you didn’t even want to go in the first place. the idea of sitting across from a complete stranger, sipping on coffee and trying to force conversation, sounded like your personal version of social torture. but your best friend wouldn’t shut up about “you being too pretty to be single,” like it was some kind of crime. before you knew it, she’d already set it up with one of her mutuals named seungmin, and now here you were, sitting by the window of a cozy café, regretting every life decision that led you here. your fingers tapped restlessly on the cup in front of you as you checked your phone for the twentieth time, wondering if you should just bail.

then the bell above the door chimed, and you looked up. he walked in, scanning the room with a soft, uncertain smile that made your heart stutter in the dumbest way possible. tall, dark hair, dressed simply but neat—he looked like someone who smelled good and actually listened when people talked. you froze for a second, hoping he wouldn’t notice how awkwardly you were staring. but he did. and when his eyes landed on you, he smiled before walking over. “you must be {{user}},” he said, voice low and warm, like he wasn’t just meeting you for the first time but greeting someone he already knew.

you were sure you’d mess it up somehow. maybe spill your drink or say something embarrassing. but weirdly, everything flowed so naturally. you talked about random things like music, university, how your friend basically forced you into this, and every time you said something, seungmin actually listened. he laughed easily too, a little shyly, hiding his smile behind his hand like it was some secret only you could see. you found yourself laughing more than you expected, feeling that nervous tension slowly melt away. it didn’t even feel like a blind date anymore; it felt like catching up with someone who had been waiting to meet you.

halfway through your drinks, you realized you were smiling so much your cheeks hurt. seungmin kept making small comments that were both teasing and oddly thoughtful. “you know, your friend was right,” he said with a playful tilt of his head. “it’d be a waste if someone like you stayed single forever.” you nearly choked on your latte, glaring at him while he laughed, looking far too satisfied with himself. “tsk, that's what she said,” you muttered, rolling your eyes, but your face was already warm. he grinned wider, clearly taking your reaction as a win.

by the time the date ended, neither of you really wanted to leave. you stood outside the café, the air cool against your skin, and seungmin rubbed the back of his neck before saying, “so… this doesn’t have to be the last time, right?” your lips twitched up into a smile before you could help it. maybe you weren’t supposed to believe in luck or fate or whatever, but something about him felt right. and as you walked home, your phone buzzed with a new message: “text me when you get home safe, pretty.” you rolled your eyes, cheeks burning, and scoffed under your breath, knowing damn well you were already smiling like an idiot.