NOVEL NEXT Chapter 19: Chapter 19: The Slow Burn
The next day, Jiko found himself looking for Julie in the library during lunch. He spotted her at the same table, this time tutoring two juniors who looked both overwhelmed and grateful. Jiko paused at the entrance, suddenly unsure of himself. He didn't quite know what he was doing there or why he'd even come.
But then Julie looks up and spots him. Her face lights up with a smile that's warm and genuine, and for a moment, Jiko feels like he's standing in the sunlight after a long stretch of rain.
"Hey," she calls out, waving him over. "What are you doing here?"
Jiko shrugs, trying to play it cool as he walks over. "Just… thought I'd see what you were up to."
Julie raises an eyebrow, clearly skeptical but amused. "Well, as you can see, I'm busy saving the academic world one confused student at a time."
Her playful tone eases some of Jiko's tension, and he finds himself sitting down across from her. The juniors glance at him curiously before Julie shoos them back to their work, her focus briefly returning to her tutoring.
As Jiko watches her, he feels that stirring in his chest again—a mix of admiration, guilt, and something else he can't quite name.
For the first time, Jiko wonders if the timeline he's been so desperate to preserve might not be the only path forward. And for the first time, he wonders if, perhaps, he's been looking at Julie—and his own role in her life—the wrong way all along.
The awkwardness between them started to fade, not with one big dramatic moment, but through lots of small, quiet actions. Jiko began to return Julie's kindness in his own way—helping her with heavy books from the library, lending her a pen when she needed one, or making sure there was a seat for her at their usual lunch table. These little things, though they might not seem like much, meant a lot, creating a comfortable and natural connection between them.
One especially cold morning, Jiko saw Julie shivering outside the school gates. She'd obviously forgotten her scarf, and the wind was really biting. Without even thinking about it, he took off his own scarf and wrapped it around her shoulders. Julie looked up at him, surprised, her cheeks flushed – and not just from the cold.
"You'll freeze!" she protests, tugging at the scarf as though to hand it back.
"I'll survive," Jiko replies, his tone dismissive but his expression soft. "Just don't lose it."
Julie stares at him for a moment before nodding, her fingers brushing over the fabric as though it were something precious. "Thanks, Jiko."
These small moments of connection build an unspoken understanding between them, an almost magnetic pull that neither can deny.
One day, Julie approaches Jiko during lunch, her hands clutching a neatly wrapped lunchbox. She fidgets nervously, shifting from one foot to the other.
"I made this for you," she says, shyly pushing the box into his hands. "You've been working so hard with track practice lately. I thought you might like something extra."
Jiko raises an eyebrow, slightly amused but also touched. He carefully unwraps the lunchbox to reveal a beautifully arranged meal, complete with rice molded into a smiley face and side dishes meticulously portioned.
His initial reaction is to joke. "Is this bribery? Trying to make me soft before a big race?"
Julie pouts, crossing her arms. "It's appreciation! If you don't like it, give it back."
He grins, picking up his chopsticks to take a bite. The flavors are simple but comforting, and it's clear she put effort into making it. "It's good," he admits after swallowing. "Thanks."
Julie's face lights up like the sun breaking through a cloudy sky. "Really? You're not just saying that?"
"Would I lie about free food?" he teases, but there's warmth in his tone that softens the remark.
From that day on, the tension between them seems to dissolve completely. Julie begins preparing lunch for Jiko more often, and in return, he starts offering to help her with little things—carrying her backpack when it's too heavy or fetching her favorite drink from the vending machine before class. Their interactions are no longer tinged with awkwardness but instead feel easy, almost natural.
Their classmates take notice, too.
"Are you two dating or something?" Rizvan asks one afternoon, his voice full of teasing curiosity.
Jiko nearly chokes on his drink, his cheeks flushing crimson. "What? No!"
Julie rolls her eyes, smirking. "Keep dreaming, Rizvan. Okay, say it again! I like it."
Rizvan watched them, a puzzled expression on his face. He sensed something was going on between Jiko and Julie, something more than just friendship. He decided to stay out of it for now, figuring he'd let things play out and see what happened. *Something's definitely cooking here,* he thought to himself, *I'll just let them cook.*
The change in Jiko's heart is most evident during track practice. As always Julie was coming to watch Jiko train, sitting on the bleachers with her books and offering him a wave and a smile whenever he glances her way. Before, he finds it distracting, but now, it becomes a source of motivation. Knowing she's watching makes him push himself harder, his strides faster, his determination stronger.
One day, after an especially grueling practice, Jiko collapses onto the grass, drenched in sweat. Julie rushes over, holding out a water bottle.
"You're insane, you know that?" she says, her tone a mix of scolding and admiration.
Jiko takes the bottle, chugging half of it in one go before replying. "And you're nosy. Who told you to come watch?"
Julie rolls her eyes, sitting down beside him. "No one. I wanted to. Is that so bad?"
Jiko glances at her, noticing the way the setting sun catches in her hair, making it shimmer like spun gold. For a moment, he's struck by how different things feel now compared to when they first started interacting. He doesn't feel the need to push her away anymore. In fact, he finds himself wanting her to stay.
"Nah," he says finally, his voice softer. "It's not bad."
As the weeks pass, their bond continues to grow. Julie becomes a fixture in Jiko's life, her presence steady and comforting. She cheers the loudest at his track meets, celebrates his victories with homemade treats, and even consoles him with her silly jokes when he loses.