XH's cheek lightly, just fingertips, like she was checking if he was real.
XH's eyes widened slightly.
Kitty whispered, voice shaking, "You're warm."
XH swallowed. "So are you."
Kitty's breath hitched.
Her fingertips stayed on his cheek, then slid slightly toward his jaw.
XH's hand lifted slowly, not grabbing, not controlling, but resting lightly at Kitty's waist, like he was steadying her.
Kitty's eyes widened at the touch.
Then softened.
Her lips parted.
XH's chest tightened.
Thunder rolled again.
Kitty whispered, "I'm scared."
XH whispered back, "I'm here."
Kitty's voice was small. "If I do something stupid…"
XH didn't let her finish.
Because he was tired of middle ground.
Because he was tired of pretending he wasn't affected.
Because he was tired of storms dictating when they could be honest.
XH leaned in.
Slow.
Not aggressive.
Not rushed.
Kitty met him halfway.
Their mouths touched.
It wasn't a shy kiss.
It wasn't a polite kiss.
It was the kind of kiss that happens when you've been holding your breath for months and suddenly you don't want to anymore.
Kitty's hand slid behind XH's neck, fingers curling into damp hair.
XH's hand tightened slightly at Kitty's waist, pulling her closer.
The storm outside hammered the glass.
Thunder cracked like punctuation.
Kitty made a soft sound into the kiss, something between fear and relief.
XH kissed her again, deeper this time, like he was confirming he wasn't imagining it.
Kitty's body pressed fully against his, hoodie against hoodie, warmth against warmth.
For a second, it felt like the whole year disappeared.
No dorm rules.
No Sleepy Man.
No VT.
No games.
No surveillance.
Just two people in a lobby that smelled like wet clothes and safety.
Kitty pulled back slightly, breath shaking.
Her eyes were wide.
XH's eyes were dark, focused, not panicked, but intense.
Kitty whispered, "XH…"
XH didn't answer with words.
He kissed her again.
Kitty responded immediately, like she had been waiting for permission her whole life and finally decided to stop asking.
They kissed like they were trying to erase every almost.
Kitty's hand slid down XH's chest, gripping his hoodie.
XH's hand moved to Kitty's back, pressing her closer.
Kitty's breath came fast between kisses, cheeks flushed, eyes wet.
The storm outside roared.
Inside, time narrowed.
Upstairs, in the dorm room, NC had ended the call earlier but her phone was still open on the app. She had been too tired to close it properly, too exhausted to double check. She had set the phone down on the lobby couch when she ran to get towels and never fully shut the session. When she came back downstairs half awake, she had tapped it again to "check something" and accidentally reconnected.
She didn't realize she had reconnected because she wasn't holding the phone. The phone lay on the couch, angled toward the glass doors and the lobby entrance.
And June, still in her dorm room, still wired and watching, saw the screen light up.
A live feed.
NC's camera.
The lobby.
Kitty and XH.
June froze.
Her breath caught hard.
On the screen, Kitty and XH were kissing.
Not a quick peck.
Not an accident.
A kiss with hands and intensity and no apology.
June's throat went dry.
Her fingers tightened around her phone so hard it hurt.
A second face joined the call.
NS.
He had tapped in when he saw the notification, curious, alert, always watching.
His eyes widened slightly as he saw the feed.
Then his mouth tightened.
June didn't speak.
NS didn't speak either.
They watched.
On the couch camera, Kitty and XH pulled apart briefly, breathing hard.
Kitty's forehead rested against XH's for a second.
XH's hand cupped Kitty's cheek.
Kitty whispered something, lips moving.
XH leaned in and kissed her again.
June's chest tightened like a fist.
Her mind tried to rationalize.
Storm. Fear. Comfort.
Then her pride cut through.
No.
This is not comfort.
This is choice.
June's eyes filled with tears she refused to let fall.
She whispered, voice shaking, "Are you seeing this."
NS's voice came low, controlled. "Yes."
June's voice sharpened. "Why is the call on."
NS's gaze stayed fixed on the screen. "NC."
June's jaw clenched. "She's showing it."
NS didn't answer that directly. His voice stayed calm, but his eyes were sharp. "It's live."
June's throat tightened. "End it."
NS didn't move fast.
Not because he couldn't.
Because he didn't want to.
Because watching was information.
Because information was power.
June snapped, louder now, "End it."
NS finally tapped his screen, trying to find the end button, but the app lagged slightly, storm-signal delay.
On screen, Kitty pulled away again, breath shaking, eyes wide, cheeks flushed.
Kitty looked like she had just realized what she did.
Kitty whispered something to XH, face half panicked now.
XH's eyes softened. He said something back, calm.
Then Kitty kissed him again, shorter this time, like she couldn't stop herself even when she was afraid.
June made a sound in her throat, half laugh, half sob.
NS finally ended the call.
The screen went dark.
June stared at the blank screen like it had burned her.
Her breathing was fast.
She didn't know what to do with her hands.
She didn't know what to do with her pride.
She didn't know what to do with the fact that she had stayed home, disciplined, controlled, "available," while the world outside her room had chosen without her.
NS sat in his room in dim light, phone still in hand, breathing steady.
His eyes were not steady.
They were sharp.
He didn't look surprised.
He looked like someone who had just been handed a weapon.
Downstairs, in the dorm lobby, Kitty finally pulled away fully, stepping back as if she had been shocked awake.
Her cheeks were red.
Her hair was damp.
Her lips were swollen slightly from kissing.
She stared at XH like she couldn't recognize him.
Or herself.
Kitty whispered, shaken, "What did we do."
XH swallowed hard.
His breathing was still heavy, but his eyes were calm.
He answered honestly. "We kissed."
Kitty's laugh was shaky and disbelieving. "I know that."
XH's voice was soft. "I'm sorry."
Kitty snapped, "Don't say sorry."
XH froze.
Kitty's eyes filled again. "Don't make it small."
XH's throat tightened. "I'm not."
Kitty whispered, voice trembling, "Then what is it."
XH stared at her.
The answer was too big.
Too dangerous.
Too late.
So he said the truth that was safe enough to hold for one second.
"I don't know," XH admitted. "But it wasn't nothing."
Kitty's breath caught.
Her fingers trembled.
She looked away quickly, then back, like she couldn't decide whether to run.
The security guard behind desk cleared his throat loudly, reminding them the world existed.
Kitty flinched.
She whispered, "We should go."
XH nodded slowly. "Yeah."
Kitty turned and hurried toward the girls' hallway, towel forgotten, hoodie damp, footsteps quick and quiet.
XH stood in the lobby for a second longer, chest tight, looking at the rain outside the glass.
Thunder rolled again.
No forecast.
He whispered to himself, barely audible, "What did we just start."
Then he turned and walked toward the boys' hallway, jaw tight, mind already racing ahead to the faces on that call.
June.
NS.
Cherry.
Someone saw.
Someone always sees.
Upstairs, Kitty reached her room, shut the door, and leaned against it, breathing hard like she had been running.
Her phone buzzed.
A message from June.
Kitty stared at the screen.
She didn't open it.
Her phone buzzed again.
A message from NC.
Kitty didn't open that either.
She slid down the door onto the floor, hugging her knees, shaking slightly.
Not from cold.
From consequences.
In June's dorm room, June sat on her bed, phone in hand, face blank.
Then she laughed once, sharp and bitter.
She whispered, voice shaking, "So that's how it is."
Her phone buzzed.
A message from her mother.
"Did you rest. Ads schedule tomorrow. Be ready."
June stared at it.
Her lips trembled.
She didn't reply.
NS's phone buzzed too, a message from VT's private app, a small notification he didn't open yet.
NS stared at his screen, then looked up at the dark window, rain streaking down like tears the city refused to admit.
NS whispered to himself, calm and cold, "Okay."
Then, softer, like a promise, "Now it moves."
The storm outside didn't slow.
It pressed harder.
Wind shook the trees.
Thunder rolled again.
And somewhere inside Campus 2, four hearts started racing in different directions, because one moment under a lobby canopy had shifted the balance of everything.
Not tomorrow.
Not later.
Now.
End of Chapter 238.