At first…
Jay tried not to think too much about what Ella had said.
She kept telling herself the same thing.
Yuri loves me.
He just wants the best for me.
But slowly…
Things started changing again.
One afternoon Jay met Yuri at a café.
She was excited.
She had baked cookies at home and brought them for him.
Jay placed the small box in front of him with a bright smile.
"I made these for you."
Yuri opened the box.
He looked at the cookies for a moment.
Then he picked one and tasted it.
Jay waited eagerly.
"How is it?"
Yuri suddenly laughed.
Jay blinked.
"What happened?"
He shook his head.
"Jay…"
"What is this?"
Jay frowned slightly.
"Cookies."
Yuri smirked.
"They're burnt."
Jay looked at them nervously.
"They're not burnt… just a little crispy."
Yuri chuckled again.
"Only you could mess up something this simple."
Jay's smile slowly faded.
A few days later…
Jay and Yuri were walking in the mall with his friends.
Jay accidentally dropped a shopping bag.
The items fell on the floor.
She quickly bent down to pick them up.
Before she could finish…
Yuri sighed loudly.
"Seriously Jay?"
She looked up.
"What?"
He rubbed his forehead dramatically.
"You're so clumsy."
His friends laughed.
Jay felt embarrassed.
"I didn't do it on purpose."
Yuri shook his head.
"You always do things like this."
Jay stayed quiet and picked up the bag.
Her chest felt tight.
Another day at college…
Jay was talking about a book she liked.
She was explaining the story excitedly.
But Yuri suddenly interrupted.
"Jay… stop."
She paused.
"What?"
He leaned back in his chair.
"You explain things so badly."
Jay looked confused.
"What do you mean?"
He shrugged.
"You make simple stories sound boring."
His friends laughed again.
Jay forced a small smile.
But inside…
Something hurt.
Slowly…
It started happening more often.
If Jay said the wrong word…
Yuri laughed.
If she tripped while walking…
Yuri mocked her.
If she forgot something small…
Yuri shook his head like she was a child.
"How can you be so careless?"
"You really don't understand basic things."
"You embarrass me sometimes."
Each comment felt small.
But together…
They started weighing heavily on Jay's heart.
One evening Jay sat quietly in her room.
Her phone screen glowed in the dark.
A message from Yuri popped up.
"Next time think before you speak in front of my friends."
Jay stared at the message.
Her eyes slowly filled with tears.
Without warning…
A memory appeared in her mind.
Keifer laughing loudly.
Jay spilling juice on the table.
And Keifer saying proudly,
"See? That's why Jay makes life interesting."
Jay wiped her eyes quickly.
She whispered softly to herself,
"No…"
"Yuri is just helping me improve."
But deep inside…
Her heart was starting to feel something she didn't want to admit.
She was beginning to feel…
Small. 💔