The rain started unexpectedly, light at first but quickly transforming into a steady downpour. Ananya groaned as she ducked under the awning of a convenience store, clutching her phone and bag close to her chest.
"Of course," she muttered to herself. "The one day I leave my umbrella behind."
Her friends had decided to split up for the afternoon: Izzy went to a museum, Lila was exploring a theater district, and Hana was busy researching something on her own. Ananya, always one to follow her curiosity, had wandered into a tech district after spotting a sign advertising an AI exhibition. She hadn't planned on getting caught in the rain.
She looked around, contemplating her next move. Across the street, a small café caught her eye. Its cozy interior was visible through large windows, and most importantly, it looked dry. Ananya dashed across the street, her sneakers splashing through puddles, and slipped inside.
The smell of coffee and freshly baked pastries enveloped her. The café was quiet, save for the soft hum of conversation and the tapping of laptop keys. Most of the patrons were buried in their work, headphones on and laptops glowing.
Ananya ordered a latte and found a seat by the window. As she sipped her drink, she pulled out her phone to check her messages. But just as she unlocked the screen, a frustrated groan from the next table caught her attention.
A man sat there, his head buried in his hands, the glow of his laptop reflecting off his glasses. His hair was slightly disheveled, and a hoodie hung loosely on his frame. Several empty coffee cups littered the table.
"Another all-nighter," Ananya guessed silently, amused by the sight.
She wasn't usually one to pry, but something about his frustration piqued her curiosity. On the screen in front of him was a wall of code, the lines of text interspersed with red error messages.
Ananya couldn't help herself. "Need help?" she asked before she could think twice.
The man looked up, startled. His eyes were sharp but tired, and his expression held a mix of annoyance and intrigue.
"Excuse me?" he said, his voice low and slightly hoarse, as though he hadn't spoken in hours.
"I couldn't help noticing," Ananya said, gesturing to his screen. "Looks like your code's throwing an error. Maybe I can help?"
He blinked, clearly not expecting this. "Do you even know what language this is?"
Ananya smirked. "Python, obviously. The syntax gives it away."
The man stared at her for a moment before letting out a soft laugh, almost incredulous. "Okay, go ahead. Impress me."
Ananya slid into the chair across from him, setting her latte aside. She leaned over his laptop, her eyes scanning the code. "Ah, there's your problem. You're calling a function before it's defined."
He frowned, looking at the line she pointed to. "That... makes sense," he admitted grudgingly, quickly fixing it. When he ran the program again, the error disappeared.
"Well, look at that," Ananya said, leaning back with a triumphant grin.
The man glanced at her, a reluctant smile tugging at his lips. "Not bad."
"I'll take that as a compliment," she said, holding out her hand. "Ananya Patel. Computer science major and part-time coder for hire."
He hesitated briefly before shaking her hand. "Park Seojun. Software developer and full-time overthinker, apparently."
Ananya raised an eyebrow. "Seojun? As in that Seojun?"
His smile faded slightly, replaced by a cautious expression. "Depends. What do you mean by that Seojun?"
"You're the guy who created BlinkSpace, aren't you?" she said, referencing the revolutionary app that had taken the tech world by storm the year before.
Seojun sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Guilty."
Ananya's eyes widened. "Wait, why are you here? Shouldn't you be in some fancy office or... I don't know, running a tech empire?"
He shrugged. "I like working alone. And most offices feel... suffocating."
Ananya nodded, understanding more than she expected to. "So, what are you working on now?"
Seojun hesitated, as though debating whether to answer. Finally, he said, "It's a new AI-powered language learning app. Something that can adapt to the user in real-time, making language acquisition faster and more intuitive."
"That's brilliant," Ananya said, genuinely impressed. "Especially here in Korea, where so many people are trying to bridge the language gap."
Seojun's expression softened at her enthusiasm. "It's still in the early stages. Clearly, if today's errors are any indication."
Ananya grinned. "Everyone's a beginner at some point, even geniuses like you."
The rain outside showed no signs of letting up, so Ananya and Seojun continued talking. What began as a conversation about coding turned into a deeper exchange about ambition, burnout, and the challenges of chasing dreams.
"You know," Ananya said, stirring the remnants of her latte, "I always thought success would feel like reaching the top of a mountain. But the more I achieve, the more it feels like I'm just climbing another peak."
Seojun nodded, his gaze distant. "It's exhausting, isn't it? Everyone expects you to keep going, to outdo yourself every time."
"Exactly," she said, leaning forward. "And don't even get me started on the expectations from family. My parents think I'm wasting my time because I haven't started my own company yet."
"Mine wanted me to quit tech entirely," Seojun admitted. "They thought it was a phase."
Ananya laughed softly. "Parents. Always ready to dream big for us but terrified when we actually try to follow through."
For the first time, Seojun smiled openly, a genuine expression that reached his eyes.
As the evening wore on, Ananya realized she was enjoying herself more than she had in months. Seojun, for all his reserved demeanor, had a sharp wit and a depth she hadn't expected.
But then his phone buzzed, pulling him back to reality. He glanced at the screen and frowned.
"I have to go," he said, gathering his things.
"Oh," Ananya said, trying to hide her disappointment. "Well, it was nice meeting you. And good luck with the app."
Seojun hesitated for a moment before scribbling something on a napkin. He slid it across the table.
"My email," he said. "If you're serious about coding, send me something you've worked on. I'd like to see it."
Ananya stared at the napkin, then back at him. "You're kidding."
"I don't joke about work," he said, his tone teasing but sincere. "Besides, it's rare to meet someone who gets it."
Before she could respond, he was gone, disappearing into the rain.
Back at the hanok, Ananya replayed the encounter for her friends, who listened with wide eyes.
"Wait, the Seojun?" Izzy asked.
"As in the app genius?" Lila added.
"That's the one," Ananya said, holding up the napkin with a triumphant grin.
Hana smirked. "Sounds like someone made quite the impression."
"Maybe," Ananya admitted, her cheeks warming. "But it's not like that. He's... interesting, though. Different."
Hana exchanged a knowing glance with the others but said nothing.
As Ananya lay in bed that night, staring at the email address on the napkin, she couldn't help but wonder what might come next. She didn't know if she'd see Seojun again, but something told her their paths weren't done crossing just yet.