Dranred's smile widened as he gently reached for Rosette's trembling hand, the one clutching the small box. The stadium lights shimmered on them both as he slowly lifted the lid.
A collective gasp rippled through the crowd. Inside the box was a single, worn baseball — the same one he had given her years ago.
Everyone watched in stunned silence. The noise of the arena softened into a hush of anticipation, as if the entire world were holding its breath for what would happen next.
Dranred took the baseball in his hand and turned it over slowly, his thumb brushing against its faded stitches.
"I told you before," he said softly, his voice carrying even through the roar of the stands, "this isn't an ordinary baseball."
He looked up at her, eyes shining.
"It holds my greatest hopes and desires."
Then, before anyone could react, he dropped to one knee.
A loud gasp tore through the stadium. Rosette flinched in shock, nearly standing in panic.
"Red—! Get up! Everyone's watching," she whispered urgently, cheeks flushing.
But Dranred only smiled up at her, calm and unshaken. Around them, the lights brightened, and the crowd's whispers swelled into a wave of cheers. In the stands, Estelle and James were grinning ear to ear, Hazel covering her mouth as her eyes glistened.
Dranred's voice was steady but full of emotion.
"I was lost for ten years before I realized that my light existed — that she was already lighting my path. It took me another three years to find the courage to say this."
He pressed the baseball open with a faint click — and gasps echoed again as the cover split, revealing a diamond ring nested inside.
Rosette's hands flew to her mouth. Tears pooled in her eyes as she stared down at him, unable to speak.
"Rosette," Dranred said, his voice trembling with feeling. "My light… will you marry me?"
For a heartbeat, the entire world seemed to stop. Then the crowd erupted into thunderous cheers that shook the stadium.
"Say yes! Say yes!" they chanted, their voices merging into a rhythm of pure joy.
Dranred looked up at her again, his smile radiant.
"Marry me," he repeated, holding out the ring toward her.
Rosette bit her lip, laughter and tears colliding in her throat. She nodded, her voice breaking with happiness.
"Yes," she whispered, then louder, laughing through her tears. "Yes! The answer has always been yes!"
The stadium exploded with cheers. Dranred slipped the ring onto her trembling finger, then laced his fingers through hers and stood.
For a moment, they simply stared at each other — the crowd roaring, the cameras flashing, the lights blazing around them. Then, with a breathless smile, Dranred pulled her close and kissed her — deep, certain, and full of everything they had waited three long years to say.
The audience roared even louder, chanting their names as fireworks bloomed across the night sky. Rosette's hand found its way to the back of his neck, and he drew her closer still, one arm wrapping around her waist.
When they finally broke apart, both laughing through their tears, Dranred rested his forehead against hers.
"You were right," he whispered. "You really are my brightest star."
And under the glow of the stadium lights — brighter than fireworks, louder than victory — they stood together, their fingers intertwined, as the world celebrated around them.
The stadium erupted in thunderous applause and wild cheers.
Drums rolled, trumpets blared, and from the open sky above, a shower of autumn leaves began to fall — gold, amber, and crimson — swirling gently through the floodlights like a living sunset. The air shimmered with warmth and wonder.
On the giant screens, the cameras captured Dranred and Rosette locked in a long, passionate kiss. The world watched, spellbound. Even Dranred's teammates, still clutching the World Cup trophy, could only laugh and applaud in disbelief.
"Unbelievable! I've got nothing left to say about Dranred," one teammate said, shaking his head with a grin.
"When blessings rained down on this world, his eyes were wide open," another joked, laughing.
Nathan stood among them, silent. He watched the couple on the screen — the woman he once loved and the man who had truly won her heart. He had known for a long time that he couldn't change Rosette's mind, yet a small part of him had always hoped. Now, seeing Dranred's public declaration, he felt the last trace of that hope drift away like a leaf on the wind.
He smiled faintly, lowering his shoulders.
"You win, Dranred," he murmured softly.
Meanwhile, up in the stands, something brushed against Rosette's cheek — soft and weightless. She looked up in surprise and gasped. A thousand autumn leaves were spiraling down from above, glinting gold beneath the stadium lights, carried by an artificial breeze that turned the night into a dream.
"Autumn leaves?" she whispered, her voice barely audible over the crowd.
Dranred smiled, his eyes never leaving hers. He leaned forward until their foreheads touched.
"You once said the autumn festival was your happiest memory," he said gently. "So I thought… maybe I could give you another one."
Her eyes shimmered. Around them, the crowd's cheers faded into a low, distant hum — as though the world had stepped back to let only the two of them exist.
"I love you," Dranred whispered, his breath brushing her lips.
Rosette's lips curved into a trembling smile. Her hands slid up around his neck, drawing him closer.
"And I love you," she breathed, before closing the distance between them once more.
The crowd erupted again, the sound thunderous and joyous. The golden leaves danced around them, twirling through the air like blessings from the heavens. In that moment, it no longer mattered that thousands were watching — the world had narrowed to just the two of them, bound together by years of waiting and a love that had endured every season.
The scene would become legendary — the moment when the Fire Ace not only won the World Cup but also won the heart he had been fighting for all along.
News channels replayed the footage for days, newspapers filled their front pages with their story:
"World Champion Dranred Proposes on the Field!"
"The Great Fire Ace Finds His Forever!"
Hearts around the world fluttered and broke in equal measure. The nation's beloved pitcher was no longer a bachelor — but even off the market, his fire would continue to burn bright. Dranred would still command the mound, dazzling crowds with his perfect pitch — the same pitch powered by love, patience, and devotion.
And as the last of the autumn leaves drifted down to the field, Dranred lifted his gaze to the glowing sky, his fingers still interlaced with Rosette's.
"I told you," he whispered with a smile. "You'll always be my brightest star."