I did remove the option of rejecting the beads, because I needed the scene to happen. You have the option of accepting them reluctantly.
You certainly don’t have to chase him romantically and there are platonic choices you can take. His feelings are all raw now so it may seem like he’s pursuing you, too, but that will change if you don’t take his options. And Matteo and Bayram’s actions fit their personalities.
But if you don’t pursue Tellus romantically, the friendship is still there. To be fair, I do that with all ROs; they’ll all be friendly if you don’t choose them romantically. If you’ve read Viatica, you’ll notice I do it there, too.
I tend to veer toward the rosy side of relationships; MC is not going to be indifferent to him. I enjoy writing friendships. I don’t think I could change that even if I wanted to. Respectfully, if it makes you uncomfortable, then this may not be the story for you. I wouldn’t want anyone to read something that bothers them, but alternatively, I’m going to write what I enjoy. Thank you.