Trip for Inspiration (Part 1)

Ding. Ding. Ding

At last, the gruelling 8 hours of the school day were over. I searched for Frizzy during lunchtime so we could talk about our plans, but I couldn’t find him. Nobu, who was in the same class as him, was busy with his clubmates, so I didn’t ask him. I had no choice but to wait for school to end.

In a span of seconds, I packed all my books and prepared to leave.

“You’re going on a date with Miyawa, right? Have fun, sister!” Saki said while waving goodbye.

“See you tomorrow, Saki! You too, Hisako!” I replied, ignoring her comment.

Hisako waved wildly as I dashed out of the classroom towards the main gate. I wondered who would reach outside first, Frizzy or me. Both of us valued our time when dedicated to our work. I would feel bad if I made him too long.

Even after being the first to leave the class, somehow Frizzy arrived before me. He was leaning on the wall, just like he was the day before, but his sketchbook was open this time. A bird in front of him had caught his eye, and he began sketching instantly.

“Hey, Frizzy! Wow, you’ve already started sketching!” I spoke loudly, trying to catch his attention.

“Took you long enough,” he replied, still focused on his sketch, ”Nah, I’m just killing time”.

I stood beside him, watching him draw from his shoulder. Frizzy deftly guided his pencil on the sheet of paper. With single strokes, he imitated the bird’s form to the dot. It was a clean illustration that bespoke his skill as an artist.

“Well, then. What’s the plan?” Frizzy asked as he placed his sketchbook back in his bag.

I think about our next action. All I really needed to do was observe Frizzy’s normal actions. But this was a deal between both of us. He’s already been helping me so much with my story. I had to make an equal contribution.

“What kind of artwork do you want to make?” I asked. First, we should discuss the ideas inside Frizzy’s head. Only then can we make a proper path.

“I want to draw something that breaks the mould. Something that takes inspiration from Van Gogh or Monet.”

Vincent Van Gogh and Claude Monet were famous artists who specialised in landscapes. While Monet focused more on realism, Van Gogh used surrealism in his works. If Frizzy wanted to combine both styles into one, he needed to go somewhere new: a place where the monotony and dullness of the city had not touched. An image of a location popped up in my mind. I didn’t need a second more to think about it. It was perfect.

“What time do you need to get back?” I asked.

“If I tell my dad beforehand, I guess before 10 pm. Why?”

“Tell him that you’ll be gone till 12 am.”

“Huh? Why?”

“You’re gonna be with me for the entire night.”

***

“Geez. You gotta work on your phrasing…”

“What do you mean? I’m doing exactly what I said.”

“You could just say, ‘I’m bringing you somewhere far so we’ll be late’ or something like that.”

“...Touche.”

The racketing of the train almost lulled me to sleep. Only a few passengers were in the train car, just some adults and high school students. They were either asleep or glued to their phones. I noticed a student absorbed in a book, though. When I examined its cover, I realised that he was reading Evernight Abyss. Seeing my work in the hands of someone else always warmed my heart.

“So when are you going to tell me where we’re going?” Frizzy asked, breaking my train of thought.

“If I tell you now, it will ruin the surprise! There’ll be no impact on your imagination!”

“Fair enough. I don’t mind surprises.”

We sat side by side in silence, waiting for our destination to arrive. I bided the time by jotting down any sudden ideas I had for my book. It became a habit of mine once I became a writer. Never overestimate your brain’s capacity to keep ideas in. The best ones always come when you least expect them.

Frizzy, on the other hand, was flipping through his past sketches. On the thin pages were tapestries of common household items, random animals and even the view from a balcony. Was he trying to get inspiration from his past? At the last page of the sketchbook, I caught a glimpse of an upper torso sketch. I could barely make out the figure of a woman with shoulder-length hair. Wait, was that-.

Slam! Frizzy closed the book with a thud before I could make out who it was. He stared at the view outside, filled with rural towns and green pastures. The sunset darkened its vibrance and set a cold atmosphere in the rustic plains.

“How’s the book going?” Frizzy broke the silence. I presume he wanted to break the awkward atmosphere.

“So far so good. I’ve only done an outline for now, but I feel confident about it. Tonight, I’ll start the first draft. From there, well, we’ll see how it goes.”

Since all the main plot beats have already been planned out, I had to just transform them into prose. This was the hardest part of being a writer. Deciphering the descriptive thoughts in your head onto paper while making it easy to understand was arduous. However, to me at least, it was the most fun process.

“Any way I can help? I feel like I’ve done nothing to assist you with your book, even though we have a partnership.”

“Nah, you’re doing plenty already. Just observing your way of life gives me some ideas. Staying by your side is all I need.”

Frizzy turned away, hiding his fair face from me. I could see a tinge of red burst from his ears.

“Just tell me whenever I can help, okay? It doesn’t feel fair that I’m being helped this much.”

What help was he talking about? All I’ve done is bring him to another location. From the way he was acting, it looked like he owed me a huge debt, which was absolutely not the case. Was Frizzy just acting polite? How adorable! Another character trait to take note of!

***

“Arriving at Nagamine! Arriving at Nagamine!”

The gentle voice emitted from the speaker announced our arrival. It was approximately a 2-hour train ride from the city. The sun had hidden its presence and brought the glowing moon in its place. It was the perfect time of day for the view.

“We’ve got no time to waste! Let’s go!”

I grabbed Frizzy’s hand and dashed towards my planned destination. To my shock, Frizzy didn’t put up any resistance. Instead, a cheeky grin had erupted on his face.

“I better not be disappointed, Machida. I’ve got high expectations!”

“You’re gonna get your socks blown off!”

The two of us exited the station with pep in our step, laughing as the night stars watched us.