After the break,
Luisa walked slowly through the university garden. The sky was cloudy, and the air felt heavy—like something was about to fall apart.
Then she saw him.
Ben was sitting alone on a bench, his shoulders slightly hunched, his gaze fixed on his phone. He looked… different.
Tired. Lost. Broken.
Luisa hesitated for a moment, then gathered her courage and walked toward him.
Luisa: "Hi, Ben… how are you?"
Ben lifted his head slowly. His eyes looked dull, like he hadn't slept at all.
Ben: "I'm good… and you?"
Luisa forced a small smile.
Luisa: "I'm fine. What are you doing here?"
Ben: "Nothing… just sitting."
There was a silence between them. A heavy one.
Ben suddenly spoke again.
Ben: "By the way… where is David?"
Luisa sighed softly, looking down.
Luisa: "David's grandfather passed away… he went to Lore."
Ben's expression softened a little.
Ben: "I'm sorry to hear that… I hope he's okay."
Luisa: "Me too…"
Ben glanced at her again.
Ben: "So… he's from Lore too?"
Luisa: "Yes."
Ben nodded, but his mind clearly wasn't there. He was trying—trying to act normal, trying to hold himself together.
Luisa noticed everything.
She hesitated… but then softly asked—
Luisa: "Ben… are you okay?"
That question hit him.
Hard.
For a second, something flickered in his eyes—a crack in the wall he was trying to build.
Ben: "Yeah… I'm fine. Why are you asking?"
Luisa: "Yesterday… you didn't look well."
Ben looked away immediately.
Ben: "Oh… I just wasn't feeling well."
Luisa: "Are you okay now?"
Ben: "Yeah."
But he didn't sound okay.
Not at all.
Before the conversation could go further, the class bell rang.
After University
The day passed slowly.
Too slowly.
After classes ended, Luisa walked toward the bus stop. The sky had turned dark, and soon, rain began to fall—soft at first, then heavier.
She took out her phone and called David.
This time, he picked up.
David: "Hi, Luisa…"
His voice was low… tired.
Luisa: "Hi… how are you?"
David: "I'm okay."
Luisa: "I tried calling you this morning…"
David: "Yeah… I was busy."
Luisa: "Please take care of yourself, David."
There was a pause.
David: "…I will."
Luisa: "I'm heading to the bus stop."
David: "Alright. Get home safely."
Luisa: "You too. Bye."
The call ended.
The Rain
The rain grew heavier.
Luisa stood under the bus stop, holding her umbrella tightly as the cold wind brushed against her face.
The bus was late.
Very late.
Suddenly—
A voice.
"Luisa!"
She didn't hear it.
The rain was too loud.
Then again—
"LUISA!"
She turned, startled.
Ben was standing there—completely soaked, rain dripping from his hair, his clothes clinging to him.
Luisa's eyes widened.
Luisa: "Ben?!"
He walked closer.
Ben: "Do you want a lift?"
Luisa shook her head quickly.
Luisa: "No, no… it's okay. I can't take a lift every day. The bus will come."
Before he could respond—
His phone buzzed.
A message.
He looked at it.
And everything changed.
His expression froze.
His eyes… emptied.
Luisa noticed immediately.
Luisa: "Ben… what happened?"
He didn't respond.
His lips parted slightly as if he was trying to speak—but no words came out.
Then, in a broken whisper—
Ben: "She really… doesn't want me."
Luisa couldn't hear clearly because of the rain, but she knew—
Something was terribly wrong.
Ben turned and started walking away—straight into the road.
A car was coming.
Fast.
But he didn't see it.
Didn't hear it.
Didn't care.
Luisa's heart dropped.
Luisa: "BEN!"
Without thinking, she ran into the rain, grabbed his arm, and pulled him back just in time.
The car sped past.
Both of them stood there, soaked, breathing heavily.
Luisa's heart was racing.
Luisa: "What's wrong with you?! That car—"
She stopped.
Ben looked at her.
His eyes were numb.
Empty.
And then he said it.
Ben: "She left me… Charlotte broke up with me."
The thunder roared loudly in the sky.
And something inside Luisa shattered.
Her eyes widened.
Her breath caught.
It felt like someone had hit her chest—
Hard.
She had always suspected…
But hearing it like this—
It hurt in a way she didn't understand.
Because now it was real.
He loved someone else.
And now… he was broken because of her.
Luisa stood there in the rain, unable to move, unable to speak—
Her heart aching… .