the art within

chapter twenty four: graphite scratches

every mark tells a story, and in the layers of shading, emotions tell their stories

jae sat at his desk, the dim light of his lamp illuminating the scattered pages of his sketches and writings. the quiet of his room contrasted sharply with the whirlwind of thoughts racing through his mind.

once again.

he'd spent the last few days reflecting on his interactions with skye, and each memory felt more vivid than the last, drawing him in deeper.

since his mother fell into a coma, art had been his refuge. it was in the strokes of his pencil and the flow of words where he found solace.

but now, as he sat alone, he couldn't shake the feeling that skye had brought a new light into that refuge. her laughter, her passion for art, and the way she poured her heart into every piece she created—it all resonated with him in ways he hadn't expected.

the thought of her courage intrigued him. skye faced her colorblindness head-on, pushing herself into new artistic territory despite the challenges. jae admired that about her. he wished he could find the same bravery to confront his own fears—especially now, with his mother's condition weighing heavily on his heart.

his pencil hovered above the blank page, a swirl of inspiration fighting for dominance in his mind.
after seeing his homework his professor had told him to draw more.

so here he was.

and he didn't complain, since he hadn't had a good idea for his stories either.

but trying something new and different wasn't that easy.

he needed to channel what he felt for skye, to translate admiration into art.

his gaze shifted to a recent sketch of a serene landscape, colors muted but warm—a reflection of the comfort he sought amid the chaos.

his mind immediately drifted back to skye.

he held onto the feeling he always felt around her, and then it happened.

he began to draw, letting his emotions flow onto the paper.

it almost happened on itself, the pencil gliding over the paper forming lines he never new his subconscious mind had in it.

as he sketched, the lines began to take shape, a delicate balance of light and shadow. he poured his admiration for skye into the piece, capturing the essence of her spirit. he envisioned the vibrant colors she struggled with, imagining how they would look if they danced across the canvas. he wanted to create something that would celebrate her uniqueness, a piece that embodied the courage she displayed every day.

with each stroke, he thought about how skye's perspective on art was different from his. she had shown him that creativity wasn't solely about what was visible but also about what lay beneath the surface—the emotions, the experiences, the unseen battles. he wanted to convey that in his artwork, to let her know that he saw her not just as a fellow artist but as someone who inspired him to be brave.

the idea of showing her this artwork passed his mind, and he thought someday, maybe someday he'd show her it.

but today she was only his muse.

well, not only.

she was his calm space, his inspiration, a light in the dark.

he looked down at his sheet of paper.

he had drawn two interlocking hands, a bigger one and a smaller soft one, with an infinite symbol around them

that's when jae realized.

he had drawn this with the feeling in his heart he had around skye.

could this feeling be—

love?

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I just came back to publish this and wanted to check the author's note before and it turns out I didn't write any.

Also I was at a dance event yesterday and now my brain and my social anxiety are fighting over if I should start or not. I mean it's fun but all the new people.

Another thing that's happened lately is that I have 346325662 projects for school due next week and no time (awkward laughing) but I have Thursday afternoon and Friday off, so I can write this chapter and hopefully a few others for my other books.

Yes you heard right other books bcs my stupid brain can't focus on one thing and always starts new stuff.

The first one is the book I already promoted last chapter I think, it's called cookies for christmas and it's an advent calendar. I'll let you know when I'm gonna publish the first chapter.

And I've been thinking about the second other book for a long time now and the plot finally came to me.

Sorry for my rant :D

Stay healthy and happy and see you next chapter ꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱