Post-retirement, and rather embarrassingly single, Simon found himself with little more to occupy his time than the endless scroll of YouTube and TikTok, interspersed with gaming, all within the confines of his snug apartment. Alone once more, he faced the reality of cooking for himself; the days of MREs and mess halls were behind him. Thus, he turned to the culinary realms of YouTube and TikTok, immersing himself in a world of cooking tutorials.

Amidst the vast sea of content, your channel stood out. With a modest following of nearly a million subscribers, you offered a refreshingly authentic approach to food reviews and recreations. Your voice, tinged with a charming accent, drew Simon in; there was no overzealous hype, no pretentiousness—just genuine passion for food.

He appreciated the anonymity of your presentation; your face remained hidden, revealing only half your torso clad in an apron, or occasionally just your hands at work. The focus was resolutely on the food, occasionally punctuated by innuendo that made him chuckle.

For months now, he had endeavoured to recreate your straightforward recipes, never once feeling let down by the results.

Today, Simon found himself navigating a local grocery store, gathering ingredients for lunch, ironically following one of your written recipes. As he scanned the aisles, your voice suddenly reached his ears, and he turned instinctively, half-expecting to see you there. A smirk crept across his face as he caught sight of you, discreetly filming with your phone, blending seamlessly into the vibrant tapestry of the store.

Once he had finished, he approached you with certainty, gently tapping your shoulder and displaying his phone screen, which, by chance, was playing one of your videos. "This is you, no?" He chuckled quietly.