CHAPTER 43: CLEARING HIS NAME

[Still no official statement?! Where’s Joshua’s management company?! Completely useless—Joshua should change companies already!]

[I heard Joshua’s a total newcomer and doesn’t even have a management company...]

[Damn, then he’s doomed.]

[If this whole thing turns out to be fake, Joshua will get signed by a good company.]

[And what if it’s real? If it’s real, then Joshua’s the one who got deceived.]

[Fans don’t object to idols dating!]

[Yeah, fans only say that but can’t handle it.]

[Alright, ladies, calm down—Shining Path released an official statement. Can’t believe that a college student actually had the nerve to pull this stunt. link link]

[Damn, I just watched it too. After seeing it, all I can say is—poor Justin, but seriously, has anyone ever seen someone as shameless as that student?!]

Shining Path had waited until public opinion had reached a boiling point before finally speaking up.

By this time, everyone’s attention was fully fixed on the scandal. On one hand, the timing helped spread Justin’s side of the story more widely; conversely, it conveniently boosted the show’s publicity.

Under Shining Path’s official post, the comment section exploded with insults—and soon, that same tide of anger flooded straight to John’s personal account.

[God, all that talk about being an "artistic soul" and flaunting your wealth—did you ever feel guilty spending Justin’s money?]

[Never seen anyone this shameless before. His classmates thought he came from money—imagine, spending like that without a second thought.]

[One gets to study comfortably all the way to sophomore year, the other drops out to grind and make money to support him. And not only is there no gratitude, but he bites back after the money stops? Ridiculous.]

[And his father passed away—he must’ve received plenty of compensation, easily enough to live on till eighteen. Poor Justin, too naïve to realize it...]

[Justin really is naïve... but that’s still no excuse for being used and manipulated like that!]

[Doesn’t matter—this guy dared to drag Joshua into it. Joshua’s literally the most innocent person in this mess...]

[Exactly, he didn’t even do anything, and he’s still getting flamed. Unbelievable.]

[These antis are obviously just taking advantage of the chaos!]

[Now they’ve all gone silent.]

[So... when’s the school expelling this guy?]

The internet was flooded with curses and outrage—but as a result, Justin also gained a wave of attention. Some said he was foolishly naïve, while others sympathized with his misfortune.

As for Joshua, his fans rallied under one united slogan: "We’ll show Joshua all our love with everything we’ve got!"

After all, their precious one couldn’t be allowed to be affected by some stupid rumor online!

It was late at night, and the entire dormitory had fallen silent. Suddenly, Joshua felt something strange—like a giant spider had locked its gaze onto him. A shadowy figure loomed by his bed, standing still and staring down at him.

Joshua frowned and opened his eyes. Thankfully, even in the dim light, he could still make out the face of the person beside his bed—it was Justin.

Since Joshua slept on the high bunk, he could only see Justin’s face. The other’s eyes were wide as he stared intently, clearly startled when Joshua suddenly woke up. He jerked his head back, looking awkward and embarrassed, his face flushing red—though thankfully, the darkness hid it well.

"What are you doing?" Joshua asked in a low voice, keeping it as quiet as possible.

Justin pressed his lips together, shaking his head. His mouth opened and closed a few times before finally saying, "Joshua... thank you."

Joshua couldn’t help but let out a helpless laugh. He turned on his side, raised his hand, and gently patted Justin’s head. "Go to sleep."

Justin obediently nodded.

Joshua watched him climb back to his bed, tuck himself under the blanket, and fall silent. He didn’t know when Justin drifted off, but Joshua was sure that his chances of sleeping again tonight were gone.

Before long, Nine appeared, its voice clear yet puzzled: [Why aren’t you asleep? You were sleeping earlier. Don’t tell me those noisy kids in the dorm woke you up again?!]

Joshua had indeed been asleep before.

He chuckled softly. "Justin came to visit me for a bit."

Nine was so frustrated it practically wanted to strangle Justin, but for once, it kept quiet.

Joshua pulled the curtain slightly aside and looked out the window. The moonlight was so bright there was nothing to be afraid of. He knew well enough: this wasn’t the same place as before.

If only those torturous memories could disappear, too.

Joshua had always been good at controlling his thoughts—but forgetting something on his own? That, he could never do.

The wounds of the past only seemed to grow larger and larger, expanding until they became a towering monster he could never overcome.

Joshua stared blankly at the moon outside the window, his hands unconsciously clutching each other tightly.

The horizon began to glow faintly white, signaling the start of a new day.

Luther yawned, rubbing at his damp bangs, which were still wet from washing up. Bringing the morning chill with him, he strode over to Joshua’s bed and called out loudly, "Joshua, you sleepyhead, is there ever a day when you get up earlier than everyone else?"

Without waiting for a reply, he reached out to ruffle Joshua’s soft, slightly messy hair, all while chanting, "Joshua, Joshua..."

He was practically turning Joshua’s name into a song.

From under the blanket came a muffled hum. Joshua’s voice was a little hoarse as he lifted a hand to pat Luther’s, clearly trying to push it away.

Unexpectedly, Luther grabbed his wrist and said in a low voice, "What’s this, Joshua?"

Joshua finally emerged from the blanket. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Luther staring at him with a dark expression—at Joshua’s arm, which was covered in scratches. Some were short, some long; the longest stretched from the elbow down to the wrist. Dried blood had already scabbed over, making the marks look even more alarming.

Joshua looked at Luther, whose expression was shock and distress—as if he were the one injured, not Joshua.

Joshua frowned, tugging lightly to free his hand, but Luther’s grip didn’t loosen. Joshua could only say softly, "You’re hurting me..."

As expected, Luther immediately let go. But his face twisted in anger, though his tone remained oddly gentle. "So you do feel pain, huh? I thought maybe you didn’t."

Joshua stayed silent, raising one hand to rub at his eyes. His skin was so pale that the dark circles beneath his eyes looked even more pronounced.

Then Luther suddenly retook his hand, patting it lightly. Meeting Joshua’s questioning gaze, he only asked quietly, "Does it hurt?"

"Joshua, we’re going to be late."

Henry’s voice came from the doorway just then. Joshua instinctively pulled his hand back from Luther’s and turned toward him, nodding. "You go ahead."

Then he jumped from the bed, grabbed his clothes, and headed straight to the bathroom. Luther watched his retreating, then ran a frustrated hand through his hair and left.

By the time Joshua came out, Henry was still waiting in the same spot.

As soon as Joshua closed the door and turned around, he came face-to-face with Henry’s cold expression and slightly furrowed brows—it nearly made him forget to breathe. In fact, he really was holding his breath again.

He looked at Henry and forced a dry smile. "You... you didn’t go ahead?"

Henry didn’t answer. His eyes were lowered, gaze unreadable, and he finally started walking only when Joshua spoke.