Sketchbook

Chapter 4

Chaeyoung was running late. She didn’t have time to fish up a jacket from her wardrobe, instead, she ran outside in the frigid cold.

Chaeyoung was out of breath by the time she reached the bus stop, she was out of shape. She should start exercising, she reminded herself. She used to, before she started university. She felt too drained now. Or perhaps it was pure laziness.

Chaeyoung was happy to see a familiar, chubby figure inside the bus stop. But she looked a bit different. Her face was puffy. She had a sad look in her gaze. Could she have been crying? Maybe the puffy face was for a different reason.

Chaeyoung sat down on the bench in the spot she usually did. She rested her shoulder against the wall of the glass, sketching the girl’s face. She got a tingly feeling in her stomach, again.

Though, Chaeyoung frowned. There was no spark in the girl’s eyes, her gaze was dull. She wondered why the girl seemed so upset if anything had happened.

The bus came, and she walked up behind the girl. She sat down behind her on the bus like she sometimes would. She didn’t want the girl to think she was purposefully following her, so some days she sat all the way at the rear end.

Chaeyoung peeked over the seat. She drew the girl sitting there, looking out the window. Her silver earrings dangled in the moving bus. She made sure to add the dainty, silver hoops to the drawing. It did something.

During the lunch break, Chaeyoung had found a place to sit where she could draw without any disturbances. Sometimes, students would pass her and give her a compliment or two. She was flattered, but she was too shy to even acknowledge the people.

Well, except one certain person who simply wouldn’t leave her table until she earned acknowledgement. Speak of the devil, Chaeyoung spotted her silhouette out of the corner of her eye.

She easily recognized Dahyun. Beautifully handsome face, and an intriguing aura.

"What are you drawing?" Dahyun peered over her shoulder and down at her sketchbook.

"A girl I see at the bus stop every morning." She explained. She thought that by now Dahyun would recognize the girl in her sketchbook.

Dahyun smiled, pulling a chair out to take a seat. "Do you like her?"

Chaeyoung froze at the question, letting her pencil roll onto the smooth table. "Well, she’s cute." Admittedly, Chaeyoung had started catching feelings for her. Which was odd considering she was just a stranger she happened to stumble upon every dawn.

Dahyun chuckled softly, "Is her name just pretty girl?" She asked.

Chaeyoung felt blood streaming to her face, heating her cheeks. "I don’t know her name! She’s just a stranger, really."

"Alright, alright. I’ll stop making you flustered," said the older woman. "I was wondering, are you like, a professional artist? Or is it a hobby?"

"It’s a hobby." She frowned slightly. "I wish I had the motivation to do more with it, though, but I don’t have what it takes to take it further than something I do for fun."

Dahyun hummed in agreement, she seemed to understand. "Do you have any other hobbies?"

Chaeyoung shrugged, thinking, "Eating, maybe? Does that count? Or surfing Netflix." She joked.

Dahyun stifled a chuckle. "You’re skinny, considering your hobby is eating. I can definitely relate to the Netflix one. Favorite show?"

"The end of the fucking world." Chaeyoung responded.

Dahyun beamed. "Mine, too!" The older took a moment to relax, "We might have a bit in common, after all."

"What are your hobbies, Unnie?" Chaeyoung asked her, curious to know. She didn’t know much about Dahyun, except she was a bit over a year older than her and liked Kpop.

"For some reason I really like collecting scented candles. Like, just garnering a bunch of them and placing them all over my bathroom. Buying new ones brings me joy, especially when it’s a scent I haven’t smelled before."

Chaeyoung chuckled. "I had a phase like that when I turned 21. I still buy them sometimes. I just don’t have as much money to spend."

"I feel you," said Dahyun, rubbing the back of her neck. Their conversation fell silent again, "It’s nice to finally have a friend here." Dahyun spoke after a short while.

Chaeyoung hummed in agreement. "Yeah. You’re my first."

Dahyun’s smile turned into a slight smirk. "If you want, I’ll be your first wingwoman here, as well."

Chaeyoung’s face flushed red, "Shut it!" Shyly, she hid her face in her palms.

Chaeyoung breathed. "Should I talk to her?" She pointed at the girl in her drawing.

Dahyun’s eyes widened and she nodded firmly. "Of course." She slung an arm around Chaeyoung’s shoulder, "You should get to know her."

Chaeyoung had already made her decision, she is going to talk to the pretty girl.