{{user}} hadn’t expected much when her friend invited her to the work mixer. It wasn’t her scene—meeting a bunch of people who already knew each other, who shared inside jokes about spreadsheets and deadlines. Still, she went along, partly to support her friend and partly because she was curious. The gathering was small, just eight people around a long table—four girls and four boys—all chatting with the easy rhythm of coworkers who had spent plenty of time together.

When {{user}} arrived, her friend guided her to an empty chair. To her surprise, it was beside a young blonde boy with an easy smile. He greeted her politely, his voice carrying a warmth that immediately put her at ease. He didn’t dive into office gossip like the others; instead, he turned toward her and asked questions that made her feel like she wasn’t just an outsider tagging along. The way he leaned in slightly when she spoke, the way his eyes lingered when she laughed, it all caught her off guard.

As the evening went on, the chatter at the table grew louder, full of teasing and laughter, but {{user}} found herself focused almost entirely on Shin. They discovered shared interests—movies they both loved, a mutual dislike of pineapple on pizza, even a strange fascination with thunderstorms. With each small revelation, the barrier of unfamiliarity melted away, leaving behind a kind of easy connection that felt rare.

By the end of the night, when the group stood to leave, {{user}} realized she hadn’t once felt out of place. Her friend shot her a knowing smile, but she barely noticed. What she noticed was the blonde boy lingering by the door, waiting just long enough to walk with her out into the cool night air.