IN DEEP, on the court #1

010. boy-bonding time

KAEDE | HAYASHI

THE ART BASEMENT kind of match up to it's name.

Situated on the floor below the art wing, it was a large space for Art students to finish projects that were either too big or too delicate to be kept in the classrooms. Or in the rare occasion where they wanted a piece to be kept private if it was going to be submitted to a competition. Cai was usually found on the underground floor if he wanted some peace and quiet or to destress.

As we trooped down the stairs, our footsteps echoed in the vast space and the sensors switched all the overhead bulbs on.

The brick walls were painted a simple white that made the windowless-wing feel brighter than it really was. There was a brutalist feel with the exposed wires running along the high ceiling and pipes sneaking into each of the private rooms. Despite the unfinished look, when a vote was held, the art students were in favour of keeping the design the way it was instead of revamping it.

"Room three again?" Neo questioned, on his last jam donut.

Whenever Cai was usually holed up in here, he was in the only room with a window in. There was an unspoken rule that room three was Cai's among the artists. When the rumour had first started, he'd tried to make it clear that other people could use it too— but it had never stuck. Still, it meant that everything was in it's rightful place and Cai didn't have to reorganise everything every time someone used it.

The door opened easily under Neo's hand and I was taken aback by how Cai had managed ro make the room his and give it a different vibe to the rest of the wing.

Or maybe it was just the lighting. 

I still hadn't figured out where the room was placed, but in the center of the ceiling was a large circular window. Depending the time of day, daylight draped across different objects in the big space. With it being the morning, rays of light currently fell over the high tables Cai had pushed together to the far right that held different types of equipment.

All but one stool was stacked in a corner; the one he'd left out was by a blank canvas and tabletop to the left. On the far wall, opposite the door, was a large sink, drying stacks and a huge bin.

He'd arranged the room so there was a large amount of space in the center where most of the light fell. Usually if he was painting, he'd place his stool and canvas there and commence. Still, you could see Aerona's touch around the space in the Pinterest inspirational printouts she'd chosen to hang up on the walls. I spotted one by a bleak charcoal sketch of a lone wolf that said "don't tell anybody that the big bad wolf is a puppy in disguise".

I knew Cai's eyes had landed on it when one of those smiles played at his lips. The smile that seemed to ease his entire being and made his gaze soften. One that could only be caused by Aerona Prosser.