“I disagree!”

Crystal is walking towards us while looking rather angry.

“Sweetie... Wha~t's wrong?”

“I don't agree with what you wanted mom. It's my duty! It's mine!”

“Eeeeeeeh~ It's only lunch sweetie~ and your brother is her boyfriend. It's not really a prob—”

“It is! Making kuya Mark his lunch is my duty. It's mine! Don't take it away from me!”

“I understand your sentiment. But this will help the two of them bond. Please be considerate swe—”

“No! I said nooo!”

“Crystal you're being disrespectful to your mo—”

“Are you guys not disrespecting me too? Deciding things without me?! It's mine! I said it's mine!!”

Is Crystal being serious? Why is she acting like this? This is just lunch. Is she looking for another reason to pick a fight with Eli-chan?

“Um... mom.. I'm fine with what Crystal said. Let her have it. I am not a good cook anyway hehe...”

“Exactly. You suck! You may even end up poisoning kuya Mark with your trashy dish!!”

Bloody hell. We just lifted Eli-chan's mood and you're going to put her down again?

“Crystal, that's enough.”

“Mommy... It's true. I can't believe you will entrust kuya Mark's wellbeing to this woman.”

“That's enough please.”

I agree with mom. Eli-chan is being depress again.

“You should remember what happened before mommy. Will you really trust this bitch?!”

“I said ENOUGH!”

“!!!”

There we go. Mom is mad. And Crystal is scared.

“I...”

“Apologize Crystal.”

“But—”

“I made my decision. No one have a say in this. Now apologize.”

Eh? So I also have no say in this?

“Do you disagree Mark?”

What? How did... Uh nevermind actually.

“That's right. We haven't even asked kuya Mark for his opinion yet you're already deciding mommy. That's unfair!”

“..........”

Mom just stares at me.

The tension here is making me sweat.

“So what do you say kuya? You agree with me right? I've been taking care of you all this time after all.”

Hmmm... And you're also bullying me a lot sometimes I just wanted to punch you.

“Well, I like Crystal's cooking.”

“!”

Eli-chan looks surprised then disappointed. Mom just keep staring to at me.

“Chichichi. That's right! That's why ‘I’ will continue to make your lunc—”

“But I also like Eli-chan's cooking. Why choose one when I can just have both?”

“Eh?”

Eli-chan is dumbfounded.

“What?”

Crystal is annoyed.

“............”

Mom is still staring at me never even blinking once.

“Eli-chan does my lunch. Crystal will take care of my breakfast and dinner. Just right isn't it?”

“What? No! I disagree.”

“Fufufufufu. Then I will eat at Eli-chan's house for all my meals. Or I can just order from the eatery outside.”

“No way! Then just go and live there.”

“Alright. If mom will agree.”

“!”

Eli-chan looks pleasantly surprised. Nice. I thought she'll be down again.

And dad is glaring at me like as if he's asking: Are you not going to ask for my permission too?

“Are you being serious kuya Mark?”

“I'm not kidding at least.”

“No. I disagree!”

“Well, that's on mom.”

“Mommy! You can't possibly agree with that. They're too young. They will not be able to focus in their study!”

“Hmmm.”

“Mommy~!”

“Hehehehe. Stop shouting sweetie~ I'm going to get mad.”

“I...”

“Weeeeeeeeeee~ll....”

“.................”

“.................”

“.................”

Well what? Please don't put us on edge mom.

“.....it's not the time to talk about this hehehe... For no~w, do you agree with your brother's arrangement~?”

Eli-chan looks slightly disappointed by that. I see. So you want to live with me? Fufufufufu.

“Can't I just do all of his meals?”

“No.”

“That's unfair!”

“It is fair. No~w... what?”

“.....grrrrrrt....”

Crystal is gritting her teeth.

“M'kay~!”

“You agree?”

“I do hehehe. But please that's all okay? Kuya Mark's breakfast and dinner is mine.. 'kay po mommy~?”

She's talking coquettishly like a toddler all of sudden.

“Hehe 'ka~y~!”

“Your breakfast and dinner is mine to take care of, right? Kuya Mark~?”

She squints her eyes at me and that is giving me chills. You're not planning to get revenge on me are you?

“How about you ate Elizabeth? Are you okay with this?”

‘Ate Elizabeth’

This two-faced bitch is planning something for sure.

I mean, she was just angry earlier. Was she acting? That looks and feels way to genuine for me. Yet she is suddenly being polite and sweet.

If she's really angry, there's no way it dissipated immediately. Even though mom scared her, her anger will not vanish just like that.

That's why this is sus.

Yes. This is suspicious. She's planning something. What is it though?

Bloody hell. Can't you just coexist with Eli-chan peacefully?

She means no harm to you anyway.

“I'm fine with it Crystal.”

“Ohh.. that's gre~at. You two should just keep being good with each other. Don't fight hehehe.”

“M'kay~! We'll start tomorrow with this arrangement.”

“En...”

Eli-chan smiles softly.

Afterwards, Crystal takes her seat and we continue eating.

Crystal praises and showers Eli-chan with compliments. She sounds so sweet and sincere.

I doubt that though. But all is well because Eli-chan is happy. That's just what I wanted.

—Half an hour later talking about our day, we're done eating.

Mom went to the bathroom to take a bath.

“Mark, what are you still sitting for? Don't leave the cleaning to your little sister. She's not your maid okay?”

“It's okay po daddy hehehe.”

“No it's not. Don't spoil him Crystal. You don't need to do all the housework yourself. Make him work his ass too.”

That's her choice though dad. She'll be mad if I take that from her. And you witnessed it just earlier.

Whatever.

I stand up.

“Hurry up help her clean the table and then wash the dishes.”

“I'll do it.”

It's Eli-chan.

“What? No way Elizabeth. You're a guest here. Don't spoil this brat too much. It will get into his head.”

You're so cruel to me dad.

“No sir. It makes me feel bad not being able to do anything.”

“But—”

“Daddy, why are you treating Eli-chan like a stranger? She's part of our family right?”

Hmmmm.

“That's...”

“And we're not forcing her anyway. This is what she wants to do. Please respect it.”

“Uhh.”

Hmmmmm...

“I'll help her anyway hehehe. And don't underestimate Eli-chan. Washing the dishes isn't much for her.”

“Fine. Thank you so much Elizabeth.”

“No, I should thank you so si— dad.”

She is smiling sweetly.

“Mark.”

I am about to go and sit in the living room but dad called me again.

“Go outside and buy one box of mosquito coil.”

What? I am sure I bought five boxes last Sunday.

“Hehe~ Sorry about it kuya Mark. I accidentally sat on it. They're all broken now tee-hee~”

Don't act cute.

You broke all of those? You didn't see it?

What the hell...?

“Why are you still here for? Are you going to wait until we're infested by mosquitoes?”

You're not mad at her? If that was me, even if it's only one coil, you will surely scold me— brutally to top it off.

“Alright.”

I take the money from dad. Then I walk towards the front door.

I can hear from behind me that Crystal is playing happily with Eli-chan.

Like an older sister and her little sister. Very sweet, heartwarming and wholesome.

Something is wrong.

Crystal is being weird.

“Fuuu~”

What is she planning this time?

Well whatever. No use thinking about if for now. I don't really know what she plans to do.

As long as she's acting friendly with Eli-chan; As long as Eli-chan is having fun— It's all fine.

I already achieved my goal. I showed her that she's accepted by my mom and dad.

That should have made her mood lighter at the very least. I can probably ask her why she wanna leave me tonight.

Great.

“Here's your change.”

I take my change from the countertop.

Then I start walking back home.

When I am inside, mom and dad are in the front door.

“You're late.”

I am not late dad. I've been only gone for almost 40 minutes. Not my fault the vendor is taking a nap and didn't hear me.

“You~ a~re 2 minutes late baby~”

“On what po mom?”

“Elizabeth just left.”

What?

“She said it's too late. She should go home now. So she couldn't wait for you.”

Hmmmm.