Chatter

Gossip is so very alluring. There was a time where I wondered what the reasoning behind its peculiar appeal was. It's similar to when someone has a secret to tell—everyone wants in on it.

But why?

Wanting to know everything about the ones we call our fellow humans seems like a plausible explanation at first, but you may start to think that, if people really had this desire, they'd find other, more direct ways to go about it.

Did you hear about what she said?

Do you know what he did?

Even if I didn't ask, people would tell me everything. That was strange, but what I found to be even more jarring was my seemingly innate need to be informed.

Indeed, I wanted to know!

We all possess some inherent quality that pushes us to feel a desire for inclusion. "The fear of missing out" is what they call it. People may think that there would be some sort of repercussion or disadvantage for them if they were to avoid or be excluded from gossip. At least, that's the best explanation that I can give for why even I wanted to be involved. The only person I could think of that this rule doesn't apply to would be my brother, Callum. I'm not sure if he just wasn't trying to show it, but it often appeared that he didn't have any concern for whether he was included or not. He'd always been a strange one.

As for why people feel the need to spread gossip, that's another story. Perhaps these people just want something interesting to talk about, or they could want validation or fun as well. Or it could simply be to exchange information.

Regardless of that, when you look at it from the perspective of the one who wishes to share what they know, their feelings will seem less nebulous to you. What value would their information have if it was not told to other people? That individual is most definitely aware that others would want to know about it, and that is why they feel the need to tell it. They want to utilize its value and reap the benefits. That makes sense, doesn't it?

Well, in the end, this is all just my thinking. Who knows if it's objectively true.

***

At home, Callum and I lounged about in the living room.

"Well, what happened earlier today?" he asked.

I was about to start talking, but I quickly realized something. The information I now had was something that could potentially be the catalyst to an immense conflict. The current war between Demosthenes and Ignatia was at an effective ceasefire, with neither side having yet to initiate a full-scale invasion. If the leaders of my country learned about an enemy spy residing within their domain, it would certainly elevate international tensions to a colossal extent, as well as make myself and those close to me susceptible to the dangers of the sheer pandemonium that would come about.

In short, I had no choice but to keep it a secret. It was for their own good.

"Since you want to know so bad, I'll tell you. The truth is…Adonis is actually bald. He just wears a wig to hide it. Surprising, right?"

There was a long pause.

"You've gotta be joking…Adonis is bald?!"

"Yep. It's easier to see up close."

"There's no way…" Callum looked over at the cased opening that led elsewhere in the house. "What do you think about this, Mom?"

A figure could be seen hiding behind the wall. It jolted up in surprise with those words, and then concealed itself once more as if nothing happened.

"..."

"Come out already!"

Indeed, this was our mother.

"H-How did you know?" she asked, finally revealing herself.

"Did you hear what Leith said?"

"...Maybe."

"So what should we do?"

Mom walked over to us and sat down. She thought for a moment.

"Leith, are you sure that what you saw was real?"

"Positive," I said, holding in my laugh.

"Then you shouldn't mention it around him. I'm sure it's a very sensitive topic. He's probably self-conscious."

"I understand. Thanks for the advice, Mom."

Callum sat back with a look of despondency. "He's bald at such a young age. It breaks my heart."

I was surprised at how easily he accepted my bluff.

"Still," he said, "we confirmed that he was using an alias. I wonder why…"

"Yeah, that's pretty strange. But we probably won't ever learn the reason behind it," I replied.

Callum looked at me for a moment. My brother could read me better than anyone else.

I could never tell him a lie and get away with it.

He knew. Ever since I opened my mouth, he knew I was hiding something. He also probably knew that I had no choice but to lie, that perceptive little brat. Nevertheless, I kept my mouth shut and Callum resisted the urge to pry. That's how things would continue for some time. Not too long, but still long enough.