What should I do

At the beginning of my college life, I became very close to someone. Over time, I realized that I was much more emotionally invested in the friendship than they were. I used to care deeply, put in effort, and feel strongly attached, while the other person seemed much less emotionally connected.

Because of that friendship, I also became part of a group. The group itself was not bad, and there are a few people there whom I genuinely like and can connect with individually. But emotionally, I was mostly attached to that one person, not the group as a whole.

As time passed, I started feeling that the friendship was one-sided, and I slowly pulled myself back emotionally. We still talk sometimes, but I stopped seeing the friendship in the same way because I felt like I was always the one giving more.

Now, there is another person from that same group who is genuinely caring toward me. They try to include me, spend time with me, and make me feel valued. I appreciate that a lot, even though I don’t feel a very deep emotional connection with them.

Recently, that women( that person who cared for me) from that group invited me to their birthday party, and the whole group will be there. The problem is that there is one person in that group who makes me feel judged and uncomfortable. I also don’t like answering personal questions in group settings, and around that person especially, I feel emotionally guarded.

Now I feel confused. A part of me wants to go because this person has been genuinely kind to me. But another part of me feels like I would be ignoring my own emotional comfort by putting myself in a space where I don’t fully feel safe or connected.

Has anyone else experienced liking certain people individually but still feeling disconnected from the overall group dynamic?