Searching for Sunken Shadows - 6: Where I Want To Be

Art Class

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1

Ena

...

2

Ena

(We're doing stills of fruit today...
I should be fine since I've practiced drawing them at home.)

3

Ena

(I was so bad when I first started coming here...)

4

Ena

(My perspective was all messed up, my lines were all crooked... I knew what I was going to be told.)

5

Ena

(Compared to then, I feeling like I'm doing a lot better now.)

6

Ena

(But it's not enough.)

7

Ena

(All I've done so far is sort of make up for lost time. The others are still miles ahead of me.)

8

Ena

I just need to keep drawing...

9

Ena

(One piece at a time without cutting any corners. I need to keep finding ways to get better.)

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10

Len

<Is this her art class...?>

11

Rin

<Looks like it.>

12

Rin

<I came to take a look the other day when she was having trouble with what she was drawing...>

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13

Rin

<They all look really serious...>

14

Len

<Y-Yeah, it's kinda scary...>

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15

Len

<Ena...>

16

Rin

<Thank goodness...>

17

Len

<Huh?>

18

Rin

<She always looked like she was in pain whenever she was drawing anything...>

19

Rin

<But things seem different today.>

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20

Ena

*Sigh*

21

Ena

(He bit my head off again today...
To be fair, that's a pretty normal occurrence now.)

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22

Ena

(But I feel like he's been making comments about the finer details lately...)

23

Ena

(Not too long ago, he'd usually just say that I need to draw everything again from scratch...)

24

Rin

<Ena...>

25

???

Ena!

26

Ena

Huh...?

27

Futaba

Nice work today!
Are you free after this?

28

Futaba

I was hoping that on the way home, we could go to this really yummy cheesecake shop that I found.

29

Ena

Huh? Cheesecake...?

30

Ena

Hmm... I'm gonna have to say yes to that.

31

Futaba

Really?! Then, let's go!

32

Len

<Is she Ena's friend...?>

33

Rin

<I think so. Let's stick around to see what happens.>

Cafe

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34

Ena

Mmm! This cheesecake's amazing...!

35

Ena

These fruits make it look gorgeous, and the cheese is so rich too. My mouth is in heaven right now...

36

Ena

Thanks for bringing me here, Futaba!

37

Futaba

No, I've been meaning to invite you for a little while now. I'm so glad that you could come today!

38

Ena

You're that glad? Well, it does make me happy to hear that...

39

Ena

Still, this reminds me of how we used to come to places like this.

40

Futaba

Yeah!
Class always seems to end just in time when you start feeling hungry for some reason.

41

Futaba

Mr. Yukihira's a harsh critic...
But I was always able to keeping returning because I was excited to go somewhere with you after class.

42

Ena

Yeah, his classes has always felt like a pressure cooker. And these places helped us unwind.

43

Futaba

Exactly! But things might start getting even more tense moving forward...

44

Ena

Why?

45

Futaba

Because exams are coming up.

46

Futaba

The ones trying to get into art school are probably going to start practicing even harder...

47

Futaba

And I feel like I need to do the same.

48

Ena

Oh...

49

Ena

(Right...
Futaba's already thinking about that.)

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50

Futaba

So, Ena, where do you want to go for university?

51

Ena

Huh? Me?

52

Futaba

Yeah, because I really like your art...
I feel that it'd be a huge shame if you didn't try to get accepted somewhere.

53

Ena

Oh, uhh...

54

Ena

(Art school, huh?)

55

Ena

(I still can't really see myself getting accepted into one.)

56

Ena

(I mean, I want to go. I want to keep studying art...)

57

Ena

(But the current me still doesn't have what it takes...)

58

Ena

(I wasn't able to commit to my art before. Yeah, I'm back in class now, but...)

59

Ena

(How am I supposed to get accepted anywhere? I know I have to get a lot better in order to...)

60

Futaba

Oh, Ena, I'm sorry...
Were you still undecided?

61

Ena

Oh, umm... Yeah, kinda.
Or rather, I haven't had time to think about that lately.

62

Ena

Anyway, let's get another dessert!
This seasonal cake looks way too good.

63

Ena

We can split it!

64

Futaba

Hehe. Okay.
Then, let's get it.

65

Futaba

Excuse me. We'd like to make an order.

Neighborhood

66

Ena

*Sigh*

67

Ena

(She has a point...
I really do need to start thinking about my future...)

68

Ena

(But...)

69

Ena

(I still don't have the skills nor the commitment...)

70

Ena

(I'm struggling to keep up with the others in class, and my illustrations still aren't doing N25's songs justice.)

71

Ena

(As much as I want to become an artist, I doubt I'll be able to at this rate.)

72

Ena

(So, how am I supposed to get into art school like the others...?)

73

???

<Ena?>

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74

Ena

Huh...? What are you two doing here?

75

Rin

<We came to see how you were doing.>

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76

Len

<Oh, um... We just wanted to see you while you drew again is all.>

77

Ena

Really?
I doubt I was able to put on much of a show for you guys...

78

Rin

<That's not true...>

79

Rin

<We thought you were really cool.>

80

Rin

<And you've become so much stronger.>

81

Ena

What...?

82

Rin

<That's what we thought when we saw you drawing earlier. You had such a serious look on your face.>

83

Ena

I mean, I was being serious. Everyone around me was also...

84

Rin

<That's not what I mean. The girl I saw before looked like she was in pain whenever she drew.>

85

Ena

Oh...

86

Rin

<You drew as you struggled through that pain...>

87

Rin

<But things seemed different today.>

88

Rin

<You were facing your art head on.>

89

Rin

<You have the strength to face that pain now...>

90

Ena

Rin...

91

Ena

Thanks.
I really appreciate you always looking out for me...

92

Ena

That means I need to start doing better...

93

Len

<What?>

94

Ena

Something crossed my mind just now.

95

Ena

I want to keep drawing...
But is it really okay for me to?

96

Rin

<Where's that coming from?>

97

Ena

So... I'm better now compared to before, but I'm nowhere near the level of Futaba and the others. Plus, my illustrations still aren't doing N25's songs justice.

98

Ena

Which is why I'm wondering if it's really okay for me to try to go where they're going, to study art and to work towards the same goal...

99

Rin

<Ena...>

Next Chapter: Something That Resonated