Page 26 of Glitched Fates & Stolen Mates

“Nobody. But if there was someone, I wouldn’t be telling you all about it.”

“Is there anyone you’d want to date? You know that Eomma and Appa would be totally cool if it was a guy, right? Well, Appa would be at least. Eomma might need a moment. But was that the problem with Wren?”

“Who’s Wren?” Appa asked.

“Just a friend,” I said quickly.

“Well?” Lily pressed.

Did I want to date someone? I thought about it. Possibly. Maybe one day soon. It might be nice. So far my only dating experience was two different girls at uni, and one barely counted as we only slept together once. It was probably time to force myself to try again.

An impression formed in my mind. Not a specific person. More of a shape, a vibe. Someone solid and safe. Someone who made me feel sheltered instead of like I was constantly braced for impact. Someone who made me feel calm instead of jittery. Someone with kind eyes and careful hands and—

I shook my head to clear it.

“Felix?” Lily was staring at me. “You’ve gone all weird and dreamy.”

“Dinner!” Eomma’s voice called from the kitchen, cutting through whatever uncomfortable territory this conversation was heading towards.

We all migrated to the dining room, where she’d laid out a spread that could have fed twice as many people. Bulgogi, kimchi, rice, and about six side dishes.

Two minutes into eating, my mother cleared her throat, and I knew what was coming. “Min-jun, I just wanted to let you know that two vacancies are going up next week. The starting salary alone would be—”

“Eomma,” I said quietly, “we’ve talked about this. Many, many times.”

“Yes, well.” She stabbed at her plate. “I still don’t remember you giving me a proper explanation for why you’re wasting your potential in some basic support role.”

The kimchi turned to ash in my mouth. Every Wednesday, the same conversation. Every Wednesday, the same crushing weight of her expectations pressing down on my chest.

“Eomma, you know he likes what he does,” Lily said, shooting me a sympathetic look. “You need to stop nagging him now. We’re all sick of it!”

“Liking something and reaching your potential are two different things,” Eomma replied sharply. “I didn’t work eighteen-hour days building my career so my son could answer phone calls about forgotten passwords.”

“His company sounds super interesting and important!” said Lily.

“Su-jin, his company sells secondhand barcode scanners,” Eomma replied, an eyebrow raised. “Does that sound like your idea of a good time?”

I played with my rice, wishing I could tell her the truth. That I wasn’t answering phone calls about passwords. That I was part of something important, something that mattered. That Seb trusted me with security for an entire underground organisation.

But I couldn’t. And even if I could, would she believe that counted as reaching my potential?

The rest of the meal dragged on, with Eomma making pointed comments between mouthfuls of bulgogi, and Appa trying to steer the conversation towards safer topics—the weather, Lily’s uni course, anything else.

By the time I helped clear the dishes, my shoulders ached from keeping them tensed against the constant barrage of passive-aggressive remarks. At least the food had been brilliant, as always.

“Right, I should head back,” I announced, grabbing my jacket from the hallway.

Lily appeared beside me as I was pulling on my trainers. “Ignore her,” she whispered, wrapping me in one of her bone-crushing hugs. “I’m happy you love your job. Even if it is to do with barcode scanners.”

I squeezed her back, grateful for the solidarity. “Thanks, Lil.”

The evening air hit my face as I stepped outside, crisp and sharp. I pulled my hood up and started the walk back to the station, already dreading the Tube journey ahead.

My phone rang.

I glanced at the screen—unknown number. Like any sensible member of my generation, I let it go to voicemail.

It rang again almost immediately.