When Aki entered the lecture hall, the students he passed by quieted down one by one, then went on frenzy murmurs as they stared at him sitting down. He glanced at them, shrugging his shoulders. Gossip was the last thing that he needed right now. He was too busy searching for a place to live in.

Still, being stared at gave him a funny feeling, as if he had done something unspeakable. Which was impossible since he had holed himself up in his apartment, nursing his broken heart.

Unless…

He shook his head and swiped his phone open instead. He scrolled through the links of cheap hotels in case he could not find a proper place to rent yet. After class, he was to meet a real estate agent. This would be the fourth one. The previous agents he tried told him that they have any rentals for his budget range. Not even the one his landlord recommended.

He only had less than a week to find and move. He might need to beg Jun to let him stay in his friend’s flat for the meantime. Not that any of them would be ecstatic with that idea.

He was busy searching when one of the whispers behind him caught his attention.

“I’m telling you, he’s Liam’s boyfriend.”

“Are you sure? Like really really sure?”

Aki unconsciously strained his ears to listen at the mention of Liam’s name.

“Hundred percent sure. I’m friends with the girl who saw him and Liam walking towards a motel.”

He heard a collective gasp as he froze on his seat.

They were definitely talking about him! Hundred percent sure it was about that night! That explained the death glares he had been receiving since he stepped his foot at the entrance of the university.

Ignore it. Ignore it. He calmed himself. It was not like they could prove that it was him. He could deny these rumors when asked.

“He’s so drab though, how could Liam like him?”

His shoulders stiffened despite trying so hard to look calm.

“How could he stole Liam away from us!?”

Things seemed to be getting out of hand but what could he do? Step in and deny? Ignore and move on? The latter seemed safer, therefore, more appealing so so Aki leaned on that way.

Just as he was thinking of how he should act, the whispers around him quieted down. A foreboding feeling washed over him. The air seemed to still in the room and Aki realized it was because the students seemed to be all holding their breaths.

Then a shadow loomed over him.

“Hey,” the person called out to Aki in a gentle and clear voice, “you forgot this the other night.”

For the second time today, Aki froze in his seat. He watched as those long fingers slid the familiar looking eyeglass case in front of him. The other person did not wait for his answer and leaned closer to Aki’s ear.

“Are you feeling okay? Does it hurt anywhere?” His voice was almost like a whisper but with the stillness in the room, Aki bet that everyone heard him loud and clear.