The first thing XH noticed was that the campus sounded different.
Not louder.Not quieter.
Sharper.
It was the kind of sharpness that came from attention redirecting itself, like a crowd slowly turning its head toward something new. Conversations paused mid-sentence. Laughter skipped a beat before resuming. Phones came out, not openly, but subtly, angled just enough to capture something without being obvious.
XH felt it before he understood it.
He stepped through the gates of Campus 2 that morning with the lingering heaviness of yesterday still sitting in his chest. Kitty's words echoed faintly, not loudly enough to hurt all over again, but steady enough not to disappear.
Then remember me clearly.
He hadn't slept much.
The sky above the campus was pale, undecided. Clouds hung low, stretched thin like they were waiting for a cue.
"Why does it feel like something's happening?" TR muttered beside him.
PL frowned. "You say that every day."
"No," TR said, eyes scanning the courtyard. "This is different."
Students clustered near the main building entrance, more than usual. Not blocking the way. Just… lingering.
XH slowed.
He saw her then.
She stood near the notice board, adjusting the strap of her bag like she was unfamiliar with the weight of it. Dark hair fell naturally around her shoulders. Her posture was relaxed but alert, like someone who was used to being watched but refused to perform.
She wasn't trying to be noticed.
That was the problem.
People noticed anyway.
A few steps away, a staff member spoke to her quietly, pointing toward the academic block. She nodded, thanked him, and turned.
Her eyes swept across the courtyard.
They landed on XH.
Not with curiosity.
With recognition.
His breath caught, just slightly.
It was the same feeling he'd had at the station weeks ago. The same inexplicable pull, like a memory that hadn't happened yet.
She looked away first.
TR followed XH's gaze. "Oh."
PL leaned in. "Oh?"
JP glanced once, then looked away, unimpressed. "Transfer student."
"That's not just a transfer student," TR whispered. "That's an event."
The girl walked toward the building, footsteps unhurried. People parted without realizing they were doing it.
XH stood frozen for a second longer than necessary.
Then the spell broke.
Class waited.
Inside the lecture hall, the atmosphere buzzed quietly. Whispers bounced between rows. Students turned in their seats more often than usual.
Kitty wasn't there yet.
That absence still hurt.
XH took his seat, heart unsettled, mind replaying the brief eye contact from outside.
Who was she?
Why did she feel like something he should already know?
The door opened a few minutes late.
The lecturer entered, followed by her.
"Before we begin," the lecturer said calmly, "we have a new student joining us."
The girl stepped forward.
"My name is June," she said.
Her voice was steady. Clear. Not loud.
June.
The name settled into the room like a dropped coin, ringing softly.
She bowed her head slightly in greeting, then scanned the room again, eyes moving calmly, assessing without judgment.
Her gaze passed over XH.
This time, it lingered.
Just long enough to make his pulse jump.
TR mouthed wow.
PL leaned forward like he was watching a live event.
JP sighed quietly. "Focus."
June took an empty seat near the center of the room, placing her notebook down neatly. She listened attentively, posture open, absorbing information like she had been preparing for this moment.
Kitty arrived late.
XH felt it before he saw her.
She paused at the doorway, eyes immediately drawn to the center of the room.
To June.
Kitty's expression didn't change.
But something in her posture did.
She chose a seat farther back than usual.
Not near XH.
XH felt the shift like a crack forming.
The lecture continued, but attention drifted repeatedly toward June. She asked a question halfway through, her tone respectful but confident.
The lecturer smiled. "Good question."
TR scribbled something on his notebook and slid it toward PL.
She's dangerous.
PL snorted quietly.
During the break, the hallway exploded with low-level curiosity.
"Did you see her?""She's a transfer.""She doesn't look lost at all."
June stood near the window, scrolling through her phone, unbothered by the attention orbiting her.
XH found himself walking toward her without consciously deciding to.
He stopped halfway.
Kitty stood on the other side of the hall, talking quietly with HS. She wasn't watching him.
That somehow made it worse.
TR clapped XH on the shoulder. "You're doing the thing."
"What thing?" XH muttered.
"The standing still while your life reorganizes itself thing," TR replied.
PL nodded. "Classic."
NS watched from a distance, expression unreadable.
Lunch was chaos.
June sat with a group of unfamiliar students, listening more than speaking. She smiled politely, laughed softly at the right moments.
Kitty sat with HS again.
XH sat between worlds, physically present, emotionally unmoored.
At one point, June glanced across the cafeteria.
Her eyes met XH's.
She didn't look away this time.
She smiled.
Not flirtatious.
Curious.
Open.
XH felt something twist sharply in his chest.
Later that afternoon, as students spilled out of class, XH found himself walking beside June without remembering how he got there.
"Campus 2 is bigger than I expected," June said casually.
He nodded. "You get used to it."
She glanced at him. "Do you?"
The question landed heavier than she probably intended.
"I think so," XH replied.
She smiled faintly. "I hope I do."
They walked in silence for a few steps.
"I'm June," she added, as if the introduction had just occurred.
"XH," he said. "Welcome."
She stopped walking.
"So you're one of the people everyone already knows," she said lightly.
He frowned. "What do you mean?"
She shrugged. "Campuses have gravity. Some people pull it."
XH didn't know how to respond to that.
TR appeared suddenly, loud as ever. "There you are! We thought you vanished."
June turned, surprised, then smiled politely. "Hi."
TR froze. "Hi."
PL whispered, "He's short-circuiting."
June laughed softly. "I didn't mean to interrupt."
"You didn't," TR said quickly. "You enhanced."
The walk back toward the dorms felt strange.
Kitty walked ahead with HS.
June walked beside XH.
The space between them felt electric.
NS walked behind, watching everything carefully.
At the dorm entrance, June stopped.
"Thanks for walking with me," she said. "It's less intimidating with company."
XH nodded. "Anytime."
She hesitated, then added, "I feel like things are… complicated here."
XH let out a quiet breath. "They are."
June met his eyes steadily. "Good."
He blinked. "Good?"
She smiled, something sharp and gentle at the same time. "Complicated places are honest places."
She turned and walked inside.
XH stood there, heart racing.
Behind him, Kitty watched from a distance.
Not angry.
Not surprised.
Just… aware.
The triangle hadn't formed yet.
But the temperature had changed.
And everyone felt it.