The afternoon sun filtered through the tall windows of the Seiyo High library, casting long, golden shadows over the wooden desks. Yorus, a quiet student known more for his sketches than his words, sat in his usual spot at the very back. He liked the silence; it felt safe.
Suddenly, the chair across from him scraped against the floor. He looked up to see Akira, the vice president of the student council, setting down a stack of books with a tired sigh. Unlike Yorus, Akira was a whirlwind of energy—bright, organized, and always surrounded by people.
"Is this seat taken, Yorus-kun?" she asked, a playful glint in her amber eyes.
Yorus blinked, surprised she even knew his name. "No. It’s free."
For the next hour, the only sounds were the turning of pages and the scratch of Yorus’s pencil. He found himself unable to focus on his drawing. He kept glancing at Akira, noticing how her brow furrowed when she hit a difficult math problem and how she subconsciously tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
"You're staring," Akira said without looking up, a small smirk playing on her lips.
Yorus felt his face heat up. "I... I was just looking at the lighting. For my sketch."
"Let me see," she said, leaning across the table. Before he could hide it, she gently took his sketchbook. Her eyes widened. It wasn't a landscape or a still life; it was a rough but beautiful portrait of her, captured in the soft afternoon light.
The silence between them changed. It was no longer the silence of two strangers, but something heavier and warmer.
"I didn't think you noticed me," Akira whispered, her usual confidence softening into something more vulnerable. "I always see you back here, looking like you’re in your own world. I actually came here today hoping you'd talk to me."
Yorus felt his heart race. "I thought you were too busy for someone like me."
Akira laughed softly, a sound like wind chimes. She reached out and placed her hand over his on the table. "Never too busy for the boy who draws the world so beautifully."
As the school bell rang, signaling the end of the day, the sky outside turned a deep violet. They packed their bags together, walking side-by-side through the empty hallways. At the school gate, under the blooming cherry blossom trees, Yorus finally found his courage.
"Akira?"
"Yes?"
"I’d like to draw you again tomorrow. If that’s okay."
Akira smiled, a beam of light even in the twilight. "Only if you promise to walk me home after."
And there, amidst the falling petals, a quiet boy and a bright girl started a story that was just beginning.
Don't forget to read my Novel guys. Thank you!
