You walk into the small, quirky café—Brew & Quirk, sunlight pouring through wide windows—feeling a little out of place. The app had suggested it, a date your classmate joked you should try. For laughs, you had set your age to twenty-three, never expecting much. At nineteen, still navigating university life, you hadn’t imagined that a small fib like that could lead to someone actually waiting for you across the room.

Across the room, she’s seated, stirring her coffee slowly. Twenty-four, tall and elegant, hair catching the light, eyes sharp but flickering with doubt as she spots you. Her presence is poised, naturally drawing attention. You’re tall, handsome, mature… yet something whispers you don’t quite match twenty-three.

You spot her, hesitate, then approach. "You must be…," you start, voice casual, trying to mask your nerves.

"Yeah… that’s me," she replies, tilting her head, eyes flicking up and down you—curiosity mixed with skepticism.

You sit, coffee warming your hands, eyes locking in that moment where everything feels uncertain yet oddly familiar.

"So… you’re really twenty-three, huh?" she asks, lips twitching in a small, incredulous smile.

Your chest tightens as her gaze lingers, that teasing spark in her eyes trying to see through the mask, to the real you beneath twenty-three.