Arman's heart hammered as he stared at the figure standing under the floodlights.
Rina? No.
The faker slowly pulled down their hood.
And to Arman's shock…
It was her.
Rina's face, twisted in a sly smirk.
"Surprised?" she said, voice colder than Arman expected.
His brain short-circuited. "Why… why are you doing this?"
She took a slow step closer, eyes glinting. "Because the world doesn't need a hero, Arman. It needs a Thought Broker who plays to win."
Arman swallowed hard, the floodlights casting harsh shadows.
"You've been manipulating everyone… even me."
Rina laughed. "Manipulation? Kid, this is survival. You think you can listen to thoughts and not get dirty?"
Before he could answer, Rina lunged forward—just fast enough for him to jump back, but not before a stray strand of her hair brushed his cheek.
He could smell her shampoo.
A faint hint of jasmine.
And… something else.
His heart thumped painfully.
Why did betrayal feel like butterflies?
---
Rina stepped forward again, but this time, a gust of wind betrayed her.
Her gym shorts caught on a jagged nail sticking out of the railing—and ripped with a loud tear.
"Shit!" she hissed, glaring at Arman. "Don't look!"
Arman's eyes involuntarily flicked down.
Rina's cheeks flushed crimson, but the smirk didn't fade.
"Well, since you're here…" she said, voice dripping with teasing menace, "Let's play a game."
Arman rubbed his neck awkwardly, trying not to stare, but also trying to remember why he hated her so much.
---
The Game Begins
Rina pulled out her phone, flipping it open to reveal a live feed.
"Welcome to the new Thought Broker arena," she said. "The whole school is watching."
Arman's stomach dropped. He was on camera.
Her fingers danced on the screen, sending fake thoughts into the live chat, stirring chaos.
"Let's see how you handle this," she whispered.
---
Arman's Comedy Mode Engages
Arman cleared his throat. "Alright, Rina, if this is a game, I'm gonna win by making the viewers laugh."
He leaned closer, deadpan.
"Hey, everyone watching — whoever invented group projects clearly never had a Thought Broker on their team. Am I right? Imagine hearing your classmates' real thoughts during presentations. Spoiler: most of them are thinking about lunch."
A few viewers chuckled.
Rina rolled her eyes. "Cute. But can you handle this?"
Suddenly, fake thoughts flooded Arman's head — everyone's secrets, embarrassing crushes, weird habits.
> "Why does Arman always look like he forgot to wear pants to school?"
"He probably thinks his socks match, but they don't."
Arman blushed but shot back, "Better socks than your gym shorts, apparently."
The chat exploded with laughing emojis.
---
The Turn
Rina smirked. "You're funny, Arman. But this is serious. If you lose, you lose everything."
Arman clenched his fists.
"Fine. Let's make this interesting."
He pulled out a small recorder from his pocket. "Since you like games, how about we make this a battle of secrets?"
Rina raised an eyebrow.
"You start. I'll listen."
---
To Be Continued…
---