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The days that followed were a blur.

The campus seemed to be buzzing with even more intensity than before, and the weight of the rumors about me and Professor JM only seemed to grow heavier.

It wasn’t just that I had lost my phone—it was the fact that the texts had been shared without my permission.

My inbox was flooded with messages from people asking about the "juicy details." I couldn’t walk down the hallway without hearing hushed conversations, and I could barely focus on my classes.

I couldn’t take it anymore.

The gossip had reached a point where I knew I had to do something about it.

I couldn’t just sit back and let my reputation be dragged through the mud.

But how could I clear things up without making the situation worse?

Talking to Professor JM seemed like the only way to start, but I had no idea how he would react.

---

One afternoon, after a particularly draining lecture, I decided to stop by his office. I had tried to avoid him, not because I wanted to, but because I didn’t know what to say. I knew we had to talk about the text exchange, but how could I approach it without making it sound worse?

I knocked on the door, and his familiar voice called out, “Come in, Junno.”

I pushed the door open and found him sitting at his desk, looking over some papers. He looked up and smiled. “Hey, Junno. What’s on your mind?”

I swallowed, feeling a mix of nerves and guilt. “Sir, we need to talk.”

His expression shifted slightly, concern flickering in his eyes. “What’s going on?”

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. “It’s about the text messages.”

He blinked, clearly not expecting me to bring it up. “Ah. You saw them... or rather, others saw them.”

I nodded, feeling a lump form in my throat. “Yeah. I didn’t mean for it to happen. When I lost my phone, I had no idea the messages would be read by someone else. And now it’s all over campus. People are... talking.”

Professor JM leaned back in his chair, his face softening. “I had a feeling this would happen. I should have been more careful. It wasn’t your fault, Junno.”

“But it feels like it is,” I said, my voice shaky. “I never wanted this to blow up. I don’t even know how to handle the gossip. People are making it sound like something it’s not.”

He was quiet for a moment, then sighed deeply. “I know. And I’m sorry. I never should have shared something so personal with you like that. It was a lapse in judgment. You didn’t deserve to be dragged into this.”

I shook my head, trying to reassure him. “No, you’re not the problem. It’s just that I’m stuck in the middle of all this now. And I don’t know how to make it stop.”

Professor JM looked at me for a long moment, his gaze intense yet filled with understanding. “We’ll figure this out together, Junno. You don’t have to handle this alone. Maybe we should address it publicly—clear the air, so to speak.”

I blinked in surprise. “Address it? How?”

He hesitated before speaking, his voice steady. “We could talk to the class about it, just explain that it was a private conversation and that there’s nothing more to it. I’ll take responsibility for my part in this. It’s the only way to get ahead of the rumors.”

I didn’t know if that was the best solution, but it was the only one that seemed like it might work. It would be awkward, but at least it might stop the whispers.

“Okay,” I said, more to myself than to him. “Let’s do it.”

---

The next day, during our regular class session, Professor JM took a moment to address the class. He cleared his throat and looked around at the students, who were eyeing him curiously.

“I’m sure many of you have heard about some personal messages that have been circulating,” he began, his tone calm but firm.

“I want to make something clear. Junno and I had a private conversation about some personal issues I was going through. It was never meant to be shared with anyone, and it’s nobody’s business but ours.”

The room fell silent. I felt my heart race as I sat there, wondering if this would be enough to end the rumors.

Professor JM continued, his eyes scanning the room. “There’s nothing more to it than that. I value my professional boundaries, and I hope you all understand that this situation was a misunderstanding. Junno had no part in the texts being leaked, and I take full responsibility for that.”

He paused, letting the words sink in. “I ask that you all respect our privacy and move on from this. We’re here to learn, not to dwell on things that don’t matter in the grand scheme of things.”

There was a brief, tense silence before a few students started to whisper among themselves. The atmosphere felt heavy, but I could feel a shift. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a start.

---

After class, I approached Professor JM, feeling a little more relieved but still anxious. “Thank you, sir. For clearing that up.”

He smiled faintly, though there was a hint of sadness in his eyes. “I didn’t want you to feel like you had to carry this alone, Junno. It’s my fault the situation got out of hand. I’m sorry you had to go through this.”

I shook my head. “It’s not your fault. I guess... I guess we both learned a lesson from this.”

He chuckled softly, a warm smile tugging at his lips. “Yeah. I suppose we did.”

The conversation ended there, but as I left his office, I couldn’t help but feel like something had shifted between us.

The rumors may have been addressed, but the tension was still there, lingering in the air.

I wasn’t sure where this would go—whether it was just a temporary blip or the beginning of something more—but I couldn’t deny that I felt a strange connection to him now.

And whether I liked it or not, the whispers would probably continue. But at least I had done my part in trying to clear the air. The rest was out of my hands.