His one month of effort was comparable to her one year of struggle; the gap between them was simply too vast.
Kiyono was destined to become one of the shining stars in this industry; it wasn't impossible for him to reach the realm of his predecessors in the future.
"Heh heh, this is the fantasy heroine of my dreams! Novels and drawings are indeed different mediums. It's definitely more intuitive to draw it out myself."
Because he was surrounded by a crowd, Kiyono didn't notice the girl on the periphery at first, revealing a joyful smile.
— He was smiling.
This was natural; this idiot had always been like this. No matter what he was doing, he would be incredibly focused and dedicated, working hard, achieving results, and then a handsome smile would grace his lips.
For him, drawing must be a happy, joyful act.
But she felt no joy at all.
Ah, so that's it.
Eriri suddenly smiled, but it wasn't sadness, nor loneliness or anger, but a more tangled expression, difficult to put into words.
The sound of a heart breaking softly echoed, a very dry, subtle sound.
No more drawing.
She had this thought on the spot.
There was no need to draw anymore.
Why did she join Kousaka Akane's company and work so hard on drawing? A large part of the reason at first might have been Kiyono, but he no longer needed her now. In his future, there was no place for her by his side.
It was meaningless.
Facing that incredibly dazzling, scorching sun, she once again despondently averted her gaze. She could no longer move forward with this person.
That night, Eriri submitted her resignation to Kousaka Akane.
Kousaka Akane said nothing, only smiled, and accepted her departure.
As she left the company, she brushed past Kiyono.
The young man glanced at her.
— That was a high wall.
Deep in her heart stood a thick, tall, insurmountable wall.
Faced with this high wall, reckless people would choose to smash their heads against it, wise people would choose to go around it, and Eriri's choice was to leave.
Eriri calmly returned home.
The first thing she did after returning home was to grab the drawing tools on her desk, raise them, intending to throw them into the trash can, but ultimately she lowered her hand and silently put all the brushes, drawing paper, and trophies into a box.
This box was filled with the first half of her life—
Her sweat, her obsession, her strength, her sorrow.
"This is fine."
Eriri placed the box in the deepest part of the cabinet, closing it away in isolation. Treating her tools this way caused her a strange pang of heartache, but she really didn't want to touch these things anymore.
After finishing all this, the girl turned off the lights. In the pitch-black room, she hugged her knees and curled up in the corner of the bed. She now only wanted to stay in the depths of the impenetrable darkness, escaping to a place where sunlight couldn't reach.
Her mood was unprecedentedly relaxed and peaceful.
This was the sweetness of giving up. It meant no longer having to force herself to pour her heart and soul into work late at night, no longer having to suffer, and no longer having to feel negative emotions like jealousy, envy, cowardice, shame, and self-loathing.
This was what it meant to understand oneself and grow up, right?
However, even with her eyes closed, she would still think of certain scenes, and that person's face.
She had given up. From now on, she would no longer be encouraged, comforted, or inspired by him, and they wouldn't chat on sleepless nights when inspiration was lacking…
But none of that mattered. Even without drawing, she could still interact with him in another way, right?
After all, she was a beautiful girl, the young lady of the Sawamura family, with a beautiful appearance, charming temperament, and excellent family background. As a girl, wasn't she impeccable?
Thinking about it, it was truly foolish. From a realistic perspective, drawing didn't earn much money at all. She could completely earn more money in other ways, such as, after graduation, having her parents help her open a high-end fashion store, or doing something else.
"Just forget it."
In the darkness, she wished for this.
However, the flame in her heart, even if only a flicker remained, had not completely extinguished; she simply chose to ignore it.
In the office, Kousaka Akane skillfully crossed her legs, holding a script, her expression focused.
Just then, the door was suddenly thrown open. Kasumigaoka Utaha stomped in, standing before her, her magnificent wine-red eyes narrowed, and her usually low voice carried a hint of anger.
"Kousaka-san, did you deliberately dismiss Sawamura?"
She had just learned about Eriri's withdrawal, which directly unsettled the calm senior. One of her reasons for joining the project was also because of Eriri.
"Don't casually pin the blame on me." Kousaka Akane put down the manuscript, a rare look of helplessness on her face. "This is a problem she encountered herself."
"Then why…?" Utaha frowned.
"Just wait." Kousaka Akane didn't answer her.
Kasumigaoka Utaha sighed, leaving with a worried expression. After she left, Kiyono, who had been listening quietly outside the door, walked in and asked:
"Is it because of me?"
"On the surface, yes, but it has little to do with you. This is a necessary path for every creator."
Kousaka Akane glanced at him, seemingly afraid he would overthink, and quickly played the role of a psychological expert: "Even if she hadn't met you, she would definitely meet other, more talented people in the future. There's no shortage of geniuses on this path."
In other words, a sense of inferiority.
Kiyono murmured.
Eriri, feeling inferior?
If word got out, people might not believe it. This girl was beautiful, came from a wealthy family, and possessed outstanding abilities. She had no need to worry about life or the future. The number of people of the opposite sex who liked her could stretch from Tokyo to Chiba. Most girls looked up to her like a princess. If these people knew, they would probably find it incredibly unbelievable.
And fate was so subtle. Eriri's conditions were clearly perfect, but her inherent personality was the type that was prone to inferiority and evasion. It was just that most of the people Eriri had encountered in the past were not as strong as her, and she used confidence to mask her inferiority.
But the world of creation was like this; it had nothing to do with appearance, wealth, or physique. It was a battlefield built on talent, sweat, and effort.
She should have been without worries.
But this guy was also living his life to the fullest.
Kiyono took a deep breath.
Since that was the case—
A new week arrived.
No matter what decision someone made, the world wouldn't change because of it. Kiyono, as always, went to school and entered the classroom.
After taking his seat and organizing the books he needed to read, his gaze inadvertently fell on a certain seat next to him.
That was Eriri's seat.
She hadn't arrived yet.
The classmates were still focused on topics about summer vacation. Boys talked about swimsuits and games, while girls discussed beaches and fireworks. Kiyono listened to these summer sounds, idly looking towards the classroom door.
The next moment, the sound of the door opening rang out.
"Good morning."
The voice he had been thinking about since morning softly spoke.
Kiyono looked up, his eyes suddenly widened, and he gasped. No, not just him; the entire classroom fell into an unusual silence.
Because the person who appeared in the classroom was not the familiar Sawamura Eriri, but, but…
A head of gorgeous golden hair fell down like a flowing waterfall. Her azure blue eyes had the unique, stunning quality of a Western girl, while her delicate face possessed the gentle grace of an Eastern girl. She was a girl who perfectly combined both characteristics.
This wasn't the point.
The point was… she wasn't wearing her signature twin-tails and over-the-knee socks as usual. Instead, her hair was down, and even her socks had changed to ordinary white socks like any other girl.
An elegant aura of a young lady wafted over.
In the chaotic atmosphere, Eriri's friend's mouth dropped open, and she couldn't help but ask:
"Eriri-chan, good, good morning. How, how are you…?"
"Ah, I suddenly felt like a change of atmosphere today. Is it strange?" The blonde girl touched her hair, answering very cheerfully, her tone just like usual.
— Who are you?!
Kiyono's eye twitched. Had the blow been so great that she even changed her character?!
"Not at all! You're really super pretty, just like in a TV drama!" The female classmate excitedly squeezed her hand.
"Thank you."
Eriri showed a bright smile. After finishing her conversation with her friend, she sat down in her seat. Inadvertently, their eyes met, and her clear pupils reflected his figure like a mirror.
The blonde girl gave a faint smile.
"No matter who you are, get off her." Kiyono put on a solemn expression like a Taoist master.
Eriri's pretty face stiffened, almost unable to maintain her expression.
"Kiyono is still so fond of joking. Girls like to change their outfits."
— Stop pretending!
Kiyono stared intently at Eriri.
One second, two seconds, three seconds.
However, the girl did not avert her gaze, only maintaining that even more perfect and elegant young lady's smile, impeccable.
Just then, the class bell rang, and Kiyono withdrew his gaze.
Just as she let out a sigh of relief, the young man took out his phone under the desk and sent a text message.
"Sawamura Ojou-sama?"
There was no reaction, which made Kiyono recall how Eriri used to throw notes at him during class, and how he would ignore her. The shift in status was truly too quick; he couldn't help but sigh.
Then, he sent two more messages.
Eriri couldn't resist. She secretly took out her phone and glanced at it.
"Actually, compared to black over-the-knee socks, I'm a white sock person."
— That doesn't matter at all!
Hoo, hoo.
The first class in the afternoon was math. The teacher's voice on the podium was quite rhythmic, as if coming from a distant sky. Kiyono looked up and found that most of the students were drowsy, some even sleeping with their heads on their desks.
This was understandable. The weather was already getting hot, and after lunch in the afternoon, the sleepiness intensified. Even Eriri yawned, nodding off repeatedly, and finally couldn't resist sleep. She rested her head on her arms, subconsciously turning her face towards his position, and fell asleep in less than ten seconds.
The afternoon breeze of summer seemed to carry weariness. White clouds floated gently, and trees comfortably dozed off.
Kiyono looked at Eriri.
Her delicate, fair skin gave a crystal-clear impression. Her nose bridge was high, and her long eyelashes were thick like brushes. This should have been a beautiful painting, but…
Even in her sleep, her brows were tightly furrowed, and the corners of her eyes were slightly red, as if she was being chased by something.
After school, the small circle of girls formed by Eriri began their topic for the day.
Perhaps because the girl's aura today was somewhat different, one female classmate proactively spoke: