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Chapter 12 - Chapter 11 – Ripples on Still Water

By the third cup that afternoon, Jun noticed it.

A small change.

Not a flood.

Not a line down the block.

Just a ripple.

When he brewed, people slowed.

When he poured, footsteps paused.

Not everyone.

Not even most.

But some.

Enough.

[System Log: Passive Observation Buff – Minor Local Visibility Increased]

[XP Gained: +10 – Consistent Craft Presence]

The system noted it.

Jun didn't need to.

He felt it.

In the way people glanced back once more than habit allowed.

In the way strangers drifted closer without meaning to.

In the way coins hit cloth a little more often than silence.

He didn't speak much.

Didn't explain.

He brewed.

Slow.

Steady.

Still.

A man in a courier jacket stopped.

Accepted a cup.

Paid exact Notes.

Nodded once—tight, grateful.

A woman in jogging clothes bought two cups—one for herself, one for a homeless man sitting by the curb.

Jun watched the exchange quietly.

No signs.

No slogans.

Just quiet cups, quietly changing hands.

The light shifted—afternoon sliding into that soft gold just before dusk.

Jun packed up slowly.

The kit weighed more now—not because it was heavier, but because it meant more.

He counted the Notes carefully.

Enough for dinner tonight.

Maybe even breakfast tomorrow.

Enough for one more day on the street without losing ground.

Enough to keep pouring.

He stepped away from the library steps, moving back into the breathing rhythm of the city.

He wasn't a fixture yet.

He wasn't famous.

But he wasn't invisible either.

One pour.

One glance.

One ripple at a time.

[System Log: Local Presence Anchored – Initial Artisan Echo Recorded][Passive Trait Progression: Still Flow 15%]

[Companion Tag: Observation – Mild]

Logged User: Stylsite08

Path: Stillness to Mastery

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