Kitty POV: After the Noise
The worst part wasn't what people said.
It was what they stopped saying.
Kitty noticed it immediately the next morning. The glances lasted longer. The whispers didn't even try to hide. Friends smiled at her, but their voices softened, as if she were fragile glass instead of someone who had chosen fire on purpose.
She walked across Campus 2 with her chin lifted.
Armor polished.
Inside, everything felt sore.
The word together replayed in her head again and again, not because she regretted saying it, but because she had said it out loud where it couldn't be taken back. She had drawn a line in public. She had declared safety even if it wasn't real.
And now, she had to live inside it.
The guy texted her.
Guy: you okay? yesterday got intense.
Kitty stared at the message for a long moment.
Then she typed:
Kitty: i need some space today.
Three dots appeared. Disappeared.
Guy: sure. just let me know.
She put her phone face down.
Space was the one thing she had plenty of now.
She sat on the steps near the back building, knees drawn slightly toward her chest, watching students pass. Some were filling out forms. Some were crying openly. Some laughed too loudly, like laughter could cancel deadlines.
She saw June and XH walk past together.
Not touching.
But close.
It hurt.
Not because Kitty wanted XH back immediately.
Because she knew what that closeness meant.
Choice.
Not certainty. Not forever.
But direction.
Kitty closed her eyes briefly.
You chose noise, she told herself.They chose quiet.
She didn't know yet which one lasted longer.
June + XH: Quiet Without Running
They didn't plan to be alone.
It just happened.
The library was crowded with anxious students, so they walked instead. Past the lecture halls. Past the notice boards. Toward the edge of campus where things felt less watched.
June stopped near a low wall, resting her hands on the cold stone.
"Are you okay?" XH asked.
June nodded slowly. "I'm steady."
He exhaled. "That's good."
She glanced at him. "Are you?"
XH thought for a moment before answering. "I'm… present."
June smiled faintly. "That's progress."
They stood there, wind brushing past them, the noise of campus fading into background hum.
"I don't hate her," June said suddenly.
XH looked at her, surprised.
"I know," he said.
June's gaze stayed on the distance. "I understand why she did what she did."
XH nodded. "I do too."
Silence settled comfortably between them.
Not awkward.
Not heavy.
Just honest.
"I don't need you to erase the past," June continued. "I need to know you won't disappear when it gets complicated again."
XH swallowed. "I won't."
June didn't challenge it. She didn't test it immediately.
She simply said, "Then stay."
He did.
They didn't hold hands. They didn't kiss. They didn't make promises that would crack under pressure.
They stood together while the world shook.
And that, quietly, mattered more than anything else.
The Bros Decide: Big Box Gym
If emotional survival had a scent, it would be sweat and disinfectant.
That was how XH ended up at Big Box, the men-only gym on the far side of town, with NS, JP, and TZ walking beside him through light snowfall.
"Why are we here again?" JP asked, shoving his hands into his jacket.
"Because if I stay on campus I'll overthink myself into a coma," TZ replied.
NS nodded. "Movement helps."
Big Box looked aggressive.
Bright lights. Loud music leaking through the doors. Posters screaming about power and dominance.
Inside, heat slapped them in the face.
And then there was P.
Bald. Huge. Smiling too hard.
"WELCOME, MY BROTHERS," P boomed, spreading his arms wide. "GENETICS IS DESTINY."
JP blinked. "Already don't like him."
P clapped XH on the shoulder. "YOU LIFT, YOU STRONG. GOD TIER BUILD."
XH smiled politely. "Thanks."
NS stiffened when P's hand lingered too long on his arm.
P leaned closer. "You got good structure. Very rare. I can train you special."
NS stepped back slightly. "I'm good."
P laughed loudly. "SHY GUY. I LIKE THAT."
The bros exchanged looks.
Something was off.
As they trained, P hovered. Bragged. Talked endlessly about "natural genetics" while casually disappearing into a back room and returning suspiciously energized.
JP whispered, "That man is 90 percent lies and 10 percent ego."
TZ snorted. "And 100 percent fake smiles."
NS grew quieter.
Uncomfortable.
XH noticed.
"You good?" XH asked between sets.
NS nodded. "I will be."
But the discomfort stayed.
Still, they laughed. They lifted. They mocked P under their breath. For a moment, the weight of Campus 2 faded.
Laughter worked.
Back to Kitty
Kitty heard about Big Box later that evening through a passing comment.
"Your boys joined some ridiculous gym," someone laughed.
Kitty smiled automatically.
She was glad they were laughing.
She needed them to be okay.
She checked her phone again.
No messages from XH.
She didn't expect one.
Still, the silence pressed.
She stood, brushed snow from her coat, and decided to walk instead of sit.
Movement helped.
Just like NS said.
Night Ends Softly
That night, June sat at her desk, writing plans, timelines, backup options.
XH texted her:
XH: thanks for today. for staying.
She replied a minute later:
June: thanks for not leaving.
Across campus, Kitty lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling.
She didn't cry.
She didn't smile.
She just breathed.
And at Big Box, P locked up, smiling to himself, unaware that his gym was living on borrowed time.
Because some smiles were warnings.
And some laughter was the beginning of healing.