The Unyielding Façade

Part 11 - Antonio's Story

"Sounds like she's super paranoid about something..." I commented.

"I understand that, so I hold back my words, pretending to lose in battles, got her everything she wanted..." he said and laughed dryly, "I don't want to hurt her, but this slowly becomes a mental torture. There's still so much that I've got to do with everything in chaos like this and I just can't work with her,"

"I'm... sorry to hear that," I said.

Maybe it was the wrong decision to take him to Azul's house, after all, I admitted inside.

"And yes, I do get her everything she wanted - but why are they all expensive clothes and products? Literally, every time we go out-" he said, throwing his arms, "she just kept asking for really expensive dates.... I'm not exactly poor but it doesn't mean I like splurging money either... I started to feel that she's just... draining everything out of me,"

"Hmm... yeah, there are those kind of people out there. It's probably like a fairy tale coming true for them," I said, "dating a gentleman who will always be there for them 24/7, be their therapist and always know what to say, getting the things they could never afford before, and perhaps imagining a happily ever after together? If she's always been fond of that kind of thing, I imagine that she's... well, trying to make her life... the way she always wanted it to be,"

"Because nothing else is working?" he asked, scoffing, "so she's projecting it onto me?"

"...well, there are people who have similar level of expectations even if they aren't on her level of trauma," I said, sighing, "doesn't mean either cases are okay though - explaining the why should never mean excusing them,"

"Oh, God. Is there not a single normal person in this world?" he asked and scrunched the space between his brows, "am I really expecting too much for wanting a well-adjusted girl who knows what personal space is, have a life, and doesn't drain my wallet?"

"Is that your type?" I asked and chuckled.

But he just stayed quiet and looked up to the bare branches belonging to the tree right above us. His gaze suddenly looked distant, and his eyes turned slightly gentler.

"Well, if I could wish for more," he said, "someone kind, confident, hard-working, strong, independent... someone who I can share my thoughts with and gives me enough personal space. Someone cool like the mirage in my dream,"

H-huh?! W-wait, what? I thought. My heart quickly raced inside my chest in response to that. Heat quickly spread throughout my face, gathering mostly in my cheeks.

"Or should I say fairy? But perfect girls aren't real, so that's that," he said, chuckling, "they only exist in your dream, right?"

"Yeah," I quickly said, "we fairies don't mate. We are related to single cell creatures and we worship the Pokémon Solosis. Fairies don't partner up, we just multiply when we're cut into two,"

"That came out of nowhere," he said and chuckled, "what is this? Fairy lore?"

"We fairies are free beings that can't be reasoned with. You can do anything you want - because what's the point of reasoning something that never makes sense to begin with?" I said, "if you say enough nonsense, people will leave you be and let you do whatever you want. It's the best life you can get!"

"Oh, God..." he said, chuckling, "now that you mention it, I've always wanted an excuse for people to stop telling me to get a girlfriend,"

"Then say it. Say 'I've been recruited to a fairy cult by a random weirdo with headscarf I met in the woods'," I said and folded my arms.

"They're gonna think I'm high on something... I don't even know why I laugh at your ramblings... oh, God..." he said, putting a hand to his forehead, "why do I laugh at the most random things?"