Story Share (Mid-Lower)

In the end, I opened the door and went in. I didn't say anything and just put the bankbook and transaction details in front of him. He glanced at it, and in less than five seconds, he spilled everything. A mobile game, played for three years. Drawing characters, drawing equipment, buying gift packs, the kind that costs 3290 yen per pack. If he couldn't get it, another pack, and another. He wasn't a casual player. He was the leader of a guild with hundreds of members, ranked in the top three in server power, people called him 'Big Brother,' and during holidays, guild members would wish him a happy new year in the group chat. Big Brother. My Big Brother, last month, when his son wanted a pair of sneakers that cost 3200 yen, he said it was too expensive, that kids' feet grow fast, and he should wear cheaper ones. 3200 yen was too expensive. But he'd spend 3290 yen per pack, over ten times a month, without batting an eye. I asked him where the money went, what he got from the draws. He opened his phone and showed me, a row of glittering characters and equipment. He honestly told me that the account was currently worth quite a bit. I asked him how much 'quite a bit' was. He said, probably around eighty to ninety thousand yen. Over 1.3 million yen turned into eighty to ninety thousand yen. At that moment, I didn't cry or throw things. I just sat on the sofa, feeling like this person was a stranger. The person I'd slept next to for twelve years, I realized I had no idea who he was at night. By day, he was the dad who said sneakers were too expensive; by midnight, he was the Big Brother admired by hundreds, using my savings. Here's how the aftermath was handled. I transferred out the remaining money in the account, and the plan to buy a house was officially called off. When I canceled with the developer, they asked if it was a cash flow issue. I said yes, it was flowing elsewhere.