Bella sat on the low concrete ledge just outside the gym, her bag propped against her legs. The late afternoon sun had started its slow descent, painting the sky in soft golds and muted pinks. The sounds from inside the gym, squeaking sneakers and the dull thud of basketballs against the polished floor, filtered out in faint echoes. She traced the worn seam of her sleeve with her finger, twisting a loose thread, trying to occupy her mind so she would not spiral.
This was not a date. It was not a confession. Yunho had only asked her to wait for him, to walk with him after his practice. But with him, nothing ever felt casual.
Her thoughts drifted to earlier, to the intensity in his eyes when he found her among Jake and Keith, to the brush of his fingers against hers that had sent a thrill through her chest, and to the subtle way he had asked her, not demanded, to stay. She was not used to that. People rarely made space for her like that. They rarely waited for her to decide.
Jake would have cracked a joke about the whole scenario. Keith might have offered a snack or commented loudly about her luck. Emily would have overanalysed every micro expression Yunho made. But none of them could make her feel the way he did. The world had shrunk down to one hallway, one moment, one choice.
And Bella had chosen.
For now.
A soft gust of wind tugged at her hair, sending a shiver up her spine. She looked up at the gym doors, still closed, and exhaled without realising she had been holding her breath. Okay, she thought. Let us see what this is then.
Outside the school gates, the usual after-class buzz lingered. Students milled in clusters, backpacks slung over shoulders, laughter and the sounds of revving engines blending together. Buses rumbled past, brakes squealing, a car honked twice somewhere down the block. Bella adjusted her bag strap and let herself take a slow, grounding breath.
And then she felt him beside her.
Yunho.
He sidled up quietly, his presence immediately noticeable. Damp from swim practice, his jacket hung open over a dry shirt. The collar of his jacket was slightly soaked from where he had rubbed at his hair. He did not speak at first. Instead, he reached down and took her hand like it was something entirely natural, like they had been doing this for years.
She froze. "What are you doing?" she murmured, eyes flicking around. People were still moving nearby, some looking.
He did not let go. "Walking with you."
"To my place?"
"Not quite."
Her brow furrowed in confusion. "Then where?"
He gestured toward the street. "Come with me."
A few heads turned as they stepped off the curb, hand in hand. Someone from the basketball team nudged his friend and raised an eyebrow. A girl glanced blatantly, then ducked behind a taller friend with a whispered, "Oh my God, is that Yunho?"
Bella wanted to shrink into the sidewalk, but Yunho did not falter. He walked like none of it touched him, stride confident yet unhurried.
Only when the familiar corner café came into view did she realise this was not a casual detour. This was not about making a show in public. He had a destination in mind. And he had not cracked a joke once. He had not teased her.
Inside, the café was nearly empty. The soft hum of background music blended with the gentle clatter of mugs and the muted chatter of students studying in the corner. Yunho guided her to a booth by the window, seating her across from him. She took a deep breath, trying to still the rapid pulse in her chest.
Then, without a word, he reached across the table and took her hands again. His thumbs brushed along her fingers slowly, deliberately, absentmindedly. He was not trying to impress. He was not trying to say anything. He just was.
Bella felt the shiver again. Not from nerves exactly, but from the casual intimacy of it. The warmth of his palms, the weight of this shared space, it was all live electricity and she could not deny it.
"What is going on?" she whispered, quieter than she intended.
Yunho's eyes did not leave hers. "I have been thinking about us."
She did not interrupt. She let him continue.
"I know it was just one date. No pressure. No labels," he admitted, voice low, careful. "But I do not want to treat it like it meant nothing. It was not casual for me."
Her eyes lowered, meeting the space between their hands. His touch grounded her but also unsettled her, threading tension through the warmth. She did not know what she had expected. Maybe silence. Maybe nothing. But this was something.
"I am not great at this," Yunho confessed, voice rougher now, more vulnerable. "But I would regret it if I let this stay in limbo and just pretended I did not care."
Bella lifted her gaze again. His eyes held steady, soft yet unwavering, a promise that he was serious even in his own awkward way. She took a breath, voice small but firm. "Yunho," she said, "I… I do not want to just wait around. I want you to chase me. I want to know that this means something to you and that you are trying for me. Not half-heartedly, not casually. I need to be pursued."
His grip on her hands tightened just slightly, careful, protective. His jaw shifted as he processed her words, a mix of surprise and determination crossing his face. "You want me to chase you?"
"Yes," she said softly, meeting his gaze. "Because I… I want to feel like you are choosing me, like I am worth your effort."
Yunho exhaled slowly, letting the tension ease from his shoulders. Then he leaned forward, thumb brushing over her knuckles, slow and intentional. "Bella, I promise. I will chase you. I will try for you, every day I can. I do not want this to be anything less than real."
Her lips parted, heart thudding wildly. Not panic, not confusion. But clarity. Honest, grounded clarity, the kind that made her feel herself fully, without pretension.
Finally, she exhaled, a soft laugh escaping her. "You are really doing this?"
His grin deepened, unguarded. "I am. Because I am tired of guessing where I stand with you."
He looked at her sheepishly and appealed to her with his puppy eyes, "So, will you be my girlfriend?"
Her laugh softened. "Okay," she murmured. "Yes."
The relief that washed over him was immediate, palpable. He drank the last of his water in one gulp, stood so fast she nearly tumbled out of her seat, then tugged at her hand gently, insistently.
"Come on," he said.
"Where now?" she asked, amusement in her voice.
"Outside. I feel like I am going to explode if I stay in one place."
She let him guide her back onto the sidewalk, their fingers intertwined again, brushing and clasping. He looked around, likely wanting to proclaim something to the world, then wisely refrained. He let go only to take her hand again moments later.
"I still cannot believe it," he muttered, bouncing lightly as they walked. "Like this is real. We are real."
Bella arched a brow. "You sound like you have won a prize."
"I have. You said yes. That is elite-level winning," he grinned.
Her cheeks warmed. "Please do not say things like that."
"What? It is true," he countered, nudging her playfully when their hands brushed against a group of younger students staring at them.
Bella groaned. "Seriously?"
"Just getting used to what is mine," he said, grinning at her sideways.