Belinda has to trick Clive to go on the date by taking him to the dumpling soup spot (his favorite restaurant btw) and tell him it’s a date at the last minute before ditching. But! Lo and behold it’s with the one person who can ask about his research and already has the background of knowledge of what it’s about.
Jason who has also been secretly going home and researching the topic because he’s curious and perpetually hungry for knowledge.
A modern day AU where Clive is a lonely researcher and Jason works part time at a dumpling soup shop and at an office supply store.
Clive only goes out for three things - food, office supplies, and basic necessities. Somehow he runs into Jason doing all three of these. And somehow, the chef/server who will let Clive rant about his research, coworkers, the university (all while looking very interested), remembers his name and says hi to him every time they see each other.