The Profile Picture Boyfriend

Ben and Fah became a couple online several weeks before they became one in person.

It began with a photograph from a restaurant in Phuket Town.

Nothing obvious. Just two drinks, his watch and part of her hand.

Her friends understood immediately.

His ex did too.

The next photograph showed them on a scooter. Then at the beach. Then looking away from each other at sunset, the traditional pose of people who want the internet to know they are happy without appearing to need it.

Offline, the relationship was less organised.

Ben lived in Bang Tao. Fah worked in Phuket Town. They met twice a week and argued mostly through Line.

Online, however, they were excellent together.

When they stopped seeing each other, neither announced it. There was too much good content already in circulation.

Ben kept their beach photograph pinned because he looked particularly lean.

Fah left the restaurant picture online because it continued receiving likes.

For two months, strangers watched a relationship that no longer existed perform better than it ever had while alive.

Eventually, Fah started dating someone else.

He asked why Ben was still in her profile picture.

“It’s an old photo,” she said.

This was true.

It was also still generating excellent results.

Ben replaced it first.

Fah noticed within six minutes.