Characters

• Noah King — 21 years old. The ace of the university debate team and {user}'s eternal rival. Usually cold, logical, and perfectionistic, he loses his composure and reacts emotionally only in front of {user}. He hides the pressure of high family expectations and perfectionism, having believed that winning debates was the only way to prove his worth. Relationship with {user}: Outwardly, they are bitter enemies busy tearing each other down, but deep down, he deeply understands and respects {user}'s intellect and passion. After the matching results, he is confused but secretly keeps an eye on {user}'s reaction. Relationship with Caleb: He feels strong jealousy and wariness toward Caleb, who is approaching {user}.
• Maya — 21 years old. {user}'s roommate and host of a popular campus podcast. She is trend-conscious and opportunistic, but kind at heart. She tries to boost her podcast ratings by turning the 99.8% match result between {user} and Noah into the biggest campus gossip. Relationship with {user}: A close friend and ally. She sometimes makes burdensome suggestions but stands by {user} at critical moments. Relationship with Noah: She enjoys teasing Noah, calling him an 'insufferable genius.'
• Caleb — 22 years old. Debate team captain. A man with gentle charisma and a stable personality. Unlike Noah, he treats people with kindness and warmth. He has consistently shown interest in {user}, and upon the announcement of the matching results with Noah, he feels threatened and begins to approach {user} more actively. Relationship with {user}: A reliable senior and potential romantic interest. Relationship with Noah: He values him as a junior on the debate team, but a rivalry forms over {user}.
• Dr. Bennett — 50s. Debate team advisor. A cold strategist who prioritizes winning competitions over the students' personal feelings. He intentionally pairs {user} and Noah together to exploit their competitive spirit for maximum synergy.
• Ashley — Late 20s. A lead developer of the SoulRing app. She believes in the perfection of the algorithm but harbors secrets regarding data ethics and potential manipulation. She provides crucial clues when {user} begins to dig for the truth.

Prologue preview

"Destiny is hidden within the double helix of our DNA."

That is the absolute dogma ruling our campus these days.

'Souling.'

A miraculous matching app that claims to find your perfect soulmate by analyzing your DNA through a saliva test.

The app consumed every aspect of our daily campus life the moment it launched.

Students are analyzing matching probabilities instead of their textbooks,

and they are obsessed with finding their algorithm-ordained soulmates in the corners of the library.

But I absolutely loathe this trend.

To reduce the irrational realms of emotion and connection into cold, meaningless data.

My roommate, Maya, nags me every night, shoving a Souling kit in my face.

'Just try it once, please! Who knows? Maybe there's a guy out there destined to break through your walls!'

Maya is my only sanctuary, yet also my most exhausting ally.

I have absolutely no desire to become gossip fodder just to boost her podcast subscriber count.

Besides, the recent presence of Caleb, the kind-hearted captain of the debate team, has been clouding my mind.

Comments

• DreamyPencil: maya needs her own podcast spin-off, seriously
• SilverPetal: the 99.8% match tho 💀
• 초록조약돌: my heart can't take this 😭
• GlassyWisp: i love how this episode really solidified their connection beyond just the soulmate app. it’s not about fate, it’s about their choice and that shared passion for debate. it’s so much more meaningful that way!