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Chapter 37: The Unspoken
The morning air was cool, the kind of crisp that made you feel alive as you walked to school. Y/N’s footsteps were quiet, her mind miles away as she tried to shake off the uneasy feeling she’d been carrying for the past few days. Was she just overthinking things with Yuri? Every time she saw him, it felt like something was different.
But was it really? Or was it just that she was finally starting to notice?
By the time she reached Section E’s classroom, the usual chaos had already begun. Felix was arguing with Drew about something ridiculous, and Keifer and Jay Jay were having an animated discussion about the new movie they’d watched the night before. The energy in the room was always loud, but today it felt like a comforting backdrop to her racing thoughts.
"Morning, Y/N!" Mica called from the corner of the room, waving her over.
"Hey," Y/N smiled, walking over to join her. "What’s up?"
"Nothing much. Just trying to get through this boring lesson." Mica laughed. "But I was thinking—have you seen the way Yuri’s been acting lately?"
Y/N froze for a second, her heart beating a little faster than usual. "What do you mean?"
"I don’t know, he just seems... off. Like, distracted, but in a good way? You know, when someone is trying not to look like they’re staring at someone? It’s like he wants to say something but isn’t sure how."
Y/N felt her breath catch. She wasn’t imagining it then. Yuri had been different. But was it just her? Or was there something between them that neither of them had addressed yet?
Before Y/N could respond, the teacher walked in, and the classroom quieted down. But her mind was anything but still.
---
Later that morning, as the bell rang signaling the end of the lesson, Y/N couldn’t help but notice how her heart skipped a beat when she saw Yuri standing at the front of the room. His eyes briefly met hers, and she felt the intensity of his gaze. It was fleeting, but enough to make her stomach flutter.
Keifer was already heading towards the door when he noticed Y/N still standing by her desk. "You coming?" he asked, half-turned to face her.
"Yeah," she said quickly, gathering her things. "Just a sec."
As she packed up, her eyes naturally wandered over to Yuri, who was talking to Calix at the front. There was something in the way he was moving, something almost... nervous? Y/N shook her head. She had to be imagining things.
"Hey," Keifer's voice interrupted her thoughts, and she looked up to see him standing beside her. "You alright? You've been zoning out all morning."
Y/N smiled awkwardly. "Yeah, just thinking."
"About...?" Keifer’s grin was playful. "Hanamichi, maybe?"
Y/N’s cheeks flushed. "Stop it, Keifer."
Keifer raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. "If you say so. But you know, if you need someone to talk to, I’m here."
Before Y/N could respond, the door to the classroom opened, and Yuri stepped out, glancing at her for just a moment before quickly looking away. It was subtle, but she caught it. He was avoiding her. She felt an unexpected pang in her chest.
---
During lunch, Y/N sat with her friends, but the conversation was barely registering in her mind. Her thoughts were still focused on Yuri—on the way he had acted earlier, on how things between them felt... different.
Across the table, Jay Jay noticed her distant expression and raised an eyebrow. "You okay? You’ve been lost in thought all day."
Y/N sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I don’t know, Jay. I think I’m just overthinking everything."
Jay Jay leaned back in his chair, clearly sensing there was more to it than she was letting on. "About what?"
She bit her lip, hesitating. "About Yuri. He’s been acting... I don’t know, weird."
"Wait—Yuri?" Jay Jay’s voice was incredulous. "What about him?"
Y/N bit the inside of her cheek. "I don’t know. It’s like, he’s acting... different around me. But I can’t figure out what it means."
Jay Jay leaned forward, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "Oh, I see what’s going on. You like him, don’t you?"
Y/N’s heart skipped a beat. "I—I don’t know," she admitted, looking down at her food, not wanting to meet his eyes. "I think I might, but I can’t tell if he feels the same way."
"Come on, Y/N. It's pretty obvious he’s into you," Jay Jay said, his tone teasing but kind. "The way he looks at you, the way he talks to you... it's not like how he is with anyone else. You just need to make a move."
"I don’t know if I’m ready for that," she murmured. "What if I’m just imagining things? What if I mess everything up?"
Jay Jay’s grin softened into something more genuine. "You won’t know until you try, right? If he’s been acting weird, maybe he’s feeling the same way but doesn’t know how to deal with it either."
Y/N’s thoughts were a whirlwind as she tried to process what Jay Jay had said. Could it really be that simple?
Before she could respond, a voice interrupted their conversation.
"Mind if I join you?" Yuri’s voice was casual, but there was a hint of hesitation in it as he stood by the table.
Y/N’s breath caught in her throat. Was he... was he actually talking to her?
"Sure," Keifer said, grinning. "Pull up a chair, man."
Yuri sat down, but he was uncharacteristically quiet, and his eyes flickered toward Y/N every now and then. She tried not to notice, but it was impossible not to. Something was definitely shifting between them.
As lunch went on, the tension between them was palpable. Y/N couldn’t help but wonder if Yuri was truly as confused as she was. Was this all a game to him, or was there something real behind those glances, those quiet moments?
---
That night, Y/N couldn’t stop thinking about the lunch conversation. The small moments where their eyes had met, the way he seemed nervous around her—it was all there, undeniable. But was she ready to confront it? And more importantly, was Yuri?
Her phone buzzed, and she picked it up without thinking. Her heart skipped when she saw the message from him.
Yuri: Hey, I know we’ve been kind of... avoiding each other. But I just want you to know, I didn’t mean to make things weird. I’m not sure what I’m feeling right now, but I want to figure it out. If you’re okay with that.
Y/N stared at the message, her fingers trembling slightly as she typed her reply.
Y/N: I think I feel the same way. Maybe we should figure this out together.
She hit send, and as soon as she did, she felt a weight lift off her chest. Maybe they were finally on the same page.
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