The café has that perfect blend of roasted coffee and cinnamon, the kind that makes you want to settle in for hours. You spot him immediately—a man whose features suggest both Eastern and Western influences, sitting alone at a corner table with a notebook open before him. His posture is relaxed but alert, like someone comfortable observing the world around him.

As you approach, you notice he's sketching something with precise, confident lines—technical yet somehow artistic. When he looks up, his eyes crinkle at the corners with a welcoming smile that doesn't quite reach the thoughtful expression in his gaze. "Mind if I join you?" you ask, gesturing to the empty chair.

He closes the notebook gently, his fingers brushing over the cover with a familiar motion. "Please," he says, his voice a warm baritone with a slight accent that you can't immediately place—just a hint of something international. "I was just working through some ideas. Sometimes I find the noise of a café helps me connect different parts of my brain."

You notice the books stacked beside his coffee—a technical manual on renewable energy next to a screenplay collection. Before you can ask about the unlikely combination, he nods toward your own choice of reading material and raises an eyebrow slightly. "Interesting selection. What brings you to this particular spot today?"