Is This a Date?

Allen had barely sat down after his lunch with Benji when his phone buzzed again. He glanced at the screen, seeing Sarah's name light up. A slight grin formed on his face as he unlocked the phone to read her message.

"Hey! You free later today? Let's hang out. I could use a break from studying."

Allen leaned back on the worn leather couch in his apartment, considering his options. His mind was still racing with thoughts about the busking session earlier and the thousand new showbiz points now under his belt. But the idea of hanging out with Sarah was tempting, especially after the week he'd had.

"Yeah, I'm free. Where do you want to go?" he replied, his thumbs moving quickly over the screen.

After a few moments, her response pinged back: "How about that park you like? We can grab coffee and just chill. Maybe bring your guitar? You can serenade me."

Allen chuckled to himself, shaking his head. Serenading her wasn't exactly something he had planned, but it wasn't a terrible idea. His guitar had been his closest companion these past few weeks, and he wasn't opposed to showing off a little—especially if it meant spending more time with Sarah.

"Sounds good. I'll meet you there in an hour."

He stood up, throwing on a jacket and grabbing his guitar from where it rested by the door. As he looked around his small, cluttered apartment, his mind wandered back to his stats. He didn't have enough points to upgrade anything meaningful yet, but he knew more opportunities were coming his way. For now, though, it was time to relax.

The park wasn't too far from his place. It had become one of his favorite spots to unwind, with its sprawling lawns and tall oak trees offering a quiet retreat from the bustling city. Allen arrived a few minutes early and found a bench near the fountain. The air was crisp, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows across the grass. It was peaceful, a far cry from the noise of his earlier performance.

He plucked a few soft chords on his guitar as he waited, the familiar notes calming his thoughts. A part of him wondered if Sarah would show up in that easy-going, casual way she always did, or if he was making something bigger out of this hangout than it really was. They had been friends for a long time, and while he hadn't acted on it, there was something unspoken between them, a tension that lingered just below the surface.

Just as he was getting lost in the music, he heard footsteps approaching. He glanced up to see Sarah walking toward him, a smile spreading across her face as she waved.

"Hey, stranger," she called out as she neared, a coffee cup in hand.

"Hey," Allen replied, grinning. He motioned to the empty space on the bench next to him. "I saved you a seat."

Sarah sat down, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she handed him a cup. "I got your favorite."

Allen took the coffee, grateful for the gesture. "You're a lifesaver. Been running on fumes lately."

"Yeah, I can imagine," Sarah said, taking a sip of her own drink. "I saw the videos from your busking session earlier. You've been blowing up, Allen. People are starting to take notice."

Allen shrugged, trying to play it cool, but inside, he felt a rush of pride. "It was a good day. Got a solid crowd going. Even got someone from a local blog to interview me."

"See? I told you things would start to happen," Sarah said, nudging him with her elbow. "It's only a matter of time before you're too famous to hang out with me anymore."

Allen laughed, shaking his head. "Not a chance. You're stuck with me."

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, the sound of the park around them filling the gaps in conversation. Allen glanced at Sarah out of the corner of his eye, studying her face as she watched the fountain in front of them. There was a warmth in her presence that always seemed to ground him, even when the chaos of his music career threatened to take over.

"So," Sarah said after a moment, turning toward him with a playful glint in her eye. "Are you gonna play me something, or was that just a fake promise to get me out here?"

Allen smirked, picking up his guitar and adjusting it in his lap. "Alright, alright. Since you asked so nicely."

He began playing a soft melody, the notes dancing through the air between them. It wasn't one of his usual songs—this one was slower, more personal, something he had been working on but hadn't shown anyone yet. The chords felt familiar under his fingers, the rhythm natural, as if the song had been waiting for this exact moment to be played.

Sarah leaned back, closing her eyes as she listened, her head swaying slightly with the music. It wasn't long before Allen's voice joined the guitar, the lyrics flowing out of him effortlessly. He hadn't intended for the song to be about her, but as he sang, he realized it kind of was. The words spoke of connection, of understanding without needing to speak, of moments shared in silence. His gaze lingered on her as he sang, and for a second, he wondered if she knew.

When the last note faded, Sarah opened her eyes and looked at him, her expression softer than before. "That was beautiful," she said, her voice quieter than usual. "Did you just come up with that?"

"Kind of," Allen admitted, setting the guitar down. "I've been working on it for a while. I guess I didn't know what it was about until now."

Sarah smiled, but there was something deeper in her gaze, a kind of curiosity that made Allen's heart skip a beat. For a moment, neither of them spoke, the weight of the unspoken words hanging between them.

"You're really something, Allen," Sarah said finally, her tone thoughtful. "I always knew you'd make it."

Allen wasn't sure how to respond. He felt a strange mix of gratitude and something else—something more complicated, something he wasn't ready to put into words yet. Instead, he just smiled, hoping it conveyed everything he was feeling.

"Thanks," he said softly. "That means a lot coming from you."

They spent the next hour talking about everything and nothing—Sarah's exams, Allen's upcoming appearance on Brightest Star, the music industry, and random bits of gossip about people they used to know. It was easy, the way their conversations always were, but Allen couldn't shake the feeling that there was something else going on beneath the surface.

As the sun began to set, casting the park in a golden glow, Sarah stretched and stood up. "I should probably get going. Got a study session tonight, and if I'm late, my friends will kill me."

Allen nodded, standing up as well. "Yeah, I've got some stuff to do too."

They walked together toward the park's exit, the silence between them comfortable once again. But as they reached the street, Sarah turned to him, her expression more serious than before.

"Hey," she said, her voice soft. "Good luck with everything. I know it's a big deal, but don't forget to take care of yourself, okay?"

Allen smiled, nodding. "I won't. And thanks, Sarah. For everything."

She smiled back, and for a second, Allen thought about saying something more—about what the song had meant, about the way he'd been feeling lately whenever they hung out. But the moment passed, and instead, he just waved as she walked away, her figure disappearing into the evening crowd.

Allen watched her go, a strange mix of emotions swirling inside him. He wasn't sure where things were going with Sarah, but one thing was clear—she wasn't just a friend anymore. There was something more there, something he hadn't been ready to admit to himself until now.

As he walked back to his apartment, guitar slung over his shoulder, Allen felt the weight of his new reality settling in. The music, the competition, the system—all of it was pushing him toward something bigger. And yet, in the midst of it all, there was Sarah, grounding him in a way he hadn't expected.

When he finally reached home, he tossed his guitar onto the couch and sank into a chair, his thoughts still spinning. His phone buzzed with a notification from the system, reminding him that the competition was only a few weeks away.

But for the first time in a long time, Allen wasn't thinking about his stats, or showbiz points, or even his next performance. Instead, his mind lingered on Sarah, and the possibility of what might happen next.