Every ugh from Julie, even the forced ones, felt like a tiny stab. When Daniel leaned in even closer, the tray almost slipped from Jiko’s grasp. His chest felt heavy, and his mind was rag with questions he didn’t want to face. Why did this bother him so much? The answer was obvious, but he was too stubborn to admit it to himself.

  “Hey, Jiko, you okay?” Rizvan asks, nudging him.

  “Huh? Yeah, I’m fine,” Jiko mutters, his eyes glued to Julie and Daniel.

  “You don’t look fine,” Rizvan observes. He follows Jiko’s gaze and smirks. “Ah, I see. Jealousy looks good on you.”

  “What? No. Shut up,” Jiko snaps, but his face betrays him as it flushes crimson. Rizvan chuckles, patting him on the shoulder.

  “Maybe you should tell her how you feel before someone else does,” Rizvan says, walking off before Jiko respond.

  The words linger in Jiko’s mind, but he quickly shoves them aside. It’s not my pce, he tells himself. She deserves to be happy, even if it’s not with me.

  Later, during a lull in the café, Jiko takes a moment to step outside for fresh air. The festival is in full swing, with students ughing and music eg from the courtyard. He leans against the wall, running a hand through his hair, trying to shake off the unease.

  “Jiko?”

  He turns to see Julie standing there, a ed look on her face. She’s holding two cups of lemonade, one of which she offers to him. “You seemed a little off earlier. Thought you might need a break.”

  Jiko hesitates but accepts the drink. “Thanks,” he says, taking a sip.

  Julie steps closer, studying him. “You’ve been avoiding me all day. Did I do something wrong?”

  “No,” Jiko says quickly, then sighs. “I just... It’s nothing.”

  “It doesn’t look like nothing,” Julie presses, her tole but firm. “You talk to me, you know.”

  Jiko hesitates, his gaze dropping to the ground. “It’s stupid,” he finally says. “Fet about it.”

  Julie frowns, crossing her arms. “I won’t fet about it. What’s going on, Jiko?”

  Before he stop himself, the words tumble out. “Why do you let guys like Daniel flirt with you?”

  Julie blinks, taken aback. “What? Daniel? He’s just being friendly.”

  “Friendly?” Jiko scoffs, surprising even himself with the bitterness in his tone. “He’s clearly hitting on you.”

  “So what if he is?” Julie challenges, her voice rising slightly. “Why do you care who I talk to? You don’t even want me, right?”

  Her words hit Jiko like a punch to the gut. He stares at her, stunned into silence. Julie’s expression softens, and she looks away, her cheeks flushing. “I’m sorry,” she says quietly. “That was unfair.”

  Jiko swallows hard, his mind rag. “It’s not that I don’t want you,” he says finally, his voice barely above a whisper. “I just... It’s plicated.”

  Julie meets his gaze, her eyes searg his. “plicated how?”

  Jiko hesitates, the weight of his emotions pressing down on him. He knows he ’t expihing—not without revealing the truth about the timeline and his past—but he also ’t keep running from his feelings.

  “I’m ed about you,” he admits, the words feeling both liberating and terrifying. “More than I probably should. And seeing you with Daniel... It made me realize just how much.”

  Julie’s eyes widen, her lips parting in surprise. For a moment, her of them speaks, the sounds of the festival fading into the background.

  “Jiko,” she begins, her voice trembling slightly. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I just... I didn’t know you felt that way. And holy, I don’t care about Daniel. I know what kind of guy he is—a pyboy who’s only ied in the chase. That’s not who I am, and that’s not what I want.”

  “Well, now you do know why I was feeling upset,” Jiko says, his tone softer now. “I also don’t think you should hang around someone like me.”

  Julie steps closer, her expressioermined. “That’s not for you to decide,” she says firmly. “You’ve been pushing me away, but I’m still here, aren’t I? Doesn’t that tell you something?”

  Jiko looked at her, his heart pounding in his chest. He desperately wao believe her, to let himself feel hopeful, but the fear that this was all just a dream, a temporary trip to the past, and that he could lose her pletely, still hung over him like a dark cloud.

  Before he could even find the words to reply, Julie reached out and took his hand in hers. “Jiko,” she said, her voice firm and clear, “I don’t care about Daniel or anyone else. I care about *you*. So please, stop doubting yourself… and stop doubting me.”

  Her words sliced through his aies, leaving him feeling raw and exposed. But in that moment, for the first time since he'd traveled ba time, he let himself truly believe that he was worthy of this—worthy of her.

  “Okay,” he finally mao say, his voice soft, almost a whisper. “Okay.”

  Julie smiled, and the tensioween them seemed to just melt away. The moment hung in the air between them, delicate but real. For the first time, Jiko felt a real e with her, something that seemed to smooth out all the plicated stuff betweehe world around them suddenly felt a little brighter, a little less fusing, as they stood there together, not needing to say anything else.

  That evening, after the festival finally ehe excitement started to die down, leaving behind a quiet mix of tiredness and satisfa. The school, which had been buzzing with people and ughter, slowly emptied as students packed up their things, said their goodbyes, and headed home. The lively atmosphere faded, and a sense of calm settled over the school grounds. Julie, already partway home, walked through the darkening streets, still thinking about everything that had happehat day. She’d been caught up in the fun of the festival, smiling and ughing with her friends, but now that everyone had gone home, she was left with her own quiet thoughts and a familiar feeling of something unspoken hanging in the air.