The second comment wasn't quiet. It was said where others could hear.
They were crossing the courtyard when a voice cut through the noise.
"Hey—Sorell." Elian turned.
A boy from the upper year leaned against the railing, arms folded, eyes flicking pointedly toward Juni. "You're really committed to this, huh?"
The tone was casual.
Curious. Too casual.
Elian didn't answer immediately. Juni slowed, already bracing.
"I mean," the boy continued, smiling thinly, "people are starting to wonder what your angle is."
Juni stopped walking. Elian stepped half a pace forward—not in front of Juni, but beside him.
"There's no angle," Elian said evenly.
The boy raised an eyebrow. "Just saying. You don't usually—"
"Usually what?" Elian asked.
The pause stretched.
The boy shrugged. "Choose someone like him."
The words landed hard. Juni's face drained of color. Elian didn't raise his voice. He didn't clench his fists. He met the boy's gaze and held it.
"Don't talk about him like that," Elian said.
"Or to him like that."
The courtyard went still around them. A few students pretended not to watch. The boy scoffed. "Relax. I'm just asking questions."
Elian didn't move.
"So am I," he replied. "Why do you think that's acceptable?"
The boy looked away first. "Whatever," he muttered, pushing off the railing and walking off.
Juni stood frozen for a second longer. Then his shoulders sagged."…I should've kept my distance," he said quietly. "I knew this would happen."
Elian turned toward him. "This didn't happen because of you," he said. "It happened because someone crossed a line."
Juni shook his head, panic creeping in. "I don't want you dragged into this." Elian's voice stayed steady. "I walked into it."
They sat on the steps behind the building, away from eyes. Juni stared at the ground, hands clenched tightly. "…I don't want to be the reason things get harder for you," he whispered.
Elian sat beside him, close but not touching. "You're not a reason," he said. "You're a person."
Juni's breath hitched. "That shouldn't be something you have to defend."
Elian nodded. "It shouldn't be."
A pause.
"But I will anyway."
The bell rang in the distance. Neither moved. Juni finally looked up.
"…You're really not stepping back, are you?"
Elian met his eyes. "No." The certainty there left no room for doubt. Juni swallowed, eyes bright.
"…Okay," he said. "Then I'll try not to run."
Elian smiled—small, relieved. "That's all I'm asking." They walked back toward the building side by side.
Not hiding. Not challenging the world. Just refusing to disappear. And for the first time, Juni realized something quietly terrifying—
And quietly hopeful.
Staying didn't always mean being safe. But it meant being real.