Do din baad school mein kadam rakha tha usne.

White corridors. Echoing shoes. Murmuring students. Lekin jaise hi usne kadam rakha, hallway mein halka sa silence cha gaya.

Britna Ryu.

Lamba figure. Sleek black ponytail. Soft pink tint on lips—na zyada bold, na zyada simple. Eyes blank, lekin andar kuch aur chal raha tha. Uniform uspar perfect lag raha tha, lekin uski aura uniform se match nahi karti thi.

A white-badged upperclassman—student council ka ek sunbae—raasta rok leta hai.

“Britna Ryu.”

Uski awaaz calm hai, par tone mein authority. “Do din se absent thi. Reason?”

Britna rukti hai. Uski nazar us sunbae ki aankhon se takraati hai—bilkul seedha.

“Bimaar thi,” wo kehti hai.

Aur phir ek chhoti si smile—zyada nahi, bas itni ki kisi ka khoon jam jaye ya dil.

“Kabhi-kabhi rest lena bhi zaroori hota hai.”

Phir bina kuch aur kahe, wo uske paas se nikal jaati hai. Poore corridor ki nazar us par tik jaati hai—kuch confused, kuch intrigued aur woh sunbae usey dekh kar blush karne lagta hai.

Classroom mein sab waisa hi tha—chalk ki smell, books ka weight, teacher ki flat voice. Lekin ek kone mein ek ladki apne doston ke beech quietly ro rahi thi.

“Usne mujhe cheat kiya...”

“Humne kaha tha na wo ladka waise hi hai…”

“Tumne hi ignore kiya sab warning ko…”

Britna sun rahi thi. Bina react kiye. Uski pencil notebook mein chal rahi thi, lekin kaan poori tarah alert the.

Lunch break mein, sab cafeteria mein busy ho gaye. Wo ladki ab bhi udaas thi, bench pe akeli baithi thi school garden mein. Britna quietly uske paas jaakar baith gayi.

“Pata hai,” usne kaha, “log sabse badi galti kya karte hain?”

Ladki ne surprise mein uski taraf dekha.

“Rone lagte hain khamakha jab unhe dhoka diya jaaye...”

Ek second ke liye silence hua. Fir Britna ne uski aankhon mein dekha—narm nahi, thoda kashmakash bhara.

“Jisne tumhe toda… usse tod do aisa ke kabhi juddh na paaye.”

Ladki ke haath ka juice box hil gaya.

“Britna… tumhari baat hi alag hai,” usne kaha. “Tum toh apna maamla khud handle karti ho. Main kya karu?”

Britna ki muskaan thodi aur gehri ho gayi. Wo uthi. Baal uski ponytail se halki hawa mein hil rahe the.

“Shuru karo.”

Usne thoda jhuka kar whisper kiya, “Main tumhara first move bann sakti hoon. But yaad rakhna… har revenge pretty nahi hota.”

Ladki ne aankhen puchh li. “Tum help karogi?”

Britna ne ek pal ke liye kuch nahi kaha. Phir usne poocha,

“Tum abhi bhi uss kamine se pyaar karti ho?”

Ladki chup rahi. Phir dheere se sir hila diya.

“Toh ya toh use maaf karo…” Britna rukti hai, fir aankhon mein directly dekhti hai, “ya usse aise todho… ki yaad rakh jaye, ki khelne ka anjaam kya hota hai.”

Ladki ka expression badalne laga—dard se gusse mein.

“Tumhare paas koi plan hai?”

Britna ki aankhon mein kuch chamka.

“Main plan nahi banati,” usne kaha, “main sirf pieces set karti hoon.”

Usne pink lipstick wale lips ko thoda dabaya, “Aur har game ka ek queen hota hai.”

“Tum queen banogi?”

Britna ki smile dark ho gayi.

“Nahi,” usne kaha. “Main woh hoon jo queen ko board pe rakhti hai.”

[To be continued…]

School ke bathroom ka mirror blurry tha, lekin Britna ka reflection crystal clear. Usne apne lips par thoda sa red tint lagaya—sirf beech mein, jaise sirf kisi ko signal dena ho.

Door khula. Wahi ladki—wo roti hui—andar aayi. Aankhen laal, par ab usmein utna dard nahi tha jitna confusion tha.

“Tumne mujhe usse confront karne bola,” usne kaha. “Main gayi thi.”

Britna aankhon mein aankhon daal kar dekhti hai. “Aur?” pehle to ye batao ye itna roti kyu ho tum tumhara koi mar gaya hai kya?

"nahi toh bas mujhe rona aa raha hai" ghabrate huye Aur “Usne kaha... ki main hi clingy thi. Uske paas time nahi tha mere liye...”

Britna ne slow clap kiya. “Classic.” Wahh.

Ladki ke haath ka mobile hil gaya. “Tumne bola tha tum help karogi...”

Britna uske kareeb aayi, bilkul calm voice mein boli:

“Pata hai... agar koi cheat karta hai na... toh woh uska first time kabhi nahi hota.”

Ladki ne aankhen failaayi.

Britna ka tone thoda aur neeche gira, jaise koi sach dard ban ke chubh raha ho:

“Woh ladka… Joonhwan. Teen mahine pehle usne Yoon-ah ko ‘serious’ bola tha. Phir uske peechhe Dohee thi, jise usne tutor banaya. Aur ab tum.”

Ladki ke pair thoda kaanp gaye. “Woh toh... sab normal dikhte the...” aur kya tumne unn sabki help nahi ki thi?

Britna ki muskaan sharp ho gayi. “Normal sirf mask hota hai.” Aur kamino ko madat ki zarurat nahi maze ki zarurat hoti hai samjhi. Aur ye mat samjho ke mai tumhari koi madat kar rahi hun"

Usne apne phone mein ek file khola—screenshots, blurry photos, ek image jisme ek ladki mirror selfie le rahi thi aur uske piche Joonhwan tha—shirtless.

“Proof chahiye tha toh ye le lo,” Britna ne casually bola.

Ladki ka chehra pehle pale hua, fir rage mein laal.

“Tum... ye sab kaise janti ho?”

Britna ne mirror ki taraf dekha, phir uski aankhon mein—lekin jaise wo us ladki ko nahi, uske andar chhupe revenge ko dekh rahi ho.

“Main logo ki weakness samajhti hoon,” usne kaha. “Aur tumhari... woh pyaar tha.”

Silence. Bas tap se girta paani aur ladki ke heavy breaths.

“Tum kya chahti ho?” ladki ne poocha.

Britna uske kaan ke paas jhuki.

“Ek message,” usne whisper kiya. “Aisi message jo uske future girlfriend ko bhi dare.”

Usne ek red lipstick nikali—small travel size.

“Ye uski t-shirt par lagao. Collar ke neeche. Sirf ek mark. Then walk away.”

Ladki shook her head—nervous, but tempted. “Aur uske baad?”

Britna ne smirk kiya.

“Uska photo, lipstick ke mark ke saath... mujhe bhej dena. I’ll handle the rest.”

Ladki ne lipstick li. Haath thoda kaap raha tha.

Britna ne mirror mein apne reflection ko dekha, phir us ladki ko.

“Har revenge pretty nahi hota,” usne kaha. “Par lipstick toh hamesha hoti hai.”

—

Agli subah school ke notice board pe ek anonymous photo chipka mila—Joonhwan ki collar pe ek red mark tha.

Ussi din se Joonhwan ne cafeteria ana chhod diya.

Log keh rahe the uske against koi complain gaya hai.

Aur ek rumour...

Kisi ne dekha tha uske locker mein ek photo chipki hui—jisme uska chehra cross mark se kata tha, aur neeche likha tha:

"GAME OVER."

[To Be Continued…]

Next Day – Early Morning

School abhi fully awake bhi nahi hua tha. Lekin corridors mein ek ajeeb si gungunahat thi. Woh uncomfortable si hansi... jo gossip banne wali hoti hai.

Britna ne slow walk mein staffroom ke saamne se guzarna start kiya. Her face was calm—but her eyes? A silent hunter.

The prey had taken the bait.

One girl whispered to another, “Usne apne best friend ke saath... seriously?”

“Locker mein dekha tune? Dono ki photo... woh toh hug bhi nahi tha... it looked like... something else.”

“Ew. Itna normal dikhte the dono.”

Britna ne ek corner pe ruk kar apni phone screen check ki. Ek folder open kiya: “Operation: Shame”.

Inside were four edited photos—Joonhwan and his best friend—stitched carefully from existing class pictures. Every detail matched. Lighting, expression, even the school uniform wrinkles.

The final touch?

A close-up photo of Joonhwan resting his hand over his friend’s lap during a group project—zoomed in and blurred just enough to look suggestive.

Uska desk ke neeche inhi photos ka collage chipka gaya tha. Aur locker mein ek folded paper tha—jisme likha tha:

> “Don’t worry. We support your real identity. ❤️

—From Everyone.”

---

8:34 AM – Class 2-B

Joonhwan ne jaise hi woh dekha, his hands trembled.

He looked around—par har chehra uski taraf weird nazar se dekh raha tha.

Ladkiyaan apne lips par haath rakh kar muskurane lagin, aur kuch ladke aankhon mein maskhoola le kar khusphus kar rahe the.

Uska best friend bhi door se hi confuse aur awkward laga.

“Bro... tu mujhe... ignore kyun kar raha hai?”

“Don’t. Just don’t,” Joonhwan almost hissed and walked away.

Uske shoulders stiff the... aankhen red.

---

2nd Floor Balcony –

Britna quietly observed all this from the 2nd floor railing.

Uske saath khadi Yuri Han (the elegant snake in disguise), uske kaan mein halki si whisper karti hai:

“Tumne toh... game level badal diya.”

Britna: “Woh sirf ek flirt nahi tha. Woh ego mein jeeta tha.

Uska ego todna zaroori tha.”

Yuri smiled like a well-trained audience.

---

Cafeteria – 10:12 AM

Downstairs, cafeteria mein kuch ladke keh rahe the:

“Bhai... uske friend ke saath tha kya?”

“Pata nahi... par locker ke pics real lagte the.”

“Pehle toh sirf cheat kar raha tha... ab toh ye next level nikla.”

“Woh toh us red-hair wali ko line maar raha tha na kal?”

“Usi ke baad se sab hua. Shit… tu soch bhi nahi sakta.”

---

11:45 AM – Washroom, Block C

Word spread—he cried in the washroom.

A junior ne accidentally darwaza khola tha…

Aur dekha Joonhwan mirror ke saamne khud se kehta:

> “Yeh sab zaroor kisine kiya hai mere locker mein bhi wo game over likha hua tha... why me… mere saath aisa kon kar sakta hai…”

Uski aankhon mein guilt nahi—dar tha.

Dar ki kisi ne uski reputation ke darwaze tod diye hain.

Principal ki taraf se ab tak koi action nahi hua... but the damage was already done.

---

After School – Rooftop

Yuri: “Tum itni calmly kisiko destroy kaise kar leti ho?”

Britna, without turning:

“Simple. Jab koi fake banta hai, toh usko sach se marna chahiye.”

Yuri laughed. “Tum pagal ho.”

Britna smiled softly.

“Pagal toh sab hote hain.

Bas kuch log uss pagalpan ka use karna jaante hain.”

Wind blew gently, lekin hawa mein ek cheez thick thi—fear.

Kyuki ab sabko lagne laga tha—

> “Agar tum cheat karte ho... toh tumhara number bhi aa sakta hai.”

---

[To Be Continued…]