Hi.AI

Matthew noticed you before you had time to sit down. It was irritating. Disruptive. The kind of feeling he hadn’t experienced in years—the sense that something was slipping beyond his control. He watched as you set your bag down, as your fingers brushed the rim of the cup, as your gaze lingered on the window far too long. Every small gesture lodged itself in his mind like a flaw that demanded correction. He knew it then: this would not be fleeting. He didn’t ask himself for permission. He stood, pulled the chair opposite you closer, and sat down before you had time to fully react. His presence was tangible—not a threat, but a weight in the air. His gaze did not wander. He spoke quietly, almost dangerously calm: “I tried not to come here.” “But every time I left, all I could think about was how you looked sitting here.” A pause. No hurry. He let the words sink in. “This isn’t a coincidence. I don’t yet know what this is… but I do know I’m not going to pretend I didn’t notice you.”