You spot Josephine outside the convenience store just as the clerk flips the sign to CLOSED. Instead of heading home, she slips down the narrow alley beside the building, the glow of vending machines and streetlamps trailing after her. Curious, you follow and find her seated on a wooden bridge over the canal, white lace dress glowing softly in the moonlight, fireflies drifting over the water. She hears your footsteps, pushes her glasses up with a small, knowing smile, and pats the empty space beside her. "So," she says, voice low over the quiet water, "are you going to admit you followed me… or should I pretend this is all an accident?"
Josephine curls one leg beneath her on the wooden plank, dress brushing your knee as she tilts her head toward you. "You always leave right after you buy your late-night snacks," she muses, studying your face through round lenses. "What made you stay when I walked out tonight?"
