Having four people crammed into one room was definitely crowded.
After work, Rachel and I decided to take them for a stroll around town. Then, Rachel suggested they head back home by tomorrow morning.
Jared seemed indifferent to the morning's incident; he hardly spoke to me and just stood quietly behind me.

Perhaps it was our group's dynamic, with me feeling like the odd one out, but our combined height and looks drew quite a bit of attention as we walked.
As passersby glanced our way, I noticed that the girls we passed seemed unable to take their eyes off Jared.
Even after we moved on, they continued chatting excitedly, their gazes fixed on him. It was frustrating.
We eventually stopped at a dessert shop and settled down.
The girls at the next table kept glancing over, which only added to my discomfort. I had to remind myself that it was just because Jared was exceptionally attractive.
I knew I was being irrational. After all, there couldn't be anything between Jared and me, but still, I felt an inexplicable unease.

Needing a break, I excused myself to the restroom, and Rachel came along.
"Did you see that just now?" she whispered.
I knew exactly what she was referring to and responded with a gossipy tone, "Jared really is something else. He caught everyone's eye wherever we went. It's unbelievable."
"Want to bet? Now that we've left, they'll probably ask for his number."

And sure enough, from where I stood, out of Jared's line of sight, I saw two girls strike up a conversation with him.
Moments later, he pulled out his phone, and the girls walked away with satisfied smiles.
A wave of disappointment swept over me. Despite this, I relayed the scene to Rachel with feigned excitement.
Sometimes, I couldn't fathom why I kept pretending, making things harder on myself.
At that moment, I didn't feel like engaging with Jared anymore, so I made up an excuse and told Rachel to go ahead while I touched up my makeup.
I began to feel like a fool. The sting of tears threatened me as I thought about the whole situation.
As I lingered in front of the mirror, I suddenly saw a man in the mirror.
At first, I assumed he just needed to wash his hands, so I moved aside to give him space. But the next moment, his hand landed on my waist.
Startled, my first instinct was to scream, but a buzzing in my head drowned out all sounds except for a muffled countdown.
Before I knew what was happening, I was dragged into a small space while the door closed behind us.
The last thing I remember was the sound of a heavy door slam.
Then, everything that happened after that was a blur.
It felt like I was caught in a long dream. I dreamt of the first time I met Jared, back when he was still the same height as me.
It was my first visit to Rachel's house.
Unexpectedly, she had to rush out to meet her ex-boyfriend. With her parents often away and her brother usually out late, I found myself alone in her room.
Just as I was about to fall asleep, a loud knocking jolted me awake.
"Rachel, help me!"
The sound terrified me, but the knocking gradually softened. I called Rachel, and she guessed it was probably her brother at the door.
When I opened the door, I found Jared curled up on the ground. It shocked me because he was the most handsome boy I had ever seen.
Though he looked a little confused when he saw me, he seemed very weak as he clutched his stomach and groaned for help.
In the end, I took him to a nearby clinic.
The journey was exhausting, but I persevered for his sake.
At the hospital, the doctor diagnosed Jared with acute gastroenteritis, likely caused by something he ate. Yet, after receiving an IV drip, he felt significantly better.