Chapter 6: The Swing of Things
The tennis courts were pristine, freshly painted lines, smooth asphalt underfoot and a light scent of rubber and cut grass in the air. The nets were perfectly tightened, not a sag in sight and the court was framed by tall hedges that blocked out the rest of campus, like its own quiet pocket of discipline and order. A few tennis balls sat neatly in a wire basket by the benches, waiting.
Bella stepped onto the court, racket in hand. She wore a white pleated skirt that swayed lightly with each step and a soft lilac tank top that matched the grip tape on her racket. Her sneakers were spotless, brand new, almost too clean and her ponytail bounced as she walked, tied up with a simple ribbon that didn't try too hard but somehow pulled the whole look together. She looked like she belonged there, even if she wasn't sure she did.
The grip felt familiar but distant, like a language she hadn't spoken in a while, something her body remembered better than her mind. It felt almost right. Almost.
She'd signed up that morning, scribbling her name onto the tennis club roster with barely a second thought.
It wasn't some dramatic move. Just a quiet decision, intentional, practical. Something grounded.
A way to focus. A way to breathe. And if she was being completely honest… a way to keep her clothes on.
Swimming had been her comfort zone, sure, but after one too many shirtless run-ins with Yunho, her brain had started operating at a dangerously distracted frequency. Tennis felt safer. More structured. Less… abdominal.
"Look at you," Emily called out from the bleachers, her voice lilting with amusement as she twirled a strand of her hair. "Fresh out of high school and already breaking hearts with a forehand."
Bella rolled her eyes but smiled. "You know I haven't played properly in months, right?"
Emily shrugged. "Doesn't matter. You've got the vibe. Lean, focused, low-key intense. The team's going to love you."
Bella took her place near the baseline as Jason jogged up from the far end of the court, spinning his racket like it was part of him.
"Hey," he said, giving her a nod. "Glad you came."
Bella adjusted her grip, settling into the rhythm as the ball bounced back and forth between them. The moves came back easier than she'd expected, the way her feet shifted, the subtle twist of her wrist. Back in high school, she'd played regularly on the school team, sometimes carrying them through tough matches. She remembered the thrill of the sub-zone championship, the tight matches, the roaring crowd, the way everything sharpened into focus.
Across the net, Jason raised his eyebrows. "You're good."
Bella gave him a wry smile. "You say that like you're surprised."
"I am," he said without missing a beat. "But only because you're underselling yourself."
By the time they wrapped up, her limbs were warm, her heart full. It wasn't the adrenaline of winning or the pressure of proving herself, just a kind of calm. A quiet sense of coming home.
As she packed up, Emily walked over, stretching out like she'd been the one sweating on the court.
"So, tennis girl now?" she teased.
Bella slung her bag over her shoulder. "For now."
Emily looped her arm through Bella's. "Well, we'll see how long that lasts once you run into a certain swimmer captain again."
Bella scoffed. "Not everything's about Yunho, you know."
Emily just smiled like she knew better.
And as they walked off the court together, Bella wasn't entirely sure who she was trying to convince: Emily or herself.
As Bella and Emily walked toward the exit, laughter and footsteps echoed behind them, too loud to ignore.
"Yo, courts are free now, right?" a voice called out.
Bella froze mid-step.
She knew that voice. Confident. Casual. The kind of voice that filled space without trying.
Emily smirked before even turning around. "Well, well. Speak of the devil."
Bella slowly turned.
And there he was.
Yunho.
Damp hair pushed back from his face, still glistening faintly from whatever swim he'd just finished. He wore a loose athletic tee and black shorts, slinging a tennis racket over his shoulder like he used it every day, which, from the amused look on his face, he absolutely did not.
"What are you doing here?" Bella asked, trying and failing not to sound startled.
Yunho grinned. "Coach said to cross-train for cardio. Figured I'd try tennis. Thought it'd be a good challenge."
His eyes flicked to her tennis bag. "Didn't think I'd be running into you here, though."
Bella lifted her chin, steadying herself. "Some of us are capable of switching sports without turning it into a full-body fashion show."
Yunho laughed. "Is that your way of saying you missed me already?"
Emily choked on a snort beside her.
Bella narrowed her eyes. "More like I needed a space where people weren't constantly trying to impress their reflections."
Yunho pressed a hand to his chest, feigning injury. "Ouch. That sounds like a personal attack."
"Only if it hits home," she replied smoothly.
He took a step closer, lowering his voice just enough to draw her in. "You sure tennis was the safer choice? You still seem pretty distracted."
Bella's heart stuttered but her face didn't show it. She smiled sweetly. "Not at all. In fact, I'm thinking clearer than ever."
They held each other's gaze for a beat too long and Emily, not missing a thing, stepped between them like a human firewall.
"Well," she said brightly, hooking her arm through Bella's, "good luck with tennis, Captain Cross-Training. We were just leaving."
Bella turned before he could say more, slinging her bag a little higher on her shoulder.
As they walked away, Emily leaned in, voice low and smug. "So, tennis was supposed to help you focus?"
Bella didn't answer.
Mostly because she couldn't remember what focusing felt like anymore.
Yunho's POV
He hadn't planned on seeing her. Not today.
Tennis, of all things, was just a random suggestion from Coach. Loosen up your shoulders, get out of the pool once in a while. So Yunho grabbed a racket, thinking it would be an easy, mindless workout. Hit some balls. Laugh at himself. Go home.
He figured he'd show up, swing at a few balls and call it a day. Tennis wasn't his thing. It was just something Coach suggested to shake up his cardio. Something different. Something mindless.
What he didn't expect was to see her. The girl from the pool. The towel thief. The one with the smirk that had been stuck in his head for days.
She was already on the court when he arrived, racket in hand, focused, calm. No swim cap. No distractions. Just the clean rhythm of her sneakers on the asphalt and the effortless snap of the ball across the net.
She looked different here. Not softer, but more grounded. Steady. Like she belonged.
He didn't move at first. Just stood there, watching. The sun skimmed her cheekbone as she pivoted, the sweat on her brow catching the light. Something about the way she moved, balanced and precise, made him pause.
And then, before he could say anything or even think too hard about why he was still staring, she wrapped up her rally and slung her bag over her shoulder.
She hadn't seen him.
He recognized her by the walk. Short pixie cut, athletic build, confident stride. That cool energy like static in the air. She was heading for the exit.
And without thinking, he started walking toward her.
"Hey" he called out.
Her reaction was immediate and Yunho couldn't help but grin. She froze, just for a beat. Surprised. Flustered, maybe. He liked that. Not because he wanted to throw her off, but because up until now, she'd been the one catching him off guard.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, clearly unimpressed.
He shrugged. "Coach said to cross-train. Tennis sounded like a good challenge."
They exchanged jabs, toeing the line between banter and flirting. He tried to keep his cool, but the way she fired back without hesitation made it harder than expected.
And then her friend stepped in. Classic best friend block. Pulled her away before Yunho could get a name or a number. He watched the two of them walk off, Bella's ponytail swaying like punctuation at the end of an unfinished sentence.
He lingered near the courts, pretending to warm up while his eyes kept flicking back to where they'd been standing. Still thinking about her smirk. Her eyes. That quiet, sharp confidence.
Yunho watched them disappear around the corner, the curve of a smile still lingering on his face.
He didn't know what it was about her. Maybe the fire behind her sarcasm. Maybe the calm confidence in the way she moved. But she had a way of sticking in his head like a song he didn't know the lyrics to yet.
He was still half-distracted when Chad jogged up behind him, tennis racket slung over one shoulder and a smug look plastered across his face.
"Yo"
Yunho glanced over. "You late or am I early?"
Chad didn't answer that. "You talk to her?"
Yunho raised an eyebrow.
Chad grinned. "The girl from the pool. Pixie cut. Lethal backhand. Looks like she'd break your kneecaps if you touched her towel again."
Yunho laughed under his breath. "Yeah. I ran into her."
"Well" Chad said, dragging the moment out like it was classified intel, "her name's Bella. Isabella Reyes. I saw her talking to Jason earlier. Apparently, she just joined the tennis club."
Yunho's smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. Bella. The name didn't match what he expected. Soft, delicate, almost sweet. She was anything but.
Sharp-eyed. Quick-witted. Built like tension wrapped in calm. Maybe that's what made it stick. The contrast. The surprise.
"Thanks" he said, tone casual. But something in his eyes said he planned to use that name very, very soon.
Chad nudged him with his elbow. "You gonna play or just stand there daydreaming like a Disney prince?"
Yunho tossed his racket into his other hand. "Depends. You think she likes forehands or backhands?"
Chad groaned. "I regret everything."
Yunho grinned, already turning back toward the court.