On a quiet night, while the world busied itself with its own noise, a young woman sat in front of her laptop. The lights in her room were dim—just enough to create a peaceful, intimate atmosphere. Arianna De Guzman, more known as Aya, was a quiet girl—not someone you'd notice in a crowd, but there was a unique depth in her gaze. Long-haired, slender, and at first glance, she looked like any ordinary woman on an ordinary day. But she had one extraordinary passion—music.
Music was her refuge. Whenever she wanted to escape the chaos of the world, there was only one place she went to—YouTube. Sometimes, she didn't search for anything in particular. She simply let fate—or the algorithm—decide what would show up. Scroll. Click. Play. Repeat. And that night, the algorithm took her somewhere unexpected.
Click.
Just a simple thumbnail. A guy holding a guitar, seated casually. No flashy production. But something about its quiet vibe pulled her to press play. And the moment the guitar strummed—
Something returned.
A voice.
A voice she had heard before. Once. Somewhere she couldn't remember. But in that moment, something felt familiar—not the face, but the sound. Every note, every word, hit her straight in the heart.
"Wait... why does this voice sound so familiar?"
Aya sat silently as she watched the video. It was as if a weight slowly settled on her chest as she listened. She glanced down, just beneath the video. That's when she saw the artist's name.
JAKE REYES.
Her eyes widened in surprise.
"What? This is Jake Reyes?!"
She couldn't believe it. She had come across the name before—seen it in suggested videos, often in the comments, praised by fans. But never once had she clicked. It just didn't catch her attention then.
But now?
That name, which once meant nothing to her—suddenly felt heavy. Because now that she had heard him... she could feel him.
She noticed the comment section:
"Jake, you never fail to amaze us!"
"I felt this more in your version."
"You're making us fall in love with you, Jake."
"Good-looking and talented. Total husbando material!"
He had viewers. He had fans. He wasn't mainstream, sure—but he wasn't a nobody either. He was a hidden gem in the world of acoustic covers. And beyond his emotion-filled voice, there was no denying Jake's charm. The effortless kind. Not the kind that tries too hard to be cute, but the kind that melts you with a single smile. No wonder so many had a crush on him.
And Aya?
She wasn't immune.
"Where have I heard this voice before?"
"It feels like... there's a memory I can't quite reach."
"But why does it feel like his voice is pulling me back to a place I can't explain?"
Even though she had never seen or met Jake, it was as if some invisible thread connected them. And as the song continued, she found herself slipping deeper into that world.
She didn't know what kind of magic Jake's voice held, but for those few minutes, it felt like he was singing just to her. Like the song was meant for her. Even if he didn't know her. Even if... she was just a stranger among the many watching.
"Just another girl in the crowd."
That's all she really was, right?
But what Aya didn't know...
Sometimes, even those unknown to the world
have stories of their own.
And sometimes, those stories... begin with a single click.
"I don't even know him... so why, out of all the voices in the world... why did I stop at his?"
She stared silently at the screen as the song played on. She had seen countless videos before, but none had struck her like this. She didn't know why. She didn't even know if it should.
But one thing was clear:
She couldn't not watch Jake again.
So before the song even ended, she hit subscribe.
Then came more.
She followed him on Instagram. On Facebook. On TikTok and Spotify—every platform Jake was on, she followed him.
But it didn't stop there.
She couldn't help herself.
She left a comment on the video.
"Your version is so beautiful. I really felt the emotion in your voice. Thank you for the song, Jake ❤️."
It wasn't much. She just wanted to express how she felt.
She knew there were thousands watching.
She was just one of many fans.
But only a few minutes later...
She was stunned.
"WAIT."
Slowly, she looked back at the comment section.
There it was—a red heart.
A name.
A notification.
"Jake Reyes ❤️ reacted to your comment."
Aya's world seemed to pause.
She gasped. Smiled. Placed a hand over her chest.
"Why am I like this?"
"It's just a heart , Aya!"
But no matter how much she tried to brush it off,
she couldn't hide the warmth in her cheeks.
She couldn't stop the smile that formed without her realizing it.
Because out of everyone watching...
Out of everyone commenting...
Why did it feel like she was the only one he noticed?
And with just one heart reaction—something began to bloom.
Author's Note:
What would you do if the voice you once heard… is closer than you think?
😉
To be continued...
Next Chapter : Hearted by Jake Reyes