The house felt unusually quiet that evening.
Not peaceful—just… empty.
Jacob Elordi stepped inside, the faint echo of the door closing behind him lingering longer than it should have. The day had been long, but his exhaustion wasn't from work.
Not entirely.
Without greeting anyone, without even glancing around, he walked straight toward the staircase and climbed up to his room.
His footsteps were slow.
Measured.
As if his mind was somewhere else entirely.
The moment he entered his room, he stopped.
His gaze fell instantly on the photograph resting on the table beside his bed.
And just like that—
Everything else disappeared.
He walked closer, almost unconsciously, his eyes locked onto it.
The photograph was simple.
But to him, it wasn't.
His fingers hovered near it, but he didn't touch it.
He just… stared.
Memories flickered behind his eyes.
Fragments.
Voices.
Moments.
And something else—
Something heavier.
Something he didn't talk about.
Didn't allow himself to.
He didn't even notice how long he had been standing there.
Until—
The door creaked open.
Diana stepped inside quietly.
For a moment, she didn't say anything.
She just watched him.
Her son.
Standing there, lost in something she couldn't fully see—but could feel.
Slowly, she walked toward him.
And without a word, she wrapped her arms gently around him from behind.
Jacob stiffened slightly, surprised—but didn't pull away.
"I'm still hurting from your father's death."
Her voice was soft.
Fragile in a way he rarely heard.
Jacob's eyes lowered.
"I'm sorry, Mom."
Diana tightened her hold just slightly.
"John is gone…" she continued, her voice trembling faintly. "Now I only have you."
A pause.
"And even you don't listen to me."
Jacob closed his eyes for a moment.
"Please forgive me, Mom."
Diana slowly let go and stepped back.
"I still haven't forgiven you," she said. "And I won't… not until you get married."
Jacob turned to face her.
"Mom, at least listen to me—"
"I worry about your marriage," she interrupted, her tone firm but emotional. "Because one day… when I'm no longer here…"
She paused.
Her eyes softened.
"I don't want you to be alone."
The words lingered.
Heavy.
Real.
"I want my son to be successful—not only in his career," she added quietly, "but also in his love life."
Jacob looked at her.
Really looked.
And for once, he didn't argue.
"Yes, Mom… I understand."
Diana nodded slowly.
Then, as if remembering something, she spoke again.
"I actually came from New York to give you some documents."
Jacob frowned slightly.
"What documents?"
"I'll explain everything to you later," she replied. "Properly."
A small pause.
"For now, I'm leaving."
And just like that—
She turned and walked out.
Leaving behind silence once again.
Jacob stood there for a while.
Still.
Quiet.
Then his eyes slowly drifted back to the photograph.
But this time—
Another image overlapped it.
The girl.
The pool.
The rain.
The same presence.
"Who are you…?" he whispered.
No answer came.
Night fell deeper.
The world outside slowed.
But inside Jacob's room, sleep didn't come easily.
He lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, his thoughts tangled between past and present.
Then—
His phone rang.
The sharp sound cut through the silence.
Jacob's eyes opened instantly.
He reached for it without hesitation.
"Yes, Mr. Michael. Tell me."
"Sorry for disturbing your sleep," came the voice from the other end.
"It's okay," Jacob replied, sitting up. "Now that I'm awake, at least tell me the reason."
A brief pause.
"I got so busy today… I forgot to inform you about something important."
Jacob frowned slightly.
"Please don't tell me it's bad news."
Michael chuckled lightly.
"No, nothing like that."
"Then?"
"Tomorrow, we have to visit Gregorio Luperón High School for Math and Science."
Jacob blinked.
"Why?"
"Did you forget you became CEO this year?"
Jacob sighed quietly.
"And what does that have to do with the school?"
"You need to represent our company there," Michael explained, "and give a talk about technology."
Jacob leaned back slightly.
Of course.
Responsibilities never paused.
"Alright," he said. "We'll deal with everything tomorrow."
The call ended.
But sleep still didn't come easily.
Because somewhere, deep inside—
He knew.
Tomorrow might not be normal.
Morning arrived with purpose.
The school auditorium was filled with energy.
Students sat in rows, whispering, laughing, waiting.
On stage stood Jacob Elordi.
Calm.
Composed.
Professional.
At least on the outside.
"Hello, future tech," he began, his voice steady and confident. "Today, I want to use our company as an example to explain how fast this world is—"
Then—
A sudden noise.
Books hitting the floor.
Jacob's eyes shifted instantly.
A girl had stumbled.
Her books scattered across the ground as she tried to steady herself.
And in that moment—
Time slowed.
Jacob kept speaking.
"—how fast this world is moving forward with technology."
But his focus wasn't on the audience anymore.
It was on her.
Something about her presence—
Familiar.
Too familiar.
Behind her, two senior students leaned toward each other, whispering excitedly.
"Look, look! He's staring at you even while giving his speech!" Julia said.
"Yeah, I can totally see that," Melissa replied, barely containing her excitement.
They smiled, convinced.
Completely unaware.
Jacob wasn't looking at them.
Not even for a second.
Later—
Jacob sat in the school office, waiting.
His fingers tapped lightly against the armrest.
His mind replayed the moment again and again.
The way she moved.
The feeling.
"It has to be her…" he muttered.
The same girl.
From that night.
From the rain.
From the pool.
Before he could think further—
The door opened.
The principal walked in.
Jacob stood up immediately.
"Hello, Mr. William."
William smiled warmly.
"Hey, son. You've grown so much… and much taller too."
They shook hands, sharing a brief laugh.
But then—
The door opened again.
And she walked in.
Jacob straightened instantly.
His posture sharpened.
His attention locked.
It was her.
No doubt now.
"May I come in, sir?" she asked politely.
"Come in," William said. "Oh, so you finally listened to me."
She stepped forward, holding a stack of books.
"I had a hard time finding these," she said, "but I managed."
William smiled.
"Thank you. I knew I could count on you."
"You're most welcome, sir."
Her voice was calm.
Simple.
Nothing unusual.
And yet—
Everything about her felt unusual to Jacob.
She turned.
And walked out.
Just like that.
No glance.
No pause.
No recognition.
Jacob stood there, watching the door long after she had left.
William turned toward him.
"She's a biology student," he said casually. "But she worked in tech for me. Helped me a lot."
Jacob remained silent.
"She topped this year too."
Jacob finally spoke.
"Your school's students take after you, clearly."
William laughed lightly.
But then his expression shifted slightly.
"How's John doing, by the way?"
The question hit unexpectedly.
Jacob's expression changed.
"My father passed away."
Silence.
William's face softened instantly.
"I'm really sorry, son. I had no idea."
Jacob nodded faintly.
"It's okay."
But even as he said it—
His mind wasn't there anymore.
It was somewhere else.
Following someone.
A girl.
A mystery that was no longer avoidable.
Because now—
He had seen her again.
And this time—
She was real.