That morning, Vince headed to school expecting to see Vanessa in her usual spot—the art room, quiet and focused, pretending not to notice him until he spoke.
She wasn't there.
At first, he brushed it off. Maybe she skipped morning practice. Yesterday had been long. Good long. He told himself not to overthink it.
By lunchtime, unease crept in.
He checked her class so they could eat together.
She wasn't there either.
When he finally asked one of her classmates, the answer was simple—and unsettling.
"She didn't come to school today."
Vince nodded and thanked them, forcing himself to stay calm.
Maybe she's sick.
Maybe something came up.
One day wasn't a big deal.
But then she didn't come the next day.
Or the day after that.
That was when denial stopped working.
Something had happened.
By late afternoon, Vince found himself standing in front of Vanessa's house.
The gate loomed quietly in front of him, the bell mounted beside it small and unassuming. He stood there for several minutes, hands in his pockets, debating.
He didn't want to intrude.
Didn't want to overstep.
But the silence—the lack of any word from her—pressed too heavily on his chest to ignore.
He was just about to reach for the bell when footsteps sounded behind him.
"Huh? Who are you?"
Vince turned.
A girl stood a few steps away, still in her school uniform, backpack slung over one shoulder. She had the same hair color. The same eyes.
Younger—but unmistakably related.
Vince swallowed.
Her sister.
For the first time since Vanessa stopped showing up, the worry he'd been holding back finally surfaced.
Jasmine tilted her head, studying him.
"That uniform... are you a friend of my sister?"
Vince nodded quickly.
"Ah—yeah. I haven't seen her in a while, so I thought I'd come check on her."
He scratched the back of his head, offering a small, polite smile.
Jasmine hummed.
"I figured she didn't tell anyone at school." She walked past him and reached for the gate.
"She's not here."
Vince's chest tightened.
"Wait—did something happen?"
She didn't look at him.
"It's a family matter."
His voice lowered, more careful now.
"So... something did happen?"
Jasmine paused, fingers resting on the latch.
"If she didn't tell you, then she doesn't want you to know."
Vince swallowed.
"Please. Just tell me where she is."
She shook her head.
"I already said—it's a family matter."
The gate opened, and she slipped inside, leaving him standing there with more questions than answers.
What Jasmine didn't know was how relentless Vince could be.
For the next few days, he showed up again and again—always around the same time Jasmine came home from school. Each time, he asked the same questions. Each time, she gave the same answers.
Eventually, she started talking about him at school.
"There's this guy," she told her friends, "who keeps showing up to look for my sister."
They laughed, teased her, said things like He's definitely in love and That's kind of romantic, you know.
Jasmine brushed it off.
Until one rainy afternoon.
When she reached her street, she saw him standing outside the gate, umbrella in hand, soaked shoes planted firmly on the pavement. He wasn't pacing. Wasn't complaining.
He was just... waiting.
When he noticed her, he smiled warmly—like the rain didn't matter. Like the days of being ignored hadn't worn him down at all.
Jasmine felt something twist in her chest.
A little guilt.
And, strangely... a little envy.
"You even waited in the rain," she said quietly.
Vince shrugged.
"Ah... even on rainy days, my feet just kinda bring me here."
She stared at him for a long second, then sighed.
"Where did my sister even find someone like you? Is this good luck... or bad luck?"
She turned toward the gate.
"Come on. Follow me."
Vince blinked.
"Where are we going?"
Jasmine glanced back at him.
"To meet my sister."
And just like that, the wait was finally over.