Jiko lingered in the hallway, listening. The se felt… surreal. Everyone seemed so fortable, so at ease with Nadia. His parents were practically beaming, ughing at her jokes and deep in versation with her. This wasn’t just a casual thing; this was serious.

  And for the first time in weeks, that familiar knot of guilt in Jiko’s stomach loosened. It was official. Tito and Nadia were a couple, and his parents clearly approved. They seemed genuinely happy to have her around, like she was already part of the family.

  Before Jiko could process it fully, his mother’s voice rang out from ihe dining room.

  “Jiko! e in here. Dinner’s almost ready.”

  Jiko swallowed hard and stepped into the room. The atmosphere immediately shifted. His parents greeted him warmly, and Tito fshed a knowing smile—ohat made Jiko uneasy. Nadia’s eyes flicked toward him briefly, a subtle smirk pying on her lips.

  “Ah, Jiko!” their father said with a grin. “You’re just in time. We were just telling Nadia how proud we are of your aplishments.”

  Jiko forced a smile and took his seat at the table.

  The dinner party had e and gone, leaving a tense silen its wake. Jiko slumped into the cou the living room, still processing everything—the casual presence of Nadia, the subtle gnces from his mother, Tito’s too-knowing smile. It felt like his whole world was shifting.

  His mom came into the living room, carrying a tray with a gss of water for him. She set it down otle table in front of him and sat beside him on the couch.

  For a long moment, her of them said a word. The house was quiet, except for the faint chirping of crickets outside. It felt… heavy.

  Finally, his mom spoke, her voice ge with a definite undercurrent of seriousness. “Jiko,” she began, “ we talk? Just us?”

  Jiko looked up, surprised. “Sure, Mom,” he replied, shifting unfortably in his seat. A knot of uightened in his stomach. He had a feeling this wasn’t going to be a light chat.

  His mom took a deep breath, her expression softening a little as she leaned forward. “I’ve noticed something tely,” she said. “About you and that girl, Julie. She seems… very fond of you.”

  Jiko blinked, pletely taken aback. “What do you mean?” he asked, his voice a little higher than usual.

  His mom’s eyes narrowed slightly, deepening. “You’ve been spending a lot of time together after seeting in quiet ers, whispering like you’re hiding something. And now, tonight... you barely even tried to deny it when Tito mentioned her. It’s obvious to me, Jiko. I know you care about her.”

  Jiko sighed, unsure how to respond. His mom always seemed to have an uny way of reading him, but this time, it felt different. “It’s not like that, Mom. We’re just cssmates. We work on projects together, that’s all.”

  His mom shook her head slowly, her voice ge firm. “Don’t py with me, Jiko. I’ve raised you better than that. I see the way you look at her. I see how she looks at you.”

  Jiko shifted unfortably. “You don’t uand. It’s plicated.”

  His mom’s gaze softened, but her tone remained serious. “What plicated? Jiko, you’re still young. Love at ye—it’s beautiful, but it’s alsile. It pull you in, make you believe you’re invincible, when iy, you’re just starting to learn about your ow. I’m worried about you.”

  Jiko’s expression hardened. “You don’t have to worry, Mom. I know what I’m doing.”

  But his mom wasn’t vinced. She leaned back slightly, her voice quieter but just as ear. “I’ve been where you are, Jiko. I know what it feels like to be caught up in a moment. To believe you’ve found something special. But life has a way of teag you lessons—lessons you might not be ready for. You’re still young, aionships at this stage be... tricky.”

  Jiko frowned, a flicker of irritation crossing his face. “I’m not a kid, Mom,” he said, his voice a little sharper thaended. “I know how I feel. I don’t o be told what’s right .” He realized he’d raised his void immediately apologized. “Sorry, Mom.”

  His mom sighed, her face etched with worry. “Jiko, I’m n to lecture you,” she said, her voice softening. “I just want you to think about this. You and Julie… what do you really feel for her? Is it just a passing thing, or is it something more?”

  Jiko leaned ba the chair, frustrated. “It’s not just attraom. I care about her. I like being with her. That’s enough for me right now.”

  His mom pced a haly on his arm, her eyes full of uanding. “I know, I know. But I’ve seen too maionships at this age fall apart because people don’t think things through. It’s easy to jump in and feel like it’s forever, but sometimes, life has other pns.”

  Jiko sighed, feeling a mix of annoyand guilt. “I don’t his lecture, Mom. I’m not some kid who doesn’t know what he wants.”

  His mom gave him a sad smile. “You’re not just any kid, Jiko. You’re my son. I love you, and I want to protect you from making mistakes that you might regret ter. I’ve been where you are, and I know how easy it is to lose sight of what’s real.”

  For a moment, Jiko was silent, his thoughts swirling. He hated that his mom could see through his facade so easily, but at the same time, her words made something inside him shift—a reition that he couldn’t ignore, no matter how hard he tried.

  Finally, he muttered, “I’m n to hurt anyone, Mom. I just... I care about Julie. A lot.”

  His mom’s expression softened further, her eyes filled with warmth and sadness. “I know you do, Jiko. But just remember—sometimes, love isn’t about finding someht away. It’s about giving yourself time to uand who you are and what you truly need.”

  Jiko hough deep down, he wasn’t sure if he fully agreed. His heart was already set on Julie, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that his mom’s words carried a deeper truth he wasn’t ready to front.

  As his mom stood up to leave the room, she pced a f hand on his shoulder. “Just promise me ohing, Jiko. Be careful. Don’t let your feelings blind you. Take your time, think things through.”