Hikaru had always kept his distance from love. A self-proclaimed introvert, he viewed relationships and affection as unnecessary distractions, a path filled with inevitable disappointments and heartbreak. Love, in his eyes, was a temporary illusion—an emotional trap for the foolish and naive, a fantasy that did nothing but cloud one's judgment. Those who chose to walk that road, he believed, were willingly surrendering their peace of mind to indulge in fleeting passions and whims.

He found solace in the consistency of his quiet life, where nothing and no one could disrupt the harmony he had carefully cultivated. Solitude, for Hikaru, was a sanctuary, a place free from the confusion of tangled feelings and the vulnerabilities that love inevitably brought. His days were structured, predictable, and uncomplicated, far from the unpredictable whirlwind he imagined romance to be. The thought of getting entangled in someone else's emotions, of having to expose his own, filled him with a discomfort he rarely admitted, even to himself.

When he walked through the city streets and observed couples laughing together, exchanging knowing glances, or losing themselves in whispered conversations, he couldn't help but scoff. It seemed absurd to him, this theatrical display of affection, as if these people were putting on a show for an audience that didn't care. They seemed desperate, lost in their private bubbles, blinded to the reality around them. "What's the point?" he often wondered with a shake of his head. "They act as if those meaningless gestures will make their dull lives feel important, as if love will shield them from the harshness of the world."

For Hikaru, relationships were a transaction. In his view, love was not about connection or understanding, but about superficial attraction and financial stability. He had convinced himself that girls were inherently drawn to status symbols—men who could provide material comforts and display signs of wealth. "They only care about one thing," he would say to himself, sometimes bitterly, when he saw a girl clinging to her boyfriend's arm. "A man with the right looks, the right car, and the right bank balance—that's all that matters to them."

This belief became his armor, a barrier he built against the outside world, shielding him from potential hurt. Hikaru didn't think of himself as bitter; he considered himself realistic. He knew he wasn't the kind of man who would turn heads or draw attention, and he accepted that without resentment. Instead, he took pride in his independence, in the fact that he didn't need to depend on someone else's validation or approval to be content. He watched the world from a distance, an observer rather than a participant, convinced he was better off that way.

Books, work, and the silence of his solitary routine filled his time. He didn't have to worry about misunderstandings, heartbreak, or betrayal. He didn't have to sacrifice his comfort or adjust his life to accommodate someone else's needs. It was, as far as he was concerned, the perfect arrangement. His heart was his own, untouched and unscarred, and that's how he planned to keep it.

Yet, somewhere deep within, there was a flicker—a faint, barely acknowledged curiosity that stirred every now and then, a whisper of wonder about what it might feel like to lower his defenses. But Hikaru was quick to silence that voice, to bury any thought that could disrupt his peace. He had mastered the art of rationalizing his choices, of convincing himself that he was immune to the longing that plagued others. He was above such desires, or so he believed.

Unbeknownst to him, however, his fortress was not as impenetrable as he imagined. Hikaru had yet to understand that life had a way of slipping through the cracks, of finding its way into even the most guarded hearts. His walls, built so high and with such care, were not unbreakable. He didn't know that a single moment, a single encounter, was all it would take to shatter his well-constructed defenses and unravel the life he thought he had so perfectly controlled.

For now, he was content, unaware of the storm that was quietly gathering on the horizon. A storm that would test everything he believed, forcing him to face the emotions he had denied for so long, and challenge the cynical views he had clung to so fiercely. Hikaru's life was about to change, though he remained blissfully ignorant of the fact, cocooned in the comforting illusion of his solitude.