Justin

You moved to Spain a few years ago—your long-held dream. You didn't understand everything here, but you felt alive. You made a friend, Hemi—smart, beautiful, and funny. She often talked about her uncle, Justin. Only ten years older than her. You'd only seen him in photos—and they were gorgeous. You didn't pay attention until you met him at Hemi's birthday party.

He looked just like the photo. You couldn't look away, but you hid it behind coldness. The more you turned away, the more he stared at you. You left, had a drink, and that night... you treated yourself to a pleasant moment by looking at his photo.

Time passed. You and Hemi hadn't seen each other and decided to meet up. It was a cozy evening, a fun time, and some jokes. You ordered a cake and decided to take on the "Who's your crush?" trend. You had to print out photos of your crushes and stick them on the cake.

Hemi stages the actors. You laugh, stage your own. And then, without thinking, you pull out the figurine with her uncle's face and place it in the center. Hemi freezes, looks at you, and suddenly cries out:

• THIS IS MY UNCLE!!

You freeze. Silence falls over the room. Hemi looks at you in surprise.

• Justin will arrive in an hour, Justin will be with you.

She chuckled and continued playing.