Chapter 25: You make me feel different

Julie sighed and shook her head. "I'm always trying so hard to prove myself to people," she said, her voice tinged with frustration. "Trying to show them I'm worth noticing. But it never really works. Everyone just… moves on. Like I'm just another pretty face in the crowd. Like that's all I am, all I have to offer." She looked down at her hands, fidgeting with a loose thread on her sleeve. "And then… you," she continued, pausing to take a breath, "you just… seem so effortless. You don't even try to get attention, but everyone's drawn to you, like you were born to stand out. You have so much more to you than just looks."

Jiko watched her, his brow furrowed in concern. He shifted in his seat, feeling awkward. He wasn't used to Julie being so open, sharing things she usually kept hidden.

Julie's voice dropped to a near whisper. "But you… you make me feel different," she said. "Seen, I guess. Like I'm not just… a pretty face." She glanced at him, their eyes meeting briefly. "You make me feel like I actually matter for more than just my looks."

Her words hit Jiko harder than he expected. For a moment, he sits in stunned silence, trying to process what she just said. His mind feels like it's spinning—a mix of shock, warmth, and something deeper he doesn't quite understand.

"You make me feel different."

It repeats in his head, over and over. Not in the way he expected—no sarcasm, no teasing. She means it. Truly.

Jiko shifts uncomfortably, his jaw tightening. He looks away from her, out at the rain falling relentlessly. His fingers curl into fists at his sides, his body tensing. How is it that Julie—someone who had been nothing but kind, thoughtful, and real—could make him feel this way?

For the first time, he realizes something. It isn't just the timeline messing with his head. It isn't just confusion or coincidence. No—his feelings for Julie are real. Genuine. And they've been growing, even if he didn't want to admit it.

He swallowed hard, feeling the impact of her words settle deep inside him. He'd always told himself their connection was just because of the situation they were in—this weird alternate reality, the strange twists of fate that had brought them together. He'd convinced himself it was just circumstantial, a temporary thing born out of unusual circumstances. But hearing her talk so openly and honestly, seeing how vulnerable she looked, he knew it was more than that. It wasn't just about being stuck in the past; it was about something real between them, a connection that went beyond timelines and what was supposed to happen. It was real, and it was getting stronger every day.

While Jiko was thinking that kinds of thing, Julie is focused on the rain, seemingly lost in her own thoughts, unaware of the storm she's stirred inside him.

"I…" Jiko begins, but his voice catches in his throat. He clears it, trying to find the right words. "I didn't know you felt like that."

Julie looks at him again, her eyes searching his face. "You didn't? I guess… I don't really show it, do I?" She smiles faintly, but it's tinged with sadness. "I just always felt like… I was just here. Existing. Not really seen by anyone as human. But you—" She pauses, her gaze steady on him. "You make me feel like I'm more than just that. Like I'm actually…" She falters, searching for the right word. "Like I'm… worth something."

Jiko watches her, his heart aching in a way he doesn't fully understand. For the first time, he sees Julie beyond the girl he barely noticed before—beyond the one who always seems kind and quiet. Now, he sees something deeper—a girl who's been trying to find her place, someone who's been overlooked, who's struggled with feeling invisible.

"I… I don't know what to say," he murmurs, his voice quieter now. "I guess I never thought about it that way."

Julie smiles again, but it's bittersweet. "You don't have to say anything." She looks back at the rain, letting out a soft sigh. "I guess it just feels nice… to feel like someone sees me for who I really am."

Jiko leans back, exhaling slowly, his mind spinning. Her words linger in the air between them, heavy with meaning. For a moment, he feels a deep connection—an ache he can't ignore. And as he watches Julie, listening to the sound of the rain, he realizes just how much she's come to mean to him.

One afternoon, Jiko's friend Ashik leans in with a knowing grin as they sit together during lunch. "Hey, man… what's going on with you and Julie? I've been hearing things."

Jiko frowns, feeling a stir of unease. "What things?"

aki chuckles, raising his hands in mock innocence. "Just that you two are… getting pretty close. People are talking about how she's always around you now, like she's… I don't know, more than a 'study buddy.'"

Jiko stiffens, his face tightening. "It's not like that. We're just… friends."

aki smirks, leaning back slightly. "Just friends? Sure, man. That's what they all say." He pauses, eyeing Jiko carefully. "But you know how rumors spread. One thing leads to another, and suddenly people start drawing conclusions."

Jiko sighs, running a hand through his hair. "It's nothing, really. Julie's just… someone I've been talking to more, that's all."

Deep down, Jiko knows it's more than that. Julie makes him feel seen—understood in a way he hasn't in a long time. And that's what worries him the most—how natural it feels to open up to her, to let down his guard. It's easy to forget how complicated things can become when feelings are involved.

Later that day, as Jiko walks down the crowded school corridor, his mind is racing. He suddenly hears someone call his name from behind. Turning, he sees Mili jogging up to him, her expression playful but with a sharp edge to it.

"Hey, Jiko! Heard you've been hanging out with Julie a lot lately," Mili says with a teasing grin. "What's the deal?"

Jiko tenses slightly, his heartbeat quickening. "It's nothing. Just working on a project together."

Mili leans in, lowering her voice playfully. "Hmm, sure. That's what they all say. But people are starting to talk—you two look pretty cozy."

Jiko sighs, feeling the frustration bubbling inside him. "I told you, it's nothing like that. We're just friends."