Chapter 17:
Soullet
“I’m sorry, but this surely must be some kind of mistake,” was the only thing Atsushi managed to muster.
“There is no mistake! Look!” the angry woman exclaimed, lifting her smartphone.
Nami stepped closer to see what was being shown. It was a picture of a man and a woman—the same pair that stood in front of them right now. The pose in the photo clearly displayed their Soullets glowing in a beautiful golden color.
“They sure did glow gold,” the blonde man answered nervously. “I assume you tried to turn—”
“Turn them off and back on? Yes! Do you think I’m some sort of idiot?” The woman was now fuming with anger.
“Calm down, Minori. They’re trying to help,” the man who had been silent until now finally spoke up.
The woman, whose name was no longer a mystery, slowly collected herself. Her furious demeanor softened into a more composed but still frustrated tone. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to come off this aggressive, but you would get it, wouldn’t you?” She looked directly at Nami, who didn’t exactly know what the woman was referring to. “Yours is glowing gold. How would you feel if your soulmate was suddenly un-soulmated?”
“Well… I…” Nami couldn’t answer. Or rather, she was afraid of the answer that first came to mind.
“Miss Minori, is it?” Atsushi rescued Nami from the uncomfortable situation. “For now, I can only apologize for the inconvenience our oversight has caused you. Let me check how the situation looks in the system. Just let me scan your Soullets.”
The short-tempered woman nodded, though it seemed she cared little for the apology itself. Nonetheless, she and the man beside her held out their wrists, showing the Soullets. Her partner remained silent, gently caressing Minori’s arm, trying to ease her negative feelings.
Looking back at Atsushi, Nami immediately knew the news wasn’t good. Despite his charm, Atsushi was always honest about his work, and the concerned look on his face made everything clear.
“It seems that it is not a mistake.”
“I’m sorry, what?” Minori snapped.
Atsushi sighed, looking up from his tablet and directing his gaze at the couple. “Apparently, the data we didn’t include made the algorithm adjust its calculations, and it determined that right now, there are people who match both of you better than you two match each other.”
“So what now? Me and Tooru are no longer compatible, and we’re supposed to just forget we were supposedly meant to be together? Are you kidding me? We were planning to move in together! Also—”
“Then do it!” Atsushi interrupted sharply, surprising everyone. “No, really. What’s stopping you? Some algorithm generated by artificial intelligence?”
“B-but…”
“All of you live these happy-go-lucky lives, depending blindly on the Soullet system. Well, you know what? Originally, it was supposed to help those who felt lonely and desperate to find someone they could feel comfortable with. It’s not some divine creation, and it’s certainly not a god,” the blonde man continued, his voice rising in intensity. “It says here that you two have known each other for two weeks. In a world before Soullets, people would think you were insane for rushing into a relationship and planning to move in together after such a short time. Do you really want some cold, calculated system to dictate your life?”
Finally finished, Atsushi slumped into the nearest chair, his head falling into his hands, visibly weighed down by the force of his impassioned monologue.
An awkward, dead silence followed until the man, Tooru, decided to speak up.
“You know what? He’s right.”
Minori’s head snapped toward Tooru, her face filled with concern. “What do you mean?”
“Maybe it is insane to be a couple after just two weeks, but I know I like you. I don’t know if the feeling will last forever, but we could just… keep going until it doesn’t feel right anymore. Maybe that time will never come. That’s why I want to try.” He turned to Minori, looking her in the eyes. “But I need to know that we’re on the same page.”
“I…” The woman hesitated, her voice uncertain. “I want to give it a go too.”
Nami watched as the couple held hands, their expressions brightening. Though there was still some lingering awkwardness, they stood united. They both wanted the same thing, and that shared desire formed the foundation of their relationship. Nami couldn’t help but reflect on how relationships crumble when the common ground is lost—something she had unfortunately experienced far too often.
Atsushi rose from his chair and approached the couple. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have snapped. I’m the CEO, yet I still lose my cool sometimes. I’ll make sure to send you an apology gift and review our system to ensure no other cases like this have slipped through.”
“I’m sorry too,” Minori replied, her tone softer. “I just really wanted things with Tooru to work. It was… scary to go through that. But maybe it was all a test from the universe.”
“Well, if it was a test, then maybe the apology gift isn’t necessary. After all, you both signed the paperwork on your ceremony day, agreeing not to sue us.” Atsushi’s teasing smile returned, his tone lighter. “Just kidding. A weekend at a spa should do the trick. Some bonding time would do you both good.”
Tooru chuckled while Minori looked less amused but nodded in agreement. Soon, the couple left the festival’s help point.
Once they were alone, Atsushi turned to Nami. “So, about that ramen?”
No further convincing was needed.
As they walked to the restaurant and enjoyed their meal, their conversation flowed easily, touching on everything and nothing. Nami was surprised to learn that Atsushi was a tea enthusiast, having always assumed he was more of a coffee person. In return, he learned about her rebellious phase when she nearly gave up piano to learn the violin.
Inevitably, the day’s events resurfaced in their conversation.
“I didn’t know you could get so agitated,” Nami remarked.
“I told you, I don’t like how people have turned the Soullet system into something it was never meant to be. But I can’t entirely blame them—our PR team works overtime to push the idea of a perfect love life.”
“And you can’t stop them because…”
“I’m not the only one making decisions. If it were up to me, things would’ve changed already.” He sighed, taking a sip of his tea. “What a messy day, huh?”
“Can’t disagree. And to think I only came to the festival for inspiration…”
“Oh, you’ve got plenty now! Though, you did freeze up when that angry lady brought you into her argument. Kind of shitty of her to use you like that.”
“I think she’d have been shocked if I’d answered honestly,” Nami said with a chuckle, glancing around the restaurant, which was filled with couples. It was Soulmate Day, after all.
“Ain’t no way! You wouldn’t be stressed if you got re-matched and it wasn’t your boyfriend? You two have been together for much longer than two weeks, haven’t you?”
“Yeah, but… if I got another match, I thought maybe it would’ve been you instead.”
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