Chapter 12

I thought about starting the second I got home, but then I remembered we had midterms the following week. I put it on hold, got some rest, and went back to studying. Midterms went by quickly. I wasn’t a top performer by any metric, but I did cross the minimum with ease. Same with Nadia and Prez. The only one who struggled was Carol.

Yes, Carol.

Carol excelled in math and all three languages, Indonesian, English, and the optional Japanese. She just barely went by in all the other subjects. So, while she taught us math, we taught her everything else.

But with midterms over, I could finally start my work on the manga. The second I got home from midterms, I began sketching. I didn’t know how things worked in Japan, but since I’m new, I figured it would be best if I sketch everything first.

While sketching, I couldn’t shake off the feeling of familiarity I had with the story. I figured it was because of the character rescuing someone else from the fire, similar to my own experiences, but it felt too familiar to be a coincidence. I couldn’t tell why.

Could Nadia be the one I rescued? Maybe she didn’t recognize me.

I had changed a lot ever since that day. I wouldn’t be surprised if she forgot. I didn’t do what I did for fame, money, or anything similar. I honestly prefer it if she really did forget.

Once I finished all the sketches, I showed them to Carol and Nadia.

“You completed this in three days? That’s impressive,” Nadia said.

“Not really. It’s just a sketch. It took a long time, if anything.”

Most sketching involved making quick scribbles that you could either improve on later or throw away. It was supposed to be quick. You would spend more time later improving the drawing. Admittedly, part of the issue came from Nadia’s drawing. I struggled to understand certain parts. Other parts I didn’t even bother. I marked their panels and decided to ask her directly.

“By the way, what’s this panel and this panel?”

We were on a call together, and I shared my screen. They could see the panel through my screen or through the document I sent them.

“The one on pages five and seven? The first one is supposed to be the building on fire from a distance, the other one is supposed to be an ambulance.”

The first drawing consisted of one vertical line straight up and three diagonal lines next to it, while the second had a cube with a small cube on top. Yes, that was all I had to work with. Oh, the ambulance had a + sign, but it occupied the entire cube, making me think it was a window.

“I should have put more effort into the B-rolls, huh?”

“Yeah…”

To be precise, they were exterior shots, and I didn’t know if people actually used the term B-roll in manga. A lot of Nadia’s exterior shots looked like this, with weird scribbles all over the place. I needed to do a lot of guesswork to figure it out.

“I’m kind of surprised we managed to enjoy the story the first time we read through this.”

“Probably because we weren’t expecting it to be good, so we just glossed over the images we didn’t understand.”

“Is that a compliment or…?”

“So… any comments? Suggestions? Corrections?”

Making corrections would be easier on a sketch. If they have anything to say, they should say it now.

“I think you should put more people in the crowd,” Nadia said. “I mean, more crowd in general. People are going to get curious, right?”

I wrote down her notes. I guess I would also be curious if I saw a large fire.

“Maybe you can make their shocks and fear more apparent.”

“Alright. Anything else?”

“... I agree with what Nadia said, especially the girl.”

“The girl?”

“She's eleven- I mean, she's around that age, right? There should be more fear in her expression. She didn't even know if she would survive. She's alone, stuck in fire, and maybe hungry. There should be a look of desperation and hopelessness on her face.”

“Wow, you really are the pro…”

“Maybe it's because of my experience with these things.”

“Alright, I'll make the changes.”

I did it on the spot. I started by sketching the panels that had previously been empty.

“Whoa, we're getting a live demonstration?”

“It's been a while since I last watched you draw.”

“Yeah…”

Back in middle school, I used to show off my drawings to Carol all the time. She seemed to like it, occasionally giving me requests. Sometimes I drew the character she voiced. I had stopped doing that, though. Maybe I should draw for her again when she gets a new project.

I finished the panel, then began working on the changes Nadia and Carol suggested.

“I’ve sent in some rough edits,” Carol said. I checked her message. She didn’t just give me pointers; she gave me lines that acted as guides. That way, I had an easier time visualizing the changes she meant.

“This is going well,” Nadia murmured.

I honestly expected more scrutiny from them, but I guess she had a reason she chose me. She did insist I draw this.

“I wonder if we can enter this in any competition,” Carol said.

“Competition? You think it’s good enough?”

“With your story and Harto’s art… It should be good enough. What goal do you have with this project?”

“... Goal?” Nadia seemed confused at this.

“The goal you have will decide what path we take. Do you want money? Do you want fame? Do you want people to recognize this work?”

I’m pretty sure with Nadia’s efforts, we could reach all three, no problem. Still, Carol had a point. It would be beneficial if we decided which path we want to pursue from now on.

“If you want the most money, then we should look for a publishing company. If you want fame and recognition, then entering and winning competitions may give you that prestige.”

“I… haven’t thought that far. How about you, Harto? What do you want?”

“... I don’t know?”

To put it simply, I wanted to draw. That was it. When I touched my pen again, a wave of regret washed over me. I kept asking myself. Why did I quit? Yet, at the same time, I couldn’t see myself drawing after that event. I had no reason to keep going.

“If you ask me… I honestly don’t know. I’ll follow whatever direction you take.”

“... But… I don't know what I want to do about this…”

“Do you remember why you drew this in the first place?”

Nadia took some time to think. “I don’t… But... Something happened, and I changed it, because there’s someone I wanted to reach.”

“Oh?”

“But I think it's impossible.”

“Why?”

“... We're probably strangers now.”

I could feel the tinge of loneliness in Nadia's voice. She must have really missed this person.

Based on the story… Could this be me? No, never mind. Had it been me, she would have just told me.

“... Alright.”

“Huh?”

“We can help you reach this person. Right, Harto?”

I wasn’t sure what Carol was talking about, but if she said we could do it, then I believe we could.

“I’ll do my best, Nadia.”