Chapter 3 Twisted paint

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.”

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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.

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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.

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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.”

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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.

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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.”

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[To Be Continued…]

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