"This is your idea of a date?" Rosette asked, raising a brow as Dranred led her toward the basketball arena. It was the championship game, and the Falcons—James's team—were playing in the finals. She couldn't help but smile, seeing how focused and content her brother looked on the court posters outside.
"What? Plenty of couples come here for dates," Dranred said, grinning as he intertwined his fingers with hers. "Besides, it's the finals. I really wanted to watch, and I thought you'd want to see your brother play too. So stop overthinking and come on."
Rosette crossed her arms, feigning a frown. "Are you trying to save money on me?"
"Of course not!" Dranred laughed, pretending to be offended. "If I could, I'd give you the world. But we both love basketball, and it's not every day we get to watch someone important to us play in a championship game. I just thought you'd enjoy it."
Rosette's expression softened. "Well… I do. Thanks. I really want to watch the finals anyway."
Dranred's grin widened. "See? Your love for James saved me this time. Let's go."
But before he could pull her into the arena, Rosette tugged on his arm. "Wait a second," she said, her tone suddenly serious. "You've been impossible to reach all week. Where were you? Then out of nowhere, you ask me out on a date? What's going on with you, Dran—"
Her words were cut off by a sudden chorus of shrieks. A group of young women rushed toward them, pushing past Rosette as they surrounded Dranred. Rosette stumbled a step back, staring in disbelief as the fans practically cornered him.
Dranred blinked in surprise, then chuckled awkwardly as the girls excitedly fired questions at him—asking about his next plans, praising his performance in the World Cup, gushing about his legendary pitches. He thanked them graciously, answering their questions and smiling warmly.
Rosette clenched her jaw, crossing her arms as she watched him. She hated to admit it, but the sight of him surrounded by swooning fans made her blood boil.
When Dranred noticed her pouting expression from across the crowd, a mischievous smile tugged at his lips. After giving a few more autographs and posing for pictures, he politely excused himself and walked straight toward Rosette.
The fans gasped when he reached her—then fell completely silent when he gently took Rosette's hand and smiled.
"Why does his smile look sweeter than before?" one of the women muttered, pouting.
"And who is she? Why do they look so close?" another asked, clearly irritated as she watched the two of them.
"I'm sorry about that," Dranred said softly, turning to Rosette. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," she replied, brushing it off. "But honestly, I don't think I'm enjoying this date anymore."
She walked ahead toward the entrance, her tone sharp. Dranred just smiled and quickly followed, catching her hand.
"Jealous again?" he teased.
"I am not!" Rosette shot back without looking at him.
"Of course you are," he said with a playful grin.
"Believe what you want," she huffed, continuing toward the arena.
Inside, the players were already on the court, warming up for the finals. The place was packed, filled with noise and excitement. Dranred led her to the seats just above the Falcons' bench, where James was sitting with his team. When James spotted them, he waved, and both Dranred and Rosette waved back.
The moment they sat down, Rosette heard people whispering around them. Everyone seemed to recognize Dranred. Their attention was completely drawn to him—his name echoing in small murmurs.
He's famous everywhere he goes, Rosette thought, glancing at him.
"The game's about to start," Dranred said without looking at her. "You might want to focus on that instead of me."
Rosette frowned and turned her gaze to the court. The lights dimmed slightly as the announcer began introducing the players for the championship match. The crowd roared with excitement, but Rosette barely heard it.
Her thoughts drifted back to what Estelle and James had told her—to go with Estelle to Switzerland and study there. She knew they only wanted what was best for her, but something inside her hesitated.
It wasn't that she didn't want a future. She just didn't know how to tell Dranred about it—
Would he let her go? Would he even understand? As the game began, her heart felt heavier than the noise around her. Rosette was so lost in thought she didn't even notice the game moving forward. The cheers from both sides echoed around her, but her mind was far away.
Dranred, sitting beside her, was deep in his own thoughts too—wondering how he could convince her to accept Estelle's offer to study abroad. He still didn't know how to tell her that he, too, was leaving soon to play in the majors.
He wanted to be with her. The idea of being apart felt unbearable. But he couldn't keep her bound to the world he wanted to build for himself. If she chose to go, he would wait—no matter how long it took.
"Just go," he whispered.
His voice was soft, but to Rosette, it was the loudest sound in the entire arena. The noise of the crowd vanished; only his words remained—quiet, but heavy with pain.
She turned to him, eyes wide. "What are you saying?"
"James told me," he said, eyes still on the court. "I think you should go. It's a rare opportunity for you." His fists were clenched, his voice trembling as he tried to keep it steady.
"This is harder than pitching with an injured arm," he added with a weak smile.
Rosette just stared at him, unable to speak.
"What do you mean?" she finally whispered.
"I mean you shouldn't waste this chance. You can become anything you want," he said, pretending to watch the game, though he wasn't seeing any of it.
"Just like that?" she said in disbelief. "You brought me here just to tell me to go? And you're letting me leave, just like that?"
Dranred took a deep breath. "You have no idea how hard this is for me. Every part of me wants to keep you with me—lock you away somewhere so no one else can look at you. But that would be selfish. I know you have dreams too—"
"And you think I can't reach them if we're together?" she cut in, her voice trembling. "Do you really think I'd let you hold me back?"
"I would never think that," he said, finally meeting her eyes. "I just… I can't be selfish and keep you for myself. I don't ever want to be the reason you stop chasing your dreams."