“When You Sketch Me Smiling”

Title: “When You Sketch Me Smiling”

Chapter 5: The Distance Between Us

It had been almost a month.

Their secret had blossomed in the quietest way, as if the world outside the art room and park didn’t know. But Shizuka didn’t mind. It was their quiet love, wrapped in sketchbook pages and soft violin melodies.

But everything changed one Thursday afternoon when Shizuka received a letter.

The letter was official, embossed with the International Music Academy’s logo in gold. She almost didn’t open it—what if it was a mistake, or just another advertisement? But curiosity got the best of her.

She unfolded the paper slowly.

“We are pleased to inform you that you have been selected to perform at the International Violin Exhibition in London, this coming summer.”

The words blurred. London. London. It felt like the whole world was pressing against her chest.

She knew she had to go. It was a dream.

But…

Jaiko.

Shizuka hadn’t realized how much she depended on Jaiko until she thought of the possibility of being apart. The idea of not seeing her every day, of not holding her hand under the tree or playing for her in the art room—Shizuka felt something cold and empty inside her chest.

⸻

Later that day, they met at the art room, as usual.

Jaiko was bent over her sketchbook, half-smiling at a drawing of Shizuka playing the violin, her hair caught in a breeze. The way Jaiko’s pencil moved so easily made Shizuka ache.

Jaiko looked up. “You’re quiet today.”

Shizuka sat down beside her. “I got an invitation.”

Jaiko tilted her head. “Invitation to what?”

Shizuka hesitated. She wanted to say it casually—like it didn’t matter. But it mattered. It mattered more than anything.

“I’ve been invited to perform at an international music exhibition… in London,” Shizuka said, her voice shaking slightly.

Jaiko’s smile faltered for just a second before she masked it. “Wow. That’s… amazing, Shizuka. I’m happy for you.”

But Shizuka could see it—the flicker of sadness behind Jaiko’s glasses, the way she stiffened, even if she didn’t say anything.

“I don’t want to go without you,” Shizuka admitted softly.

Jaiko’s heart dropped into her stomach. “Shizuka, you have to go. It’s your dream. This is everything you’ve worked for.”

“I know,” Shizuka whispered. “But… I don’t want to leave you.”

Jaiko bit her lip, trying to keep the tears from gathering. “Shizuka, I don’t want you to stay just because of me. You have to go. You’ve always wanted this.”

There was a beat of silence. Shizuka’s fingers trembled as they reached for Jaiko’s hand. “I know, but I don’t want to lose you.”

“You won’t lose me,” Jaiko said softly. “Even if you go, I’ll always be here, okay? It’ll be okay.”

Shizuka clung to her hand, feeling like the world was tugging her in two directions. One was her future—the dream she had worked her whole life for. The other was Jaiko—her Jaiko, the one who had painted her in every shade of soft and warm and had filled the spaces in her heart she didn’t even know were empty.

“I’ll miss you so much,” Shizuka whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

Jaiko smiled, but there was a deep sadness behind it. “I’ll miss you too. But I’ll always be here, waiting.”

⸻

The weeks leading up to her departure were full of a quiet, painful ache.

Shizuka practiced with extra care, trying to lose herself in her music. Jaiko spent her days sketching, but it wasn’t the same without Shizuka in the art room with her.

They didn’t talk much about it. It felt too raw, too real. But each time Shizuka saw Jaiko’s face, she knew she would never be the same after leaving her.

The night before Shizuka’s flight, they met at the park again.

Jaiko was quiet, holding a small envelope in her hands. “This is for you.”

Shizuka took the envelope, her heart speeding up. Inside was a small, delicate sketch—a portrait of the two of them, sitting together under the cherry blossom tree. But there was something different about it. In the drawing, Shizuka was playing her violin, but Jaiko had drawn herself close—closer than she ever had before. Their fingers brushed. Their heads tilted toward each other.

“You… you’re always with me,” Shizuka whispered, choking on the words. “Even when I’m not here.”

Jaiko smiled through her tears. “Always.”

They held each other tightly, as if their hearts could make up for the distance that was about to grow between them.

⸻

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