Hi, this is Tanuki Chan, sorry for not posting the chapter yesterday, I lost internet and hadn't way to post the chapter, take care of yourselves and enjoy T - T
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Despite all efforts to return to normal, the university remained wrapped in a strange kind of silence. No one talked about it directly, but everyone felt it. The echo of what had happened with Santiago still lingered in the hallways, in the way students looked at each other, in the rumors that died down the moment someone else joined the conversation.
Antonella walked slowly across campus, holding a folder tightly to her chest. Inside were the documents she'd finalized over the past few days — her official withdrawal, her transfer paperwork. She'd be gone in three days. The ticket was booked. She had a place to stay. A rough plan. She didn't look back, but she didn't seem anxious about what was next either. She was just… moving forward.
She passed by the library. It was the time of day when most students crammed in to study, as if exams could somehow erase the scandal. She didn't stop. There was nothing left for her there. Still, someone was watching her from inside.
Saval, with an open book in front of him he hadn't touched in over an hour, looked up just in time to catch her walking past — one last time. She didn't see him. Or if she did, she didn't show it. Her figure slipped away between the shelves and the reflections in the tall windows. It was quick. But it left a hollow space behind.
—She's not coming back, is she?
The voice came from beside him.
It was Semiel. Saval hadn't heard him approach.
—No. She's not.
Semiel sat down across from him. He was wearing a black hoodie, his hair longer than usual. He looked tired too, but not like Santiago had. There was something steadier in his gaze now, as if — after everything — he'd chosen not to break.
For a few minutes, neither of them said anything. They just sat in the thick, heavy silence of those who'd survived a storm.
—You never told me —Saval muttered, still staring at the glass fogged up by his own breath.
—Didn't think I needed to.
—I wish I'd known.
Semiel exhaled slowly. He looked down at his hands.
—It wasn't mine to share, Saval.
—Still felt like betrayal.
Another pause.
—Yeah —Semiel said at last. He didn't deny it. Didn't try to justify himself. —But I always protected you. In my own way. Even if it didn't look like it.
Saval looked at him for the first time. He was hurt, but more than that, he looked worn out. Like his soul had aged years in just a few weeks.
—Why?
—Because it's you.
Saval closed his eyes. All he could remember was Santiago's final glance.
—We can't go back, can we?
—No —Semiel replied, with a tired smile. —But we can keep walking. We have to.
They sat like that for a while. Each lost in their own version of the past.
...
That night, the university felt like it had paused for a moment. In the heart of that quiet night, Antonella was writing in her notebook. It wasn't a letter. Not some final statement. Just scattered thoughts she wanted to leave behind before she left.
I wanted to keep getting revenge, but the truth is… in the end, Saval didn't really do anything wrong. And Semiel has proof. More than that, sometimes I think I was stupid to trust Xavier. But anyway. It's time to go. And I'll leave with a bang.
She closed the notebook, slipped it into her backpack, and turned off the light. In three days, that chapter would be over.
Outside, the campus lights were still on. As if they didn't want to let go of the ones who — in their own way — had changed everything.