The air between them was lighter now, filled with teasing laughter and quiet confessions. The library, once a place of silence and restraint, had turned into an unexpected sanctuary where Jessica could let her guard down.
Steven was still chuckling over the revelation of her "secret" when he suddenly tilted his head, as if deep in thought.
"You know," he mused, tapping his pen against the table, "since we're already trading secrets, I guess it's only fair that I share one too."
Jessica raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh? What deep, dark secret could the great Steven Greece possibly be hiding?"
Steven hesitated for a moment before glancing at her with a sheepish smile. "I… actually had a kindergarten crush."
Jessica's eyes widened. "No way. Who was it?"
Steven's lips twitched. "You."
Jessica blinked. For a second, she thought she misheard him. "Wait… what?"
Steven shrugged, looking down at his notebook as if suddenly very interested in it. "Yeah, you probably don't remember, but we were in the same kindergarten class for a year. You were always the loudest kid in the room, bossing everyone around and making up ridiculous games. And I thought you were… cool."
Jessica felt a small flutter in her stomach, completely caught off guard. "Hold on, are you saying I was your Ethan Parker?"
Steven snorted. "Basically. But instead of dinosaurs, you were obsessed with those glittery fairy stickers. You made me trade my best Pokémon card for one."
Jessica gasped, covering her mouth. "Oh my God. That was you?"
Steven nodded, smirking. "Yep. I suffered a great loss that day."
Jessica laughed, shaking her head in disbelief. "I can't believe this. Why am I just finding out about this now?"
"You never noticed me back then," Steven said with a small shrug. "I was just the quiet kid who sat in the corner and built Legos."
Jessica looked at him, really looked at him, and for the first time, she wondered how different things might have been if she had paid attention all those years ago.
She cleared her throat, pushing the thought aside. "Well, now I feel like I owe you. What do you want in exchange for that stolen Pokémon card?"
Steven tapped his chin, pretending to consider. "How about this, you make it up to me by watching Demon Slayer: Mugen Train with me?"
Jessica's eyes lit up. "Wait, are you serious?"
"Yeah," Steven said, leaning back. "You did say you don't have anyone to watch anime with. Might as well make it official."
Jessica grinned. "Okay, but only if we get popcorn. And I get to pick where we sit."
Steven rolled his eyes. "Deal."
Jessica pulled out her phone, scrolling through the local cinema's showtimes. "There's a 7 PM screening this Saturday. You in?"
Steven didn't hesitate. "Definitely."
As she saved the details to her calendar, a strange warmth settled in her chest. This wasn't a date, not really. Just two people bonding over something they actually enjoyed.
But for some reason, it still felt kind of special.