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The unruly chatter of the classroom assaults Uraraka’s eardrums as she leans forward, her figure arching somewhat protectively over her phone. Caramel eyes scan the brightly lit screen. It was difficult to know just how many times she found herself lingering on the AppStore page for “Love Alarm” since its launch, but something about it called to her. Everyone raved about the self-proclaimed, ultimate match-making service.
Despite its name, the mysterious developers of the app constantly stated that it has nothing to do with identifying love or any fickle emotions of the sort. No, instead they claim to have the ability to pinpoint something bigger, something deeper: soul links between individuals. The only catch, they must both have the app open at the same time.
If it is as accurate as they claim, countless hearts can be spared from the devastating reality of heartbreak. The concept in itself was enough to single-handedly revolutionize modern dating within hours of its release.
But how could one truly know if it is telling them the truth? Can an application truly be so advanced that it can determine something so complex?
Uraraka’s padded fingertip hovers nervously over the download button, careful to avoid touching it directly. “I wonder,” she whispers under her breath, losing herself deep in thought.
“Earth to Uraraka! Are you even listening?” Ashido calls out, a hand slipping between her friend’s face and phone screen, waving incessantly.
Swallowing hard, Uraraka jumps upright, eyes peeling wide as she straightens her posture. “Oh, sorry! I’m just a little…”
Ashido sighs. “Distracted? Shocker,” she retorts as she leans forward on her desk, her chin pressed into the palm of her hand.
“I’m sorry, you’re right.” Uraraka threads a hand behind the curve of her neck, gaze lowering.
“I’m worried about you, you seem so focused on your phone lately,” Yaoyorozu whispers from over Uraraka’s shoulder, kind eyes fixed on her friend’s somewhat vacant expression. “Is it Love Alarm again?”
“Of course it is! Look at her, that same distant look she always has when she starts overthinking. ” Ashido turns in her chair, making direct eye contact with Yaoyorozu as she gestures in Uraraka’s direction. “Just download the silly thing and let the universe take you for a joyride already!”
Uraraka scoffs softly, amusement washing over her as she takes in her friend’s overzealous response. “I don’t know. It just feels like a scam. It doesn’t seem reasonable that they can even detect such a thing,” she responds with a drawn-out groan, weathered hands sliding across the desk, pinky fingers raised. Just makes me think of fortune-tellers and that astrology advice in magazines. People just think it’s real because they desire for it to be.
“I agree.” Yaoyorozu shrugs, the corners of her lips curving into a gentle smile. “But even if it did work, it doesn’t feel right to pry into my future.”
Ashido exhales heavily, her gaze drifting dramatically between her two seemingly unadventurous friends. “Maybe both of you are destined to find your soulmate via this app. What if you never explore it? You need to take a chance on things sometimes,” she argues, her brows knitting together stubbornly. “You might never find out who your soulmate is if you don’t give it a shot. Instead, you might date a whole bunch of horrible people who don’t deserve you. Either way, you haven’t got anything to lose.”
There it is. A big fat dose of reality. Uraraka winces as her friend’s words ring through her mind. Perhaps Ashido isn’t wrong. Perhaps without risk, there is no reward. Without thinking she turns to look back over her shoulder at Yaoyorozu, desperate to hear her take on things.
Yaoyorozu sighs delicately, her attention drifting across to Uraraka, immediately taking in her friend’s torn expression. “Even so, I’d rather let fate take control the old-fashioned way,” she responds diplomatically. “If I make mistakes there are learnings that will come from those experiences.”
“Maybe we can download it together.” Uraraka’s words tumble from her lips as her gaze flicks back in Ashido’s direction. “This was your idea after all.”
Ashido jumps out of her chair, both hands enveloping Uraraka’s as she grins broadly. “I knew you would come around!” she exclaims, her fingers affectionately tightening their grip on her friend’s hand. “Let's do it now while so many people are in the room!”
Swallowing thickly, Uraraka reaches for her phone and hits download on the application with little to no hesitation at last. It is now or never. Somehow, doing it with Ashido makes it a little less overwhelming. But only a little .
“But don’t get me wrong, I have zero expectations or trust in this thing,” Uraraka adds under her breath.
“Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Let’s just click it at the same time and see what happens,” Ashido replies as she scrolls through her phone in search of the freshly downloaded application. “Ready? Three, two, one!”
“One,” Uraraka whispers in unison with her friend, squeezing her eyes closed as she taps on the icon, turning on the app for the first time.
Heart racing, Uraraka’s eyelids quiver as she slowly peeks at her screen with one eye to see a single heart floating in the middle of the blue screen alongside the text; “You’re the soulmate of someone within a 10-meter radius.”
Instantly heat floods Uraraka’s chest and the background noise fades to almost a nothingness. Her eyes completely transfixed by the text on screen as tiny hairs prick up at the base of her neck. My soulmate? She repeats silently in disbelief.
“Oh man, nothing for me,” Ashido grumbles as she turns her phone off, frowning. “Any luck?”
Flustered, Uraraka nods solemnly, her chest constricting as she swallows heavily. “I’m the soulmate of someone in this room,” she whispers. “Apparently anyway.”
“Oh my!” Yaoyorozu gasps, a hand flicking up to cover her mouth.
“What!” Ashido exclaims, lunging forward to look at her phone screen. “Oh my god! Who is it? This means you have to be their soulmate in return, right?”
“I think so! If this is right, I honestly have no idea who it could be though,” Uraraka notes meekly, heart racing as her gaze flicks up from her screen, quickly shooting across the room to the countless faces of her classmates. Pinpointing who it is that has supposedly rang her alarm is virtually impossible. What teenager doesn’t have their phone on during lunch break?
That leaves her with the question: who in the room is most likely to have downloaded the application?
Lips contorting, her line of vision jumps from face to face, hopping across the classroom until her gaze locks with a fierce pair of ruby eyes. A cold chill rushes down her spine as his gaze narrows, growing more aggressive the longer her attention lingers.
Bakugo Katsuki. Self-proclaimed genius. If there is one thing she knows beyond a doubt, it is that he of all people would never download the app. The concept of him thinking about anything beyond training to be a hero and making his goals a reality is utterly laughable. But the thought of him seeking to find his soulmate via an app? It sounds like a terrible a joke, a dangerous one that will surely land you in the school medical bay if you were to suggest such a thing out loud.
“What the fuck are you staring for, Floaty?” Bakugo growls as he shoots her a warning glare.
Panicked, Uraraka quickly turns off her phone and shoves it deep into her pocket. “Nothing! My mistake!” she calls out, hands waving dismissively in front of her face as she turns back to Ashido. I’m probably better off not knowing.
The remainder of the day churns by at a torturous pace with Uraraka’s phone bleeping every time she checks it in between classes, half expecting the original alert to be some kind of system error or coincidence. Yet, every time the same answer glared back up at her from her phone screen.
The school day comes to a close, and yet she still finds herself glued to her desk, her classmates long gone in pursuit of the finer pleasures in life. But not her, thanks to the gigantic distraction the app provided, she could barely focus in the classes that followed let alone absorb the information she was provided with. A post-class study session is exactly what she needed to get back on track.
Uraraka sighs loudly and rises to her feet, sliding her backpack off the top of her desk and slipping it over both shoulders. “I think I’m finally as caught up as I can. I have so many regrets right now. I should delete the silly thing before it causes more issues,” she notes softly to herself, a hand shooting down into her pocket, quickly pulling out her phone as she absentmindedly taps away at the screen while making a beeline for the exit. There’s no way to know who this app is supposedly referring to.
I cannot let this ‘would-be future’ get in the way of my goals.
Suddenly, without warning, her phone sings out loudly once more. “Someone within a 10-meter radius is your soulmate,” printed across her screen, but this time flashing .
Uraraka’s throat tightens as she stops in her tracks, knuckles growing white as she tightens her grip on the device. Her gaze drifts up as she comes face to face with a familiar harsh red gaze. Flabbergasted, she stares at him in shock for a moment before shoving her phone in her pocket, her heart rate skyrocketing.
Who is it? None other than the foul-mouthed Bakugo Katsuki.
“You…” he whispers harshly, not missing a beat as he slips his phone back into his pocket, eyes searching hers.
Swallowing hard, Uraraka’s fingers wrap around the thin straps of her backpack as she lowers her gaze and pushes past him, their arms brushing past one another. She squeezes her eyes shut as she passes him, her heart beating so frantically that she can feel it pulsing in her throat. It is awkward. The whole situation is beyond mortifying. What is she supposed to say?
Suddenly she feels a tug at her back, her backpack peeling away from the snug curve of her spine as she reluctantly turns to face him once more.
Bakugo huffs and releases his grip on her. “Don’t breathe a fucking word of this to anyone . Got it?” He growls warningly.
Uraraka’s lips twist as she looks him dead in the eyes. His rude attitude and taunts are nothing new, in fact, they are an expected inclusion in any interactions with the explosive man standing before her. But will it kill him to try and be a little kinder once and a while? Probably.
She crosses her arms as she searches deep within her for an ounce of his somewhat cruel resolve. “Why would I? If anything this proves that the app doesn’t work at all,” she quips back defensively. Her tone, her expression; everything about her has a giant ‘fuck off’ sign printed across it.
“Couldn’t have said it better myself,” Bakugo fires back with a huff. “I never should’ve downloaded that cursed app anyway.”
Just when Uraraka thought matters couldn’t get more awkward than they already are, fate found a way. Uraraka was half shocked it took over half the day for word of her love alarm ringing to pop up in conversation despite her desperation to keep things under wraps.
Exhaling heavily, she squeezes her eyes shut. Tussled chocolate locks act as a veil to block out those surrounding her, bombarding her with questions as she stares down at her desk.
“Who was it? It was Deku, wasn’t it?” Mineta wails dramatically, his hands peeling back a section of her hair only to have his hand slapped away by Ashido.
“Don’t touch! Can’t you see how stressed out she is, back off!” Ashido snaps, shooting him a death glare.
“I always knew those two would end up together at some point!” Kaminari chimes in as he walks over.
Kirishima laughs loudly from the back of the room. “Nah, you’re all wrong! I heard Deku has a thing for Hatsume over in support! Right, Deku?”
When will it stop? What is she supposed to say on the matter? If she tells them the answer Bakugo bites her head off, if she doesn’t tell them an answer they bite her head off. It is a lose-lose situation.
Sighing, Uraraka slowly rises upright, hands rubbing her face roughly as she groans.
“Uraraka,” Deku calls out as he slowly approaches her desk, a nervous sweaty wreck from head to toe. It is clear he has been overthinking the discussions that have been taking place in the room as if neither of them are present. His cheeks are somewhat flushed and even his voice is quivering, echoing the anxiety evident in his appearance. “Can we meet after school at the P.E Grounds? I’ve got something I want to discuss with you if that’s alright?”
Hands sliding from her face, Uraraka straightens her posture, her gaze locks with his and softens as the classroom falls silent. Just how can she say no to him when he looks at her like that? The fact that he asked in front of the whole classroom doesn’t help either.
“Okay.” She replies at last, her voice hushed.
“Deku is solidifying his position with one of the cutest girls in class,” Kirishima notes, eyes lit with excitement as he watches on. “I honestly didn’t think he had it in him!”
Bakugo scoffs, sliding his feet off the table as he glares at Kirishima. “The only position that Deku is gonna solidify is his position as the biggest loser in class,”
“You know, bitter doesn’t suit you,” Kaminari laughs heartily.
“I agree,” Kirishima notes as he smirks at Kaminari. “I didn’t know that Bakugo cared so much about Deku’s love life. Maybe there’s something he’s not telling us?”
Bakugo slams his feet to the floor, eyes shaking with rage. “I’m not beyond ending your life right now!”
Suddenly a scurry of footsteps sounds from the front of the room and Bakugo’s gaze instantly flicks in the direction only to see Uraraka running out of the room without so much as a word.
Without even thinking twice he makes a beeline for the door and storms down the hallway hot in pursuit. “What the fuck are you thinking?” Bakugo calls out, his voice echoing down the hallway causing Uraraka to stop dead in her tracks and slowly turn to face him.
“I was thinking that he’s a nice guy and he’s my friend. I should listen to what he has to say,” Uraraka replies, her voice dripping with empathy.
Bakugo closes the gap between them, walking her backwards until she finds herself backed up against the wall. “Who gives a shit! You know what he’s gonna do right? That loser is gonna confess his undying love to you.”
“Stop being so rude, he’s not a loser,” she retorts irritably, her brows knitting together as she looks up at him defiantly. “Besides, the more I think about it, the more the soulmate thing doesn’t make sense. I can’t help but think it’s all a sham. None of it makes sense, the app and soulmates in general. Why does any of that even matter really?”
Eyes narrowing, he slams his forearm up against the wall and leans in, pinning her against the wall. “If the app is right, I can tell you one thing for fucking sure. I’m not gonna lose to that fucking nerd,” he growls lowly, his face drawing dangerously close.
Heart racing, Uraraka’s throat tightens as she looks up at him, his hot breath dancing across her cheeks, their eyes still locked in a silent, stubborn battle. “It’s not a contest,” she argues half-heartedly as she looks away, her face growing flushed as his bold words echo through her mind over and over.
“Doesn’t matter. I bet he can never make you all hot and bothered like this, Cheeks,” Bakugo quips, his lips inching dangerously close to her ear.
A chill rushes down Uraraka’s spine as her breath hitches in the back of her throat, his proximity rendering her catatonic for a split second. “I-I’m not any of those things!”
“You’re a crap liar, Cheeks,” he fires back, pushing off the wall and turning to head back to class.
Taking a deep breath, Uraraka squeezes her eyes shut, clammy hands flicking up to her flushed cheeks as she tries to compose herself. How can someone so insufferable be that intoxicating? she wonders silently as she turns to watch him slip back into the classroom, but not before shooting her one last smug expression.
The warm afternoon sun beams down on Uraraka as she jogs through the campus, closing the gap between her and her destination with every footstep. Anxiety floods her senses, overwhelming her in every conceivable manner. Anyone in her position would feel thrilled to be meeting with a potential soulmate, but somehow all she feels is guilt and anxiety.
Maybe I shouldn’t be here at all, perhaps Bakugo is right, she muses to herself as she slows her pace and takes her first step onto the P.E Grounds. Bright brown eyes keenly scan the vicinity for any sign of Deku, her fingertips wrapping anxiously around her backpack straps as her heart strums wildly in her chest.
“I have absolutely nothing to feel guilty about. I shouldn’t have even listened to Bakugo,” Uraraka argues softly, eyes whipping to her left, instantly locking on Deku in the far corner of the field. Bakugo making my heart race doesn’t mean we are soulmates or anything like that. Besides, he isn’t the type to pursue something as fickle as feelings. Even if it did mean something, he’d probably just laugh at me.
Without thinking twice her hand sinks deep into her pocket, pulling out her phone as she instinctively taps away at her screen, her finger hovering over the app button. It’s now or never. This meeting will answer the question of who rang her Love Alarm once and for all.
Her eyes flick back up to look across at Deku who nodded silently at her, gripping his phone.
A jingle rings from her phone, seizing her attention as she looks down to her phone; a pink swirling heart emblazoned across the screen. “You are the soulmate of someone within a 10-meter radius.”
Her gaze drifts back across to Deku, his eyes fixed intently on his phone screen yet not an ounce of excitement is visible, only disappointment. The silence is deafening.
So the rumours are true then. In some cases, it identifies if they are your soulmate, but that doesn’t mean it is reciprocated, she notes silently, heart palpitations quickening. Does this mean that he isn’t mine? Then that person yesterday afternoon was…
“Let’s get this shit sorted once and for all!” Bakugo’s voice booms as he charges irritably towards them, aggressively pulling his phone out and tapping aggressively at his screen. “If you ring my alarm in return you’re mine, got it!”
“What are you doing here?” Uraraka calls out as she turns to come face to face with the blond, her throat tightening as she tries to control her irritation. “I’m nobody’s property, Bakugo!”
Bakugo rolls his eyes, stopping a few short meters away from her. “You know what I fucking mean! No more of this ‘maybe the app doesn’t work’ bullshit!”
“But why? You don’t care about me at all!” She huffs as she meets his gaze dead on.
“Do I have to spell it out for you, idiot?”
“Yes! Because none of this makes any sense!” she quips, eyes shaking. “Why do you even want to be right about this? Is it just a game to you? Because it isn’t to me.”
“Because!”
“Because, why?”
Bakugo lets loose a drawn-out groan, hands slipping through his hair, tring to keep his frustration in check. “Because you annoy the shit out of me, and I want to be the only one that gets to annoy the shit outta you, that’s why!” he blurts out somewhat aggressively, eyes shaking as his odd yet passionate confession rolls off the tip of his tongue.
Deku laughs awkwardly, a hand scratching at the nape of his neck, his gaze fixed on Uraraka’s taken-back expression before flicking towards his childhood friend as he closes the gap between them. “I’m so proud of how open you are with your more delicate feelings now, Kacchan!” he teases as he passes him, patting him on the shoulder for a split second before pushing his rival lightly towards Uraraka.
“Don’t touch me! I wouldn’t be having to deal with this shit if it weren’t for you, Deku!” Bakugo seethes as he opens the app.
Uraraka remains frozen, Bakugo’s words ringing through her mind as she watches Deku vacate the area, his attention turned back towards his phone.
Deku’s rejection was inevitable. Deep down she knew it, yet part of her couldn’t help but feel guilty for not being able to give him the answer he sought.
But within a split second, that guilt fades away as both hers and Bakugo’s phones ring out in synchronization.
Eyes widening, Uraraka’s gaze drifts down to her screen. “Did they both just…” she starts to whisper as she silently reads the message printed across her screen.
“You are the soulmate of 2 people within a 10-meter radius.”
Bakugo looks across at her, a smug expression tugging at his lips as he points his phone at her.
“You are the soulmate of someone within a 10-meter radius.”
“You’re a pain in the ass and quite frankly insufferable,” Uraraka breathes as she slowly walks up to him, her eyes fixed on his lit-up screen. “But somehow part of me knew it was you. Or maybe I wanted it to be you,” she adds in a whisper.
“What the fuck? Are you looking for a fight?” he barks, eyes narrowing as he steps forward, the gap between them vanishing in a split second.
Uraraka smiles nervously as she slips her phone into her pocket. “Even if the app didn’t exist it wouldn’t matter. You are the only person who makes my heart beat faster.”
Bakugo reaches forward, ruffling her chocolate locks as he averts his gaze; heat threatening to consume his cheeks. “Don’t say mushy crap like that out loud, loser!”