Chapter 33: Rizvan

They continued walking in comfortable silence, the stars beginning to twinkle in the sky above. Both of them knew the road ahead wouldn't be easy. The rumors would persist, and they'd face obstacles, but at least for now, they could stand together—without fear, without hiding.

And that was enough.

Jiko flopped onto the rooftop with a heavy sigh, rubbing his temples like he was trying to erase a bad dream. Man, he was *tired*. It felt like the weight of the world was pressing down on him. There were the constant judging eyes of the adults, the confusing swirl of his own feelings, and now this whole weird Tito-Julie situation. It was all just… *too much*.

He'd thought a little boldness wouldn't hurt. Just a couple of times, you know? But ever since that cultural event, everything had changed. People looked at him and Julie differently. It wasn't like they were doing anything wrong, exactly. It's just that in this conservative country, public displays of affection between unmarried people—especially young people—were frowned upon. It was practically taboo. And now, he and Julie were the talk of the town.

His best friend, Rizvan, had followed him up after hours, probably sensing something was off.

Rizvan plopped down next to him, kicking his legs over the edge of the building. The sun was setting in the distance, casting a warm glow over the city below. Silence hung between them for a moment before Rizvan leaned back, chuckling to himself.

—---

"So let me get this straight," Rizvan said, a mischievous grin forming on his face. "The girl your brother was supposed to marry in the future timeline, is now in love with you. And you... you're in love with her."

Jiko groaned, burying his face in his hands. "Yeah, pretty much."

Rizvan burst into laughter, holding his sides as if Jiko had just told the funniest joke ever. "Man, you've got the kind of drama people write books about! This is next-level Shakespearean stuff."

Jiko shot him a side-eye. "Oh, ha ha, very funny. You're one to talk. What about that love triangle you had back in seventh grade? You had three girls fighting over you!"

Rizvan waved it off. "Hey, that's entering early teenage for you. But this? This is on a whole other level. It's like you stumbled into your own telenovela."

Jiko shook his head, laughing despite himself. "Great, now everyone's convinced I'm some kind of heartbreaker. Like, I meant to step into my brother's life and steal his girl."

Rizvan's tone turned serious, pulling Jiko out of his thoughts. He leaned forward, perching on the edge of the rooftop. "Seriously though, man," he said, his voice lower. "What are you going to *do*? This isn't just some little fling, you know? It's real. And Julie… well, she's not the type to just give up. I *know* she's head over heels for you. Even if you tried to break things off now, because you feel guilty or whatever, she wouldn't let you go that easily."

Jiko sighed again, the sound heavy with worry. "I don't know, man. It's… complicated," he repeated, the word feeling inadequate to describe the tangled mess in his head. "I mean, what if this whole thing isn't even real? What if it's just a dream? What if I'm just making everything worse? You know how it is in those time travel movies—you move a chair, and suddenly the whole future is different."

Rizvan leaned in closer, his brow furrowed in thought. "Okay, first of all—timeline? Seriously, bro, you sound like you're straight out of a sci-fi movie. Look, no one's asking you to fix the universe. You like her, right?"

Jiko nodded slowly. "Yeah... I do."

Rizvan gave him a knowing look and smirked. "Then don't let some imaginary timeline stop you. Life's too short to overthink every little thing. If you love her, you love her. End of story."

Jiko looked at Rizvan, an eyebrow raised. "Imaginary, huh? So, you don't believe me?"

Rizvan grinned, throwing an arm around Jiko's shoulder. "Nah, it's not about believing you or not. I'm just saying—a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do. Even if she was your brother's ex-fiancé in this timeline and you're basically pulling a switcheroo... I'd support you. That's all I'm trying to say."

Jiko blinked, staring at Rizvan in disbelief. "So you're telling me that even if I cheated on my own brother, you'd still have my back?"

Rizvan nodded. "Absolutely. I mean, look at it this way. We're talking about love here. You're not breaking any laws, bro—you're just... rearranging destiny a little."

Jiko's lips twitched, unable to hold back a small laugh. "Rearranging destiny? You make it sound so casual."

Rizvan shrugged, clearly amused by his own words. "Hey, if she makes you happy, you've got to go for it. Love doesn't follow rules—it just... happens."

Jiko sighed again, but this time, there was a bit more clarity in his gaze. Rizvan's words had given him a strange sense of permission—or at least, the nudge he needed to stop overthinking things. Maybe it wasn't about fixing anything, but just... being honest with himself and Julie.

"I guess you're right," Jiko murmured. "I don't need to worry about the rest. I've got her now. That's what matters."

Rizvan patted him on the back. "That's the spirit! Now go out there and show the world you're not afraid of a little drama."

Jiko laughed, shaking his head. "Drama? You mean complete chaos."

Rizvan laughed too, the sound echoing softly across the rooftop. "Exactly. But hey, chaos is where the fun happens, right?"

For the first time in days, Jiko felt something like relief—confidence, even. He wasn't just some pawn in some strange timeline. He was living in the moment, with Julie. And if it meant taking a risk and making things a little messy? Well, he figured they could clean that up together.

And —just maybe—that was exactly what he needed.

When Jiko got home, the shift in his life hit him full force. He'd been late getting back from track practice, and as he walked in the front door, he heard laughter coming from the dining room. He stopped short. His parents were at the table, and there, sitting with them as if she belonged, was Nadia—Tito's new girlfriend.