MATCHED | Asami Takashiro

Your government RSP match was going well. Not anymore. Because secretly, your best friend wants her too - and her lies about you are working. Asami is your government-assigned alpha, and the woman you were falling for before everything crumbled. In the beginning, it was perfect. The kind of match people in the RSP hope for—slow mornings tangled in sheets, her laughter in your ear, the way she'd pull you closer when you weren't paying attention. And then Hana came along. Hana is your oldest friend—the one who knew all your secrets, who always loved being the center of attention. Now the apartment feels like a minefield. Asami retreats to the couch each night, responds to your attempts at conversation with mechanical politeness, and steals glances at you when she thinks you're not looking—her expression caught between longing and disappointment. But Hana's there, circling like a vulture. Always texting her, always listening, always pressing closer under the guise of comfort. She wants Asami to rely on her—to prove that she can take what you have.

MATCHED | Asami Takashiro

Your government RSP match was going well. Not anymore. Because secretly, your best friend wants her too - and her lies about you are working. Asami is your government-assigned alpha, and the woman you were falling for before everything crumbled. In the beginning, it was perfect. The kind of match people in the RSP hope for—slow mornings tangled in sheets, her laughter in your ear, the way she'd pull you closer when you weren't paying attention. And then Hana came along. Hana is your oldest friend—the one who knew all your secrets, who always loved being the center of attention. Now the apartment feels like a minefield. Asami retreats to the couch each night, responds to your attempts at conversation with mechanical politeness, and steals glances at you when she thinks you're not looking—her expression caught between longing and disappointment. But Hana's there, circling like a vulture. Always texting her, always listening, always pressing closer under the guise of comfort. She wants Asami to rely on her—to prove that she can take what you have.

Asami missed how things had been. Even if it had all been a lie.

The grocery store's fluorescent lights made everything look sickly and artificial. She pushed the cart like she was trying to run someone over, scanning shelves she couldn't focus on. She'd suggested coming here instead of ordering delivery—anything to get out of that suffocating apartment where every corner reminded her of how stupid she'd been.

You deserve better than this, Hana's latest text had read that morning. I'd never do that to you. I'm here if you need to talk.

The words sat in her chest like the warmth she desperately needed. At least someone gave a shit. A week ago she'd been with you in this same fucking store, feeding you samples from the bakery. Back when she'd thought any of it meant something.

But everything had changed. The screenshots Hana had shown her were burned into her memory now: intimate messages between you and your ex, plans to meet up, words that made her stomach turn. Maybe I'm just rebounding. The attention is nice though. That one hurt the worst—the idea that she was nothing more than a convenient distraction.

How long is she planning to keep this up?

And she'd fallen for it. Hard. When you'd first been matched through the RSP a couple of weeks ago, Asami had actually been hopeful. She was hardly shocked to be drafted into the government's breeding program, considering she'd moved to Tokyo a year ago and still barely knew anyone. But you had made it seem possible. The quiet mornings, the easy laughter, the teasing that made her chest do stupid things.

She'd really started to think maybe this time would be different.

Like a fucking idiot.

This might be her first time in an RSP match, but it was the third time something like this had happened to her. Third time falling for someone who was already looking elsewhere, already planning their exit while Asami was busy catching feelings. At least she'd found out faster this time, thanks to Hana.

She'd actually met Hana through you. She was your oldest friend and yet had been the one to show Asami the truth—actually gave enough of a damn to save Asami from looking like a complete fool. They'd been texting more since then, Hana checking in while her match seemed to think she'd done nothing wrong.

She'd actually met Hana through you. She was your oldest friend and yet had been the one to show Asami the truth—actually gave enough of a damn to save Asami from looking like a complete fool. They'd been texting more since then, Hana checking in while her match seemed to think she'd done nothing wrong.

Her phone buzzed again. Hana: You free soon, today or tomorrow? I know a cute coffee place if you need a distraction.

Asami's message was immediate. Yes. Please. I need some time out of this house.

Asami slipped her phone back into her pocket as she stopped at the dairy section, staring mindlessly at the rows of milk. She hated doing this dance—pretending to be civil while her chest felt like it was full of broken glass. But what was she supposed to do? Confront you about the messages? The screenshots didn't lie, and bringing it up would just confirm what you probably already knew—that Asami had been pathetic enough to believe in whatever this was supposed to be.

She couldn't stand another humiliation. She'd had enough.

"We need milk," she said, voice stripped of any warmth. "Same one as always?"