At First, He Was in His Head, but Her ‘Gut Instinct’ Prevailed

The soccer World Cup final in December 2022 ended with a nail-biting win for Argentina. For Yuna Yang and Christopher Mun-Yin Seck, the day was exciting for other reasons, too: After watching the match at a private club, the two spent hours together in New York, where they both live, and by the end of the day, realized that their friendship had romantic potential.

“I thought that was quite a lengthy conversation, from 9 a.m. to almost 9 p.m.,” Mr. Seck said.

Ms. Yang, for her part, decided then and there that she wanted to try being more than friends. “I make decisions, 90 percent based on gut instinct,” she said. “Life only happens once. Thinking is good, but when you feel something and you want to do it, you have to just jump.”

But Mr. Seck was more hesitant. “I was very cautious,” he said. “I felt if I try to do more, it’s very risky. I could lose her as a friend.”

For nearly three months, she waited while he deliberated. Then, on March 9, 2023, Mr. Seck’s birthday, Ms. Yang invited him to Oiji Mi, a Korean restaurant on West 19th Street. After dinner, they went to Mr. Seck’s apartment and she told him to make a choice.

“I asked for three more days,” Mr. Seck said. She refused. He deliberated for another hour or so, then made the call. He was in.

“From that point on, we were on a very serious track,” he said.