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The warm lights of the restaurant shimmered above the wooden tables.
Laughter and chatter rose from the corner occupied by Mikel's sports team.
The smell of pizza and pasta mixed with barbecue smoke, and the air was filled with joy and chaos.
The coach sat beside Mikel, trying hard to control the boys' wild excitement, but they wouldn't stop their loud joking and banging cups on the tables.
Amid this noise, Chloe, the club manager, sat—the only girl among them.
Her brown hair fell over her shoulders, and her delicate features hid a hint of boldness in her eyes.
Her gaze kept catching Mikel in secret, as if she were trying to memorize every detail of his movements:
The way he devoured his food, the curve of his shoulders when he laughed, even that playful spark in his voice when he spoke.
As for Mikel, he didn't notice her at all.
He was lost in jokes and laughter, teasing his teammates while wiping his mouth carelessly.
Far from this scene, somewhere completely different.
Lavina sat alone in her room.
Surrounded by a heavy silence broken only by the sound of the photo album pages as she flipped through them with a trembling hand.
Her heart pounded hard when she saw a picture that hadn't been there before: Mikel holding a girl's hand.
Her eyes widened as she leaned closer to the photo, examining the girl's features.
It didn't take her long to remember. She whispered shakily:
– "I know her… It's Chloe… Mikel's club manager."
Her body shivered, not because Mikel was next to a girl, but because the picture carried a deeper meaning: he never liked holding a girl's hand that way. Ever.
The words slipped out of her without awareness: – "This means… he… will date her?!"
But her relationship with Mikel is still the same in the photos:
"I didn't go to the match today, and I even changed the result. So why would my relationship with Mikel disappear?!"
Before she could sink deeper into her questions, her phone's ringing cut through her thoughts.
She looked at the screen and saw the name that made her heart tremble: Mikel.
She answered with a shaky voice: – "Uh… what is it?" – "Lavina… can you come out now?" His voice was tense, almost pleading. – "Now?! It's nighttime!" – "Please… hurry."
She fell silent for a moment, feeling hesitant, but her heart won over her mind.
She threw on her coat in a hurry and rushed down the stairs.
At the front door, Mikel was standing there, a wide smile filling his face despite the biting cold.
The moment he saw her, he stepped toward her and pulled her into a tight hug that nearly crushed her.
She shouted while hitting his back: – "My bones! You idiot! You're going to break me!"
But he didn't move; he kept holding her as if afraid she might slip away.
After a few minutes, he finally let go. She stumbled back, breathless, her hair messy and her cheeks flushed.
– "Are you insane?! I couldn't breathe because of you!"
He laughed lightly, then his smile vanished suddenly as he said seriously:
– "I really… thank you for coming to the match."
She raised an eyebrow sarcastically:
– "And if I hadn't come? What would you have done?"
– "I would've cut every thread that ties me to you… forever."
She stared at him, shocked: – "What?! It's just a match!"
He replied in a firm tone she wasn't used to:
– "Yes, but it meant a lot to me… I thought you'd abandon me for that person."
Her blood boiled, but the words got stuck in her throat. She was about to snap and say: "My life is none of your business! Who I'm with or where I go—you're just a friend, nothing more."
But she stopped suddenly.
She remembered the photos on the album.
And she realized that losing Mikel wasn't because of the match, but because of the words she was about to say.
So she stopped and told him seriously: – "You know… you're important to me. And I never want to lose you."
His eyes froze on her; he felt something strange slip into his heart. He laughed softly as he replied: – "And I… don't want to lose you either."
When she returned to her room, the album was waiting for her.
She opened its pages eagerly, only to find that the photos had changed again:
Her relationship with Mikel was no longer dark as before, but brighter.
She jumped on her bed, laughing like a child, her heart pounding with overwhelming happiness.
The next day.
Lavina stood at the classroom door, watching the students inside.
But her eyes were searching for one person:
Rocky.
His confession the night before still weighed heavily on her heart, following her wherever she went.
Suddenly, a voice came from behind her: – "Why are you spying like that?"
She flinched, then whispered nervously: – "Shhh… it's something important."
– "Something important?" the voice said as it moved closer.
She turned slightly, only to find Rocky's face extremely close to hers, their lips almost touching.
She gasped and jerked backward, falling to the floor.
– "Ah! Ouch!" she cried, holding her backside.
Rocky approached, his eyes serious, and extended his hand to her: – "Are you okay?"
She hesitated for a moment, then took his hand.
Warmth slipped into her fingers, and her face flushed red.
He, on the other hand, seemed completely normal, as if his confession last night had never happened.
The bell rang, and Lavina jumped up quickly, rushing out before he could say anything.
Rocky stayed where he was, watching her in confusion.
And in another corner of the courtyard, Mikel was silently observing.
His eyes narrowed as he followed her actions. He realized something strange was happening between her and Rocky.
---
Behind the field, Lavina sat on the grass, lying down with her arms behind her head, staring at the sky.
– "Damn… what should I do? I feel weird."
She stayed like that until a familiar face leaned over her:
Fred.
With his arrogant smile and voice full of conceit.
– "Are you insane? You look like a dog rolling in the dirt."
She bolted upright and shouted: – "What! A dog?! Screw you, you're the dog here!"
He stood in front of her calmly, the sun behind him highlighting his sharp features:
– "Do I look as ugly as you? By the way, why are you running around like some old lady who just got robbed?"
– "None of your business!" she snapped.
He turned to walk away, but she grabbed his foot: – "Wait! I want to ask you something."
They sat together on the damp grass.
She looked at him seriously: – "Does the change in the future apply only to me? Or does it affect everyone around me too?"
He answered coldly: – "It might affect everyone… and maybe with consequences you never calculated."
Her eyes widened:
– "And why didn't you tell me?!" – "Didn't I tell you to return the album? But you're stubborn."
She smiled slyly: – "Hehe… maybe. But there's something strange… every change I make leads me to the same path."
– "Yes, all paths lead to one."
She stood up with excitement, brushing the dust off her skirt: – "Then… I'll make my own path!"
He watched her as she walked away, then muttered softly: – "I hope you succeed…"
---
At the end of the school day.
The classroom was nearly empty.
Lavina sat at her desk, flipping through her notebooks while the students left one by one.
Mikel stood at the door and said: – "Aren't you leaving?"
She smiled lightly: – "Go on… I'll catch up."
He looked around, then spotted Rocky walking toward her with steady steps. His brows furrowed, but he withdrew silently.
Rocky approached her, his voice firm: – "Are you going to keep avoiding me? Why are you doing this?"
She raised her head slowly, then stood in front of him confidently, her eyes shining with honesty:
– "Sorry… I wasn't ignoring you. I was just embarrassed by your confession yesterday. But now… I'll give you my answer."
Outside, by the half-open door, Mikel was listening to every word.
His fist trembled as he clenched it tightly, his chest rising and falling with suppressed anger.
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