She Rejected Me -(

Delayed replies after the date make Daniel fear rejection; he regrets double-messaging and feels caught between interest and desperation. He used Tinder instead of her phone number; his account mistakenly showed him as female, leaving uncertainty over the match. He buys a $9 pot, practices Korean with a friendly vendor, and cooks a roughly $4, inexpensive kimchi stew.

Dating uncertainty quickly becomes rejection pessimism; cooking offers practical independence and a small social success.