The question is: How can I make her listen to me?

She is ignoring me after all. Eli-chan disappears before I can get close to her.

If I concentrate on her, she won't be able to get away. But of course she knows that. I am sure she will adapt accordingly utilizing whatever she has in her disposal.

Talking to her while we're on class is obviously not going to work. I can try but the teacher will be mad and that on its own will create a new problem.

Although our seats are only one chair apart from each other, it won't work because her seat is behind mine. I can exchange seats from a classmate but Eli-chan will do the same as well.

So my best choice is when there's no class such as breaks or if it's our vacant time. I just now need to prevent Eli-chan from escaping away...

—At the dining table.

“Mom, you're early tonight as well.”

“Why~? You don't waaaaant me to~? Is it because yoooou~ now have a girlfriend~? Geeeeeeez~”

“I didn't say anything like that mom. I'm in fact glad.”

“Hehehe~ Then it's all good.”

“Chichichi. Perhaps it's because kuya won't be able to stay outside until late at night if you wil always come home early mommy.”

What the!

“Whaaaaaat~?! Baaaaaaaaby!! You do that~?!”

Here we go again. Crystal is lying again... Or is she though?

“Mom. Only occasionally.”

“It is NOT saaaaafe you know~”

“It's fine mom. I know how to protect myself.”

“Nooooooooooo~! Especially at this point of time~ You know that there is a bad guy out there, riiiiiight~?”

There are a lot of ‘bad guys’ out there mom. But of course I know who is she talking about.

“Well, uh, okay po mom.”

““...............””

“............”

“Why are you both looking at me like that?” They're both looking at me unblinkingly. It's uncomfortable to eat like this.

“Because baaaby~, it's beeeeen a while since you added ‘po’ when talking to me.”

“Mom, you make it sounds like I am a disrespectful son.”

“Are you respectful though kuya?”

“I am. And you also haven't used ‘po’ and ‘opo’ to mom for such long time as well... my beloved li'l sis.”

“Really now?”

“Yes.”

“You'll just misremembering things.”

“I don't.”

“Okay. You two shouldn't fiiiiight.... Especially in front of our food.”

“I apologize po mom.”

“I am sorry ‘po’ mommy.”

“Hehe. You~ aaaare boooooth forgiven~”

Well, good thing mom didn't dwell on that topic. She's kind of overprotective and I may get grounded.

Perhaps it's because I'm already in senior high that she now can somehow put her trust in me, but unlike before, if there's even a slightest threat, she'll react protectively. We moved from Manila because of that.

That aside, I need mom's help about Eli-chan.

I don't know why she is refusing to believe in me. There's no reason for me to have no desire to watch Eli-chan sing. I was honestly looking forward to it. I made that clear to her. Yet she doesn't want to listen.

Well... She most likely realized I wasn't there in the field. I basically broke my promise. I'm a ‘liar’.

That's why she was upset by the rest of the day that time.

However, it's not like this is the first time I failed to commit to my small promises for reasons she also knows of. Because of her affection for me, no matter what I say— even if I'm lying she'll believe it. She wouldn't care.

However, it's different this time. She doesn't believe me anymore. Is she just perhaps still angry? Should I just keep waiting till she calms down?

Knowing Eli-chan's dichotomous thinking, did she perhaps fell out of love hence she will no longer trust what I say?

“Fuuuu~”

“Are you okay baby~?”

“Opo.”

This is pointless. I won't know unless I ask her.

But she's ignoring and avoiding me. How can I have the chance to win if I can't even play the game?

I need a reason to prevent her from running away.

“Right po mom. I remembered something.”

“Yes baby?”

“Did you scold Eli-chan harshly?”

I know she didn't... I believe, But I'll asked anyway. I need to have a better grasp of the situation.

“What now kuya Mark? Going against mommy for the sake of your pathetic girlfriend?”

Agh, stop making things worse.

“I didn't say anything like that Crystal.”

“Heh. But that's what you wanted to say.”

“No. Crystal, you better shut up or fufufu... I'll let you experience the ‘power’ of my hands again.”

Crystal glares at me for that. But she suddenly put a smirk on her face.

She hides behind mom hugging her in a way where she will look like a terrified kitten seeking protection from her mother.

“Mommy, kuya Mark is being cruel to me. He's going to bully me again like he did earlier, mommy...”

“Hmmmm. Baby Maaaark, what is she saying~?"

”I did nothing harmful to her mom.”

“Liar! You used your filthy hands to bully my body you know...”

“Hey! Don't say it like that.”

It sounds perverted.

Mom is looking at me suspiciously now. Stop it Crystal.

“Mom, I was just tickling her. You know that her side is her weak point right?”

“Oh right~! Hehe. This remiiiiiiinds of the past~ where you were always tickling your little sister everytime she teases you~”

Ohh. Really? That's right! I forgot about this. Fufufu. So this is how I deal with her back then huh.

“Fufufufufu~”

I squint my eyes while looking at Crystal. She frowns in response.

This is fun but this isn't what we're talking about.

“Wait no. Mom, I was asking you po if ever you scolded Eli-chan harshly. You made her worry you know.”

“Eeeeeeehh~ But I didn't. I~ was just telling her noooooot to hurt you even if you're quarrelling. Talk it out I mean.”

“Mom, we weren't fighting.”

At least by that time though.

“She's afraid that you might stand against our relationship. I mean, what if mom interferes with our relationship?”

“Are you suspecting me baby Mark~? That huuuuurts~ my heart you know~?” Mom pouts her oily lips.

“No po mom. I know you wouldn't. Eli-chan is just not really convinced.”

“Ehhhh~? Did she misunderstood meee~?"

She did.

“Yes but don't worry about it mom. I'll convinced Eli-chan that you aren't really mad at her.”

“This won't do..”

“?”

Mom is currently frowning betraying the fact that she's thinking hard about something.

“What's wrong po mom?”

“I~ don't want your relationship to end just because of me~ so I was thinking of... whaaaat~ should I do to help... and...”

“And?”

“Well, just leeeeeet her come and visit us first. Let's have a dinner with her. I'll taaaaalk to her myself hehe.”

Great. It went as I expected. Now I have a reason to interact with Eli-chan. I just now needed to make her listen to me. Physically trapping her I mean.

But mom plans to convince her huh.. I doubt just talking to her will be enough. I have to do something else to increase mom's persuasiveness.

I mean, humans sees the world through the lenses of their own belief system and worldview.

A person might understand why they should quit smoking but they may still not stop. Although they know in their head it's bad, they can't just take it seriously because they're still fine. And that's what just what they see.

Until, they experienced the harmful effects themselves.

Once they do, they would be like, ‘Oh. So smoking is actually harmful’ and so they may quit smoking.

Because their first-handed experience is a supporting evidence that will convince themselves that smoking is indeed harmful. They can feel it with their body.

So mom may not be able to convince Eli-chan that she will not stand against us just by her words alone. The doubt will always be there. Especially now in her emotional state.

It would be best if we could completely erase the suspicions in her mind just by making mom make a promise.

But why am I overthinking this right now. Whether it will work or not is for the future. It may not succeed in the end but it's still better than doing nothing.

Besides, I just need this as an excuse.

I'll do something by then.

“Very well po mom. I'll just inform you when the time comes.”

“Mmm'kaaaaay~”