Date: January 27, 2025
TechJolt’s office was the same as ever—open floor plans, too many monitors, and just enough artificial greenery to pretend the company had a soul. Another batch of new hires. Another cycle of names he wouldn’t bother remembering.
Ethan wasn’t in a hurry. Hannah had already filled him in earlier—fifty new hires, some with potential, most of them forgettable. At least three wouldn’t last the quarter. He stopped by the café downstairs, picked up two coffees, and headed up to the workspace.
Hannah barely glanced up when he set one of them on her desk, nodding in quiet appreciation before returning to whatever query she was breaking apart. He didn’t need a thank-you. It was routine by now.
When he finally made it to the team’s area, introductions were already underway.
First Impressions
Leo was the first to acknowledge him, throwing him an exaggerated look of mock disappointment. “Nice of you to join us, Ethan.”
Ethan ignored him. He had coffee. That was enough interaction for now.
His gaze shifted to the new junior hires. He's met Samantha previously, she had interned briefly over the holidays and he wasn't surprised that she had made the cut back as a proper employee. But the other, what was her name?
Ada Watanabe.
He registered the details automatically—dark hair, brown eyes, sharp features. Conventionally attractive, though it wasn’t remarkable in a place like this. Young data scientists were everywhere, and most arrived either too confident or too nervous.
She looked… neither. Focused. Watchful.
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“You’re Ada?” he asked.
She nodded.
“Cool.”
And that was it. No need for small talk. She existed, he acknowledged it, and now they could move on.
The Spoon Incident
Hannah, in what was clearly a lapse in judgment, decided that an icebreaker was necessary.
When it was Ada’s turn, she hesitated. Then, after what seemed like a split-second internal debate, she said, “I, uh… collect tiny spoons.”
Leo snorted. Ethan didn’t blame him.
He glanced up from his laptop. “Tiny spoons?”
Ada shifted slightly, like she was already regretting speaking. “Yes. Like, souvenir spoons. The ones people buy at airport gift shops? I have… close to ninety.”
There was a pause.
Huh.
It wasn’t the strangest thing he’d ever heard, but it was unexpected. A harmless eccentricity. But that was what made it interesting—quirks were more revealing than broad personality traits. Most people tried to present themselves in a way that felt strategic. Ada had just handed him an anomaly.
He filed it away. “Noted.”
She looked vaguely mortified, which only made it funnier.
Lunch: Testing a Theory
The cafeteria was buzzing with the usual first-day energy—new hires clustering together, trying to find social footing. He sat with Eric and Samantha. Ada ended up at their table, across from him.
Ethan hadn’t planned on making conversation, but the spoon thing still lingered.
“So, Ada,” he said, breaking apart his chopsticks. “What’s your rarest spoon?”
She blinked. “Excuse me?”
“Your collection,” he said, voice as neutral as ever. “You must have a rare one, right?”
She hesitated, like she was trying to figure out if he was messing with her. Samantha looked interested. Even Eric paused mid-bite.
“…I have a limited-edition commemorative spoon from the grand opening of the Osaka Aquarium.”
Ethan smirked. “Impressive.”
It wasn’t, but her dead-serious response amused him. Most people floundered when faced with dry teasing. Ada, apparently, took everything at face value.
Interesting.
End-of-Day Observations
By evening, most of the new hires had started settling into predictable patterns—some eager, some overwhelmed, some already pretending they weren’t intimidated.
Ada was cautious but not hesitant. Quiet but not passive. She blended in—except for that one moment with the spoons. That was different.
He wasn’t sure what to make of her yet. But he had noticed her.
And that was more than he could say for most.
