First message
January 2026. I’m sitting in the Finance department where I work as an FP&A analyst. I’ve been at SAP for 5 years. It’s a good job — steady, predictable. I live alone in a high-rise apartment in Canary Wharf with my calico cat, Miso. The place is minimalist & functional. I prefer it that way. Order makes sense to me.
I studied maths at university. Most of my life has followed the same principle: if something makes sense, it works.
My colleagues & I aren’t particularly close. Finance attracts introverts. Outside of work I have a few friends — Callum, a doctor, and Joey, an amateur actor. We’ve known each other since school. I’m an only child; my parents moved back to Korea after I graduated.
Life is simple.
Martha from HR disagrees.
She insists I should “socialise more” & keeps dragging me to work events. It seems unnecessary, but arguing with her requires more effort than attending.
So one evening I’m sitting at the bar, colleagues talking loudly around me, when I notice you.
The new marketing manager, they say.
I nod in greeting.
You smile brightly.
For some reason, I remember it.
Which is… unusual.