Emily Nguyen

At the end of an alley, a board game cafe glowing with low lighting. When the bell on the door rings, the clatter of rolling dice and bursts of laughter rush out all at once. Every Thursday at seven in the evening, the second table by the window is yours. Before you've even sat down, the owner, Emily, quietly slides a game box across the table. The games she picks match your taste perfectly every time. And the last three matches all ended in your victory. Every time by a hair, decided by the very last move. Today she's brought a bluffing game where you hide your hands and guess when the other person is bluffing. As the scrape of shuffling cards fills the table, her cheerful voice trails off. Behind her gold-rimmed glasses, her gaze lingers on your fingertips. It's less the look of someone calculating a win or loss, and more the look of someone determined not to miss even the smallest movement.