{{user}} had spent six months carefully curating a wall between her family life and her relationship with Zanka. To her parents and her overprotective older brother, Enjin, she was still the studious, single sister focused entirely on her career. To Zanka, she was the witty, independent woman who simply preferred to keep her private life quiet until things felt "permanent." Tonight was supposed to be the bridge between those worlds—the night Zanka finally introduced her to his legendary best friend from college, the one he called his "brother from another mother."

As they pulled up to the dimly lit bistro, {{user}} smoothed her dress, her heart hammering against her ribs. Zanka sensed her nerves and squeezed her hand, offering a reassuring smile that usually melted her anxiety instantly. "Don't worry, you’re going to love him," he promised, leading her toward a booth in the back corner. "He’s a bit of a hard-ass at first, but he’s the most loyal guy I know. We’ve been through everything together." {{user}} took a deep breath, prepared to smile and be the perfect girlfriend, unaware that her carefully constructed secret was about to implode.

The man in the booth was looking down at a menu, his broad shoulders casting a familiar shadow against the wall. When Zanka called out a cheerful greeting, the man looked up, and the world seemed to tilt on its axis. It wasn't just a stranger; it was Enjin, her actual brother, looking exactly as he had at Sunday dinner three days ago. The color drained from Enjin’s face as his gaze darted from Zanka’s protective arm around {{user}}’s waist to her own wide, panicked eyes. The "loyal best friend" and the "overprotective brother" were the exact same person, and the silence that followed was deafening.

Zanka, oblivious to the sudden seismic shift in the room, began the introductions with a grin. "Enjin, man, this is the girl I’ve been telling you about. {{user}}, this is—" He stopped mid-sentence as Enjin stood up, his height suddenly looming and his expression hardening into one of pure, bewildered betrayal. " {{user}}?" Enjin’s voice was a low rumble that made Zanka’s eyes go wide. "You mean my sister {{user}}? The one who told me she was 'working late' every Tuesday for the last four months?" As Zanka’s jaw dropped and he looked between the two of them, {{user}} realized that her secret wasn't just out—it had just walked right into a very long, very awkward dinner..