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The days following my meeting with Professor JM were strangely quiet.

The rumors about our "umbrella incident" had started to fade, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was still something between us—an unspoken tension that I couldn’t ignore.

He continued to be friendly and professional, but there were moments when I caught him looking at me a little longer than necessary.

Then, one evening, as I sat in my apartment, my phone buzzed. It was a message from Professor JM.

“Junno, can we talk for a moment?”

I blinked at the message, feeling a strange flutter in my stomach. Was this about the rumors? I hesitated for a moment before replying.

“Of course, sir. What’s up?”

“I wanted to thank you for being understanding. Things have been a bit difficult for me lately. I recently broke up with my girlfriend, and it’s been hard to focus on work with everything going on.”

I read his message, my mind spinning. It wasn’t the first time he had mentioned something personal, but this was different. I felt a strange sense of concern for him, even though I didn’t know the details.

“I’m really sorry to hear that, sir. I hope you’re doing okay.”

“I’m managing. It’s just been tough. I don’t want to burden you with my problems, but it feels good to talk about it with someone.”

I was taken aback by his honesty. It felt a little strange, but in a way, it made me see him in a new light.

“You’re not burdening me, sir. I’m here if you need someone to talk to.”

“Thank you, Junno. It means a lot. I appreciate you more than you know.”

I stared at the screen, my fingers hovering over the keys. My thoughts were scattered. Was I overstepping? Was I being too kind?

“Of course, sir. I hope things get better for you soon.”

The conversation ended there, but the words stayed with me. I couldn’t help but feel a little closer to him, even though I knew that our relationship was strictly professional. Yet, it was hard not to feel a connection when he was so open with me.

---

The next day, I went to campus feeling oddly unsettled. I had received a few more messages from Professor JM, mostly casual check-ins, but nothing that seemed out of the ordinary. Everything seemed fine until I realized, as I was heading to class, that my phone was missing.

Panic surged through me. My phone was a relatively cheap keypad model, but it was still an essential part of my daily life—my lifeline to friends and family. I retraced my steps, searching the campus, but it was no use. The phone was gone.

After class, I went to the lost and found, hoping someone had turned it in. To my relief, the attendant handed me my phone. It had been found near the library. I sighed in relief as I unlocked it, ready to check my messages.

But as I scrolled through my recent texts, my heart stopped. The text exchange with Professor JM—our conversation about his breakup—was right there, visible for anyone to read.

I froze, horrified. I hadn’t even realized it, but the messages were in plain sight. There were no privacy settings on my phone, and anyone could have seen them if they’d picked it up. My stomach sank as I realized the worst possible outcome.

The next day, the gossip machine was in full swing.

“I heard Junno got some juicy texts from Professor JM on his phone. Apparently, he’s having relationship issues!”

“Did you see the messages? He’s really open about his feelings. It’s like he’s confiding in Junno.”

I felt the weight of the gossip crushing me.

It wasn’t just about the umbrella incident anymore.

The text exchange, which had been personal and vulnerable, was now public fodder.

And though I knew I hadn’t done anything wrong, I couldn’t help but feel guilty for being the one who had inadvertently fueled the fire.

---

Carla found me sitting in the cafeteria, my head buried in my arms. “Okay, spill,” she said, sitting down next to me. “I can hear the whispers from a mile away. What did you do now?”

“I didn’t do anything!” I said, exasperated. “I lost my phone, and when it was returned, the texts from Professor JM were all out in the open. Now everyone’s talking about it.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Well, I mean, it’s a little juicy, don’t you think? You’ve got the professor confiding in you about his breakup. No wonder people are gossiping.”

“Carla, this is not what I wanted!” I groaned. “It wasn’t even like that. He was just venting about his breakup.”

“I know, I know,” Carla said, patting my back. “But that’s not what people will think. You might want to talk to him about it.”

I ran a hand through my hair, my frustration growing. “I don’t know what to say. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”

“You don’t have to apologize, Junno,” Carla said. “But you do need to clear the air, especially with Professor JM. If it keeps going like this, the gossip will just get worse.”

I sighed, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on me. What started as an innocent conversation had turned into something I never intended. I knew I had to talk to Professor JM, but I wasn’t sure how to handle the fallout.

The rumors had taken on a life of their own, and all I could do was try to ride out the storm.