Chapter 248 Withdrawing from the Competition

On the way home, I remained silent and gazed quietly out the window. I could feel Eric's eyes on me. But for some reason, I wasn't in the mood to respond. I didn't want to admit it, but seeing Elsa blocking Eric in the hallway earlier had irritated me. Sensing my shift in mood, Eric asked softly, "What's wrong?" I shook my head. "Nothing." But he wasn't letting it slide. He turned me to face him, his expression serious. "You've been acting off ever since we left. You were fine during dinner." He paused for a second as if piecing things together. "Wait. This started right after I ran into Elsa in the hallway and you came looking for me." Then, as if hit by a sudden realization, his eyes widened in surprise. "Are you jealous?" I immediately denied it, saying, "Of course not! No way! Don't overthink it!" His gaze remained skeptical. I scrambled for an explanation. "I just don't understand why she acts that way. That's all." For a brief moment, I thought I saw a flicker of disappo