After not receiving any matches for the last two years, Sohal decided to try and lower his standards for a partner. Instead of seeking a big-breasted woman like his father said he should find, he decided one with smaller breasts should be okay if it meant a match.

All he needed was one person to make him happy. Was that too much to ask for?

He shifted in his seat as he waited for someone to join him in the tiny cubicle. After the receptionist had walked him over and told him to wait, his heart rate kept increasing. No matter how many times he mentally rehearsed for this, he didn’t feel ready.

I would like to update my match preferences.

He kept repeating the words over and over again the day before until it was ingrained in his mind. He knew the words like the back of his hand, but a part of him still worried about getting it wrong. He was so close to meeting his soulmate. He could feel it.

In an attempt to turn off his mind, Sohal looked around the cubicle. As if there was anything for him to look at. The thin white walls of the cubicle were empty. There was nothing to tell him about what he might expect from the employee. All there was in the tight space was the chair he sat on, a chair across from him, and a desk between them.

How much longer would this take?

Sohal bounced his heel and fiddled with his fingers. He was not sure how much longer he’d be able to wait. The whole point of making an appointment was to—

Someone cleared their throat and Sohal looked over to find an employee of Fated standing at the entrance to the cubicle. The young woman wore the signature latex red business suit of Fated employees, and her name tag said her name was Brandi.

She sat in the seat in front of Sohal and the desk lit up instantly. A hologram screen popped up with the Fated logo along with small text underneath issuing him a welcome.

“Hi, there. You must be Sohal.” She stretched her red lips into an uncomfortable looking smile. “What can I do for you today? Were you interested in upgrading to a prem—”

“I would like to match my update preferences,” Sohal said. “Uh, I- I mean—”

The corner of her eyebrow barely lifted up before she turned her attention back to the hologram. “I will need to verify your information before I can pull up your profile.”

“Okay,” Sohal said.

“What is your four-digit pin number?”

“0828.”

“Please wait a moment as I retrieve your profile data.”

The screen displayed a buffer circle that lasted a bit too long for Sohal’s tastes before changing into a familiar layout. Sohal’s dark eyes stared back at him from the profile picture he had taken months before. It wasn’t his best photo but it was something.

Brandi clasped her hands together and propped her elbows on the desk. “What would you like to change in your profile today? I can recommend some common areas for improvement if you’re not meeting the people that you click with the most.”

The advisor flicked her finger in the air and the layout changed to show a different section of his profile. Unlike the public profile that was displayed before, this private profile focused on what he was looking for a partner and who he felt he’d match with.

It had been two years since Sohal signed up for Fated, and in all his time on the app, he hadn’t gotten a single match. He didn’t have the vaguest idea on what he wanted but the traits he picked prior definitely weren’t working. Maybe he was asking for too much.

“I want to remove the filters I had set for preferred physical aesthetics.”

It was silent for a moment before the sound of typing took over. Just like that, all of the misguided necessities from his desired partner list was wiped. Weight, height, boob size, all of it just gone. Besides, a person was more than what they looked like, right?

“Just to confirm, you didn’t want to date someone of the same sex, right?” She looked at him expectantly almost as if she was encouraging him to say yes.

Sohal nodded his head, the words caught in his throat. The thought of dating a man never crossed his mind before. His father seemed so happy with his mother and he just wanted what they had. Fortunately, Brandi continued to type away at her desk.

“Since you no longer have any physical preferences, would you like to strengthen your personality preferences? It’s highly recommended if you want to find your soulmate.”

“Uh, sure?”

“I noticed on your profile that you haven’t been in a relationship before, so feel free to ask any questions you may have. Soulmate finding is very difficult, but not impossible!”

The words jabbed at Sohal. He clenched a fistful of his shirt in his hand. Sohal didn’t know what he even wanted in a partner in all honesty. He knew he didn’t want to be alone forever but he couldn’t fathom what kind of person or relationship he wanted.

“So, I see you have listed that you desire a partner with the ‘nice’ personality trait and nothing else. Do you have any ideas of what traits you would like to add?”

“Um… no actually.” There were so many options he could have added, but what if he chose the wrong combination? What if it limited his options and he found no one?

“That’s no worry.” She stretched out the words as she sifted through the content with a finger. “I am a certified matchmaker here at Fated, so I can help craft your profile.”

She leaned back and another hologram popped up next to her. Her eyes scanned the hologram for a moment before she shifted her focus back to Sohal again. 

“What are your hobbies, Sohal?”

“I… enjoy… uh… reading?”

When was the last time he actually did a hobby?

Sohal had been so focused on his work and trying to please his parents that he didn’t remember what he used to do for fun. His head was only filled with designing aesthetic front pages, ensuring sites were functional, petty small talk with his co-worker Ed, and the occasional get-togethers with old friends.

“And how about your sex life? Anything you can tell me about that?”

The question instantly made Sohal’s eyes widen and his jaw went slack. He knew Fated wanted to make sure people were compatible in all of the ways, but being asked about sex so openly like this still made him feel awkward. “Um… no. I have nothing to say.”

“I see, I see.” Her head bobbed up and down and she tapped her finger on her chin. “Another thing. Would you like a partner with a similar personality or an opposite one?”

His eyebrows furrowed as he thought for a moment. “What's recommended?”

“We highly recommend someone with a different personality from you. Many of our clients find amazing partners with opposite personalities to experience new things and discover new hobbies. A lot of them said that it really expands their world view, too.”

“That… sounds good.” There was a small twist in his gut but he ignored it. They were professionals, they knew what they were doing. Right?

“Wonderful. I’ll make the arrangements. Is there anything else I can help you with?”

“No, I don’t think so…”

“Alrighty then, that concludes the end of our session! We will message you through the app to let you know if you receive any matches. I hope you have a wonderful day.”

“Thank you.”

〜

The walk home was a blur and before Sohal knew it, he was sitting at home with a plate of overcooked chicken and vegetables. Ever since he left the meeting, it felt like he was in a trance. He couldn’t get the conversation out of his head. How would he even have a sex life if he was single? He came to Fated to find someone, not to be mocked.

How hard was it to find someone that you needed prior experience to even know what you liked? If you were already seeing someone before, why find someone new?

He sighed as he took in the surroundings of his apartment. No matter how many times he rearranged things, it didn’t feel right. It felt too empty. Something was missing.

It would be nice to have someone around to help liven up his life. Maybe they would even bring their stuff in and add character and personality to the soulless apartment.

He mindlessly scooped the food into his mouth. The empty space of his apartment stared back at him as his mind kept wandering back to his appointment.

Hopefully, he made the right decisions today. His preferences were obviously the issue before, and finding someone was not going to be easy if he wasn’t specific in his search.

But how much longer would he have to wait for the perfect person to enter his life?

Suddenly, a shrill chirp vibrated throughout the room and interrupted his thoughts. He fished his phone out of pocket and unlocked it to see the red Fated icon at the top.

He got a match.