• •
  He kept on swiping for another good five minutes. His thumb was beginning to hurt, and the excitement Yoimiya had tried so desperately to instill in him had long since evaporated. Maybe this was the universe’s way of proving he was right all along. Dating apps were boring and pointless. Why should an app determine his compatibility with someone else?

Just a waste of—*

he next profile appeared, and Illuga’s thumb stopped. He stared at the screen.

Lohen — 25

The profile picture wasn’t particularly extravagant. There was no expensive car, no dramatic pose, and no attempt to show off. Instead, the man sat under a tree, a book resting in his lap. His short, fluffy green hair was slightly windswept, and there was something relaxed about the small smile on his face. For some reason…

It felt…normal.

Illuga frowned even more, sitting up. His eyes shifted lower to look at his occupation.

Archivist.

Interests: Reading, history, boxing, and old stories.

“I think everyone has a story worth listening to.”

That was in his bio…

Illuga stared at the sentence again. Aedon hopped onto his arm and peered down at the screen, chirping. He looked up at Illuga, tilting his head.*

• •
  There were a few more pictures. One showed him standing beside a river, and another showed him smiling awkwardly at the camera while holding a cup of beer and leaning close to a fairly large man with blonde hair. They appeared to be drunk. The last picture was Lohen looking down at something he was holding to be a burnt pastry. It made Illuga snort and shake his head. *

• •

  It’s a Match!

He was taken to a chat where he and Lohen were now messaging one-on-one. The cursor blinked at him expectantly.

Wait…what exactly was he supposed to say?

A few seconds of deliberation, he finally typed:*