Connecticut, United States.
In a coffee shop, a young man sat leisurely by the glass window. He had slightly messy blond hair, captivating blue eyes, and a face that could be classified as devastating handsome.
At the moment, he was busy swiping and typing on his phone, seemingly oblivious to the predatory gazes of the women around him.
"Hey, look, that guy's so handsome!" said a young girl with a chiffon shirt.
"Hmm? Now that you mention it, he is indeed stunning. Is he a celebrity?" the young girl's friend replied.
"Should we take a photo of him and post it online? Maybe someone will recognize him."
"E-eh! He's looking at us now!" the young girl whispered in panic, frantically hammering her friend's thick thigh.
"He's even smiling at us, wow!" the young girl panicked even more. "I feel like my heart's about to be stolen away~"
"Hey, come with me to his table. I want to get his number."
"Well, we better hurry then." her friend reminded.
"Why?"
"Look around. Every girl here has the same lovestruck expression as you. Whatever you're thinking, they're thinking it too."
"You're right! Then let's go!" she quickly rose from her seat and dragged her friend along.
But just as she took a step forward, she froze because she saw there was already a lady standing in front of the handsome blond man's table.
The lady was tall, standing around 1.9 meters, with striking pink hair—something rarely seen. She wore unusual clothing, the kind you'd usually only see on a cosplayer.
With such a unique appearance, it was undeniable that her presence would attract attention in the coffee shop.
However, oddly enough, everyone found themselves unable to criticize her choice of unusual clothes or her striking hair color.
"Is she wearing a wig? Is she a cosplayer?"
"She's so tall... Anyway, Cindy, maybe you should find another guy. Honestly, with your looks and height, I doubt you could compete with her. You've already lost in sheer presence alone. Sigh, I don't know if you have good or bad taste in boys, but you always fall for the ones who are way out of your league. Now you're just going to experience yet another heartbreak again," Cindy's friend lamented.
"You haven't even seen her face, and you're already assuming I'm going to lose?" Cindy gave her friend a side-eye.
"Well, her figure's perfect, so her face is probably just as good," her friend shrugged.
Cindy slumped her shoulders but then spoke resolutely, "Let's just wait and see. That guy might not be into her. Besides, look—the other girls seem to have the same idea as me."
"Whatever," her friend replied, rolling her eyes lazily.
Suddenly, Cindy saw the tall lady take a seat across from the handsome blond man.
"See? I told you, you're going to lose," her friend stated bluntly.
"Shut up! Are you really my friend?"
"Only a real friend throws shade," her friend cackled, leaving Cindy speechless.
However, unbeknownst to the two women, the handsome blond man was utterly confused. He hadn't had a chance to react when the tall lady sat down across from him without any prior consent or invitation.
This was the first time the blond man had encountered such a situation—a woman bold enough to sit at his table without asking for his consent.
Subconsciously, he sized up the woman in front of him. She wore a layered white, classical dress that looked completely out of place. Her long pink hair seemed to fall to her waist, but he couldn't make out her face clearly as it was hidden behind a thin, white veil.
He didn't bother hiding his curious gaze, noticing the woman was doing the same.
After a while, the blond man retracted his gaze and spoke first. "Excuse me, but do we know each other?"
"No, this is our first meeting," the pink-haired woman replied curtly.
Daniel set his phone aside and extended his hand. "I'm Daniel. What's your name?"
Though the woman seemed a bit eccentric, Daniel found himself somewhat interested in her.
The pink-haired woman fell into deep thought before finally answering, "Midia."
"Midia, what a lovely name," Daniel said, taking a sip of his coffee while thinking to himself, 'Heh, if you had to think so hard, that's likely a fake name.'
Midia nodded but stayed silent.
Daniel smiled, breaking the quiet. "So, Midia, are you looking for someone?"
Midia's eyes widened in surprise. "How did you know?"
"I'm just guessing." Daniel shrugged casually.
Midia fell quiet again, forcing Daniel to ask her once more. "So, what kind of person are you looking for?"
"I don't know," she replied flatly.
"Don't know..." Daniel was at a loss for words.
He coughed to cover his awkwardness. "Then, could it be me you're looking for?"
"You?"
"Yes! If it wasn't me, why would you sit here with me?" Daniel flashed his signature smile, lighting up the café with his charm.
"Kyaa! He's so handsome! I wish that smile was for me!"
"You wish! Haven't you seen his girlfriend? Even though she's hiding her face, she's got to be a stunner."
"They're like a match made in heaven..."
Daniel overheard the whispers from the nearby tables, feeling rather pleased with himself. 'Heh, if even bystanders react like this, Midia must be completely captivated, right?'
But to his surprise, Midia simply glanced at him, nodded briefly, and then shook her head. It was as if his charm didn't work on her slightest.
Daniel blinked, unsure whether to laugh or cry. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"I'm not sure if you're the person I'm looking for, but…"
"But...?"
"But I guess I don't find your presence repulsive, and you're... pleasant to look at," Midia said, matter-of-factly.
"..." Daniel.
Was that supposed to be an insult or compliment?
He could swear this was the first time he'd ever been rendered speechless by a woman. Usually, it was the other way around, with him leaving them speechless with his smooth talk.
After a brief pause, he composed himself and took a sip of his coffee. "So, there's a good chance I'm the person you're looking for, right?"
"Hmm," Midia replied, though she sounded unsure, her gaze locked onto his cake.
Noticing this, Daniel slid the cake plate closer. "Want some?"
Midia thought for a moment before nodding. She elegantly picked up a small scoop of the cake with the spoon and brought it toward her mouth.
Daniel watched, silently anticipating. 'How's she going to eat with that veil on?' he wondered, hoping she might lift it and reveal her face.
As the spoon approached her lips, Daniel felt the air from the air conditioner above dry out his eyes. He blinked, and by the time his vision cleared, the spoon was already clean, the whole cake gone.
"Huh?" Daniel blinked twice, then rubbed his eyes, almost unable to believe what he was seeing.
The cake plate he had just slid toward Midia was now spotless. Not a crumb in sight.
"Midia... did you eat the whole cake?" he asked, still bewildered.
"Hmm," Midia nodded quietly, and Daniel could swear she seemed in a much better mood than before.
"When did you eat it?" he pressed.
"Just now,"
"Just now?" Daniel rubbed his forehead, baffled. 'Did I hallucinate? Maybe I only gave her a piece, or... did I black out for a second and miss the whole thing?'
At that moment, a ringing sound snapped Daniel's attention back to reality. It was his phone.
He glanced at the caller ID. Mia.
Daniel quickly looked over at Midia, who was staring intently at the empty plate.
"You want another cake?" he asked.
Midia nodded cutely. "Hmm."
Without hesitation, Daniel called the waiter and ordered five more cakes, each with different toppings and flavors, along with some sweet beverages. From his short observation, it was clear Midia had a serious sweet tooth.
By the time he finished ordering, he noticed his phone had gone silent. When he checked it, several notifications greeted him from different people.
Mia: "Are you busy? Why didn't you answer my call?"
Lily: "Hey, David~ My parents are out of town. So, guess what I'm thinking now?~"
Nadia: "Ugh, my boss went nuts today and yelled at everyone, including me. Ronald, let's get wasted tonight!"
Alex: "Netflix and chill? Usual spot and time?"
Amy: "Hey, my husband's out of town for a business meeting, and won't be back for a while. I was thinking... maybe we could meet tonight? Don't worry about the kids, they're heavy sleepers. After 10, the house is practically empty!"
Seeing the messages, Daniel felt his throat go dry. He reached for his iced coffee, only to realize the glass was empty.
"What the...?" he muttered. He could've sworn he'd only taken a few sips. How had it emptied so quickly?