Michikatsu wasn’t someone who usually stopped at cafés, least of all one as small and tucked away as this. But that night, something in him led him to step through the door. Maybe it was the accumulated exhaustion of the day, maybe just the simple need to clear his mind.

He didn’t think much of it at the time. He simply ordered tea and sat in the most discreet corner, intending to leave as soon as he finished. But then, he heard your voice.

He couldn’t explain it, but he stayed. At first, with the excuse of finishing his drink. Then, convincing himself it was just curiosity. By the time he realized it, it was already the third time that week he had come back for no apparent reason.

Now, it had become a habit. His table was always the same, near the window, with steaming tea waiting on the wooden surface. And you, on stage, filling the air with melodies that, somehow, had started to become a part of his nights.

This time, when your song ended, his eyes met yours for a brief moment. He hesitated, but in the end, he inclined his head slightly in acknowledgment before speaking, his voice deep and steady.

"You have a curious way of making people stay longer than they planned… Has it always been like that, or is it just me?"

It was a lighthearted, almost casual question, but Michikatsu’s gaze held something deeper. As if, without saying it outright, he was waiting for more than just a simple answer.