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Chapter 12 - Chapter 12: The First Crack

The camera drifts away from Barfi and Miko in the library ๐ŸŽฅ

Slow. Careful. Respectful.

Their heads bend over books ๐Ÿ“š

Pens move quietly โœ๏ธ

Breathing syncs without them noticing ๐Ÿ˜ฎโ€๐Ÿ’จ

The hallway slides past ๐Ÿซ

Footsteps echo faintly ๐Ÿ‘ฃ

Sound fades.

The stairs descend โฌ‡๏ธ

Light warms ๐ŸŒค๏ธ

Air opens.

The college garden appears ๐ŸŒณ

Leaves glow green ๐Ÿƒ

Sunlight rests softly on everything ๐ŸŒž

A boy and a girl sit beneath a flowering tree ๐ŸŒธ

Close. Not touching. Yet.

They speak in low voices ๐Ÿคซ

Words gentle. Measured.

The boy leans in a little โžก๏ธ

The girl tucks her hair back behind her ear ๐Ÿ’โ€โ™€๏ธ

Nervous habit.

A breeze passes ๐Ÿƒ

Not cold.

Not warm.

Encouraging.

She laughs ๐Ÿ˜„

Soft. Brief. Sweet.

Her phone slips ๐Ÿ“ฑโฌ‡๏ธ

It lands between them.

Both reach at the same time โœ‹โœ‹

Their fingers touch ๐Ÿค

Everything pauses โธ๏ธ

Heartbeat loud ๐Ÿ’“

Breath caught ๐Ÿ˜ฎ

Her eyes widen ๐Ÿ˜ณ

Color rises to her cheeks ๐ŸŒธ

He swallows ๐Ÿ˜ถ

Words disappear.

Their fingers stay.

Not gripping โŒ

Not pulling away โŒ

Just there ๐Ÿค

Time thins โณ

Perfect.

๐Ÿ‘ž STOMP ๐Ÿ’ฅ

The world collapses.

A massive shoe slams down ๐Ÿ˜จ

Pain explodes โšก

The boy screams ๐Ÿ˜ซ

The girl gasps ๐Ÿ˜–

Magic dies instantly ๐Ÿ’”

Standing over themโ€”

Pablo Chokobar ๐Ÿ˜ˆ

Second year ๐ŸŽ“

Walking disaster ๐Ÿ’ฅ

Noise in human form ๐Ÿ“ข

He looks down.

No guilt ๐Ÿ˜

"Move," he says.

"You're blocking the bench."

Anger sparks ๐Ÿ”ฅ

"You crushed our hands!" the boy snaps ๐Ÿ˜ก

Pablo shrugs ๐Ÿคท

"Good. Builds character."

The girl hisses ๐Ÿ

"Idiot."

Pablo walks off ๐Ÿšถ

Unbothered.

Untouched.

Everyone hates him ๐Ÿ˜’

Teachers curse him silently ๐Ÿ˜ค

Students scatter ๐Ÿšซ

Chaos in uniform ๐ŸŒช๏ธ

Today, he hums ๐ŸŽถ

Mood light.

Because he has a goal ๐ŸŽฏ

A dream ๐Ÿ’ญ

A girl ๐ŸŒธ

Miko.

Angel of the campus ๐Ÿ˜‡

Untouchable.

Desired.

He spots her through the library window ๐Ÿ‘€

Heart spikes ๐Ÿ’“

Smile spreads ๐Ÿ˜

Thenโ€”

It stops โ„๏ธ

Barfi is there.

Sitting beside her ๐Ÿ“–

Quiet.

Focused.

Heads close ๐Ÿ‘ฅ

Voices low ๐Ÿคซ

Miko smiles at Barfi ๐Ÿ˜Š

Something inside Pablo snaps ๐Ÿ‚

Fists clench โœŠ

Breath sharpens ๐Ÿ”ฅ

The breeze turns hot ๐ŸŒก๏ธ

"Whoโ€ฆ"

"the hellโ€ฆ"

"is that guy?" ๐Ÿ˜ก

A new enemy is born โš”๏ธ

Pablo marches across campus ๐Ÿšœ

Heavy. Direct.

Students move aside ๐Ÿšถโ€โ™‚๏ธ

Whispers follow ๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธ

"Love mode againโ€ฆ"

"Which girl now?"

"God help her." ๐Ÿ™

He hears nothing ๐Ÿšซ

Inside the libraryโ€”

Miko explains something ๐Ÿง 

Barfi frowns ๐Ÿค”

Leans closer โžก๏ธ

She tilts her head playfully ๐Ÿ˜‰

Whispers hints.

Pablo's thoughts ignite ๐Ÿ’ฃ

"That guyโ€ฆ"

"THAT guyโ€ฆ"

"is stealing my future wife." ๐Ÿ’”

Knuckles crack ๐ŸฅŠ

"Time to introduce myself."

Barfi scratches his head ๐Ÿ˜•

"Mikoโ€ฆ are you sure this works?"

She nods ๐Ÿ˜Š

"You always skip this step."

Confusion ๐Ÿ˜ณ

"Every time?"

She leans closer โžก๏ธ

"Yes. Every time."

Embarrassment hits ๐Ÿ˜–

"O-Ohโ€ฆ"

Her gaze stays ๐Ÿ‘€

Too long โณ

Her fingers brush his wrist ๐Ÿค

Passing a pen โœ๏ธ

Barfi doesn't notice ๐Ÿ˜ถ

She does ๐Ÿ˜ณ

Color blooms in her ears ๐ŸŒธ

"Your watchโ€ฆ" she murmurs โŒš

"It looks good."

Barfi smiles simply ๐Ÿ™‚

"My brother gave it."

She nods ๐Ÿ’—

Glad.

Something has shifted ๐Ÿ”„

๐Ÿ’ฅ SLAM

Pablo's hand hits the table โœ‹

"BARFI!"

"I CHALLENGE YOU!"

Barfi barely looks up ๐Ÿ˜

"For what? Spelling bee?"

Snickers ripple ๐Ÿ˜‚

"BOXING MATCH!"

"FOR MIKO!"

"No." โŒ

"You scared!?"

"Yes," Barfi says politely ๐Ÿ™‚

Insult thrown ๐Ÿ˜ 

"Thank you," returned calmly ๐Ÿ™

Pablo cracks ๐Ÿ’”

"If you don't fightโ€”

you're not a man."

Barfi puts his pen down โœ๏ธ

"I am a man who studies."

"Now leave."

Miko's voice cuts sharp ๐Ÿ”ฅ

"Go away."

Pablo storms out ๐Ÿ˜ค

Room exhales ๐Ÿ˜ฎโ€๐Ÿ’จ

Outsideโ€”

Barfi hums softly ๐ŸŽถ

Mind light.

Thenโ€”

He stops โ„๏ธ

His bicycle ๐Ÿšฒ

Pink ribbons ๐ŸŽ€

Basket crushed ๐Ÿงบ

Bent. Broken.

Pablo stands over it ๐Ÿ˜ˆ

Laughing ๐Ÿ˜‚

"Your girly cycle broke?"

Barfi doesn't move ๐Ÿ˜ถ

Pablo kicks it ๐Ÿ‘ž

"Oops."

Something trembles inside Barfi ๐ŸŒŠ

"It looked stupid," Pablo sneers.

"Just like you."

Breathing deepens ๐Ÿ˜ค

"Your brother must be an idiotโ€”"

โšก SNAP โšก

Years of pain detonate ๐Ÿ’ฅ

No warning โŒ

No thought โŒ

Movement.

Every hunger ๐Ÿฝ๏ธ

Every insult ๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธ

Every night alone ๐ŸŒ™

Every fear ๐Ÿ˜ฐ

Every quiet gift ๐ŸŽ

Explodes.

Barfi grabs Pablo's collar โœŠ

Voice shakes ๐Ÿ˜ก

"You can insult me."

"Call me weak."

"Call me poor."

Pablo panics ๐Ÿ˜จ

Barfi lifts him ๐Ÿ’ช

"But you don't touchโ€”"

"my family's gift."

Punch ๐ŸฅŠ

Another ๐ŸฅŠ

Another ๐ŸฅŠ

Wild. Burning. Empty ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ•ณ๏ธ

Students scream ๐Ÿ˜ฑ

No one moves ๐ŸงŠ

The gentle boy is gone โŒ

Tears fall ๐Ÿ˜ข

Unnoticed.

"Miko-san!" someone shouts ๐Ÿ“ข

She runs ๐Ÿƒโ€โ™€๏ธ

Stops dead โ„๏ธ

Barfi on top of Pablo

Fists red ๐Ÿฉธ

Eyes hollow ๐Ÿ‘๏ธ

Pablo sobbing ๐Ÿ˜ญ

"Barfi-sanโ€ฆ?"

No response ๐Ÿšซ

Miko steps closer ๐Ÿค

Voice shaking ๐Ÿ˜ฐ

"It's okay now."

Her hand touches his back โœ‹

Barfi freezes ๐ŸงŠ

Breath slows ๐Ÿ˜ฎโ€๐Ÿ’จ

Fists loosen โœŠโžก๏ธโœ‹

He looks at her ๐Ÿ‘€

No fear.

Only worry ๐Ÿค

He looks at his hands ๐Ÿ–๏ธ

And for the first timeโ€”

Barfi feels something new ๐ŸŒฑ

Not rage.

Not shame.

Control.

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