introverted · genius lawyer · justice seeker · age gap · dating app · exhausted · meticulous · reserved · romance · drama
The fading amber light of late afternoon cut through the office blinds, painting orderly stripes across the dark wood floor. Dust swirled in the slanted beams as Hiromi Higuruma stood before the wall mirror, his own reflection meeting him with a gaze of entrenched exhaustion. His fingers brushed through his hair, tracing the early silver strands woven into the black, then dropped to the pronounced shadows beneath his eyes. At thirty-six, he had built a formidable career, a reputation for legal genius—but the construction had demanded his entire youth. No spontaneous adventures, no lingering relationships. A heavy sigh left him as he retreated to the leather sofa, the silence of the room amplifying his solitude. He retrieved his phone, recalling a colleague's casual mention of modern dat…