Bella nodded, grateful for the chance to escape the buzz for a moment. They made their way toward the school canteen, the hum of laughter and conversation filling the air.
As they turned a corner, a small group of girls from their year spotted them and exchanged quick glances before stepping forward. One of them, a confident girl with perfectly styled hair, smiled brightly.
"Hey, Bella, right?" she began, eyes flicking toward Emily. "We've been meaning to ask. Are you friends with Jake and Keith? You know, the guys from the basketball team who just showed up?"
Bella glanced at Emily, who shrugged with an amused smile. "Yeah, we are."
The girl nodded eagerly. "And do they hang out here often? It's not every day we see guys like that around school."
Bella felt the weight of their interest but kept her tone casual. "They're pretty laid back. Definitely talented on the court. And yeah, they drop by now and then."
Emily leaned in slightly, a knowing smile tugging at her lips. "But don't expect them to be easy to get close to."
The girls giggled, exchanging excited whispers. Bella caught the flicker of curiosity and maybe a bit of envy in their eyes as they slowly stepped back, leaving Bella and Emily to continue on their way.
As they walked off, Bella couldn't help but wonder what Jake and Keith really thought of all this attention and if it would change anything.
As Bella and Emily reached the canteen, Emily's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "So, what's the real story with Jake and Keith? They seem... different."
Bella shrugged, stirring her drink slowly. "They're cool, I guess. Not the usual crowd, but they're genuine."
Emily nudged her playfully. "Come on, there's gotta be more. You look really close."
Bella gave a small laugh. "We grew up together. They're childhood friends. More like brothers than boyfriends."
Emily raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced but letting it slide for now.
Before Bella could say more, a sharp laugh cut through the chatter nearby. She glanced over to see a group of girls from another clique, the mean girls, eyeing her with thinly veiled contempt.
One of them, tall with perfectly manicured nails, smirked loudly enough for Bella to hear. "She acts all quiet, but she sure knows how to keep the boys around."
Another sneered, "Funny how the shy ones always turn out to be the biggest flirts."
Bella's grip tightened around her drink, but she didn't turn around. The sting of the mean girls' words hung in the air like static, sharp, irritating, but not entirely unexpected.
Emily leaned in closer, lowering her voice. "Ignore them. But seriously, do you think any of those guys actually see you as more than just 'one of the girls'?"
Bella blinked, thrown for a second. Her eyes drifted toward the court through the tall windows, where Jake and Keith were still messing around with a basketball, laughing and half-wrestling like kids. She gave a small, dry laugh.
"Not really," she said finally. "They treat me like one of the guys. Always oversharing stuff I didn't ask for, like how often they have to trim their nose hair."
Emily wrinkled her nose. "Charming."
"Right?" Bella stirred her drink, a touch of irony in her smile. "I'm basically their therapist-slash-little sister with occasional access to the last slice of pizza."
When Bella returned to the courts, she tried to look for Yunho's shadow but found none.
Bella lingered by the edge of the court, her fingers curled loosely around her tote strap. Her eyes scanned the area out of habit more than hope. But Yunho was gone.
Yunho had disappeared when she returned from the cafeteria, slipping away without a word. She hadn't expected anything, she told herself that. Still, she'd hoped. Maybe for a glance. A short goodbye. Something.
Instead, just absence. Bella shifted her tote higher on her shoulder, the weight of the day settling in her chest more than her limbs.
"You ready to head home?"
Jake.
He stood with his hands tucked into the pockets of his hoodie, face slightly flushed from the games but relaxed now. His eyes flicked toward hers with an ease that always felt unspoken, like he didn't need to try too hard to know when she wasn't quite herself.
"Yeah," she said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Figured it was time."
He nodded once. "I'll walk you."
"Didn't see Yunho after the last round," Bella said casually after a stretch of silence.
Jake nodded. "He must've slipped out while everyone was distracted." He gave her a quick, knowing look, as if suggesting maybe it happened soon after she left.
He let out a low hum, thoughtful but easy. "He seems alright. Serious, but decent."
Bella glanced at him, a bit surprised by the comment. "You think so?"
Jake shrugged. "Yeah. Doesn't say much, but I get the feeling he's the kind of guy who only speaks when he means something."
"Jake?"
They both turned.