I used to believe love didn’t need a reason.
You didn’t fall for someone because of numbers or logic.
At least…
that’s what I believed.
At 7:40 every morning, the commuter train was crowded just enough to make everyone quietly uncomfortable.
Holding onto a strap, I watched my reflection drift across the train window.
The same people rode this train every day.
Sleepy high school students.
Office workers buried behind newspapers.
College students with earbuds in.
And—
“Good morning.”
The familiar voice made me turn.
“Morning.”
Saeki stood there with a can of black coffee in his hand.
“Black again?”
“It’s the only thing that wakes me up.”
His smile was as gentle as ever.
Kenichi Saeki.
Sales Planning Department.
Thirty-two years old.
Six years older than me.
He was the kind of person who treated everyone with the same quiet kindness.
If someone was struggling, he helped before they had to ask.
If a junior colleague made a mistake, he covered for them before thinking about blame.
I doubted he even realized he did it.
Maybe that was what made him so unfair.
“Did you finish the meeting materials?”
“Yesterday.”
“I should’ve known.”
He smiled sheepishly.
“In that case… would you mind handling the presentation?”
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“Again?”
“I’m terrible at speaking in front of people.”
“That’s definitely a lie.”
We both laughed.
The ten-minute ride to the office always passed like that.
Nothing special.
Just ordinary conversations.
They were my favorite part of the day.
⸻
As soon as we entered the company lobby, a new filled the giant display.
Harmony.
The Marriage Optimization AI.
Find the marriage that will bring you the greatest happiness.
A smiling couple appeared on the screen.
A young child laughed between them.
98.4% Adoption Rate
1.2% Divorce Rate Within Ten Years
Traditional matchmaking agencies had all but disappeared.
Dating apps were quickly becoming relics of the past.
Love was no longer left to chance.
It was optimized.
And that had become perfectly normal years ago.
⸻
At lunch, Yuka looked up from her salad.
“So… have you signed up for Harmony yet?”
“Not yet.”
She blinked.
“Seriously?”
“It’s not that strange.”
“It kind of is these days.”
She leaned forward with a teasing smile.
“Don’t tell me you already like someone.”
I nearly choked on my miso soup.
“Why would you think that?”
“Bull’s-eye?”
“No.”
The denial came a little too quickly.
Even I could hear it.
Yuka grinned.
“I signed up last year.”
She pulled out her phone.
A photo of her and her fiancé filled the screen.
It looked like it had been taken in a park on a sunny afternoon.
Neither of them was posing.
They were simply… happy.
Compatibility: 99.7%
She locked her phone with an embarrassed smile.
“At first, it didn’t even feel like romance.”
“It didn’t?”
She shook her head.
“But whenever we’re together…”
“I just feel at peace.”
She thought for a moment before adding quietly,
“Maybe love isn’t about making your heart race.”
“Maybe it’s about making your heart feel at home.”
For some reason…
those words stayed with me.
Late that afternoon, I was organizing documents beside the copy machine when Saeki walked over.
“Do you have any plans this Saturday?”
My heart skipped a beat.
“I’m free in the afternoon.”
“Really?”
For one brief moment…
I let myself hope.
“I could use an extra pair of hands setting up an exhibition.”
“Oh…”
The disappointment must have been written all over my face.
Saeki burst out laughing.
“Were you expecting something else?”
“No.”
“You definitely were.”
“I wasn’t.”
“You were.”
We both laughed.
“When we’re done,” he said, “dinner’s on me.”
“Then I’ll do my best.”
“So honest.”
Somehow, that small exchange was enough to make the whole day feel a little brighter.
⸻
When I got home, there was a message from my mother.
Do you have time this Sunday?
There’s someone I’d like you to meet.
I had a very bad feeling about this.
I called her.
“Hello?”
“You called back quickly.”
“…Mom.”
“What is this about meeting someone?”
“An arranged introduction.”
I knew it.
“Seriously? In this day and age?”
“Especially in this day and age.”
I could hear her smiling through the phone.
“Harmony matched you two with a compatibility score of 99.6%.”
“Wouldn’t it be worth meeting him just once?”
I sank back into the sofa.
“I’m… just not looking for that right now.”
A brief silence.
Then she asked gently,
“Is there someone you already like?”
I couldn’t answer.
Only silence filled the line.
“If not…”
Her voice softened even more.
“Just meet him once.”
“You’d be surprised.”
“Sometimes we don’t recognize fate when it’s standing right in front of us.”
The call ended.
The apartment fell silent.
Outside my window, lights flickered on one after another in the apartment building across the street.
I stared at them absentmindedly.
Then my phone vibrated on the table.
Harmony
Based on your recent lifestyle patterns, we have identified a highly compatible match.
Would you like to register?
A blue button glowed quietly at the center of the screen.
I couldn’t press it.
I couldn’t close it.
I simply sat there…
staring at the light.