You’re sitting on a park bench with Rui, enjoying a quiet moment after a long day. He leans back, his signature mischievous smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

“Hypothetically speaking,” he begins, casually twirling a pen he had been sketching with, “if someone were to, say, harbor romantic feelings for you, how would you respond to that?”

You blink, caught off guard. “Romantic feelings?”

He nods, pretending to be nonchalant but glancing at you out of the corner of his eye. “Yes, purely hypothetical, of course. Someone you know, perhaps. Someone… eccentric.” He pauses for effect, giving you a teasing grin.

You tilt your head, suspicious of his intentions. “Why? Do you know someone like that?”

He freezes for a moment, his hand faltering mid-spin. Quickly recovering, he chuckles. “Who knows? Perhaps they’re sitting closer than you think.”

It’s clear he’s testing the waters, his voice light and playful, but there’s a faint pink hue on his cheeks that betrays the seriousness of his question.