Brotherly Advice

I was talking to my brother two days ago--- he finally replied to my question: what do you do to get someone you like to like you back?

He didn't seem surprised, and gave more of a "oh, this kind of shit" reaction. He asked some pretty interesting questions, firstly, "how much competition do you have?"

That hit like an arrow to the knee. I regretfully admitted that I had tonnes of competition, some I can name, most I can't. "BUT IT'S OKAY," I assured him, "THEY'RE ALL LOSERS ANYWAY. IF I'M DOOMED FOR FAILURE, NO ONE ELSE CAN SUCCEED."

My brother, being the interesting person he is, continued with "how did you find yourself attracted to this person?"

"Well," I began, "I wasn't really. Until one day, I realised they were perfect. Like, literally, perfect."

Bro: "So what do you actually like about this person?"

"Idk man, but PERFECTION is pretty fucking attractive. They're good looking, they're clever, speaks more than one language, plays an instrument, is sporty, and they even have a vague sense of humor."

It's simply... perfection. Nothing more.

...Now that I'm writing this out for you guys, I kinda think... "hey... aren't I just... talking about myself?" Minus the sporty part, I guess. But I do play sport. ...So it's like, I'm one soccer ball away from perfection.

Then my oh-so-encouraging brother said: "I don't think you have a chance. The pressure that comes with dating "perfection" is too great. Just give up."

GOODBYE, CRUEL WORLD.

I'm guessing I replied with something along the lines of "fuck you" but I don't really remember what I said. I just remember feeling like I'd been burned all over again.

IT BURNSSSSSSS

Aaaand then my brother starts preaching: "you know, love is overrated. It's not like those romances you read, so I don't want you to get the wrong idea."

So I retort, "you say that, but you're going to get married in a couple of years and you're gonna change your mind."

"Next year"

"...What?"

"I'm getting married next year. Some time around January or February."

And it is through interactions such as these that I know he is truly my brother.

Then we start talking about his relationship, and he says in a nonchalant way that "it's time", because apparently our family is putting pressure on the eldest son (I had no idea, though I'm not surprised). He says though he's still young, and he wouldn't mind being single until he was in his thirties (or at least late twenties), his girlfriend can't wait. It sounds kinda cheesy, the way I say it, but I guess he really cares about his girlfriend. She waited for him in China for something like 5 years... and I'm actually so surprised that their long-distance relationship worked out. It is truly incredible.

After I had finished marveling at my brother's good luck at getting such a wonderful girlfriend, it suddenly hits me. He's gloating, isn't he? Bastard.

Though I guess if he didn't rub salt into my bleeding wound, he wouldn't be my brother.