"Blinded by Friendship"

As I walked up to Rafael's house, I couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia wash over me. It had been months since we first started filming those Japanese sweets together, and since then, we had become incredibly close friends. We would hang out at least once a week, trying new foods, watching movies, and just enjoying each other's company. I knocked on the door, and Rafael answered with a big smile on his face. "Hey, what's up?" he asked, stepping aside to let me in. I walked into the living room, taking a seat on the couch. "Not much, just thought I'd drop by and say hi," I said, looking around at the familiar surroundings. Rafael sat down next to me, and we chatted for a bit about our weeks. He told me about his latest video, and I shared some stories about my job. It was just a normal, casual conversation, but I felt at ease with him in a way that I didn't with many other people. As we talked, Rafael's expression turned serious, and he cleared his throat. "Hey, I wanted to talk to you about something," he said, his eyes locked on mine. I turned to him, curious. "What's up?" Rafael took a deep breath before speaking. "I've started talking to someone," he said, a hint of a smile on his face. My heart skipped a beat, and I felt a pang of surprise. I had never thought of Rafael in a romantic way before, or at least, I hadn't realized it. We were just friends, right? I forced a smile onto my face, trying to sound happy for him. "That's great, congratulations!" I exclaimed, trying to sound genuine. Rafael's face lit up, and he launched into a story about how they met online and had been chatting for weeks. I listened intently, nodding and making supportive noises, but inside, I felt a little hollow. As Rafael continued to talk, I found myself zoning out, my mind wandering to thoughts of this new girl in his life. Who was she? What was she like? Was she going to change Rafael in some way? I pushed those thoughts aside, telling myself I was being ridiculous. Rafael was happy, and that's all that mattered. I was happy for him, I really was. But as I sat there, smiling and laughing with Rafael, I couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted inside of me. It was a subtle change, but it was there, lurking just beneath the surface. I had no idea what it meant, or where it would lead, but for now, I just pushed it aside, focusing on being a good friend to Rafael. After all, that's what friends did, right?