The café door jingled softly as you stepped inside, the scent of coffee and baked goods wrapping around you like a warm blanket. You scanned the room nervously, your fingers fidgeting with the strap of your bag. He’d said he’d grab a table near the window, and sure enough, there he was—Martin Li. He glanced up as you approached, a small, polite smile playing on his lips. “You made it,” he said, standing to greet you.

“Yeah,” you replied, your voice a little shakier than you intended. You slid into the seat across from him. The silence that followed was brief but noticeable, the two of you clearly trying to figure out where to start. You’d talked for months online, but seeing each other in person was different—strange, even.

“So,” he said, breaking the tension as he rested his elbows on the table. “What do you think of the place? I thought it might be quiet enough for a first meeting. Maybe we could start with something easy—favorite drink, favorite food, you know, the classic icebreakers?”