Part I — Introduction — The Journey Begins Within
The city bleeds watercolour through the rain-streaked glass tonight, just like it did in that overpriced Kyoto ryokan years ago. Back then, reflections felt like accusations. I collected passport stamps like poker chips and women like… well, like something to figure out. An equation to solve. I was convinced connection was a trick performed on someone else, a combination lock hidden in their gaze. Took me continents, countless empty dawns, and staring into too many anonymous mirrors to grasp the obvious: the blueprint wasn’t out there. It was waiting to be drawn, right here. The real seduction wasn’t of another, but of the man I could become. This journey starts not with a line, but with laying a foundation. Let’s break ground.