Defendant, is it true that plaintiff had been leading you on?
Your honor, I’m not saying that I had been led on. I have always been attracted to plaintiff from the first day I met her. I saw her football jersey, and decided to look her up on Instagram. There’s few results based on her short name, and her profile was one of few that are protected. I decided to try my luck and requested to follow. Once she accepted my request, I checked out all her latest posts. To my disappointment, she seems to be already in a relationship.
As I admitted defeat, I slide into her DMs, and tell her that it’s okay for her to remove me from follower, as my stalking objective had already been fulfilled. To my surprise, she replied that it’s okay for her, and she said, and I quote “nice photography.” From that point, we have been replying back and forth, and we talked of few things, some about football, our common interest.
I am very surprised that she seems very nice to the point of trying to clarify if she’s being offensive with a message, which of course not. You might think that well she’s just being nice dude, get over it. However, I really like that about her, and I always appreciate thoughful replies.
Do you aware that while you have been chatting with her, you know she’s already in a relationship?
At first, yes I was hoping that the boyfriend was old posts. Then I casually ask about it, to which the plaintiff admitted they’re together at the moment. I was disappointed. After I recollected myself and throw in the towel, I stopped myself from any intention to pursue her, and just back to chatting as a friend.
Is there any point in your interaction with plaintiff that she’s making any suggestive move?
Not at all of course. We talked a lot when I went to a trip in Korea and Japan, since she’s been there and suggested some places that she thought I would enjoy. To be perfectly honest, she’s the one that had been replying me the most on my Instagram stories, and that was very sad for me, since it seems like she’s the only audience that had actually following my trip stories.
I also noticed that she’s been on top of my story audience, one of few that first viewed, and her stories came up first whenever I open Instagram. This sounds very millenial, but seeing her name on top of story audiences every time I open Instagram was very comforting. I guess that’s how I develop the feeling, even though I am well aware that she has a boyfriend, and everything is platonic.
So, there is no evidence that the plaintiff in any way telling you that she’s attracted to you?
That’s correct, your honor. I have developed this feeling all by myself, based on the interface laid on my Instagram app. I was falsely presented as if the plaintiff was the one attracted to me, based on the rank she appeared on my list.
I am not convinced that some arbitrary position of names on your Instagram app could influence your attraction to a stranger. Could you elaborate more on what other evidence that made you thought the plaintiff was attracted to you?
Well, there’s these other events that unfolded after I came back from my trip. First, she asked me few days before I came back to help her buy a shade case. Yes, a shade case where you could get literally anywhere, at Optic shops, night markets, Daiso. I was confounded by the request, alas I tried to look out for it, but there’s actually no place that only sells the case.
Once I came back, she asked if I would like to join a football session, since she know I haven’t played in a long time while I was on the trip. Of course I said yes, since by that time, I had a strong feeling for her.
Then it happened. I met her for the first time since I start talking to her on Instagram. I greet her at the football court, and talk like normal friend, although awkwardly since we never met. I told her that I had unused shade case I could give out, so she took it. I also bought her face masks while I was in Korea, cliche, but that’s what she wanted.
Second, she was going to a Thai island in few weeks, so she asked where to buy the SIM card there. Being helpful, I told that she could use my Thai SIM in case they sold out. The truth is, I only said that so I could meet her again. She agreed, and we then met for second time, at a cafe, during lunch, just for me to pass the SIM card to her.
So, this whole time, you just kept on developing feelings for the plaintiff, even though you knew that anything going between you were just platonic?
With all due respect your honor, you just couldn’t put this all on me. It’s biology. It’s our human nature. There bound to be something happened when a boy and a girl meet. I’ve already reminding myself that what ever I do, I would burn myself in the end. My brain told me no, but my heart said yes.
It seems clear to me to you are putting yourself on the chopping block. Your defense is weak. Could you tell us what happened on the day of the event?
Very well. After her Island trip, the plaintiff asked when to meet again to return back my SIM card before I return to Thailand. So we meet again for lunch, at a different cafe. As side note, all this time, I didn’t even asked for her number, because I intend to respect the boundary.
We talked for an hour. I asked why she seems distant with her boyfriend, and she told me that she had been ready to settle down, however her boyfriend doesn’t look like it, so she gave him until end of the year, even though she’s not certain of it ever being materialized with their current affair.
This was where I fucked up. While on the topic, my mouth just blurted what I’ve been wanting to say to her.
“Hey I know you have a boyfriend. But I really like you. I know I shouldn’t, but I just can’t keep it to myself”.
And just like that, I thought I just ended my friendship with her. After she gave me her number, I write in WhatsApp how I don’t mind being friend, but she knew it would be hard for us. So we agreed to keep some distance from now on.
Defendant, it seems clear to me that you brought this all to yourself. You are now declared guilty for illegally developing unrequited love. Court adjourned.
