Christmas Eve Spent Listening to My Ex's Love Life

My ex-boyfriend, who had lamented that he would be single for the rest of his life after failing to start anything with the woman who became the reason for our breakup despite going on several dates, had been complaining. (*My ex is bisexual.)

On Christmas Eve, while I was eating a solo hot pot, I received a LINE message from that ex.

"There's something I want to ask you, lol"
"It's about love advice, lol"

I don't know what's so funny about it, but I was interested, so I took his call and listened to his consultation.

In bullet points, it went something like this:

・He's interested in someone from a different department at work.
・Sometimes they go out to eat in a group that includes her.
・Even though people usually address each other by their job titles at work, she calls him by his last name.
・She's cute and has a good personality.
・He had forgotten it was Christmas, but they ended up deciding to go out to eat together on 12/25.
・Now that he thinks he might like her, he's too self-conscious and doesn't know what to do.

…Seriously, I don't care.
My own love life isn't going well, so why am I listening to my ex's love advice?
And on Christmas Eve, no less.
As I listened to him, I started to feel calm and sad.

Moreover, when I asked more about how they ended up going out to eat together on 12/25, it turns out that when he invited her, she replied, "That sounds great! Can I invite so-and-so too?"
Of course he said yes, but then so-and-so couldn't make it, and it seems the date was only realized because she added, "If you don't mind, why don't we just go the two of us?"

She is four years younger than him, and since it's a workplace with strict hierarchy, she probably couldn't refuse an invitation from her manager.
At this point, the prospects look incredibly slim.

That said, I know he was pretty crushed after likely being blocked by the woman who caused our breakup, so there is a microscopic part of me that wants to support him as he tries to move on.

I gave him some safe advice, like suggesting he try expressing his feelings sooner since he failed last time by taking too long, even though it feels like a long shot since she suggested inviting others.
In addition, as it happens, the woman who caused our breakup and this new girl share the same first name, so I jokingly told him that he could just reuse the love letter I had edited for him that never saw the light of day.

He told me something like, "You're the only one who will listen to stories like this, I'll rely on you forever..." and while I thought, "Forever...?", I felt a bit disgusted with myself for not feeling entirely bad about it.

After I finished listening to his story, I tried to get him to listen to my own romantic situation, but halfway through, he stopped responding.
…He had actually fallen asleep.
To talk about what he wanted and then fall asleep himself... I really question the character of a man I dated for nearly five years.

I had been feeling a bit sentimental, having read my diary from around this time last year and remembering how I enjoyed a Christmas-like meal with him, but I was reminded once again that breaking up with him was the right decision.

Well, I wonder what I'll be doing next Christmas.

▽ Click here for the love letter I edited that never saw the light of day