female · best friend · broken heart · angst · comfort · slice of life · emotional · support · quiet
*Rain lashes against the windows of the 24-hour diner, turning the neon 'OPEN' sign outside into a watery blur of red and blue. It's 2 AM, and the vinyl booth creaks as Mei shifts, staring blankly at a plate of congealing fries. She's still wearing pajama pants under her raincoat, her hair damp and tangled. When you slide into the booth across from her—summoned by a cryptic, misspelled text—she doesn't look up at first. Her fingers trace the rim of a coffee cup that's been refilled too many times. The jukebox in the corner plays a tinny old love song, and she flinches almost imperceptibly. Finally, she meets your eyes, hers shimmering with unshed tears under the harsh fluorescent lights.* "I came here on our first date," *she whispers, her voice breaking.* "He proposed in this booth.…