Chapter 4: The Coffee Date and Mixed Signals

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the small café near campus.

Jay nervously stirred his latte, his gaze darting around the room. He was early, as always, and Yuri was late, as usual.

Not that he minded that much. It gave him time to overthink everything.

He replayed their last conversation in his head, searching for any hidden meanings, any subtle hints that Yuri might actually be interested in him.

He came up empty. Yuri had been friendly, supportive, and… well, just Yuri. Charming, but frustratingly ambiguous.

The bell above the door chimed, and Jay’s heart leaped into his throat.

He looked up to see Yuri walking towards him, a sheepish grin on his face.

“Sorry I’m late,” Yuri said,

sliding into the booth across from Jay. “Practice ran longer than expected.”

“No problem,” Jay mumbled,

his heart still doing its weird little dance.

They ordered their drinks and fell into easy conversation.

They talked about the upcoming history test, their favorite bands, and even debated the merits of pineapple on pizza (a point on which they vehemently disagreed).

Jay found himself laughing at Yuri’s jokes, feeling more comfortable around him than he ever had before.

Then, Yuri mentioned a girl in their literature class. “Sarah’s really smart,” he said, stirring his coffee.

“She’s got some great ideas for the extra credit essay.”Jay’s stomach clenched.

Sarah? Of course. Sarah was brilliant, beautiful, and everything Jay wasn’t.

He suddenly felt very small and insignificant.

“Oh,” Jay

“Yeah,” Yuri said,

oblivious to Jay’s sudden shift in mood.

as“I might ask her to help me with it later.”

Jay’s heart sank. He’d thought… he’d hoped… that maybe, just maybe, Yuri was starting to see him as more than just a friend. But it was clear now. Yuri was interested in someone else. Someone like Sarah.

The rest of the coffee date was a blur. Jay tried to act normal, tried to laugh at Yuri’s jokes, but all he could think about was Sarah and the extra credit essay. He felt a familiar pang of disappointment, a feeling he’d become accustomed to whenever Yuri was around.

As they were leaving the café, Yuri clapped Jay on the shoulder.

“Thanks for meeting up,” he said,

his smile friendly, but not… anything more.

“We should do this again sometime.”

“Yeah,” Jay replied,

forcing a smile. “Sure.”As he walked home, Jay felt a wave of sadness wash over him.

He’d allowed himself to hope, to believe that maybe, just maybe, Yuri could be interested in him. But he was wrong. Yuri was just being friendly, as he always was. And Jay, as always, was just… Jay. Just a friend. He sighed.

Maybe it was time to accept that and move on. But a small part of him, a stubborn, hopeful part, refused to give up. He couldn’t help but wonder… was there something more to Yuri’s friendly demeanor? Or was he just reading too much into nothing?

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***