"Umm... Mister bodyguard?" she said in her softest, most hopeful voice.
The man raised an eyebrow.
"I was wondering if maybe..." she paused for effect, "...you could try? Just one time? I mean, your aim must be amazing, right?"
He blinked at her.
She leaned in, eyes wide and sparkling. "Pleeeease?"
The man glanced at the game booth, then at Bella. Then again at the game. Then sighed. His expression didn’t change much, but he looked extremely hesitant—as if this task would ruin his dignity.
"I’ll buy you ice cream later," Bella whispered like she was making a deal with a dangerous agent.
Finally, without a word, the bodyguard stepped forward, took one ball from the basket, and held it in his large hand. He aimed casually like it was nothing—then threw it.
Plop.
Straight in.
Bella gasped and clapped her hands. "Waaah!! You’re amazing!"
The shopkeeper raised his eyebrows too. "Not bad."
Bella looked up at the bodyguard with admiration. "You’re a hidden talent! You could totally win a carnival date for someone."
The bodyguard awkwardly looked away, clearing his throat and pretending to be uninterested.
He threw again.
Plop.
Second shot, perfect.
Bella was practically bouncing now and cheering softly.
Last ball.
He paused, eyes narrowing slightly.
Plop.
Three out of three.
The shopkeeper chuckled and handed Bella the seal plushie she had wanted. She accepted it like it was made of gold. "Thank you! Thank you! You’re the best secret weapon ever!"
The bodyguard said nothing. But when Bella wasn’t looking, the corner of his mouth twitched—just a little. Almost a smile.
And with her seal plushie in hand, Bella happily walked away, followed by her silent but now slightly more legendary bodyguard.
When Bella reached home, she happily asked the maid to put away her shopping bags and skipped her way to the room, humming softly. She was still smiling, holding the small plushie she had won earlier, feeling proud even if it took her three failed tries.
As she sat on her bed, hugging the plushie to her chest, a sudden thought popped in her mind.
"Why didn’t Lina and Jay jay call me during all this time?" she mumbled softly, tilting her head.
Maybe... maybe they were giving her space? Since it’s her "honeymoon"? She giggled at that thought—though there wasn’t anything honeymoon-like at all!
So, she decided to call them herself.
She picked up her phone, searched Jay jay’s name, and tapped the video call.
Ring~~
Ring~~
Soon, his familiar face appeared on screen. Jay smiled widely the moment he saw her innocent face.
"Hey, Bella!" he greeted cheerfully.
Bella’s face brightened. "Hi Jay jay! How are you?" she asked sweetly, leaning closer to the screen like a child sharing a secret.
Jay laughed, his voice warm. "I’m fine, as usual—training hard every day like a true warrior," he said with a pout.
Bella giggled. "Aww, poor Jay jay! Don’t you get tired?"
"Of course I do! My shoulders hurt, my legs hurt, even my soul hurts," he sighed theatrically, making her laugh again.
"You’re being so dramatic today," she said between giggles.
"I learned from the best," Jay said with a wink. Then he leaned a little closer to the screen and asked casually, "Where’s bro?"
Bella froze for a second. Her mind immediately flashed back to the beach, to the moment Leo had picked her up in his arms for the photo. The way his hands felt around her waist, the way his gaze didn’t waver even once... Her cheeks suddenly grew hot again.
Jay, of course, noticed.
"Oho?" he teased, raising an eyebrow. "Why is my sweet little sister-in-law blushing so much, huh? Did he finally kiss you?"
"No!" Bella blurted out, covering her face. "Stop saying weird things!"
Jay laughed, leaning back with both hands behind his head, clearly enjoying himself. "I’ll take that as a yes in emotional progress."
Bella shook her head quickly, trying to fan her cheeks with her hands. "Nothing happened like that. He just—he just picked me up for photo. That’s all..."
"And now you’re acting like a melted strawberry popsicle," Jay said smugly. "Admit it, you like him."
"I didn’t say that!!" Bella squeaked, her voice rising with panic.
Jay smirked. "You didn’t deny it either."
"I—ugh!" Bella puffed her cheeks and pouted, then quickly lifted the seal plushie in front of the camera to change the subject. "Look!"
Jay blinked. "What’s that?"
"This is a seal," she said proudly, hugging it. "I won it!"
Jay leaned closer to the screen. "You won that??"
Bella pouted. "I tried three times and still missed. But I asked the guard to help... he did it for me."
Jay burst into laughter again. "That sounds more accurate."
Bella laughed too, finally relaxing. The sound of Jay’s voice, the teasing, the warmth—it reminded her of something she didn’t realize she’d missed so much.
After chatting with Jay Jay, Bella felt lighter, but her heart still thudded softly when she saw Lina’s name on her contact list. She took a deep breath and pressed the call button.
Ring~
"Bella sweetheart!" Lina’s warm voice came through the phone, immediately filling her chest with a mixture of comfort and... slight fear.
"Hi... mom," Bella said softly, trying to sound normal.
Lina didn’t waste time. "So? How’s everything going? Is my son treating you well? Did he finally thaw a little? Any progress?"
Bella’s face flushed in an instant. "U-Um... we had a photoshoot today. For, um, family album. That’s all."
Lina chuckled. "Photoshoot? That’s good! Did he smile in the pictures or still looked like he’s calculating interest rates in his head?"
"Um... he looked... okay," Bella murmured, twirling a strand of her hair around her finger.
Lina laughed again, clearly enjoying the nervous tone in her voice. "Bella, dear, just make sure he knows you’re not a statue. Let him feel you exist in that house too, alright?"
"Yes, I will!" Bella squeaked.
"And tell him if he dares to mess with you, I’ll book the next flight and twist his ear myself!"