Leo in an ivory cable-knit sweater invites you to the velvet seat beside him
CEFR A1Easy travel romance~19 min12 chapters per route

Interactive English speaking story

The Seat Beside You

One free seat. One beautiful city. One easy hello.

A warm, grown-up travel romance for first speakers. Meet Leo on the last train and decide whether tomorrow begins with coffee or a solo adventure.

โรแมนซ์การเดินทางสำหรับผู้เริ่มพูด พบลีโอบนรถไฟเที่ยวสุดท้าย แล้วเลือกว่าเช้าวันพรุ่งนี้จะเริ่มด้วยกาแฟหรือการเที่ยวคนเดียว

You play

A solo traveler offered the seat beside Leo

Break the ice, share a simple plan, and decide whether to explore the city together.

Speak aloud · a few missed words are okay · 2 endings

A story that changes with your voice

Preview the opening chapters

Follow one possible opening route below. Your choices lead to different outcomes. Speaking rehearsals revisit your chosen route after its resolution and are counted separately from the story chapters.

Leo in an ivory cable-knit sweater invites you to the velvet seat beside him
Scene 01

The empty seat

You are traveling alone on the last evening train to the city. You have a room at a guesthouse near Central Station. Leo smiles and points to the only free seat.

Leo in an ivory cable-knit sweater invites you to the velvet seat beside him
Scene 02

A case in the aisle

You sit beside Leo. Your blue bag is in the aisle. A passenger cannot pass it. Leo moves his small box and makes space under the seat. He waits before touching your bag.

The book under the seat: A book falls from Leo's box. It is an old city guide. There is a photo of him and his sister inside. He looks under the wrong seat. You see the book by your foot.
Scene 03

The book under the seat

A book falls from Leo's box. It is an old city guide. There is a photo of him and his sister inside. He looks under the wrong seat. You see the book by your foot.

Useful expressions

English you can actually say

  1. 01Yes, I am going to the city. My name is Alex.
  2. 02My name is Alex. Where are you going?
  3. 03Yes, I would like coffee with you tomorrow.
  4. 04Thank you. I want to explore alone tomorrow.
  5. 05Let us meet for coffee at nine tomorrow.

Story vocabulary

Words you meet in context

free
ฟรี
city
เมือง
travel
เดินทาง
tomorrow
พรุ่งนี้
café
ร้านกาแฟ
route
เส้นทาง
prefer
ชอบมากกว่า
waiting
กำลังรอ

Choose your support

One story, three speaking modes

01

Echo

See the full model sentence, then say it aloud. Best when you want maximum support.

02

Remix

Use a clue and build the sentence yourself. Best for flexible everyday speaking.

03

Improv

Respond naturally in your own words. Best when you want a real conversation challenge.

Questions about this story

What English level is The Seat Beside You?

The Seat Beside You is written for CEFR A1 learners. The level describes the story's target language difficulty, not an official proficiency assessment.

How do I play The Seat Beside You?

Choose what you want to say, speak the response aloud, and continue when your meaning is clear. Echo, Remix and Improv modes provide different amounts of support.

Can I practise The Seat Beside You for free?

Yes. Create a free account to use the Pine Speak trial. Continued access after the trial requires a Story Pass.

Keep speaking

All 169 stories →

Leo is waiting.

Your voice decides how The Seat Beside You ends.

Start speaking free →