The campus felt unfinished that morning.
Not abandoned. Not broken. Just… paused. Like someone had pressed their finger against time and forgotten to lift it. The air was cooler than usual, the sky washed pale, clouds stretched thin as if they were undecided about staying.
XH noticed it the moment he stepped through the gates.
Students walked slower. Conversations were quieter. Even laughter sounded cautious, like it had been rehearsed before being allowed out.
Arc 1 was ending, though none of them knew it yet.
He took the stairs instead of the elevator, not because he wanted to, but because he needed the movement. Each step echoed softly. Floor numbers passed by in order, familiar now in a way they hadn't been before.
He wondered when the building had started to feel like something that could be lost.
In the lecture hall, seats filled gradually. People sat where they always did, but the space between them felt more deliberate. Phones stayed face-down. Bags were set down gently, like noise itself was unwelcome.
Kitty arrived early.
XH noticed immediately.
She stood near the doorway for a moment, scanning the room, then chose a seat near the window. The light caught her profile, softened her expression. She looked calm.
Too calm.
XH took his seat behind her.
Not beside.
That was the shape of things now.
TR leaned back and whispered, "This feels like the last episode before a new character shows up."
PL frowned. "Why would you say that?"
"Because everything feels like a setup," TR replied.
JP didn't look up. "He's not wrong."
The lecture began, but XH absorbed very little of it. His attention kept drifting to Kitty's back, to the way she sat straighter than usual, to the steady rhythm of her pen moving across the page.
She didn't turn around once.
During the break, people lingered inside the room instead of rushing out. The hallway buzzed faintly, but something about the space felt heavier.
XH stood, then stopped himself, then stood again.
He walked toward Kitty.
"Hey," he said quietly.
She turned and smiled. The smile was gentle. Familiar. Final.
"Hey."
"I was thinking," XH began.
Kitty nodded. "I know."
That stopped him.
"You do?"
She tilted her head slightly. "You've been thinking a lot lately."
He laughed softly, without humor. "I should've done it earlier."
"Maybe," she said. "But we only realize that after."
They stood there, a few feet apart, close enough for honesty, far enough for retreat.
"I don't want this to end badly," XH said.
Kitty studied him for a long moment. "Then don't let it end in silence."
The words were calm.
They were also a challenge.
XH opened his mouth.
Closed it.
Kitty exhaled slowly, as if she had expected that outcome.
"It's okay," she said gently. "You don't have to be brave today."
That hurt more than anger ever could.
They walked out together, but not side by side. The group gathered near the stairs as usual.
TR tried to lighten the mood. "So. Anyone else feel like the campus is holding its breath?"
PL nodded. "I hate that I agree with you."
HS smiled faintly. "Change is uncomfortable."
NS watched XH quietly.
XH met his gaze for a brief second.
NS didn't look away.
Lunch was subdued. Conversations skimmed the surface of things. Nobody brought up rumors. Nobody mentioned transfers. Nobody asked questions they didn't want answers to.
Kitty sat with HS again. She laughed when HS said something kind and ridiculous, but the laughter faded quickly.
XH watched her hands as she ate, noticed how steady they were.
She had already decided something.
That thought settled like a stone in his chest.
After lunch, classes blurred. The day passed without incident, which somehow made it worse. No arguments. No revelations. Just time moving forward, indifferent.
By evening, the sky darkened early. Clouds gathered like they were preparing for something.
The group gathered in the common area one last time that week.
TR brought snacks without being asked. PL argued about flavors. TZ Royal lounged like nothing mattered. HS tried to keep things light.
Kitty arrived last.
She sat near the edge, posture relaxed, expression composed.
XH felt the urge to sit beside her.
He didn't.
At some point, TR stood abruptly. "Okay. I hate this vibe."
PL nodded. "Same."
"We should do something," TR said. "Like a reset."
"What kind?" HS asked.
"A dumb one," TR replied.
They played games. Watched something loud and stupid. Laughed when it felt almost wrong to do so. For a while, the pressure eased.
Kitty laughed once, genuinely.
XH memorized the sound.
When people began to leave, Kitty stood too.
"Goodnight," she said to the group.
She paused when her eyes met XH's.
"Can I talk to you?" she asked.
The room quieted slightly, even though no one pretended to listen.
They stepped into the hallway.
The lights were dimmer there, shadows stretching along the floor.
"I'm going to take a step back," Kitty said calmly.
XH nodded, heart pounding. "Because of everything?"
"Because of enough," she replied.
He swallowed. "I don't want to lose you."
She smiled softly. "Then remember me clearly."
That was all.
She walked away without looking back.
XH stood there long after she disappeared down the corridor.
Kitty POV
Kitty didn't cry.
Not when she closed her dorm door.Not when she sat on her bed.Not when she finally let herself breathe.
She stared at the ceiling and felt something settle inside her.
Acceptance wasn't peace.
It was clarity without comfort.
She thought about the kiss. The laughter. The silence that followed. The way love could exist without direction and still hurt everyone involved.
She realized something then.
Innocence didn't disappear in a dramatic moment.
It left quietly, the first time you chose yourself over waiting.
Kitty picked up her phone and deleted the forum app.
She didn't need rumors to tell her what she already knew.
Some stories only move forward once you stop holding them in place.
That night, XH stood at the station longer than necessary, watching trains arrive and depart. Commuters moved with purpose. Destinations announced clearly over speakers.
He thought of the girl he had seen weeks ago.
The stranger with distant eyes.
The feeling he hadn't understood then.
As a train pulled in, a figure stepped onto the platform.
XH looked up.
For a fraction of a second, his breath caught.
Dark hair. Familiar posture. Presence that felt like gravity.
She hadn't noticed him yet.
The doors closed behind her.
The train pulled away.
XH stood frozen, heart pounding, realization dawning too late.
Something was arriving.
And everything that had been carefully held together was about to be tested.