Chapter 109: Chaos at the Omiai
The moment Ava stepped back into the open-air pavilion, she knew she was in trouble.
The traditional omiai matchmaking event had already taken a turn for the absurd, and she hadn’t even sat down yet.
The sun cast a warm golden glow over Hamarikyu Gardens, the light filtering through the delicate cherry blossoms. The soft rustling of leaves blended with the gentle murmur of polite conversations, punctuated by the occasional tsk of a disapproving elder. Ornate tatami mats were laid out in precise, symmetrical rows, each one a designated matchmaking station where potential couples were to meet and be carefully evaluated by their matchmaker.
Ava eyed the situation with growing horror.
It wasn’t just the clients who were being assessed—the matchmakers themselves were under intense scrutiny.
Several elderly matriarchs, dressed in regal kimono, sat on elevated platforms at the far end of the pavilion, observing the matches with hawk-like intensity. It was like being judged by an elite council of love grandmasters, each of them capable of destroying careers with a single raised eyebrow.
Ryan, standing beside her, whistled low. "Wow. So this is where matchmaking stops being fun and turns into a corporate merger."
Ava rubbed her temples. "This is worse than I thought."
And then she saw it.
Across the pavilion, Julian Ashcroft sat comfortably, smirking as he charmed an elderly matchmaker into nodding along with whatever nonsense he was selling. Ethan stood nearby, hands in his pockets, looking bored out of his mind.
Great. Just great.