Chapter 28 Confrontation.
Daniel's POV.
To be honest, if I think about it, Elisa has essentially taken over the role of the eldest in this family. I don't know—maybe it's because she doesn't have siblings of her own, or maybe she just likes having someone to take care of.
While we were talking, she suddenly caught me off guard with a question. The soft hum of the desktop fan seemed to grow louder in the sudden tension.
"Didi, there's something I need to know. Can you tell me... who exactly is Lea?" she asked, her voice heavy with seriousness.
The room fell into a temporary, suffocating silence as I struggled to find an answer. I stared at the dusty corner of my desk, my mind racing. A few moments later, she voiced her confusion regarding my sudden marriage to a woman I had never even mentioned to her before.
She spoke as if she were questioning my judgment—as if I were just picking random people to spend my life with. I couldn't tell if she was trying to play the protective older sister, even though I'm older than her, or if she simply felt entitled to have a say in every move I made.
"I find it hard to believe that someone as lifeless as you could actually get a girlfriend," she remarked, her eyes fixed on the monitor. "I visit your house once a week, yet you never breathed a word of this to me."
I shook my head, unable to look her in the eye. My chest tightened with the fear that she would see right through the lie Lea and I had constructed.
"There's no reason to introduce the people I meet to a trespassing neighbor," I retorted, though my voice lacked its usual bite.
She didn't reply. Silence returned for several long seconds, broken only by the rhythmic clicking of my keyboard and mouse as she continued to use my computer.
"It's just so unlikely that you'd land a girlfriend on your own," she mused, her cursor darting across the screen. "How much did you pay her?"
"Are you crazy? Why would I pay a woman to marry me?" I snapped, my anger rising.
"True," she sighed, leaning back slightly. "It's not like you have the money to do that anyway."
Her comment stung. It felt like she was belittling me for my lack of success, but I couldn't even defend myself. It was the truth: I had no savings and was still living under my parents' roof.
She continued clicking away, but then, without looking away from the monitor, she spoke again.
"Didi... have you really changed?"
Her tone shifted into something deeply earnest. She spoke as if she knew every fiber of my being—as if she had witnessed every struggle I'd faced over the years.
The afternoon sun filtered through the blinds, casting long, thin shadows across the floor.
"Isn't it a bit suspicious?" she continued. "A loner who pushes everyone away suddenly has a girlfriend and is now on the verge of marriage?"
"So what?" I answered defiantly.
"Do you think everyone around you is an idiot? Your parents, Romeo—your whole family is worried sick about you. They just don't want to question your decisions regarding that woman because they're terrified you'll go back to self-destructing."
She paused, then added, "Daniel, they don't want to hurt you. That's why I'm the one asking for them."
I was left speechless. Honestly, even I felt like things were moving too fast. I didn't understand why my family had accepted Lea so readily without scrutiny. But what could I say? I couldn't tell Elisa about our "contract." She wouldn't understand, and she'd likely expose the secret to my family in a heartbeat.
To keep the truth hidden, I gave her another defensive answer. "Unexpected things happen. People go through changes in life."
She just smirked at me, clearly unconvinced. I could feel her skepticism radiating across the room like a physical weight.
"Tell me then, Didi—how am I supposed to believe that a man who still pushes people away, who still calls his best friend a 'trespassing neighbor,' could suddenly let a complete stranger into his life so easily?"
I stood there, paralyzed. I swallowed hard and shook my head, unable to face her. Every word she said hit the mark. It was true—I had turned my back on so many people. I didn't distance myself because I was angry; I did it because I was ashamed of being a failure.
The truth was, before I became a NEET and lost my spark, I had friends. I had people I laughed and shared stories with. Even as an Otaku, I used to be open to others. Elisa was one of them—my childhood friend. Because we were so close, I couldn't bear the thought of her seeing me at my lowest. I wanted her to leave me behind and forget I existed.
It had been nearly ten years since I shut everyone out. A decade had slipped by, and I had no idea where the others were now.
I looked at Elisa as she sat quietly. For a moment, I saw a ghost of the past: a little girl sitting in that same spot fifteen years ago, smiling at me and handing me a Game Boy. Memories of us playing together in this very room flooded back, vivid and painful.
Aside from my brother Romeo, Elisa was the only one who bothered to keep coming back, even after I had treated her like a stranger.
The atmosphere shifted, turning awkward as we both lingered in the silence. Elisa had been a true friend to me, even when I was at my worst, but my pride made it hard to accept. I had pushed her away; what right did I have to her friendship now?
"This day is so boring!" Elisa suddenly shouted with a wide yawn, her arms stretching toward the ceiling.
She finally stepped away from the PC. I immediately stood up, ready to take my turn, eager to reclaim my sanctuary.
"Next time, don't use my PC without asking," I grumbled.
