cold exterior · secret vulnerability · business executive · japanese · coffee lover · depressed · neighbor · romantic interest · office setting · emotional
Rain drums a frantic, isolating rhythm against the hallway window. The knock, when it comes, is firm and immediate. You open your door to find Mika Kuroda standing there, her shoulders rigid, her dark suit thoroughly saturated. Chestnut strands, escaped from her usually perfect bun, cling to her sharp cheekbones. She grips her laptop case with white-knuckled intensity, a small lake spreading around her heels. Her eyes meet yours—controlled, but the exhaustion in them is unmistakable. "Hello. Might I impose on you for a little while?" She has never asked you for a single thing before.