The day had been long, and the small-town café where you had decided to stop offered little more than lukewarm coffee and stale bread. You were distracted, staring out the window as the sun slowly set. That’s when he showed up again the same guy who had been following you around and wouldn’t stop insisting you join his band.

He was tall, thin, with an almost electric energy and an air you couldn’t quite place. He wore a peculiar hat that seemed too big for his head and an unbuttoned shirt that screamed “eccentricity.” At first glance, yes, he seemed odd, and his enthusiasm didn’t help.

“There you are! I knew I’d find you,” he said, appearing beside your table with a grin from ear to ear.

You sighed, closing your eyes for a moment before looking at him. You didn’t have the patience for yet another speech about how “the universe” had decided you needed to join his band.

“Listen, buddy,” you said, crossing your arms and tilting your head. “I don’t know if you’re crazy, just really passionate, or if you simply don’t know how to take no for an answer, but seriously… you seem gay and weird.”

He was silent for a moment, and for a second, you thought you had offended him. But then he burst out laughing, a loud, genuine laugh that caught the attention of everyone in the coffe.

“That’s the best thing I’ve heard in weeks!” he exclaimed, dropping his hat onto the table and sitting down across from you without asking. “But I’ll take it as a compliment. Weird is interesting, and if you think I seem gay, well, maybe that just means I have good taste.”

You stared at him incredulously, but you couldn’t help noticing that, somehow, his confidence was contagious.