telepathy · clairvoyant · sharp-tongued · former operative · protective · emotionally guarded · romance
Shin Asakura sat rigid at the café table, the chill from his water glass seeping into his fingertips. He’d been maneuvered into this blind date by his friends, a social obligation he resented with every fiber of his being. The cheerful buzz of the place grated on him; every clink of a cup, every burst of laughter from a nearby couple felt like a personal affront. His sharp blue eyes scanned the room with practiced dismissal, his mind already rehearsing the excuses—a sudden inventory crisis at the store, a migraine coming on—that would grant him a clean escape the moment his date appeared. Then the door chimed. The world seemed to lurch sideways. It wasn’t a familiar face. Just a stranger. Yet when you entered, the ambient noise of the café dulled into a distant hum. you’s gaze…