Jason gripped his racket loosely, his sweat-damp hair clinging to his forehead, eyes scanning the sidelines as he walked toward the benches. Practice had ended five minutes ago, but his mind was elsewhere, half-focused on his teammates' chatter, half-distracted by the thought circling in his head since morning.
Bella sat cross-legged on the grass near the fence, engrossed on her mobile, trying to reply Jake's messages.
"Hey," he said, towel slung over his shoulder as he approached.
Bella looked up, blinking once as if surfacing from a dream. "Hey, Captain."
He chuckled. "You do know you don't have to call me that when we're not on the court, right?"
She shrugged with a faint smile. "Habit. You respond to it faster than your actual name."
"Fair," Jason admitted, sitting down on the bench beside her.
A beat of silence passed, comfortable but filled with unspoken energy. Jason rubbed the back of his neck.
"So... my old school's organising this fun fair thing on Saturday. Alumni weekend. Kind of a big deal, but also very not a big deal, games, food stalls, probably some terrible music from the DJ they always hire."
Bella raised an eyebrow, amused. "You're selling it so well."
He laughed. "I know, right? Anyway, I thought it might be fun. You want to come with me?"
Bella blinked, caught a little off guard. "To your school's fair?"
"Yeah," Jason said, casually. "No pressure. Just figured you might like it. And... I guess I'd like it if you came."
There was a beat of hesitation, not because she was unsure, but because she hadn't expected it. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and answered "Sure". She said absentmindedly, standing up and dusting dust off her skirt. "Sounds fun."
Jason smiled, genuinely pleased, though he tried not to make a big deal of it.
"Cool. I'll text you the details."
Bella nodded, slinging her bag over one shoulder as she turned to leave. "Later, Captain."
Jason watched her go, grinning to himself as she disappeared around the hedge.
It was just a fair.
On the day, Jason stood at the bus stop near their houses, shifting his weight from one foot to the other as the morning sun warmed the pavement. He checked his phone for the time again. Five minutes early. Of course he was.
He told himself he wasn't nervous. After all, this wasn't a date. Just a weekend fair and Bella had said yes without much thought. Casual. No big deal.
Still, he'd changed his shirt twice before leaving the house.
The breeze picked up just enough to ruffle his hair as he glanced down the street. Then he saw her.
Bella walked with her usual easy stride, hands in her jacket pockets, the strap of her bag slung across her chest. She wore a loose, comfortable dress beneath the jacket and a soft expression that looked like she hadn't quite woken up, or maybe just didn't want to look like she had.
Jason raised a hand in greeting. "Morning."
"Morning, Captain," she said, giving him a look. "You're way too awake for a weekend."
"I was promised games, questionable food and terrible school DJ music. Hard to sleep through that kind of excitement."
She laughed lightly as they both moved closer to the edge of the sidewalk, waiting for the next bus.
"So, this alumni fun fair... should I be worried?"
He tilted his head, considering. "Only if you have a strong fear of balloon animals or retired teachers with sharp memories."
Bella smirked. "Sounds thrilling."
They stood in companionable silence for a moment, the kind that didn't need to be filled. A few cars passed.
"You didn't have to invite me, you know," Bella said suddenly.
Jason looked over. "I wanted to."
Bella nodded once, eyes on the road ahead.
"Besides," he added, more lightly, "you strike me as the kind of person who needs to witness the horror of the wet, dunking tank booth at least once in her life."
"That bad?"
"Legendary."
The bus rolled into view and they both stepped forward.
As they boarded and found two seats near the back, Jason couldn't help but glance at Bella out of the corner of his eye. She looked relaxed, a little curious, maybe even a little excited. And just like that, he felt the nerves fade.
Not a date. Just a fair.
But maybe, he thought as the bus pulled away from the curb, just maybe this was the start of something.
Bella's POV
She hadn't expected to say yes so easily when he asked. It wasn't that she didn't like him. Jason was warm and outgoing, easy to talk to, and impossible not to notice. He carried himself with that rare ease, the kind of person who felt just as at home in a noisy crowd as he did in a quiet one-on-one conversation. Someone people naturally gravitated toward.
But for Bella, saying yes wasn't really about him. It was about her.
Lately, she'd felt like she was always playing it safe. Always choosing quiet corners, predictable routines and the comfort of people who already knew her. Maybe this was her way of doing something different. Not drastic. Just something small.
Maybe she was curious. Maybe she just wanted to see what Jason was like outside the court, away from school, without all the usual noise that surrounded him.
Or maybe she just needed a break from her own thoughts.
As he joked about balloon animals and dunk tanks, she found herself smiling. She hadn't expected this either. The comfort. The ease. Jason made being present feel simple.
Even as she sat beside him, sunlight warming her jacket and the road stretching quietly ahead, a thought kept circling in the back of her mind. Jason was charming, easy to be around but he didn't stir something in her the way Yunho did, no matter how often she tried not to think about it.
Still, she let herself enjoy it. Just a fair. Just a weekend. Just a bus ride with someone who wanted her there.
She tried not to read too much into Jason's enthusiasm when he looked at her or how quickly he responded when she spoke.
Not everything had to mean something. She told herself that again.