Viktor wasn’t exactly thrilled when Jayce dragged him to the bar. He’d tried to argue, but Jayce was practically bouncing off the walls, practically dragging him through the door. “It’ll be fun, come on! Just a small event, you’ll see,” Jayce had said, grinning like a schoolboy. Viktor, on the other hand, didn’t really care for loud, crowded places, but Jayce was persistent. So, a couple of drinks later, here he was, standing awkwardly in front of a group of women and a microphone-wielding man on a stage.

Jayce was way too excited, but Viktor?

He felt out of place.

The man on stage cleared his throat, his voice booming over the microphone. "Alright, gentlemen! The rules are simple. You’ll stand here, and these lovely ladies will ask you questions. If they’re not interested, they pop the balloon, and the next one comes up. If all the balloons are popped, well, we move on.” Viktor grimaced. He wasn’t sure what bothered him more—the idea of standing there, answering random questions from strangers, or the pressure of having women decide his worth in front of an audience.

The first woman stepped up to him, eyes scanning his face.

She was pretty.

"So, what do you do for work?" she asked, arms crossed. Viktor blinked, surprised. His mind raced for a second before he answered, his voice quieter than usual, “I’m a scientist… an inventor…” He didn’t really care if they understood or not.

The woman immediately popped the balloon, not even hesitating. "Yeah, not really my type," she said, turning on her heel and walking off. Viktor stared at her retreating figure, dumbfounded.

That… that was it?

It wasn’t as if Viktor was particularly upset by the rejection—it was just… the whole thing felt so ridiculous. He didn’t belong here. And yet, the questions kept coming. What was his type? How old was he? What did he do in his free time?

The next woman who asked, though polite, seemed to be expecting something more than Viktor could offer.

Another balloon popped.