Akshat had noticed it more than once—the look on Aavya's face.
She was trying to hide it.
The slight tension around her eyes. The way her lips pressed together, like she was holding something back, arguing with herself internally. It wasn't obvious. Most people wouldn't catch it.
But he did.
Normally, he would've teased her about it without hesitation.
This time… he didn't.
He stayed quiet.
And that alone seemed to surprise her.
After a few seconds, Aavya slid into the seat across from him, placing her tray down with a soft clatter.
"You're not going to ask?" she said.
"Ask what?"
"Why I look like this."
Akshat picked up his spoon casually. "You always look like this."
She narrowed her eyes. "Like what?"
"Like you're about to start a revolution over something minor."
She tried to hold it in.
Really tried.
Failed.
A small smile slipped through, and just like that, the tension in her face loosened.
They started eating.
The food was average—nothing worth remembering. But the conversation wasn't.
Aavya complained about the professor's monotone voice. Akshat imitated it badly on purpose, dragging every word until it sounded unbearable.
She nearly choked laughing.
At one point, she kicked his leg lightly under the table.
"Idiot," she muttered, smiling.
"You're the one laughing."
"That doesn't make you less stupid."
There it was again.
That quiet warmth.
Nothing dramatic. No fireworks.
Just something… easy.
Comfortable.
Akshat noticed her ears turning slightly red when he held eye contact a second longer than usual. She quickly looked down at her tray, pretending to focus on her food.
He almost said something.
Didn't.
He wasn't that reckless.
After a while, he stood up. "I'm getting more."
"You already finished?" she asked, surprised.
"You talk too much. I eat fast."
"That's not how that works."
He ignored her and walked toward the refill counter.
That was when it happened.
Someone slammed straight into him.
Hard.
The tray tilted slightly—but not enough to spill.
The person in front of him stumbled forward, seconds away from hitting the floor face-first.
Instinct kicked in.
Akshat's hand shot out, grabbing the back of his collar and pulling him upright before gravity could finish the job. For a brief moment, the guy just hung there, completely off balance.
Akshat balanced the tray in his other hand without effort.
Then he recognized him.
The same overweight boy from the washroom.
The one who had been cornered.
His eyes widened immediately.
"S-Sorry! I didn't see—"
"Walk properly," Akshat said calmly, setting him back on his feet.
The boy nodded quickly, flustered.
Akshat adjusted his tray slightly. "Pay attention to where you're going."
"Yes!"
The boy hurried away like he had just escaped something far worse than falling.
Akshat watched him for a second.
He looked nervous.
Not just clumsy.
Nervous.
Akshat didn't dwell on it and continued walking.
---
When he returned to the table, Aavya was staring at him.
"What?" he asked.
"You didn't spill a single grain of rice."
"…So?"
"You caught him mid-fall."
"…So?"
She leaned forward slightly, resting her chin on her hand as she studied him.
"You're weirdly strong."
Akshat shrugged. "Eat your food."
She smiled again.
But this time, her cheeks were faintly pink.
And she didn't look away immediately.
---
Aavya was still smiling when Akshat's gaze shifted past her.
That was when he saw it.
The same boy.
Near the vending machines.
And this time—
He wasn't alone.
Tae-jin.
Of course.
Even from a distance, his presence stood out. The air around him felt heavier somehow, like trouble naturally gathered where he stood.
He shoved the boy lightly at first, laughing. His friends joined in, their amusement sharp and careless.
Aavya noticed Akshat's attention drift.
"What?" she asked, turning slightly.
He didn't answer.
The boy tried to step back.
Tae-jin grabbed his collar and yanked him forward. A juice bottle slipped from the boy's hand, hitting the ground and bursting open. Orange liquid spread across the tiles.
A few students slowed.
No one stopped.
Tae-jin looked down at the spill.
Then at the boy.
And smiled.
Even from where he stood, Akshat could see the shift in his expression.
"Lick it."
For a moment, it didn't register.
The boy froze.
Tae-jin nudged him with his foot. "I said lick it."
Aavya's grip tightened around her spoon.
"That's disgusting…" she whispered.
The boy shook his head weakly. "P-Please…"
The smile vanished.
Tae-jin grabbed the back of his head.
And forced him down.
The laughter around them blurred into something distant, muffled, like the world had sunk underwater.
Inside Akshat, something shifted.
Not immediately anger.
Something else.
Pressure.
A slow, tightening pressure in his chest.
Aavya pushed her chair back halfway. "Akshat, someone should—"
He was already standing.
He didn't remember pushing the chair.
Didn't remember making the decision.
His body had moved first.
Tae-jin still held the boy down.
The boy's hands trembled against the floor.
And something inside Akshat—
Snapped.
Not loudly.
Not violently.
Quietly.
Like something final clicking into place.
Aavya called his name.
He didn't look back.
He walked forward.
Slow.
Steady.
Deliberate.
Tae-jin didn't notice him at first.
Then one of his friends went silent.
Then another.
The laughter faded.
Tae-jin turned.
Their eyes met.
For a second, Tae-jin smirked.
Like this was entertainment.
Akshat said nothing.
No threats.
No warnings.
He just kept walking.
And for the first time in a long while—
He wasn't calm.
End of ch 11
To be continue...
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