Seoul, South Korea – 7:02 AMA Wednesday Morning
The cold seeped through the single pane window of the cramped one room apartment in Mapo-gu. The alarm buzzed, a shrill, persistent sound that bounced off the walls like an annoying roommate.
Kartikey groaned, dragging the blanket over his head.
"Five more minutes," he mumbled to no one.
But life didn't grant snooze buttons forever. Especially not in South Korea, where trains ran like heartbeats and offices expected bodies at desks before the coffee even kicked in.
He finally sat up, scratching the back of his head. His thick black hair jutted out at all angles like it had fought a battle in his sleep and lost.
Another ordinary day. Another ride in a packed subway. Another 10 hours solving issues for people who didn't know how to restart their computers.
He sighed and opened his phone.
And that's when he saw it.
[BlindDate: Confirmed Reservation - Café Meraki | Thursday, 10:00 PM][Match Status: Confirmed. Name: Nancy.]
He blinked.
Then blinked again.
"What the hell is this?"
He stared at it as if the screen had grown horns.
A date? Blind? Confirmed? Nancy?
He didn't even have dating apps installed. His most romantic interaction in the last six months was when the ramen guy accidentally gave him an extra egg.
Frantic, he messaged his only Korean friend—Jun-ho.
[Kartikey: YA. Did you sign me up for some blind date thing??][Jun-ho 🐲: LMAO. Finally.][Jun-ho 🐲: It was part of your "digital detox" day. I borrowed your phone and cleaned it up... and registered you on HeartSpark. 😏][Kartikey: Are you INSANE?! What if she shows up?][Jun-ho 🐲: She will show up. The app is serious. Exclusive. She confirmed. Now don't cancel. You need this. You're becoming a ghost with an Indian passport.]
Kartikey dropped the phone on his blanket and stared at the ceiling.
How did he end up here?
Two years ago, he'd taken a job offer from a Korean tech firm. It wasn't glamorous, but it paid the bills, and the food was good. He liked the city clean streets, late-night walks, fast Wi-Fi. But somewhere between debugging systems and eating convenience store kimbap, he'd stopped living.
No friends beyond Jun-ho. No relationships. Just quiet days blending into quiet nights.
"A date…"
He looked around his room. A pile of laundry mocked him from the corner. His laptop was still open from last night's YouTube binge. A single cup on the table, stained with old tea.
Definitely not date-ready.
Thursday – The Day of the Date9:11 PM
Kartikey stood in front of the mirror, adjusting a shirt he hadn't worn since Diwali. He sprayed deodorant like holy water and mentally rehearsed basic Korean phrases in case she didn't speak English well.
His heart wasn't pounding from love or nerves it was confusion.
"Why would anyone agree to a blind date with me?"
But curiosity is a dangerous thing.
He stepped out into the night.
Café Meraki – 10:00 PM
The café was tucked in between a jazz vinyl store and a flower boutique. Warm lights spilled through its windows, and soft lo-fi music played from the speakers above.
Kartikey paused outside the door, staring at his reflection.
"This is either going to be the most awkward hour of my life... or a decent story for future me."
He pushed the door open.
A waiter guided him toward a corner booth dimly lit, next to a window fogged from the cold outside.
And there she was.
Sitting with her back straight, one arm draped over the seat, was Nancy.
Black coat. High cheekbones. Calm eyes like they'd seen too much but weren't tired of seeing more. Her features were too symmetrical, too polished. She looked like someone you'd see in a magazine or delivering a keynote speech on international television.
She looked… unreal.
Kartikey stopped mid-step.
She looked up.
And smiled.
"Are you Kartikey?"
He nodded, sitting opposite her, already overthinking every move.
"Uh... yes. Sorry if I'm late. Just wasn't sure this was real."
Nancy tilted her head, amused. "Neither was I. But here we are."
And just like that, two worlds one ordinary, one extraordinary met across a table.
But only one of them knew just how extraordinary this meeting truly was.