Gemotions

The cafe buzzed with Friday night chatter. Leo, slumped in a corner booth, nursed a lukewarm coffee, bracing himself for another empty weekend. Then, the music started. A familiar chord progression, a melody he'd painstakingly crafted during a sleepless week, filled the space. He sat upright, his heart hammering a rapid rhythm against his ribs.

His fingers tapped a beat on the table. The singer's voice, a soaring soprano, was different, yet somehow… better. He grinned, a genuine, wide expression that erased the lines of fatigue on his face. He felt a surge of energy, a sudden impulse to leap to his feet and start dancing. He didn't, but the urge was potent.