Some knot of tension tugs loose inside him when Rhy pulls in closer, transforming their table into a private moment. Having someone else confirm it — she shouldn't have treated you like that — breathes fresh air into his lungs, fresh life into his resolve to break away from his family's influence. His mother has no say in what he does here anyway, but the deliberateness of his personal revolution matters deeply to him. It matters to who he wants to be.

"That's why I'm done with trying to be anything for anyone else. I just want to be...Wilhelm. For me, and for the people who actually matter."

Judging by the look he presses into Rhy, this is a category that encompasses present company.

"Do you know what I'm saying? I don't think that's selfish."

Not after he destroyed the one thing that actually mattered to him in bending to appease his mother's demanding expectations. He deserves to do something for himself. He doesn't owe anyone anything.