People were... interesting.

Some showed up overdressed like it was a formal party. Some looked like they had just rolled out of bed but thought a designer watch would balance it out. A few acted like they owned the world. Others couldn’t even hold eye contact.

Some talked too much—rattling off business numbers or personal achievements like they were applying for a promotion. Others barely spoke, just nodded along like they were too scared to say the wrong thing.

They all had different faces, different ways of sitting, speaking, looking at her. But somehow, they all started to blend together. Like different versions of the same rushed meeting.

Ava wasn’t impressed or unimpressed. She wasn’t even tired. Just... watching.

Everyone wanted to be liked. That part was clear. Whether they were trying too hard or trying not to care, it all came back to that. To being chosen. Seen. Approved.

Funny how a blind date could pull out so many versions of a person.

She wasn’t judging. Not really. Just noticing. Just flipping the pages, smiling politely, and filing mental notes that sounded a lot like “Nice guy, but no.”

Over all, she had several nice conversations going and made a few acquaintances that she would like to keep in touch with.

Even if they had different personalities and different views, none of them were rude to Ava. In any case, they approached Ava with seriousness in mind.

However, that said, there was one thing that most of them had in common. Some already had someone important to them and were forced to come to the blind date.

Most of those people hadn't told their families about their feelings, or their families hadn't accepted the ones they loved. Or better yet, they hadn't even had the courage to express their feelings to the lucky girl.

In those occasions, Ava spent her time giving relationship advice. Everytime it ended and another one started, Ava couldn't believe what she was doing.

Instead of finding a partner, she was doing things that would make them stray farther away from her.

It wasn't that she cared about that though. She even secretly wished it would continue this way so that she wouldn't have to think of what to tell her mother.

But alas, some didn't have anyone special in their hearts. That group were very few and didn't seem to be that interested in a relationship, instead they were serious about their work and were trying to smoothly inherit their family's businesses.

A permanent smile bloomed on Ava's face at a thought. She realized that this wasn't really a blind date to her but a way to form connections.

Having connections to these powerful people would prove very useful to her in the near future.

So she made sure to be on her best behavior. If she decided to branch into another field of business in the future, these acquaintances would be of good help.

Ten blind dates went by without a hitch.

"It's already dark outside. It would be better if I escort you home." The last blind date she had was with a kind young man.

His family dabbled in mass media.

"It's fine. My house is a little walk away." Ava's smile didn't leave her face. "And it's not that late."

"Alright. If you insist. I'll call you later then." He waved at her as he left.

He was among the category that had someone they liked but hadn't confessed yet.

As he left, she stopped waving and sighed, leaning back on her chair.

"All the men I met today were so kind." No one caught her eyes though.

She looked around and noticed that the place was almost empty. Just a handful of people left.

Ava's neck felt a little stiff, so did her back. Her bladder was under pressure because she drank a lot of water.

She walked to the bathroom; rejoicing that she didn't have to use the pepper spray for any reason.

A few tables away from her, a young man sat still, but his eyes followed Ava like a hawk.

That man had been seated there earlier before Ava even came in the morning.

At first, he was focused on his business meeting but when different people started approaching Ava, his attention got caught.

From the conversations he managed to pick out, he assumed that she was having a blind date.

But ten in a row? That was a little bit out of hand, right?

Throughout his long meeting, his eyes continued to move to her table. It was another guy after the next.

He picked out some of her expression throughout the whole day.

She intertwines her fingers when she was pondering something. She fixes her earrings when she was a bit nervous.

Another thing he noticed was that she was very open minded and listened to all her blind dates carefully. She even gave good relationship advice from what he could tell.

A young woman walked to him and said.

"Boss, it's getting late. We should leave. We have another meeting with the client tomorrow."

When he didn't respond, she called out. "Nathaniel? Are you feeling alright? You look out of it."

Nathaniel looked back at his assistant. "I'm just stressed out a little from the meeting."

His assistant sighed. "We have another one tomorrow, so rest properly this night. I have taken all the documents to your car."

"Thank you. Let's go."

Nathaniel's eyes trailed to the restroom door but he didn't see Ava as he left. A pity.

Ava walked back home, tired. The aftereffect came back to her in waves.

She wanted to crash on her bed and take a long nap, but she was intercepted by her mother as soon as she entered the house.

Mr. Winslow saw her daughter coming from afar, and grabbed her, leading her to the living room where she told her to sit down.

"So, did you see anyone you like." Mrs. Winslow's eyes twinkled.

Ava sighed, fetching out the file from her bag and giving it to her mother. "Here. I wrote down my reviews."

Mrs. Winslow took the file with her face twisted in confusion. "Reviews?"

"I'm going to bed." Ava stood up, heading to her room.

Mrs. Winslow glanced at the file, then to her departing daughter. "Aren't you going to have dinner?"

"I'm not hungry." Ava responded. All those things she ate made her full.

She went to her room and threw herself on her bed, immediately sleeping off.

Four days left and this would be over.

Downstairs, her mother opened the file and her face darkened by a few noticable shades.

"What is this? A job application remark?"

All the remarks had something similar. 'Satisfactory but no'.