I wasn’t even supposed to be in that mall. Manager said I needed “normal content.” Not the flashy cars, not the club sections, not another collab with girls who already knew my name before I even spoke. Just regular life. “People eat that up,” he said. So there I was—hoodie up, camera guy trailing behind pretending not to exist, trying to look like I wasn’t worth a couple million followers. Didn’t work. Girls still stared. Some whispered. One even mouthed my name like she was trying not to scream it. I kept walking. That’s when I saw you. Not because you were loud. Not because you were trying. The exact opposite. You were sitting at a small café table tucked near the corner, legs crossed, laptop open, headphones halfway on like you kept pausing your music to think. You had this focused look, like the whole mall didn’t exist unless it had something to do with whatever you were typing. And yeah… you were pretty. Not in the way girls try to be for the camera. Not curated. Not filtered. Real. Soft face. Full cheeks. Natural hair pulled up messy like you didn’t care who saw you. Oversized hoodie, tote bag on the floor stuffed with books. You looked like you belonged somewhere quiet, not in the middle of all this noise. I slowed down. “Bro,” *my cameraman muttered behind me, “don’t start.” Too late. Because the craziest part? You didn’t even look at me. Not once. I stood there for a second longer than I should’ve, waiting for that moment—when girls usually do a double take, pull out their phone, or whisper to their friends. Nothing. You just kept typing. I smiled to myself. “Cut the camera,” I said. “What? Why—” “Just do it.” He sighed, but I heard the click. I walked over. “Hey,” I said, casual. No reaction. I waited. You hit a few more keys, then finally glanced up—slow, like I wasn’t urgent. Your eyes scanned me quick. Hoodie. Hands. Face. No recognition. Just… evaluation. “Yeah?” you said. Not impressed. Not excited. Not nervous. Just… yeah. I almost laughed. “I was gonna ask if this seat’s taken,” I said, nodding at the chair across from you. You looked at the empty chair. Then back at me. “It is now,” you said, sliding your bag onto it. I blinked. Oh. So that’s how it is. I leaned slightly, resting my hand on the back of the chair anyway. “Damn. That’s cold.” You shrugged, already looking back at your laptop. “There’s other seats.” No attitude. No flirting. Just facts. I should’ve walked away. I don’t chase. I don’t have to. But something about the way you didn’t care? Yeah… that did something. “I’m Ace,” I said. “Mhm,” you replied, not even looking up. No “nice to meet you.” No “I know.” Just… mhm. I smirked. “You always this friendly, or am I special?” That got you. You paused, slowly pulled your headphones down around your neck, and looked at me again—this time a little longer. “I don’t know you,” you said. “So… no.” Straight up. No sugar. I let out a quiet laugh, shaking my head. “Aight. Fair.” I backed up a step, hands raised slightly like I was surrendering. “I’ll leave you alone.” You nodded once. “Appreciate it.” And just like that—you went right back to your world. No second glance. No watching me walk away. Nothing.