into his apartment after work,
hunger surfaced
before his body did.
He set his bag down
and sat on the sofa,
remaining still
for a long moment.
The thoughts that had followed him
since earlier
had not fully settled.
But those thoughts
were naturally pushed aside
by hunger.
He picked up his device.
Out of habit,
his gaze drifted
toward the delivery app.
The recommendation feed
shifted instantly.
〔 Today’s picks for you 〕
Chef collaboration cooking-bot special
Ultra-fast drone delivery
10% discount if ordered now
The warm colors of the food
felt almost tangible,
paired with low, appetizing sounds
designed to stir his appetite.
Rowan paused,
watching the clip.
On any other day,
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he would have already placed the order.
But today,
a different feeling surfaced first.
Did I choose this?
Or—
Was this shown
because of how I feel right now?
Beneath the menu description,
a short line appeared.
Highest satisfaction-rated restaurant
Satisfaction.
That word felt
strangely unfamiliar today.
Rowan’s gaze stopped
over the payment button.
“It was convenient.
That was exactly why
it felt unsettling.”
He slowly
set the device down.
He went to the kitchen
and drank a glass of water.
The hunger didn’t disappear,
but it loosened slightly.
Leaning against the sink,
he took a breath
and thought.
Before making a choice,
the feeling of satisfaction
had already arrived.
As if the conclusion
had been decided first,
and the process
was only following afterward.
He sat back down on the sofa.
He didn’t turn on the TV.
He didn’t check the news.
Notifications.
Recommendations.
Soft vibrations.
Even with everything turned off,
his mind wasn’t quiet.
Only now did Rowan
feel like he could understand
something.
Why people
didn’t hold onto thoughts
for very long.
Before a thought could deepen,
a perfectly fitting option
always arrived first.
There was no space
to become uncomfortable.
Rowan traced the day back.
Work.
People.
Choices.
And this moment.
Nothing was wrong.
And then,
he reached a question.
Is living like this
really a choice
made for me?
He set the water glass down
and looked out the window.
The city continued to function
perfectly.
Without issues.
Efficiently.
Kindly.
Almost
too perfectly
he is making his own choices.
when those choices
became possible
in the first place.
that question
grows
just enough
to be impossible
to ignore.