My Idle System

"Like, really. Why are you so worked up?"

\'If not because of you, then who is the reason?\'

Annabelle felt her nerves bulging and irritation rising with her friend, but knowing that getting more angry or saying what she was really thinking would only play into Sylvie\'s hands, she finally said pleadingly.

"Please, Sylvie, it\'s enough. Just stop."

"Hahaha, okay, okay. Sorry."

"But like, really, why? Jokes aside this time."

Finding her friend asking seriously this time, and knowing that despite how annoying she could be, Sylvie was still her closest friend, Annabelle took a moment to contemplate, and after carefully considering how much she could share, finally replied.

"You know how it\'s currently my younger brother\'s final year of high school, and his exams are just around the corner."

"So, I wanted to dedicate my time and be able to devote myself more fully to taking care of him."

Annabelle, noticing her friend\'s incredulous gaze and sensing that a comment was about to come, hurriedly continued.

"And before you say anything, yes, it\'s really important to me."

"And you know, it\'s been a while since I\'ve wanted to leave this job and find a better place, but I kept delaying it or something always came up to postpone it."

"So, I thought, since the opportunity is here, why not go all the way, take some time to rest, and see what the situation requires before making a decision accordingly?"

Annabelle felt slightly guilty about her words, knowing that while everything she said was true, they weren\'t the main reasons for her decision.

While she was very proud of what her brother had achieved, Annabelle still didn\'t want to advertise that he was working and making a lot of money. Even though nothing could go wrong, there was no need to create a reason for trouble after all.

And she could always tell her friend later in private if she asked again, anyway.

"Okay, Anna. Listen carefully."

"I\'ve always told you that what you\'re doing for your brother is excessive."

"It\'s not bad to do a little if the situation calls for it."

"But no, you\'re clearly exaggerating. As much as I can sympathize with him, you were also eighteen when you became independent, and with everything that happened in your family, you were by no means mature enough."

"So, you\'ve done more than enough already. He\'s now eighteen, the same age you were back then."

"But despite that, you\'re treating him very delicately, like a child. No, actually, you\'re treating him even more delicately."

"Anna, if you were excessive before, then you\'re downright obsessive now."

"Like, you\'re twenty-eight for crying out loud, but still a VIRGIN!"

Annabelle, noticing the people in the elevator staring at her with strange expressions because of her friend, whom was now speaking with a very loud voice, felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment and shame.

In a hurry, she extended her hands to cover Sylvie\'s mouth, desperate to silence her.

But in the end, she was no match for her friend, who continued speaking, albeit in a lower voice this time.

"Anna, like really, how the fuck is that possible? That you have not even been in a relationship yet?"

"Maybe you haven\'t realized it yet, but by the age of eighteen, most people have already lost their virginity."

"Then here you are, having not even been in a relationship yet."

"Why? Because you fear your younger brother will feel as though you\'ve given him less attention and care? Or perhaps you worry he might feel lonely, as if his sister has been taken away from him, leaving him to navigate his world without your support and companionship?"

"Anna, are you living for yourself or for your brother?"

"Like why the fuck do you need to care about him that much? It\'s good enough that you took care of him till now."

"Like, please have some identity, for fuck\'s sake."

While Annabelle stepped out of the elevator, she still lent an ear to her friend and listened, fully aware that she would never take the advice offered.

And it was apparent that Sylvie had been suppressing her emotions, or herself on this subject? For a long time, and now that she had finally erupted, Annabelle decided to simply let her be.

But where did those kinds of ideas come from in the first place? Fearing that Christian would be hurt if she got a boyfriend? That\'s new for her.

Because she had decided to be more honest with herself, she was now resigning anyway. Her brother had just given her the final push she needed to take this step.

And due to what she had agreed upon with him previously, she understood that this choice meant she would be without work for the foreseeable future, but she accepted that for him anyway.

It\'s not as if the idea of having a boyfriend had never crossed Annabelle\'s mind. In her life, however, she had her priorities, and a boyfriend simply wasn\'t among them, just like that. Perhaps she had not yet found the right person, or maybe there simply wasn\'t anyone suitable around her.

Annabelle didn\'t know exactly what she wanted. But she also understood that she desired something more meaningful than the fleeting romances she had observed in her friends\' lives.

\'My Chris is the most important, anyway.\'

Maybe she was truly obsessed with her brother and loved him just a tad too much. But was that really wrong? After all, it\'s not like she was harming anyone with her behavior.

In a world where relationships often fell apart, her bond with him felt like a rare treasure, something to be cherished rather than judged.

While going through this train of thought, suddenly an idea struck Annabelle.

\'Wait.\'

\'Could it be that I\'m lesbian and actually love girls? Is that why I\'m finding no one, or why there are no man I consider suitable?\'