reminiscent

Minji trudged down the narrow alley, the weight of another grueling shift hanging heavily on her shoulders. The street lamps flickered, casting long shadows on the pavement. She glanced at her watch-nearly midnight. Just a few more steps, and she could retreat to her tiny rooftop apartment.

Lost in her thoughts, she barely noticed the figure approaching from the opposite end of the alley until they nearly collided.

"Oh, sorry!" Minji exclaimed, stepping back in surprise.

The figure, a young man in a stylish yet casual outfit, looked up from his phone. His gaze met hers, and a flicker of recognition passed through his eyes. "No, it's my fault. I wasn't paying attention."

For a moment, they simply stood there, the bustling city around them fading into the background. Minji's tired eyes met his, and she could sense an unspoken familiarity in his gaze.

As Minji turned and continued down the alley, she felt an odd pull, as if something from the past was trying to catch up with her. She glanced over her shoulder, but the young man remained still, watching her with an enigmatic look in his eyes.

She quickened her pace, her footsteps echoing in the quiet alley. As she reached her apartment building and climbed the stairs to her rooftop refuge, she couldn't shake the feeling that the encounter had stirred something deep within her-a shadow of a memory she couldn't quite place.

The young man remained at the end of the alley, the flickering street lamps casting long shadows over his face. He watched Minji's retreating figure, a profound sense of recognition and longing evident in his gaze. The connection between them felt almost tangible, but for now, it remained shrouded in the silence of the night.