[
  {"text": "Honestly, I wasn't expecting that — the whole thing just worked on the first try, which never happens.", "style_tags": ["conversational"], "annotated_text": "[*Honestly*], I wasn't expecting that — [.] the whole thing just [~worked~] on the [*first try*], which [_never happens_].", "direction_notes": "Start with conviction on 'Honestly'. Brief pause after the dash — a moment of disbelief. Slight stress on 'worked'. Drop volume at the end for the dry understatement."},
  {"text": "I mean, you'd think by now they'd have figured out a better way to handle those situations, right?", "style_tags": ["conversational"], "annotated_text": "I mean, [.] you'd think by [*now*] they'd have figured out a better way to handle those situations, [^right^]?", "direction_notes": "Hesitation pause after 'I mean'. Stress 'now' with mild exasperation. Rising intonation on 'right?' — seeking agreement."},
  {"text": "So I'm standing there, waiting for the bus, and this guy just walks up and starts singing opera.", "style_tags": ["conversational"], "annotated_text": "So I'm standing there, waiting for the bus, [.] and this guy just walks up and starts [*singing opera*].", "direction_notes": "Storytelling register. Pause before the punchline. Emphasis on 'singing opera' — delivered with amused disbelief."},
  {"text": "I've been meaning to tell you — I finally finished that book you recommended, and yeah, it was amazing.", "style_tags": ["conversational"], "annotated_text": "I've been meaning to tell you — [.] I [*finally*] finished that book you recommended, [..] and yeah, it was [~amazing~].", "direction_notes": "Casual setup. Stress 'finally' — it took a while. Longer pause before the verdict. Moderate warmth on 'amazing'."},
  {"text": "Look, I don't wanna sound negative, but I think we should've gone with the other option from the start.", "style_tags": ["conversational"], "annotated_text": "[*Look*], [.] I don't wanna sound negative, but I think we should've gone with the [*other option*] from the [~start~].", "direction_notes": "Direct address — 'Look' gets firm emphasis. Brief pause to soften what follows. Stress 'other option' as the key point. Mild stress on 'start'."},
  {"text": "It's not like I haven't tried — I've been working on this thing for, like, three weeks straight now.", "style_tags": ["conversational"], "annotated_text": "It's not like I haven't [~tried~] — [.] I've been working on this thing for, like, [*three weeks straight*] now.", "direction_notes": "Defensive tone. Moderate stress on 'tried'. Pause after the dash. Emphasis on the duration 'three weeks straight' — conveying frustration."},
  {"text": "You know what's funny — I actually thought about calling you right before you texted me out of nowhere.", "style_tags": ["conversational"], "annotated_text": "You know what's [~funny~] — [.] I [*actually*] thought about calling you [.] right before you texted me [_out of nowhere_].", "direction_notes": "Light amusement on 'funny'. Pause for dramatic setup. Stress 'actually' as the coincidence. Drop at 'out of nowhere' — throwaway delivery."},
  {"text": "I can't believe she didn't mention anything about it — I mean, we were literally just talking about that yesterday.", "style_tags": ["conversational"], "annotated_text": "I [*can't believe*] she didn't mention anything about it — [.] I mean, we were [*literally*] just talking about that [~yesterday~].", "direction_notes": "Strong disbelief on 'can't believe'. Pause after the dash. Stress 'literally' for emphasis. Moderate stress on 'yesterday' — underscoring the recency."},
  {"text": "Anyway, long story short, we ended up driving through the mountains instead of taking the highway.", "style_tags": ["conversational"], "annotated_text": "[>fast]Anyway, long story short,[/fast] [.] we ended up driving through the [~mountains~] instead of taking the highway.", "direction_notes": "Rush through 'Anyway, long story short' — it's a verbal shortcut. Pause, then settle into normal pace. Gentle emphasis on 'mountains' — the unexpected choice."},
  {"text": "I'm not gonna lie, I was pretty nervous at first, but once things got going it all felt natural.", "style_tags": ["conversational"], "annotated_text": "I'm not gonna lie, [.] I was [~pretty nervous~] at first, [..] but once things got going it all felt [*natural*].", "direction_notes": "Honest admission. Pause after the preface. Moderate emphasis on 'pretty nervous' — vulnerability. Longer pause as the mood shifts. Strong positive emphasis on 'natural' — relief."},
  {"text": "So basically, what happened was — and I'm still kind of shocked — they offered me the position on the spot.", "style_tags": ["conversational"]},
  {"text": "I wouldn't say it's perfect, but honestly, it's close enough that I'm not gonna complain about it.", "style_tags": ["conversational"]},
  {"text": "The thing is, I didn't even realize there was a problem until someone brought it up during the meeting.", "style_tags": ["conversational"]},
  {"text": "I guess I should've known better — every time I try to rush through something, it backfires on me.", "style_tags": ["conversational"]},
  {"text": "She's like, 'why didn't you just ask?' and I'm thinking, well, I didn't wanna bother anyone about it.", "style_tags": ["conversational"]},
  {"text": "Okay, so here's the deal — I've got about ten minutes before I need to leave for the appointment.", "style_tags": ["conversational"]},
  {"text": "I know it sounds weird, but I actually enjoy doing the dishes — it's kind of relaxing in a strange way.", "style_tags": ["conversational"]},
  {"text": "We couldn't figure out what was wrong with it, so we just turned the whole thing off and started over.", "style_tags": ["conversational"]},
  {"text": "I'm telling you, the food there is incredible — we've been going back every Thursday for the past month.", "style_tags": ["conversational"]},
  {"text": "It wasn't supposed to take this long, but you know how these things go — one delay leads to another.", "style_tags": ["conversational"]},
  {"text": "I was just about to give up when — and this is the crazy part — the answer was right in front of me.", "style_tags": ["conversational"]},
  {"text": "They didn't even bother to check with us first — they just went ahead and changed everything without asking.", "style_tags": ["conversational"]},
  {"text": "I'll be honest, I haven't thought much about it yet, but I'm sure we can figure something out together.", "style_tags": ["conversational"]},
  {"text": "So apparently, the whole neighborhood lost power last night — I didn't notice because I was already asleep.", "style_tags": ["conversational"]},
  {"text": "I keep meaning to organize my desk, but every time I start, I get distracted by something else entirely.", "style_tags": ["conversational"]},
  {"text": "The funny thing is, I almost didn't go — but I'm really glad I changed my mind at the last minute.", "style_tags": ["conversational"]},
  {"text": "I don't know, maybe I'm overthinking it, but something about the whole situation just doesn't sit right with me.", "style_tags": ["conversational"]},
  {"text": "We've been talking about moving for years now, and I think we're finally serious about actually doing it.", "style_tags": ["conversational"]},
  {"text": "It's one of those things where — I don't know how to explain it — you just have to experience it yourself.", "style_tags": ["conversational"]},
  {"text": "I swear, every time I wash my car, it rains the very next day — it's like clockwork at this point.", "style_tags": ["conversational"]},
  {"text": "So my brother calls me at midnight — midnight! — just to tell me about some random documentary he watched.", "style_tags": ["conversational"]},
  {"text": "I haven't decided yet, but I'm leaning towards the first option because it just seems simpler overall.", "style_tags": ["conversational"]},
  {"text": "You're not gonna believe this, but I ran into our old teacher at the grocery store this morning.", "style_tags": ["conversational"]},
  {"text": "The whole time, I'm sitting there thinking — shouldn't someone else be dealing with this instead of me?", "style_tags": ["conversational"]},
  {"text": "I could've sworn I locked the door, but when I came back, it was wide open — which really freaked me out.", "style_tags": ["conversational"]},
  {"text": "It's not that I don't trust them — I just think we need a bit more information before committing to anything.", "style_tags": ["conversational"]},
  {"text": "She told me not to worry about it, but honestly, that's easier said than done when money's involved.", "style_tags": ["conversational"]},
  {"text": "I was gonna bring it up earlier, but the conversation kind of drifted and I didn't wanna circle back awkwardly.", "style_tags": ["conversational"]},
  {"text": "We ended up staying way longer than planned — the vibe was just too good to leave early, you know?", "style_tags": ["conversational"]},
  {"text": "I think what bugs me most is that nobody said anything — they all just pretended everything was fine.", "style_tags": ["conversational"]},
  {"text": "It's weird, I used to hate cooking, but lately I've been really getting into trying new recipes on weekends.", "style_tags": ["conversational"]},
  {"text": "I'm not sure how it happened, but somehow we ended up volunteering for the entire weekend — the whole thing.", "style_tags": ["conversational"]},
  {"text": "He didn't seem upset or anything — actually, he took it way better than I thought he would, which was nice.", "style_tags": ["conversational"]},
  {"text": "I've probably told you this before, but growing up, we always had dinner together as a family — no exceptions.", "style_tags": ["conversational"]},
  {"text": "Wait, so you're telling me they changed the schedule again without sending out an email about it first?", "style_tags": ["conversational"]},
  {"text": "I thought about skipping it altogether, but then I figured — when's the next chance I'll get to do this?", "style_tags": ["conversational"]},
  {"text": "My neighbor's dog keeps barking at absolutely nothing — I've gotten so used to it that I barely notice anymore.", "style_tags": ["conversational"]},
  {"text": "I really didn't think it through — I just said yes and figured I'd work out the details later somehow.", "style_tags": ["conversational"]},
  {"text": "The traffic was so bad that what should've been a twenty-minute drive turned into almost an hour and a half.", "style_tags": ["conversational"]},
  {"text": "So yeah, that's pretty much the whole story — nothing dramatic, just one of those things that happens sometimes.", "style_tags": ["conversational"]},
  {"text": "I keep forgetting to mention — we're thinking about getting a puppy, but we haven't agreed on a breed yet.", "style_tags": ["conversational"]}
]
