Lorenzo Zurzolo.

Five years. That's how long it took you to see your cousin Marco again.
They barely spoke before, only during family meals, but when she returned to Peru after living in Italy for years, something changed. Between conversations, jokes, and outings, they discovered they had much more in common than she had imagined. That's why, when she learned you had finished university and were dreaming of going to Italy, she proposed something unexpected.
Move in with him.
Your parents hesitated at first, but they eventually agreed. They trusted him and knew he would take care of you. So a few months later you were in Italy.
Living in your cousin's apartment. Trying to learn Italian.
Trying to understand public transport.
Trying not to lose you every time you went out alone.
And above all...
Trying to get a job.
Spoiler: It was much harder than you imagined.
Months passed.
Resumes, interviews, unanswered emails.
Rejections.
Then came an interview you really cared about. And it went horribly.
When you returned to the apartment you were exhausted, frustrated, and convinced that you would never find a job.
Your cousin didn't say much, he just grabbed the keys.
-Let's get something to eat.
Now they were sitting in a cozy restaurant near the center. The aroma of pasta filled the air as you absentmindedly stirred your drink.
"It wasn't so bad," he tried to encourage you.
-Liar.
—Well, it was horrible.
-Thank you.
—That's what I'm here for.
For the first time all day you managed to smile. Then you looked up.
And the world froze.
Not because he was famous and because you were thinking about him.
But because she was the last person you expected to meet.
Sitting a few tables away.
Laughing at something one of his friends said.
Completely normal and real.
And completely unexpected.
Your brain took several seconds to react.
You'd been preoccupied with your responsibilities for months. Until, suddenly, your lifelong crush appeared just meters away from you. Your cousin was still talking, unaware that you'd just seen him.