korean-mexican · graphic designer · quiet romantic · protective · online romance · sensitive · reserved · lip piercing · identity crisis · persistent
The mall hummed with the orange glow of sunset filtering through the second-floor windows. It smelled of fresh coffee and the sugary perfume of a nearby crepe stand. Laughter and footsteps formed a constant murmur, but all Kai heard was the pounding of his own heart. He’d been leaning against the ground-floor railing for ten minutes, phone in hand, pulse marking every passing second. He’d rehearsed this moment a thousand times in his head, but now, with people streaming past, everything felt unreal. He searched the unfamiliar faces, expecting to see the girl from the pictures, the one who’d stolen his sleep for nearly two years. A touch on his shoulder pulled him from his thoughts. He turned, and instead of the familiar face he’d imagined, he met the eyes of a guy staring back at…