I tried to shake off the conversation with Ethan, but it lingered like an unfinished thought, refusing to fade. The rest of the trip went on as planned group discussions, observation sessions, and assigned reflections on the philosophical themes we were meant to explore. But even as I buried myself in our activities, I couldn’t escape the awareness of Ethan’s presence. It wasn’t even that he was always near. If anything, he gave me space, only engaging when necessary. But that somehow made it worse. I should have felt relieved that he didn’t press further after our talk last night. Instead, there was a gnawing discomfort in my chest, like I’d walked away from something unfinished.
That evening, we were gathered for a group reflection session led by our professor. The topic revolved around
