One day, after a particurly grueling gym practice, Julie finally seizes the moment. She ers Jiko in a quieter part of the school grounds where they’ll be uninterrupted. Her eyes burn with iy, and she steps closer, l her voice so that only he hear.

  “Why are you suddenly so popur?” she demands, her tone sharp, tinged with frustration.

  Jiko blinks, momentarily taken aback by her question. “Popur? I’m just—” He pauses, trying to dismiss it casually. “I’m just trying to better myself. Nothing more than that.”

  Julie’s lips press into a thin, hard line, and her eyes darken. Her body tenses slightly, and Jiko see the hint of jealousy simmerih the surface.

  “Better yourself?” Julie scoffs, shaking her head in disbelief. “It’s more than that. You’re attrag attention—more than you ever did before.” She gestures vaguely toward the rest of the school, where cssmates often cast g him. “Girls are looking at you differently.”

  Jiko frowns, puzzled. “What’s wrong with that? I’m just—w on myself. That’s all.”

  But Julie’s gaze sharpens, and she steps even closer, invading his personal space. Her expression hardens, and there’s a fsh of something vulnerable in her eyes that Jiko ’t ignore.

  “You didn’t ask for this attention,” Julie tinued, her voice dropping to a near whisper, but no less intense. “But now it’s there,” she gestured vaguely around them, “and it’s… taking you away from me.”

  Jiko took a startled step back. He’d had a growing suspi that Julie might be developing feelings for him, but he’d never imagined she’d actually say it, especially not so directly, aainly not this soon. “Julie, what are you—?” he began, his voice ced with fusion and a hint of panic.

  “You didn’t need anyone else’s validation before,” Julie snaps. “You didn’t need ao pay attention to you to feel good about yourself. But now? Noeople are looking at you—irls are looking at you—it’s ging you. You’re different.”

  Jiko swallows hard, caught between fusion and something else—something that feels unspoken but undeniably real. He hadn’t anticipated this rea from Julie. He had thought his small steps toward self-improvement were simply about beihier, about being more fident in himself. He hadn’t realized it would create a rift between them.

  “I’m still the same guy, Julie. I haven’t ged. I’m still—”

  Julie cut him off, her voice sharp, almost desperate. “You are ging! You’re ag differently. People are notig you—more than just me. Girls smile at you, and you don’t eve. You didn’t hat before, and now… now it’s pulling you away.”

  Jiko frowned, fused and frustrated. “I’m n to pull away. I’m just trying to improve myself.”

  “But you are pulling away,” Julie said quietly, her voice trembling. “You’re slipping away.” Her eyes glistened, and her fists ched. “You didn’t have this before—this fidehis… presence. And now… now you’re attrag people. Not just me—others.”

  Jiko stared at her, dumbfouhe weight of her words pressed down on him. “What do you mean? I’m still the same person.”

  Julie shook her head, her expression hardening. “No, you’re not. You’re being someone else—someone I don’t reize.”

  Her words hit Jiko hard, aumbled back. He didn’t know how to react. He hought improving himself would cause Julie to be so openly jealous and possessive. He could see it in her gres at irls, the way her eyes narrowed at any hint of flirtation.

  “You didn’t mean to—” Julie began, her voice thick with emotion. But Jiko cut her off, his own frustration boiling over.

  “I didn’t mean to do anything!” he burst out. “I’m just—”

  “Just what?” Julie snapped. “You didn’t mean to ge? You didn’t mean to bee popur? You didn’t mean to start ign me?” Each questio like an accusation.

  Jiko ran a hand through his hair, his face a mix of fusion and frustration. “Julie, I didn’t—” he tried again, but the words wouldn't e. He felt trapped, bmed for something he hadn't intended.

  The real reason he’d been avoiding Julie tely was because he was starting to fitractive too. He could feel it—the way his heart would skip a beat when she smiled, the way he’d find himself looking at her lohaended. And seeing her do all these things *for him* made the guilt inside him even worse. It was eating at him, this straangled feeling he couldn’t talk to anyone about. He just desperately didn’t want to feel this way—he didn’t want to be in love with Julie.

  One evening, as they walk home together from school, Julie suddenly stops iracks and turns toward Jiko. Her cheeks are flushed, and she’s fidgeting with the strap of her bag, looking anywhere but directly at him. She takes a deep breath, as if gathering all her ce, and finally blurts out the words she’s been struggling to find the right moment to say.

  “I like you,” she says softly, her voice trembling slightly. “I mean… I really like you. More than just a friend.”

  Jiko is caught off guard. He halts mid-step, his eyes widening in surprise. His mind races, trying to process what she just fessed. He wasn’t expeg this—never imagined Julie would fess him so directly, though she clue few days ago when Julie showed open jealousy and express that to him..

  “You like me?” Jiko repeats, his voice barely audible, disbelief lingering in his tone.

  Julie finally gathers enough strength to meet his gaze, her eyes shimmering with siy. “Yes. I do. I really do,” she says softly, her voice firm but uain at the same time.

  For a long moment, there’s silence. Jiko doesn’t know how to respond. His heart flutters in his chest, but at the same time, a wave of ay washes over him. He likes Julie too—he ’t deny that she’s kind, thoughtful, aiful in her own way—but he also knows where this could lead. And more importantly, he knows what’s supposed to happen.

  “We’re friends,” Jiko finally says, his voice ge firm. “I… I don’t think it’s right for me to cross that line.”

  Julie’s expression falls, her face softening into a disappointed frown. She takes a step back, looking away, and a heavy silence fills the air between them. “So… you don’t feel the same?” she whispers, her voice barely audible.