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Chapter 25 - Not a chapter-"She Never Plays Safe"

Kenji's Point of View

She never plays safe.

Not on the court,

not in conversation,

not with my heart.

Her serve curves wrong,

her footwork forgets itself—

but her laughter lands clean

in places I didn't know were empty.

I watch her fall, spin, smile,

and call it strategy.

I pretend not to look

but memorize every breath.

She calls me "robot,"

"ice cube,"

"Mr. No-Fun."

But still, she learns my silences

and fills them like music.

I return her chaos

with careful rhythm—

not to win,

but to stay near.

Every match with her

is unwinnable,

and that's how I know

I'm already gone.

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