Things gradually changed between Julian and Scarlet after the festival. Julian started to back away since he did not know how to sort through his feelings, knowing Takeshi also liked Scarlet. He was caught in a web of conflicted emotions, so he did not know which thread to follow.
Scarlet noticed how Julian grew increasingly distant, which gnawed on her. She had no idea why he was pulling away, and it hurt way more than she liked. Anytime she got close to him, he slipped further away.
One afternoon, with the rain pouring down, they took shelter in a gazebo by the riverbank where they had first met. The patter of rain on the roof was soft and the atmosphere inside cozy, warm, and intimate. A good long period into that silence, they sat and listened to the rain outside.
Finally, Scarlet could bear it no longer. "Julian, what's wrong? You have been avoiding me."
Julian looked down into his hands, searching for words. "It's complicated," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "I don't want to hurt anyone, especially not Takeshi."
Scarlet's heart plummeted. "What do you mean? Did Takeshi say something?"
Julian sighed; he was fighting the truth. "He told me he likes you, Scarlet. And I...I.....do not want to get in the way of that.
Scarlet stared into his eyes where turmoil was churning inside her. "And you, Julian? How do you feel? Tell me looking into my eyes"
He looked up into her eyes, his brimming now with pain and longing. "I care for you, Scarlet. More than I ought to. But I do not want to mess things up between us. Or with Takeshi.
The words landed like a thunder to Scarlet's heart. That wasn't the answer she had been hoping for, but at least now she did understand why Julian had been pulling away. "I care about you too, Julian," she whispered and looked so unhappy, "but I'm so confused right now.
Mute feelings hung in the air, lined between them as they sat in the gazebo. The rain kept falling, but that warmth seemed to be eloping.