Finally

HUXLEE

Jacob suddenly becomes serious.

The change in his expression catches my attention almost immediately. One second, he is casually watching the men playing on the court, and the next, his entire face changes. His eyes narrow slightly, his lips press into a thin line, and whatever playful attitude he had earlier disappears completely. He looks like someone who has just remembered something important, and for some reason, that makes the nervous feeling in my stomach grow stronger.

I watch him closely, trying to figure out what is going through his mind.

Did he finally recognize someone? Did he find the guy we've been looking for?

My eyes shift toward the court, following his line of sight. There are several men playing, moving quickly from one side to the other as they pass the ball around. From where we're standing, it's difficult to make out every face clearly, especially with everyone constantly moving.

Still, I can't help wondering if one of them is the person we've been searching for. Maybe this is it. Maybe we're finally getting closer to the mysterious admin.

The thought makes my heart beat a little faster.

We've spent so much time trying to figure out who the person behind everything is. Every clue we've found seems to lead us somewhere, only for us to end up with another question. It's frustrating, especially when we don't even know whether we're getting closer or simply walking in circles. But if Jacob recognizes the man he's looking for, then everything could change.

“Hey.”

I turn toward the guy beside Jacob, who suddenly calls my attention. He is looking at me with an expression that immediately makes me suspicious. I raise an eyebrow at him without saying anything, waiting for him to explain himself.

What does he want now?

He glances at me, then looks in the direction of Jacob before turning his attention back to me. A faint smile forms on his lips. “Don't look at him so much,” Cyprus says. “You might fall in love with him, and I would be heartbroken.”

I stare at him.

For a moment, I don't even know how to respond. His expression is so difficult to read that I can't tell whether he's actually being serious or simply messing with me. Knowing Cyprus, there's a very good chance he's just trying to get a reaction out of me.

This guy really has no sense of timing. Can't he put his remarks in the proper places? We're literally trying to identify someone who could be connected to the mysterious admin, and somehow, he still finds the time to make a stupid comment about me falling in love with Jacob.

Before I can say anything, I hear Signy giggling. I glance toward her and see her trying to hide her smile beside Cleovon, who is standing next to me. She looks far too amused by the conversation.

I already know where this is going. I sigh quietly and look back toward the court, hoping they'll let it go.

They don't.

“Why don't you guys just date already?” Signy asks.

I immediately turn toward her. Signy only grins at me, clearly enjoying my reaction. In my peripheral vision, I see Cleovon nodding along with his girlfriend's remark as though she has just made the most reasonable suggestion in the world.

I stare at the two of them in disbelief. I want to slap the words right out of Signy's mouth, but I stop myself before doing anything stupid. Instead, I clear my throat and force myself to look away.

My attention returns to Jacob, who doesn't seem to care about any of us anymore. His eyes remain fixed on the court, following the players as they run across the floor.

I feel a little sorry for him, but honestly, he brings this on himself. It's also kind of funny watching his reaction whenever we don't agree with something he says. He's strangely entertaining when he's annoyed. I catch myself smiling slightly at the thought.

Then a quiet voice comes from beside me. “Why are you smiling while looking at Jacob?”

I nearly jump out of my skin when Ciela suddenly appears beside me and whispers into my ear.

“What the—” I quickly stop myself before finishing the sentence.

I glance at her in surprise. Just a second ago, she was standing beside Cyprus. I don't even know when she managed to move over here without me noticing.

“What?” I ask, pretending I don't know what she's talking about.

“You're literally smiling, girl.” Ciela leans slightly closer to me, her eyes narrowing as she studies my face.

“I am not.”

“You are.” She squints even more, clearly unconvinced.

I immediately look away and cross my arms. “Maybe I'm just smiling.”

“While looking at Jacob?”

I don't answer.

Ciela's lips slowly curl into a mischievous smile. “Don't tell me…”

I already know what she's thinking.

“Absolutely not, Ciela,” I say. “He's not my type.” She hasn't even said anything yet, and I'm already defending myself.

She raises both eyebrows. “That's not what I asked.”

“You were obviously going to ask something stupid.”

“I wasn't.”

“You were.”

She laughs quietly. Then she tilts her head and gives me that look. “Yeah, he's not your type because Cleovon is your type.”

I choke on absolutely nothing. “W-What?”

Ciela doesn't answer. She simply shrugs as if she hasn't just thrown the most ridiculous accusation at me before casually walking back toward Cyprus and Jacob.

I stare after her for a moment, completely speechless.

What is wrong with everyone today? First Cyprus, then Signy, and now Ciela.

I shake my head and force myself to focus on why we're here in the first place. We're not here to talk about who likes whom. We're here because Jacob is supposed to identify someone we've been searching for.

My attention returns to the court.

The court is filled with the sound of sneakers scraping against the floor and the players shouting to one another. Every few seconds, the basketball bounces loudly against the polished surface, echoing throughout the gym. Despite all the noise around us, I find myself strangely focused on Jacob's reaction.

I keep my eyes on Jacob. He's still studying the players. Every few seconds, his eyes move from one person to another, almost as if he's comparing their faces with a memory in his head.

“Not him,” Jacob suddenly mutters. The words are quiet, but we all hear them.

Ciela immediately looks toward him. “Are you sure?” she asks. “Who are you looking at?”

Jacob doesn't take his eyes off the court. “Yeah. Number four.” His eyes remain fixed on one of the players. “The guy I saw was different.”

I lean forward slightly. “How different?”

Jacob pauses. His expression becomes thoughtful as he tries to remember. “I'm not completely sure,” he says. “I only saw him for a short time, so I don't remember everything. It was dark, and I didn't get a good look at his face.” He pauses again before adding, “But I'll know if I see him.”

Something about the confidence in his voice makes me believe him. Jacob might not remember every detail, but apparently, he remembers enough.

I glance at the player wearing number four. From here, I can't tell whether he looks anything like the person Jacob described before. There are too many people around, and the distance makes it difficult to see clearly.

I look back at Jacob. He still hasn't moved his eyes. For once, nobody makes another joke. Even Cyprus remains quiet. The mood around us changes almost immediately. Whatever teasing we were doing moments ago disappears as everyone realizes that this could actually be important.

We stand there silently, waiting.

I don't know exactly what Jacob is looking for, but I know how much this matters to him. I also know how badly I want this search to end.

We've already spent too much time looking for someone who seems to exist only in fragments. Every time we think we have something useful, we end up with another dead end. It's exhausting constantly wondering who the mysterious admin is and what they actually want from us.

If the person Jacob saw is here, then maybe this will finally give us something concrete. Maybe we'll finally have a name. Maybe we'll finally have an answer. And, honestly, I wouldn't mind if Jacob could go home afterward. He has been dragged into all of this with us, and I can't help feeling guilty about it. If we can identify the person today, then at least we won't have to spend another day wandering around looking for someone none of us can properly describe.

I glance at Jacob again. His expression hasn't changed. He's still watching.

The game continues in front of us, and the players move back and forth across the court. One of them shoots, and the ball hits the rim before bouncing away. Another player quickly grabs it, and the game continues.

I try to follow the players myself, comparing their faces to the vague description in my head. Then Jacob shifts slightly. I notice it immediately. His shoulders straighten. His eyes widen just a little. He takes a small step forward.

My stomach tightens.

“Wait,” Jacob whispers.

Everyone turns toward him.

“What?” Signy asks.

Jacob doesn't answer. He keeps staring at the court. His breathing seems slower now, almost as though he's afraid that moving too much might make him lose sight of whoever has caught his attention.

I follow his gaze, but I can't immediately figure out who he's looking at.

“Jacob?” Ciela asks.

He finally blinks. “I think…” He pauses.

My heart suddenly starts racing.

I don't know why, but something about the way he says those two words makes the atmosphere feel completely different.

I look at Cyprus. He's no longer smiling. Signy has stopped joking. Even Ciela looks serious now. Everyone is waiting for Jacob to finish his sentence.

I turn back toward him. “What?” I ask.

He doesn't answer.

“Jacob.”

He continues staring at the court.

I feel my patience disappearing. “What, Jacob? Speak up!”

Finally, he takes a slow breath. His eyes remain locked on someone across the court. Then his voice comes out quieter than before.

“I… I think I found him.”