"What's wrong?" Rosette asked Dranred as he led her toward his car. She couldn't tell what he was thinking. Was he about to say something to her? At least James had agreed to let her talk with him — though that, too, puzzled her. Something about James seemed different tonight. Could this be the start of reconciliation between the two men? The thought lingered in her mind.
"Why did you leave so suddenly earlier?" Dranred asked, his eyes fixed on the path ahead. "I was looking for you inside the arena."
"Was I supposed to stay there? I needed to go with—" Rosette stopped mid-sentence when Dranred suddenly halted and turned to face her.
"I went with James to the hospital," she said quietly, meeting his eyes.
"Dranred!" a cheerful voice called.
They both turned to see Charlie and his companions approaching.
"Charlie! You guys," Dranred greeted, smiling as they came closer. Charlie glanced briefly at Rosette and at their joined hands before turning back to Dranred.
"Man, your play was insane!" Romeo exclaimed. "Who would've thought you'd win with that injury? And that last shot — total killer! I'd love to see that one again."
Dranred smiled modestly, watching their excited faces. They looked genuinely pleased with his performance.
Rosette observed the group curiously. They seemed to know Dranred well — and from the sound of their accents, they were foreigners.
"Oh, you're with someone," one of them said, finally noticing her.
"Ah, yes. This is Rosette," Dranred said, introducing her. Then he turned to her. "Rosette, this is Charlie — my uncle." He went on to introduce his uncle's teammates.
Rosette blinked in surprise. She hadn't known Dranred had an uncle like Charlie. She thought she knew everything about him — after all, she'd always considered herself his number one fan. But clearly, there were still things about his life she didn't know.
"Your girlfriend?" Romeo asked suddenly.
"No!" Dranred and Rosette blurted out at the same time.
Charlie raised an eyebrow, and the two exchanged an awkward glance before looking away, their hearts beating faster than either cared to admit.
"That look," Romeo said with a grin. "Something tells me—"
"Really," Dranred cut him off smoothly. "Rosette is my very special friend — and my number one fan," he added, before Romeo could say anything more.
"You're James's younger sister?" Charlie asked, turning to Rosette.
"Yes. How do you know my brother?" she asked, curious.
"You know her?" Romeo asked Charlie.
"Yes," Charlie said. "Dranred always talked about his number one fan. She also happens to be the younger sister of his best friend." He gave Dranred a knowing look.
"Oh, so that's how it is," Romeo said, sounding slightly disappointed. "Well, you two look good together." He gave Dranred a playful thumbs-up. Dranred only smiled modestly in response.
"We'd better go," Charlie said, turning to his companions. "We still have practice tomorrow morning."
"Oh right, I almost forgot. You joining us?" Romeo asked, glancing at Dranred. Rosette looked at him curiously.
"I'll check," Dranred replied.
"You'd better be there," Romeo teased, smiling before turning back to Rosette. "Nice to meet you, Rosette, right?"
"Yes," she said, returning his handshake with a polite smile.
Charlie's group said their goodbyes. Dranred and Rosette watched as they walked toward their van.
"I didn't know you had an uncle," Rosette said as they watched the van drive off.
"He's my grandfather's illegitimate son. The old man never accepted him," Dranred said quietly. Rosette could hear the sadness in his voice.
"He's actually cool," he added after a moment. "If I hadn't joined the basketball team, I would've played for his team instead."
Rosette glanced at his face — and suddenly remembered the time she'd first seen him play baseball.
"Anyway, let's go," Dranred said, breaking her thoughts as he gently took her hand again and led her toward the car.
"You're acting weird. What's going on?" she asked, following him.
"What's going on here?" she asked again when he stopped behind his car, looking at him in confusion.
"I told you, didn't I?" he said with a small smile. "That I'd introduce you to the first person who ever got my autograph as a basketball player."
"Okay? But why here? Can't this wait until tomorrow?" Rosette asked, glancing around. There was no one else there, only a few parked cars.
"There's no one here. Who are you—"
She stopped mid-sentence as the trunk of Dranred's car slowly opened. Rosette covered her mouth in shock. Inside were Dranred's first MVP plaque and trophy — surrounded by white roses.
She turned to him, confused. "Why are you showing me this?"
Dranred smiled softly. "You said you wanted to meet the person who owns my first autograph. Look closely."
Rosette frowned, then leaned in to examine the plaque and trophy. Her breath caught when she saw it — her name, etched in the dedication. She looked back at Dranred, eyes wide.
"I remember leaving this promise to a young friend," he said gently. "That my first autograph would be hers. She loved roses especially orange one—this reminds her of Autumn… and she was the very first person who believed in me."
He stepped closer, his expression tender. "I can finally return this with confidence." When he opened his hand, Rosette saw what he was holding — the old baseball she had given him years ago.
She couldn't speak. Tears welled in her eyes as she stared at the ball. There was a time she thought he had given it to someone else, that the promise had been broken.
"Don't you have anything to say?" Dranred asked softly. But she only stared, and then — a tear slipped down her cheek.
"Why are you crying?" he whispered, brushing a thumb over her face. "You're such a crybaby."
Without another word, he pulled her gently into his arms.
"Seeing you cry… that's the last thing I expected," he murmured, stroking her back. "I was looking forward to your reaction, but not this."
"Thank you," she said between quiet sobs, gripping his arm tightly.
Dranred smiled faintly, letting her cry in his embrace. After a while, when her tears had stopped, he helped her sit on the edge of the car trunk.
"Feeling a little better now?" he asked.
She nodded. "Yes. Thank you." She glanced at the baseball in her hands. "Won't your teammates look for you? They must be celebrating."
"They'll be fine without me," he said, sitting beside her. A pause. Then, quietly: "I'm retiring from basketball."
Rosette looked at him, stunned. "What? Why all of a sudden?"
He exhaled. "I think I've spent half my life chasing basketball. I started because I thought it was my way to make up for my family's mistakes — for what we did to your brother. But somewhere along the way, while chasing someone else's dream, I forgot who I really was. When I played baseball again after ten years… my heart was pounding so fast, the only thing I could hear was the sound of it. That excitement, that first pitch—"
He looked down at his hands. Rosette understood. Completely.
"I think I've said this to you before," Rosette began softly. "When you were playing basketball, you were the brightest star I saw. But I think you'll shine even brighter when you're playing the sport you truly love. I'm sure James is proud that you fulfilled his dream — but you never had that obligation. Don't stop yourself from doing what makes you happy."
She turned the baseball in her hands, smiling faintly. "Personally, I want to see you standing on the mound again."
That was the truth in her heart. She liked the Dranred who dominated the basketball court, but she missed the ace who stood on the mound with confidence — the one who threw every pitch with soul.
"Now that I've heard that from my number one fan," Dranred said, smiling, "I think I can really go back and play baseball."
"You didn't need to hear it from me," Rosette replied. "I know deep inside, that's what you've always wanted. And I'll look forward to the day I see you out there again."
Dranred chuckled. "Will you watch my first game, if that happens?"
"Of course! How could I miss it? I'll be there cheering for you," she said.
"That's a promise." He held out his pinky finger.
Rosette laughed at the gesture. "How old are you, really?"
"Just do it," he teased. "We need to seal this deal — before you forget about it."
He gently took her hand, crossing their pinkies together and pressing their index fingers in a playful seal.
"You're not allowed to break this promise," he said softly.
Rosette smiled, feeling warmth spread through her chest. Inside, she already knew — she was looking forward to the day she'd see him on the mound again.