Chapter 7: Fg ger

  Jiko nods, a small smile iurn, but his mind isn’t on their versation—it’s rag, trying to process the moment. He knows this wasn’t supposed to be his iion with her. It was meant to be Tito—Tito stepping into this ter, feeling that spark that will eventually grow into something more.

  Instead, here he is, talking to Julie—talking to the woman who will one day share his brother’s life—feeling something stir in him that shouldn’t be there. It feels like taboo to him.

  A sharp pang of guilt pricks at him. He shouldn’t feel like this. Julie isn’t his to protect, to know in this way. A, despite everything, he ’t ighe e that’s already begun to form between them—something unspoken but unmistakable.

  Tito, walking ahead, is blissfully unaware of the weight hangiween them, of the fate that’s already begun to ge. Jiko watches his brother—the boy who’s meant to meet Julie naturally, in the right time, at the right pce. But now, as Jiko stands beside her, he feels the subtle shift—a fracture iimelihat might be impossible to repair.

  “How long have you two known each other?” Julie asks, breaking the silence again, turning back to Jiko with a curious smile.

  Jiko forces a smile of his own, though it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “We grew up together,” he says, hoping it sounds nont. “Tito’s my older brother.”

  “Oh, that makes sense!” Julie’s eyes light up as she turns toward Tito, now walking ahead. “You two seem really close. It’s o see siblings get along. I thought you guys are friend.”

  Jiko watches as Julie speaks, and something gnaws at him—how easy it is for her to imagihem as a pair, as a family. But that idea feels off now. Too soon. It wasn’t supposed to happen this way.

  Julie doesn’t notice his disfort; she’s too engrossed in talking about her own pns, about what she wants to do after school. Her energy feels iious, and it makes it harder for Jiko to resist the pull she has on him. He’s used to keeping his distance from people—tending to be more reserved, more cautious—but with Julie, something inside him refuses to stay quiet.

  “I wao ask—” Julie begins again, her voice light but curious, “Do you like reading? I’m always looking for new book reendations.”

  Jiko looks at her, caught off guard, this question you shouldn’t ask to a strahat you just meet. His eyes meet hers, and for a moment, something passes between them— an unspoken e that feels heavier than it should. “I do,” he admits, surprising himself. “I’ve always enjoyed fi, especially things with adventure.”

  Julie’s eyes brighten, her smile widening. “Same! I love getting lost in stories. It’s su escape.”

  Her words sounded almost too familiar, making it easy for Jiko to get caught up in the moment. But he quickly pushed the thought away, knowing he shouldn't be thinking like that. Why was he even thinking these things? Just a few days ago, he practically disliked her. Was he suddenly attracted to her just because he wao be oer terms? That was totally wrong. It had only been one day since he’d gone ba time, and he was already having these kinds of feelings. Maybe it was because Julie had never been this talkative around him before. Maybe she’d always been like this with Tito, and that was why he’d fallen for her.

  As soon as that thought crossed his mind, Jiko lightly hit himself on the forehead. She wasn’t his. She beloo his brother, Tito.

  "Alright, little bro, I gotta bouito announced, a casual hand wave signaling his departure. He slung his backpack over his shoulder, a practiced motion that spoke of tless hurried exits.

  "Cool, see ya this evening," Jiko responded, already turning his attention to the chipped paint on the nearby wall. He wasn't particurly bothered by Tito's leaving; their goodbyes were always brief, a fortable routine.

  Julie, who’d been quietly the brief exge, her brow slightly furrowed, piped up, "Is he in uy?" Her question held a hint of curiosity, but also a touch of something Jiko couldn't quite pce.

  Jiko puffed out his chest a little, a hint of pride swelling within him. "Yeah, pretty coht?" He winced inwardly, though. This whole iio…off. He was desperately trying to smooth over the awkward first meetiween Tito and Julie that he'd iently messed up earlier. He'd been so flustered then, tripping over his words and generally making a fool of himself. Now, he was determio salvage the situation, even if it meant exaggerating Tito’s ess just a tad.

  Julie shrugged, unimpressed. "I don't see what's so cool about being in uy. If you're old enough, you'll end up there eventually." She kicked at a loose stone on the sidewalk, sending it skittering across the crete. Her tone was dismissive, almost challenging.

  Jiko felt a twit his eye. This was the Julie he knew – the oh the razor-sharp tongue and no-nonseitude. The Julie who didn't suffer fools gdly. The Julie he…well, the Julie he was used to, at least.

  "So," Julie tinued, ging the subject abruptly, her eyes fixed on some distant point, "what css are you in?"

  "10A," Jiko answered, trying to sound nont.

  Julie's eyes widened slightly. A flicker of genuine surprise crossed her face. "Wow! 10A? That's the css for all the smart kids, isn't it? The ones who get all the top marks and win all the sce fairs? I'm in 10B." She said it as if being in 10B was a sotion prize.

  Jiko felt awitch, this time a more pronounced one. Was she implying that being in 10A was somehow better than being in uy? The logic was pletely lost on him. He felt a growing sense of fusion, like he’d stumbled into a versation with its own bizarre set of rules.

  They arrived at school, the imposing brick building looming before them. The air was thick with the usual m buzz of students chatting, ughing, and rushing to their csses. Julie turo him with a quick, almost perfunctory, "Okay, bye! See you tomorrow."