Hei-Sagu- 37. Your chest will glow when you get close to your soulmate.
'Soulmate glow' was a well-documented phenomenon. Saguru had read papers studying its effects in a fit of boredom a few years back—the glow's effect was present on a small patch of skin on the chest, and the brightness depended on some variable that science was still trying to piece together. The going theory was a mixture of pheromone compatibility and low-level synchronization of brain waves between subjects suggesting mild psychic ability, but most people just called it fate.
While Saguru had witnessed the phenomenon several times in strangers, and quite often during the times his parents were together, he had not given much thought to the fact that he might one day experience it personally. There were almost eight billion people on earth, and the likelihood of stumbling across one with the correct compatibility was rather low. Only thirty-seven percent of people on average experienced soulmate glow. It was perhaps in part because of this low number that most cultures held it in high regard and placed more meaning on an arbitrary biological response than something so random should be granted.
Romantic significance—soulmate significance, for whatever meaning the word had in its individual culture. Or words. There were many words for it, but English didn't contain the levels of nuance some of the other languages did.
So, yes, Saguru knew of the phenomenon. And he didn't tend to wear clothing that could reveal if he ever experienced it. But he happened to be wearing a much less buttoned up shirt that day, and the glow was a biological process. And apparently one that could be felt—he'd have thought that would have been described more concretely in a scientific journal.
It was like a well-banked fire, warm and unignorable against his sternum even before the glow spilled through the fabric of his shirt.
He slapped a hand over the spot before it could get brighter. Who? Who was the one…?
There weren't many choices. Three detectives—no, four if the child was counted, and thank goodness he didn't see anything from him. Not the girl nor—Saguru locked eyes with Hattori Heiji.
Hattori's face was screwed up, eyes flicking to where Saguru's hand covered his chest. Hattori whose uniform was both dark and thick enough to cover the glow.
Saguru had never considered his soulmate might be a man. At least, he supposed as he studied the other detective, his soulmate couldn't be dumb. Not if he was a famous high school detective in his own right.
"Are you fricking kidding me?" Hattori said.
Saguru hadn't even introduced himself yet. He frowned. "Excuse me?"
"Nope." Hattori buttoned his uniform tighter. "No. Not gonna deal with this."
Their first meeting didn't get any better from there.