The lab was quiet—eerily so. The gentle hum of machines and the soft tap of keys filled the sterile air, but inside Raha's mind, the morning played on loop like a stubborn melody.
She sat at her usual spot near the window, a notebook open in front of her, but untouched. Her pen twitched in her hand, but the page remained blank.
The moment in the car—her asking him to stop. The look in Bunny's eyes. That wounded silence. The tremble in his voice when he said, "Then believe in me. One day at a time."
Her throat tightened just remembering it.
Why did it hurt so much? Why did she push him away when all she wanted was to pull him closer?
"Because you're afraid."
That voice inside her wasn't cruel. Just honest.
"You're scared that if you reach for him, and it slips through your fingers, you won't survive it."
She leaned back in her chair, staring at the ceiling. Her eyes burned, but she refused to let the tears fall again.
What if she was broken beyond repair? What if this gentle thing between them—this spark, this fragile blooming—was just another fleeting chapter she wasn't strong enough to protect?
And yet… his words stayed.
"Then don't believe in 'something.' Just believe in me."
Bunny wasn't asking for forever. Just now. One day.
Could she give him that?
Her heart said yes, but her fears clung tighter.
She thought of his hand, brushing lightly against her back as Aisha hugged her. That brief moment of safety. Of comfort.
He didn't need to say anything. It was all there—in the way he stood slightly in front of her, in the way his voice calmed when she trembled, in the way he didn't fight her decision to walk away, even though it hurt him.
And that's what terrified her most.
Because Bunny wasn't just a boy who liked her.
He was someone who saw her. The real her. The one she kept hidden under layers of politeness and performance.
And she was still learning how to let herself be seen.
A soft knock broke her thoughts.
"Professor's calling you," a classmate said, poking her head in.
Raha blinked. "Thanks. I'll be there in a minute."
The door closed again, and she looked out the window.
From here, she could see the fountain in the distance. Two figures sitting side by side. One sipping coffee. The other rubbing his hands together.
She smiled faintly.
They weren't fighting. They were… talking. Soulfully. Honestly.
Maybe this wasn't a storm. Maybe it was just the part where things felt uncertain, but not impossible.
Maybe, just maybe, she could stop being afraid of beginnings.
She picked up her pen. For the first time that morning, it touched the paper.
And wrote just three words:
"One day, Bunny."
Then she stood, notebook in hand, and walked toward the future.
——————
Bunny pushed the vipers lounge door open, Ishaan right behind him. Conversations dimmed the moment they entered. Niall lounged on the center couch, legs stretched out like a king on his throne. Ria leaned against the windowsill, arms crossed, while Naina flipped through a dog-eared book near the shelf.
"Look who finally decided to show up," Neel said, without moving. "The knight in frayed denim."
Bunny rolled his eyes, but Ishaan gave him a subtle nod—let them speak first.
Ria tilted her head. "So, what's the story, Bunny? You disappear all morning, show up with a teary-eyed girl, and now people are whispering that you punched a senior in the parking lot?"
Niall chuckled. "Man's living a whole K-drama arc."
Bunny stepped in, calm. "I didn't punch anyone. Just made sure someone knew where the line was."
"And the girl?" Naina asked, her voice uncharacteristically soft. "Raha, right? You're close now?"
Silence.
Bunny glanced around the room—these were his people. The Vipers weren't just a group; they were family, chosen over years of trust and trials. But even families had their blind spots. Especially when emotions got involved.
"I like her," he said simply.
The air shifted. Even the record player seemed to pause on a breath.
Niall raised an eyebrow. "Since when do you say things like that out loud?"
Bunny offered a small smile. "Since it stopped being something I could laugh off."
Ria straightened, stepping closer. "Bunny, we're not questioning your right to feel something. But Raha? She's not one of us. She's not even trying to be. You've seen what this place does to people like her."
"I know," Bunny said quietly.
"She's soft," Ria continued. "And this campus? It eats soft people alive. We've seen it. Over and over."
"That's exactly why I won't walk away," Bunny replied. "Because for once, I don't want to watch someone brave suffer just because she doesn't play by our rules."
Ishaan, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke.
"He's not doing this out of impulse," Ishaan said, stepping beside Bunny. "I've seen him when it was just games and glances. This… this is different."
The room quieted again. Ishaan's voice always carried weight—not because he was loud, but because he knew when to speak. And when he did, people listened.
Ria's expression softened slightly, but her eyes stayed sharp. "And what if this ends badly? What if it breaks you?"
Bunny looked down for a moment. Then, meeting her gaze, he said, "Then at least I broke for something real."
Niall finally sat up, rubbing his temples. "Look, man. It's not about approval. We're just trying to understand. You've always been... unshakable. The guy who never fell too hard, never chased anything he couldn't walk away from. And now here you are—shaken."
"I am," Bunny admitted. "And it scares me. But not in the way you think."
Naina finally spoke again, setting the book down. "Then how?"
"It scares me how much I want her to feel safe around me," Bunny said. "How much I want to protect the way her voice softens when she talks about her past. How much I want her to believe that not everything here is out to hurt her."
Ria watched him carefully. "So… what happens next?"
"I don't know," Bunny whispered. "I just know I'm not ready to walk away from the chance to be something good for her. Even if it's just one day at a time."
The group absorbed his words. No one mocked. No one scoffed.
Finally, Niall nodded slowly. "Then make sure she's worth the cracks."
"She already is," Bunny said without hesitation.
Ishaan gave him a brief smile, pride glinting in his eyes. "Told you. He's not playing this time."
Naina shrugged. "Guess the golden boy finally grew a heart."
Bunny grinned. "Nah. I've always had one. Just didn't let anyone hold it before."
Ria walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Then hold her right, Bunny. Because if you fall, we fall with you."
For the first time in days, Bunny felt something settle in his chest—a quiet resolve. This was more than a crush, more than defiance.
It was real.
And he wasn't alone in it.
Not anymore.