The bus pulled up with a long, weary sigh and the brakes hissed in the warm afternoon air. The metal doors folded open and the faint tang of exhaust drifted toward the waiting passengers. Bella stepped up first, her dress whispering softly against her legs. The fabric caught on the occasional breeze sneaking through the open windows, brushing her skin with a fleeting coolness.
The steady murmur of conversation filled the air, punctuated by the thud of shoes against the floor as people shuffled to find their places. Bella moved toward the middle, her fingers curling around the cool metal of a vertical rail. Beside her, two girls in different school uniforms leaned in toward each other, their voices pitched low but not quite low enough to escape notice.
"Oh my God… did you see him up close?" one breathed, her eyes wide with a kind of delighted disbelief.
"He's way more attractive than I thought," the other replied, tucking her hair behind her ear with exaggerated precision. "And his height… he could be a model."
Bella blinked, unsure whether to be curious or mildly annoyed. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, trying to ignore them, until she caught the flicker of their eyes toward the front of the bus.
Something in her chest tightened, perhaps instinct. She turned her head just as he stepped on.
Yunho.
The air seemed to change with him. He moved with an unhurried ease, his stride deliberate yet fluid, as though he was perfectly at home no matter where he was. Each step seemed to pull attention without him even trying.
The whispers behind Bella cut off mid-sentence.
Yunho's eyes found hers almost immediately and a smile, small but with a teasing edge, curved his lips. He stopped right in front of her, tilting his head slightly.
"Hey," he said, his voice warm and threaded with mischief. "Why didn't you wait for me?"
Bella tightened her grip on the rail, acutely aware of how close he was standing. "I… was looking for a seat."
He glanced at the row of occupied seats, then smirked. "Looks like there's no room. Guess we'll have to stand together."
Behind her, one of the girls whispered again, this time louder, unable to contain herself. "Wait… him? With… her?"
Bella's ears burned. The words pricked at her pride, sharp and uninvited, but she could not tell if Yunho had heard them. If he had, he gave no sign, his gaze steady, his focus pinned entirely on her as if nothing else in the bus existed.
She dropped her gaze, suddenly aware of every detail of her appearance. The dress she wore was nothing extravagant, just soft fabric in a muted shade, the kind you could blend into a crowd with. Yet at this moment, it felt like it had been chosen for him, as if some quiet, unseen part of her had known she would see him today.
Her eyes drifted back to him. He looked like he belonged anywhere, like attention followed him without effort. There was a calm authority in the way he stood, shoulders squared, eyes alert yet relaxed, the faintest trace of a smile playing on his lips.
"Those girls," she murmured, inclining her head ever so slightly toward the pair behind her, "they're definitely checking you out. They think you're hot."
Yunho's smile deepened, slow and deliberate, the kind of smile that felt like a private exchange. Without looking back, he shifted closer and lifted both arms, grasping the railings on either side of her. The motion was casual to anyone else, but Bella knew exactly what he was doing.
In that instant, she was enclosed in the subtle cage of his arms, his presence surrounding her in a way that was both protective and quietly possessive. It was impossible for the girls behind them not to notice.
Bella froze, caught between wanting to step back and being acutely aware of the heat that radiated from him. Her cheeks warmed and she kept her gaze fixed on a random scuff on the bus floor, hoping it might swallow her whole.
Yunho leaned just a fraction closer, his breath warm against the curve of her ear. The faint scent of his cologne wrapped around her. "And what do you think?" His voice was low, meant for her alone.
Her pulse faltered, caught between being self conscious, surprise and something else she could not quite name. The sway of the bus shifted him fractionally closer and she felt the brief brush of his sleeve against her arm. The rest of the world blurred into nothing, her awareness narrowing to the sound of his voice, the space he occupied and the deliberate ease in his stance that made it seem as if she belonged there.
"I think…" The words knotted in her throat before they could find their way out. She turned her head, letting her hair slip forward like a curtain between them. It did little to conceal the faint curve at the corners of her lips, a smile she could not quite suppress.
For a moment, she allowed herself the smallest indulgence; to breathe him in. There was something dangerously thrilling about standing in that pocket of space framed by his arms, a space that felt undeniably his, yet claimed her too in some unspoken way.
The bus jolted forward, pulling them a fraction closer. Her shoulder brushed lightly against his chest and though the contact was fleeting, it felt as if the air itself had shifted. The chatter of passengers faded into a soft, distant hum, overpowered by the steady thrum of the engine beneath their feet and the occasional hiss of the brakes.
Bella became acutely aware of every subtle detail, like her senses are turned up high and nerves are on sensitive mode. The faint warmth radiating from him, the almost imperceptible sound of his breathing, the way he adjusted his stance to keep her steady whenever the bus swayed. He was close, but not crowding her; just near enough that she felt the weight of his presence like a quiet anchor.
By the time the bus slowed for their stop, Bella's heartbeat had settled into a strange mix of nerves and anticipation.
They stepped off together and the world outside felt almost too bright after the dim bus interior. The late-afternoon sun spread warmth over the street, where the air was alive with the sounds of the town. The hum of traffic mingled with the rhythmic clack of bicycle wheels and the layered calls of street vendors advertising everything from roasted chestnuts to skewers of grilled squid.
Yunho led the way without rushing, his hands tucked casually into his pockets. He moved like someone who did not need to look around to know the streets. His head turned only to glance back now and then, making sure she was keeping pace.
Bella quickened her steps to close the small gap between them. "So," she asked, brushing a stray hair from her face, "where are you bringing me for lunch?"