Off-Court (COMPLETED)

Ramen in a cold evening

After dinner, Demille excused herself from the table, not even bothering to hide her irritation. She caught a glare from Juan as she walked out, clearly unimpressed by her behavior. She knew she was acting like a brat, but she just couldn’t stand being in that restaurant any longer. The tension was suffocating. Once outside, she took a deep breath, the cool evening air filling her lungs as she closed her eyes for a moment.

It was 9:00 PM, and the Barcelona streets were alive with activity. Couples strolled hand in hand, laughing and enjoying the night. Groups of college students who had just finished their evening classes were having a blast, their voices carrying through the air. Tourists wandered about, snapping photos and marveling at the city's beauty. But Demille paid them no mind. Her phone vibrated repeatedly in her pocket—probably Juan or Klein calling to lecture her about how rude she had been—but she ignored it, letting the world pass her by as she walked aimlessly down the street.

She soon found herself standing in front of a small bookstore. The cozy ambiance inside was too inviting to resist, so she pushed the door open and stepped inside. The soft lighting and gentle music made the place feel like a refuge from the chaos of the outside world. There was only one staff member inside, engrossed in a movie on her phone, completely oblivious to Demille's presence.

Demille wandered through the shelves, scanning the titles. It took her about 30 minutes to browse through one section before she finally selected two thick books that caught her interest—perfect for her next long flight. She nodded to herself, satisfied with her choices, and made her way to the cashier to pay. As she stepped outside, she paused, noticing someone standing near the entrance.

A man with blonde, curly hair was standing there, looking down at his sneakers and nervously patting the ground with his foot. Demille smiled, amused at how adorable he looked. This was Andrey—intimidating on the tennis court but off-court, he was shy, awkward, and even a little weird.

Andrey stopped fidgeting the moment he felt someone watching him. He looked up and met Demille's amber eyes, his heart pounding in his chest.

“H-Hi" he stammered, forcing a nervous smile.

“What are you doing here? Is the meeting already over?” Demille asked, tilting her head slightly.

Andrey shook his head, trying to keep himself from looking away. He wanted to hold her gaze, but it was a struggle. “W-well, the meeting was really boring, so I walked around,” he lied, before quickly adding the truth “I saw you here, s-so I waited”

Demille nodded, taking in Andrey’s blushing cheeks and red ears. She assumed it was probably because of the cold evening, but she couldn’t help but find it endearing. She turned and started walking down the street, and Andrey immediately fell into step beside her.

“What happened?” Andrey asked, his attention divided between Demille and the busy street, making sure no one bumped into her.

“What?” She glanced at the tall man walking beside her “What are you talking about?”

“You and Astrid, is she bothering you?” Andrey asked gently.

Demille didn’t answer immediately. She sighed, her thoughts drifting back to the strained dinner “She’s been getting on my nerves since I was still in my mom’s womb” she finally said with a laugh.

“W-why?” Andrey asked, genuinely curious.

“Well... that's a secret” Demille teased, glancing up at Andrey with a smile. “Shhh, don’t be too nosy, Rublev”

Andrey chuckled softly but didn’t press further. “Are you full now?” he asked, changing the subject.

Demille chuckled at his question, realizing how quickly she had eaten earlier just to escape the dinner table. “Not really,” she admitted, patting her stomach “Still hungry. You want to eat?”

Andrey suddenly stopped walking, causing Demille to halt as well. She looked at him, confused by the sudden pause “What’s wrong?” she asked.

“A-are you asking me out?” Andrey blurted out, his eyes wide with surprise.

Demille’s eyes widened in response before she burst into laughter, remembering just how awkward Andrey could be “Shut up, weirdo!” she said, rolling her eyes as she continued walking. Andrey’s smile grew even wider as he quickly caught up to her.

“I’m not asking you out, okay? I just figured you might be hungry too” Demille added, glancing at Andrey, who still couldn’t wipe the grin off his face.

They eventually decided on a Japanese restaurant, opting for something simple yet satisfying. They ordered ramen, and Andrey added some sushi to his meal. The two ate in comfortable silence, both savoring the warmth of the food. Andrey couldn’t stop smiling, unable to believe that he was sitting across from Demille, sharing a meal with her. He kept asking himself if this was all just a dream.

As they finished their meal, Andrey finally spoke up “This... this was nice” he said quietly, almost as if he were afraid to break the moment.

“Yeah, it was” Demille agreed, her voice softening. For the first time that evening, she felt a sense of calm wash over her. Maybe things weren’t so bad after all.