🌙 EPISODE 4 — The People They Chose For Us
That night…
Elisa's house felt quieter than usual.
Too quiet.
The kind of quiet that meant something was coming.
Her mother placed a cup of tea in front of her.
Gentle smile.
Careful tone.
"Elisa… we need to talk about your future."
Elisa already knew what that meant.
Family decisions.
Family expectations.
Family control disguised as concern.
"There's someone we want you to meet," her father continued calmly.
"His name is Leo."
Pause.
"He comes from a respected family. Excellent reputation. Top graduate. Well-mannered."
Elisa stared at her tea.
Unmoving.
Expression unreadable.
"It's just dinner," her mother added softly.
"A blind date. Nothing serious."
Her fingers tightened slightly around the cup.
Blind date.
So sudden.
So unnecessary.
So…
Annoying.
"…Fine," she said quietly.
Her parents exchanged relieved smiles.
But inside her chest…
Something twisted.
Not fear.
Not curiosity.
Just a strange, uncomfortable heaviness.
At that exact same time…
Across the city—
Justin sat on a sofa while his older sister paced in front of him.
Excited.
Persistent.
Impossible to ignore.
"You're meeting Maya tomorrow," she announced confidently.
"She's intelligent, elegant, and from a powerful family. Perfect match."
Justin didn't react.
Didn't even look up from his phone.
"No."
His sister crossed her arms.
"Too late. It's arranged."
Silence.
Justin finally looked up.
Eyes calm.
Voice flat.
"…Why?"
"Because you don't meet anyone on your own," she replied.
"And it's time you start thinking seriously about relationships."
He almost said something.
Something sharp.
Something immediate.
Something instinctive.
But instead…
He leaned back slowly.
"…Fine."
His sister blinked.
Surprised.
"That was easy."
Justin looked away.
Expression distant.
Unfocused.
"…It doesn't matter."
But his mind didn't feel empty.
It kept replaying one image—
Elisa walking away with Jason.
Not turning back.
Not stopping.
The next evening…
Two different restaurants.
Two different tables.
Two different conversations.
Same feeling.
🌙 Elisa's Blind Date — Leo
Leo was exactly what her parents described.
Polite. Calm. Well-spoken.
He greeted her warmly and pulled out her chair.
Perfect manners.
Perfect posture.
Perfect smile.
"You're even more impressive in person," he said kindly.
Elisa nodded slightly.
"…Thank you."
He spoke easily.
About work.
Travel.
Books.
Goals.
Everything flowed naturally.
Comfortably.
Peacefully.
He was… nice.
Genuinely nice.
But something felt missing.
Something important.
Something she couldn't name.
Leo noticed her quietness.
"Are you uncomfortable?" he asked gently.
She hesitated.
"…No."
Pause.
"…Just distracted."
Leo smiled softly.
"Thinking about someone?"
Her heart skipped.
Just once.
Sharp.
Unexpected.
"…No," she said quickly.
Too quickly.
Leo didn't press further.
But he noticed.
🌙 Justin's Blind Date — Maya
Maya was bright. Elegant. Friendly.
She laughed easily.
Talked freely.
Comfortable with silence.
"You're very quiet," she said playfully.
Justin gave a small nod.
She leaned forward slightly.
"Not interested in blind dates?"
He answered honestly.
"No."
She laughed softly.
"Same."
For a moment… they just sat quietly.
Strangely peaceful.
No pressure.
No tension.
Then Maya asked casually—
"Is there someone else?"
Justin froze.
Just slightly.
Barely visible.
But real.
"…No," he said.
But his voice was quieter than before.
Maya watched him carefully.
Then smiled knowingly.
"I didn't say anything else."
Silence returned.
Both restaurants.
Different people.
Different conversations.
Same emotional distance.
Elisa stirred her drink slowly.
Justin stared at untouched food.
Both thinking the same thing—
Without realizing it.
This feels wrong.
Later that night…
Campus group chat exploded with messages.
Photos.
Spotted sightings.
Rumors.
Excitement.
"Elisa seen on date!"
"Justin with someone too!"
"Are they both dating now???"
"Did they move on???"
By morning…
Everyone knew.
When Elisa walked onto campus…
People looked at her differently.
Curious.
Whispering.
Watching.
Justin arrived minutes later.
Their eyes met across the courtyard.
First time since yesterday.
Neither smiled.
Neither spoke.
Neither walked closer.
But both noticed something immediately.
They had both dressed more carefully today.
More polished.
More composed.
Like they were proving something.
To each other.
Jason approached Elisa calmly.
"I heard about your dinner," he said lightly.
She didn't respond.
Jason smiled faintly.
"Did you enjoy it?"
Across the courtyard—
Maya stood beside Justin.
Talking.
Laughing softly.
Standing comfortably close.
Elisa looked away immediately.
Justin watched Jason standing near Elisa.
Leaning slightly toward her.
Speaking quietly.
His fingers curled slowly at his side.
Both of them…
Pretending to move forward.
Pretending not to care.
Pretending the other person didn't matter.
But jealousy doesn't disappear.
It grows quietly.
Patiently.
Waiting.
And today…
It had just been given new reasons to burn.
✨ END OF EPISODE 4 — REPLACEMENTS THEY DON'T WANT ✨