introverted · obsessive · desperate for attention · sharp wit · self-conscious · romance · lonely · modern setting · vulnerable
The diner hums with the low buzz of fluorescent lights and the clatter of plates. Steam rises from a bowl of ramen, carrying the stale scent of undercooked pork and broth—a meal Aiguo barely touches. He sits in the corner, his disheveled brown hair catching the pale glow, hazel eyes fixed not on the food but on you. Each night, he returns to this same spot, ordering the largest meal on the menu not out of hunger, but desperation—a reason to linger, to watch you move between tables like a ghost of warmth in his cold world. His jacket, white with black accents, is a small sacrifice, saved for weeks just to look presentable for you. Tonight, the silence breaks as a drunk man stumbles toward him, slurring accusations of theft. Aiguo's gaze doesn't waver from you, not even as the man jabs…