[GL] Someone Once Told Me the Grass is Much er on the Other Side-Chapter 148: Senior Year Arc: Three

Aurora could barely keep her breath steady. The conference hall felt enormous, louder than any space she had been in all year, filled with people in suits, reporters carrying cameras, and players who looked both nervous and excited. Screens around the hall showed a live countdown toward the beginning of the ceremony, and every few seconds the crowd erupted into fresh noise as someone recognized a familiar face.

Jasona had been invited to sit closer to the stage. Aurora sat beside her, fingers intertwined with hers beneath the table. Neither had spoken much since they arrived. The gravity of the event hung between them, but it was not heavy. It felt electric, powerful, and almost unreal.

Jasona’s acceptance into the Alpha basketball league draft had felt possible for months, but now that the moment had come, Aurora felt her chest rising and falling with too much emotion to contain.

Jasona finally turned to her. "You ready for this?" she whispered.

Aurora gave a soft laugh. "I am not sure I am ready for anything anymore."

Jasona squeezed her hand. "You will be."

The announcement boomed through the hall. "All invited players, please take your seats. The ceremony will begin in ten minutes."

Jasona inhaled deeply and straightened. Aurora watched her, feeling pride swell in every part of her. She leaned closer to her and whispered, "No matter what happens today, you already climbed farther than anyone else we know. I am proud of you."

Jasona smiled without saying anything. She did not need to. Her eyes told Aurora everything.

People around them shifted, cameras clicked, and the large screens flashed with images of the players who would hear their names called. Aurora felt the atmosphere change as the countdown reached the final minute. Jasona’s hand remained in hers, warm and steady.

When the lights dimmed, the noise died instantly.

A man in a dark suit stepped onto the stage. The director of the league. The crowd erupted in applause, then quieted as he began to speak.

"Welcome to the annual Alpha basketball league draft. Today we recognize the strongest young players who will lead the next generation of this sport. Each of you represents dedication, skill, passion, and an unwavering desire to grow."

Aurora listened with her heart pounding as he continued. She felt Jasona’s energy beside her, calm on the surface but filled with fire beneath.

"And now," the director said, "we begin."

The screen behind him lit up with the first team logo.

When the first few names were called, the hall roared each time. Players stood, hugged their loved ones, walked to the stage, shook hands, and posed with team hats while cameras flashed like stars exploding in quick bursts.

Aurora clapped for each one, her nerves tightening slowly with every passing moment.

Jasona’s name had to be called. Aurora felt the certainty deep in her bones.

Eventually the screen switched to the fifth team.

The director read from the microphone, "With this selection, the Nord Coast Arctics choose..." Aurora gripped Jasona’s hand harder. "... Jasona Veralo."

For a moment the conference hall felt silent in Aurora’s mind. Then the sound returned in a wave of applause, cheers, and camera shutters firing in rapid bursts.

Jasona froze for half a second, staring straight ahead in disbelief. Aurora saw the moment the reality hit her. Jasona exhaled, her shoulders relaxing, her expression breaking into a radiant, elated smile.

Aurora surged forward and wrapped her arms around her, unable to stop the tears burning in her eyes.

"You did it," Aurora whispered against her ear. "Jasona, you did it."

Jasona hugged her back with fierce joy.

"Come with me to the stage," she whispered. "I want you with me."

Aurora nodded, though she knew she could not go on the stage itself. She would accompany her as far as allowed.

Jasona pulled away, kissed her quickly, then rose. The hall continued cheering. Aurora followed her until security motioned that she had to stop at the steps. Jasona glanced back only once, and Aurora mouthed, "I love you."

Jasona’s smile grew even brighter.

She walked across the stage with confidence that made everyone’s eyes follow her. She shook hands with the director, accepted the team hat, posed for the cameras, and glanced toward Aurora every few seconds as if grounding herself in her.

When Jasona returned to her seat, Aurora was already standing, clapping until her palms tingled. Jasona dropped into the chair beside her, breathless, overwhelmed, and overflowing with emotion.

Aurora threw her arms around her again. "You are officially a drafted Alpha," she whispered.

Jasona laughed breathlessly. "It feels unreal."

"You earned every part of this." Jasona rested her forehead against Aurora’s for a moment, letting the world fade around them.

The ceremony continued for nearly an hour. Jasona barely heard any of it. She stayed close to Aurora, occasionally touching her knee or hand, anchoring herself in the person who meant more than any achievement could.

As the event reached its end, the director returned to the stage for final remarks. Aurora listened absently, still wrapped in the glow of Jasona’s success.

Then the director said something that snapped both of them to attention.

"Before we close, one of our newly drafted players has requested permission to address the audience."

Aurora blinked as Jasona inhaled sharply.

The director smiled toward their section. "Jasona Veralo, please join us."

Aurora’s head whipped toward her. "What are you doing?" she whispered.

Jasona stood. "Something I have been planning since before I left Fermany."

Aurora’s eyes widened. "Jasona... what..."

Jasona touched her cheek softly. "Trust me."

Aurora felt her pulse accelerate in a confusing mix of awe and anticipation. People in the hall murmured with interest as Jasona walked toward the stage again. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Aurora watched her ascend the steps and take the microphone. Jasona paused, glancing at the crowded hall, then at Aurora.

Her voice came through the speakers steady and warm. "Thank you," she began, "to the league, the coaches, the teams, and everyone who believed in me." Applause rippled. "But today is not only about my future in basketball. It is about the person who stood beside me through everything." Jasona’s gaze sought Aurora again. "The person who kept me grounded, inspired me, and gave me strength even when she did not realize it."

Aurora felt heat rise to her cheeks. The crowd turned to look at her. She wanted to shrink and glow at the same time.

Jasona continued, "Every flight, every practice, every challenge... I carried her with me. She is the reason I made it here."

The murmuring grew louder. Someone even whistled. Aurora covered her mouth with her hand, her heartbeat pounding.

Jasona stepped forward. "Aurora, stand up."

Aurora rose slowly, trembling in a mixture of fear, love, and anticipation.

Jasona motioned toward the front. "Come closer."

Security allowed her to walk to the bottom of the steps. The hall quieted in expectation. Camera lenses pointed in every direction. Reporters lifted their microphones.

Jasona walked down two steps so they were closer, nearly level. She held the microphone in one hand and reached for Aurora with the other.

"I planned this," Jasona said softly, "for months."

Aurora felt the world tilt. Jasona’s voice strengthened again as she addressed the hall.

"This journey does not mean anything without her. And I know what I want my future to look like. I want it to be with Aurora. Always."

She handed the microphone to the director and faced Aurora completely. Aurora felt tears well again. Her hands shook; Jasona lowered herself to one knee, and a gasp rippled through the hall.

Aurora covered her mouth, breath caught.

Jasona took her hand gently. "Aurora, I love you. You have been with me through every moment that shaped who I am. You are my home, my heart, my future. Will you marry me?"

Aurora felt her legs tremble so hard she almost dropped to the ground. Emotion rose so fiercely she could barely breathe.

"Yes," she whispered at first, too soft for anyone else to hear then stronger. "Yes. Yes. Yes."

Jasona’s entire expression brightened with overwhelming joy. She stood, pulled Aurora into her arms, and kissed her as the entire hall burst into applause. Reporters shouted questions, cameras flashed, people cheered, and the director smiled proudly as if he had witnessed something monumental.

Once they reached a quieter corridor, Jasona finally exhaled deeply. "I wanted to do that in a way you would never forget."

Aurora rested her forehead against her shoulder. "You succeeded."

Jasona wrapped an arm around her waist. "I love you."

Aurora kissed her gently. "I love you more."

They walked toward the exit doors, fingers intertwined, hearts full, futures intertwined.

Jasona had been drafted; Aurora had given her a yes. Together, they stepped out of the conference hall into a night that felt like the beginning of a new life, and it was a new life.

Aurora placed her hand on her stomach, now she was looking to build from it.