03

4 1 0
                                    

Seiji's hands shook the next time she opened the notebook. It was just a notebook dammit! But she couldn't stop the ragged beating of her heart. She opened the first page and looked at her sketch again.

It didn't look like a sketch, truth be told. It was as if someone had taken her picture from very close quarters and then used some editing tools to make it appear like a sketch. But she knew that wasn't the case if only for the pencil smudges and the slightly faded ink over the years. 

The person had her picture down to every mole on her skin; the sketch was so perfect! Seiji tried to remember anyone she knew who had an artistic hand but again, came up with nothing.

She sighed and flipped on to the next page. The second sketch of her had the eyes scrunched up as she laughed. She was covering her mouth with her hands but one could tell how happy she really was in that picture.

I hate that you are friends with that guy. The guy with a weird, bright smile. Is he a junior? Senior? I hate that he is the one who makes you laugh. I hate that he even has the courage to speak to you.
I hate it. I hate it. I hate it!

Seiji laughed. The phrases... whatever her admirer had written made her laugh. And she sat there laughing again and again over the 'I hate it'.

She flipped to the next page. It didn't have any sketch, just a simple note.

You have a brother? I don't even know? And the guy I was hating so much is his boyfriend? And I just had no idea?! 
Now that I look at it, he seems to be a sweet boy, your brother's boyfriend. Especially now more than ever since I don't have to be wary of him anymore.
His name is Tae, right? You call him that, don't you? I wonder what you would call me... I wonder if you like pet names as much as I do.


DalnimWhere stories live. Discover now