And so, she walks in search of what she doesn't have

3-1

Since the Thursday date, Hina seems to be avoiding me and I haven't had a chance to talk to Thomas, and to make things worse, as much as I needed to start writing a script for the movie, I couldn't do it at all.

Everyone else probably started to notice something wrong, Hina and I had been hanging out together since the beginning of the week, and suddenly we didn't even exchange words, either at Platifull or at college all day. I feel guilty... once again I judged Thomas according to my own expectations and acted like my father.

My mom always warned me about my attitudes and how they could hurt people, but frustration consumed me after my parents divorced. I think part of me blamed my mother, if she had been a perfect wife, the way my father wanted, perhaps…

But I was wrong, I was ignorant back then, but I didn't expect to continue like this today... Anyway, I need to fix all this. I have this weekend to sort all this out, lying on bed staring at the ceiling won't help at all.

On a sigh, I get out of bed, pin up my hair and try my hardest to write something, but as expected, I fail miserably and just get more stressed. Writing is harder than it sounds.

Before plunging into frustration on the bed, I hear a knock on the door and Nian's voice.

"Dina, Eric is calling everyone".

"OK".

I join everyone downstairs and Nian whispers in my ear.

"Don't you look more dressed up than usual for someone who's not even going out?".

"Really? Thanks".

"That's not the problem-".

Eric's clapping echoes through the room, my shoulders lift in fright.

“Right guys…I need your help. I know everyone is busy trying to work on the project, however, we have problems...”.

"Problems?".

"Here's the thing, Drake... I haven't mentioned it before, but I work at an inn on the weekends".

"In an inn?".

“Yes, but the point is… The inn needs more people to work there due Monday’s holiday. The demand there has increased, so I'll have to work overtime. The advantage is that I’ll be able to have a break next week, but I still need your help at the inn”.

I raise my hand.

"I've never had any experience with any kind of job before".

Eric and Nian suddenly sent me an envy-angry look, I think I ended up throwing salt in some of these two wounds. Nian puts his hand on my shoulder and gives it a 'small' squeeze.

“Don't worry, we can teach”.

She sent me the most forced smile I've ever seen, did I actually step on a land mine or something? Eric clasped his hands together.

"Could you help me with this problem?".

"Fine by me, but I'll want to work in the kitchen".

"Okay Drake, I'll talk to the boss".

“I am the producer. From my point of view, having the next weekend off for the project is a must. However, try to talk to your boss so he can reduce Dina's workload, she needs to write the script”.

“Okay Hina, I'll talk to my boss. What about you Thomas? If I'm not mistaken, there's the exhibition you need to prepare for”.

Thomas is very thoughtful, not knowing what might be going through his head at the moment. In my opinion, it would be good for him to go, we would have more people to help and it would be easier for my hours to be shortened to focus on the script.

Still, the exhibition is something important to Thomas due to his scholarship. He needs to show results for the University if he wants to keep the scholarship, it's not enough just high grades. We all know that, I don't think anyone expects Thomas to agree to come with us.

"OK I go".

Thomas's answer not only catches Eric off guard, it also surprises everyone.

“Are you sure about this, Thomas? Won't it bother you?”.

“It's okay Eric, this might help me a little. If the inn has a good view, maybe it will even serve as an inspiration for some painting, more than staying here”.

“I see, this is great! Okay folks, since everyone is in agreement, we're leaving early tomorrow morning, so I recommend you pack your bags and go to bed early”.

Normally I'd be excited at these times thinking about what clothes to bring or something, but my head is full with the script, plus I need to talk to Drake at some point.

The worst part of all this is the fact that I can't get close to Hina, if things stay that way, I'll eventually lose her friendship. I need to use this trip to at least apologize to her.

And then there's Thomas, I need to sort things out. I didn't want things to have been that way. Even though Thomas is like that... I still admire his paintings from when I only knew him as Atlas, I feel like I was an idiot for not even having the patience to get to know him better.

So I want to get to know them, at least I have to try, if not, I feel like I'll regret that I never took a chance to understand them, but part of me... still clings to pride and self-image, what I must do? And even with my mind full of doubts, time continued to walk into the next day without waiting for anyone.

3-2

"Finally! After a 2 hour trip on a crowded subway, we arrived. I can rest!”. I sat down as quickly as I could on that cozy couch.

I'm not used to going to the subway, so it was a very tiring experience, especially because it’s full of people, I had nowhere to sit! Worse than that, some guys were staring at me too, their looks gave me shivers, thank goodness Eric and Drake noticed.

“Oh, hello Eric! I see you got help!”. Said a chubby gentleman with a straw hat.

"Yes boss, allow me to introduce you. Guys, this is Mr. Lloyd, the proprietor".

Eric then points his thumb at Drake who is standing behind him.

"This is Drake, he will be a great help in the kitchen, since he's a gastronomy student".

“Certainly, young man! Nice to meet you". The inn’s owner shakes Drake's hand and pats his shoulder.

"Nice to meet you. I'm looking forward to helping here". For some reason Drake looked quite happy.

"Boss, you must remember my girlfriend, Nian, as she came to help a few times".

"Yes! I remember her”.

The inn’s owner elbows Eric in the arm.

“So when are you guys getting married? I wanna go to this wedding!”.

Nian was so embarrassed that her face looked like those strawberries that appear in TV commercials.

"It's a little early for that, boss!". Eric is unexpectedly blushing, this is something that seems to be difficult to happen.

"Hahahaha, I'm just kidding!".

Eric then coughs, probably to disguise the embarrassment, it's kind of funny to see him act like that, but I better contain my laughter, unlike Thomas and Drake who are close to having a fit of giggles as they cover their mouths.

"This one is Thomas and this is Hina".

"Nice to meet you! And boy, you're really skinny, have you been eating? Hahaha".

Thomas gives a slightly embarrassed smile, I don't think he can keep up with that gentleman's mood.

"Lastly, the one sitting on the couch is Diana".

I get up from the couch tossing my hair back, I don't want to greet the others while sitting.

"Pleasure to meet you".

“Oh… what a pretty girl! Is she a model or something, Eric? How did you manage to get a model to help us?”.

This gentleman has really good eyes, I have to admit that.

"No, she is a colleague of ours just like everyone else".

"I understand, very nice to meet you".

"Mr. Lloyd, I'll take them to the staff rooms to leave their bags there and show them around".

"It’s ok Eric, I'll get them uniforms in the meantime".

This place is really calm and welcoming. You can hear the birds, feel the sunlight as you walk through the corridors, and the refreshing wind coming from the forest. Looks like some people are camping across the lake. I must confess, I don't like camping: it's dirty and looks uncomfortable, but I can understand them in a way. It's nice to be able to enjoy such a peaceful place.

“Ok folks, here are the employees' dormitories, on the right side are the women's rooms and on the left are the men's rooms. We have three beds and a bathroom in each room. Mr. Lloyd had these rooms specially reserved for us so we wouldn't have to be in the same room as the rest of the employees”

"Oh, that was nice of him". Thomas said.

"He's a caring person, I think because we're also friends, he thought it would be more comfortable that way".

Hina opens the bedroom door.

"Oh, there's a big window to the outside!".

Eric started to clap his hands.

"Alright guys, we have to go, leave your bags in your respective dorms, since I still need to show you the place and give you some guidance, the busiest time around here is before lunch, so...".

With no time to regain strength, we left our things in the room and followed Eric.

The inn is huge, with a total of twenty suites. Each employee is responsible for taking care of the service of up to a maximum of two suites. According to Eric, the place is likely to be full of customers soon, and there are also those who are camping.

The more I think, the more tiring it gets. We have at least an hour's break during lunch as well as dinner, so I need to be able to write at least something in that time... Our work ends at ten-thirty.

While I'm at this inn, I want to resolve my standoff with Hina as well as Thomas. Nonetheless...I didn't have any opportunity to talk to Hina while we were on our way here and not even when we got here. I need to grab the next opportunity when it comes.

...

All I wanted was an opportunity! But I'm already so tired at lunch break. Is working at an inn that hard!? Everyone else is just peacefully enjoying a barbecue. Am I the only one that's done by now?

I turn to the side and see Thomas almost dying on the bench.

Okay... there's someone in a worse situation...

Nian starts waving at us.

“Dina, Thomas! Come on, there won't be any meat left!".

We decided to join them and to be honest... for some reason the food is even tastier than usual.

"Drake, what did you put in the meat?".

“Only salt”.

"You can only be kidding, can't you?".

“The best seasoning for a meal is a day's work”.

After enjoying a great lunch, everyone started to put everything away. In the end, I couldn't talk to Hina, I was too tired for that... and now I have to write... by the way, how do I look at this point?

Looking at my reflection in the little mirror I used to carry with me, I noticed the sweat on my forehead and my messy hair, so I quickly get up and go to the bathroom and splash water on my face to touch up my makeup.

It's horrible what I'm feeling... Why am I like this? I just wanted to apologize... work things out with them, why can't I!? Why am I so proud!? Did I... become that much like my father? So... shallow? I feel like I can cry in anguish at any time...

When I sigh, I hear a voice.

"Dina, are you okay?".

“Nian? I’m fine".

"I saw you running to the bathroom out of nowhere and I thought something had happened".

"I'm ok, I'm just touching up my makeup, see?".

“Did something happen between you and Hina? You haven't spoken since yesterday”.

"N-no, nothing happened...".

"Are you sure? You've also been retouching your makeup with a weird frequency...”.

"I... ended up being an idiot with her and Thomas...".

“Are you talking about last Thursday’s date? I think you barely mentioned how it went".

“It was terribly stressful. That guy didn't unglue or give me enough space, besides he acted smug all the time and...Thomas was also having some problems with the girl that guy asked to go with him”.

"I see, but why did you guys end up fighting?".

"I ended up taking all my stress out on Thomas after we got home and Hina ended up getting angry about it...I was an idiot".

"Yeah.. definitely, you were...but now you need to sort it out".

"Yeah... I know, but I can't, and I don’t even understand why. To be honest... maybe my own pride is keeping me from doing it".

"You know Dina, the first impression I had when I saw you was 'What a cocky girl'. You were still giving me that impression after a while, but I thought to myself that it was wrong to think that way without really knowing you”.

Nian starts to put on a soft colored lipstick while looking in the mirror.

"I still don't know you, but at least I can see that you don't want to be a cocky person".

"Nian…can you help me apologize to Hina?".

“I can't, you need to do this on your own. You know, Eric and I fight too, and that's when we have to cast our pride aside... otherwise something will be lost".

Nian then walks to the bathroom exit.

"I understand".

"However, I can give you two an opportunity, but you'll have to give me some makeup tips later, alright?". Nian smirks.

The first thing I did when I saw Nian was judge her, as if I was looking for reasons to be better than her. Nian has something I don't have yet...

"It's all right… thank you, Nian".

"No problem, let's go, we still have a lot to do".

"Okay".

3-3

When I thought all the work I did in the morning was exhausting... the afternoon was even worse! Sweeping the porch, changing the bed linen, cleaning the rooms while the customers are away, mopping the whole place...

My shoulders, back, neck, no... my whole body hurts! That was just the first day! Mealtime has become my only refuge and Thomas is even more worn out than at lunch, he looks like a corpse sitting in a chair, will he endure until the last day?

“I had no idea that people worked so much at an inn...”.

I feel something freezing suddenly on the back of my neck, it was so cold it made me cry out.

“My bad Dina, I couldn't resist”.

Nian holds two cans of juice, which is probably what she put on the back of my head as she grins shamelessly at my reaction.

"Here, it's good to have a drink after a great meal".

“Thanks”.

"I arranged with Hina to talk here on the porch after work is over, this is the chance I'm giving you".

"Thanks".

"No problem".

I open the juice can.

“What about Thomas? Are you going to talk to him?”.

I almost choke on my drink.

"Is the situation that bad?".

"Honestly, I don't know how to face him after everything I said, after all, I was a lot more stupid with him than I was with Hina".

"I see, I'm not close to Thomas, so I think only Hina will be able to help him with that".

I sigh.

"Apparently I'll have to deal with Hina first and then Thomas".

"Wish you good luck".

"Thank you".

We toast together.

"Speaking of Thomas, I'm going to ask the boss to increase his break times, he's already looks terrible like that on the first day, imagine how he's going to be on the last?".

Nian said starting to stretch her arms.

"That's true...".

...

With the end of the shift, the time Nian set up for me was approaching. I feel restless and exhausted, I could just go to bed and pass out for good, but my anxiety is such that I wouldn't be able to sleep if I did.

Even though I got a drink from a machine, it wasn't enough to calm me down. Why do I feel so uneasy? Am I that scared? Will Hina want to talk to me? What should I say!? Scratching my head won't do any good.

I make my way to the porch on time. Every step I take my fear increases, but if I run away now it will only be worse, so I need to go outside and face Hina! When I open the door, she turns her face towards me and our eyes meet, I don't know how to look at her, I've been avoiding her gaze... If this continues her gaze will also become uncomfortable...

"S-Sorry, I didn't know you were here".

Why am I already apologizing in the wrong order?! I'm an idiot!

"If you want me to leave then I will. Nian wanted to talk to me here".

"I-I want...".

I feel like something is stuck in my throat. I didn't know trying to reconcile with someone was so hard. My father always told me never to reconcile with someone who showed they didn't want my friendship, I needed to be proud, and the others should apologize to me...

Even if I was wrong, I never made amends with others. Having friends became more and more difficult...even after my parents’ divorce, I made it a habit. I can't deny...I'm a person full of pride, I only think about myself and how I feel, just like my father...

“If you don't have anything to say, I'm leaving”.

Hina walked past me towards the door.

"H-Hina wait...".

“If you want to say something, say it at once! I won't understand anything if you don't tell me! Do you think I'll know something if you just keep quiet all day!? How can we be friends like that!? Did you really consider being my friend to start with?”.

"No! It's not that, I just wanted... I'm sorry...”.

“Why are you apologizing to me!? It's not me you should apologize to! You may have made me sad with what you said, but you hurt Thomas a lot more!”.

"I don’t know how to do this!".

I feel something burst. I don't even understand what I want! I talk about changing, about improving! I blame my father just so I don't have to admit my mistakes! I'm the one who should try to change... This whole situation is uncomfortable, the tears I've held back all this time are starting to leak.

"How would I know!? I can't even exchange words properly with you or him, I can't stand this situation!”.

“If you can't stand this situation then do something about it!”.

"I know! But everything has only been painful, this whole situation created by my pride, just because I’m not able to bear the glances, the shame! I don't even want to care about my own appearance, but everything makes me insecure! I may look pretty but I just try to hold onto it, tell me what I got!? All I have is just beauty! Only that!".

It's painful, my legs are shaking, I can barely stand. I try to contain my sobs with all my strength. My chest hurts, it's hard to breathe, I can't stop...

“I don't know how to change! I just had false expectations about Thomas and as soon as I met him I judged him! All I've been doing is judging others trying to ignore my faults!”.

How did things end like this? My legs collapse, the tears won't stop.

“I don't know what to do to change! Even though I'm trying and wanting to apologize, I can barely do it...all I wished for was to be able to be your friend...to talk without needing to be perfect for anyone who's watching from afar. All I want now is just to be your friend, but I don't know how to make this work!”.

My body starts to shake, and the sobs don't stop.

"I-I... I want to believe... that at least this desire to change... is real...".

Hina sighs.

"If you want to change so badly then I'll try to help you, but you need to apologize to Thomas if you really want to do this...".

Hina puts her hand on my shoulder, which makes me strangely relieved.

"I…can help you with that".

"Th-thank you...".

"I'm just sorry to tell you, but I don't have a handkerchief with me".

"Is my face that bad?".

"At least you seem more honest". She laughs.

I try to wipe my tears, I'm so embarrassed! At least I'm managing to make up with Hina and for some reason, I feel like smiling too.

"Hina... can we talk a bit more?".

"Okay, but we're not staying too late, we have to work tomorrow.".

"Ok, but first I want to wash my face”. I laugh.

“Go ahead, I'll be waiting”.

When I get to the bathroom, I notice that my makeup is all smudged. So, was that what she meant by looking more honest? When I wash my face, I notice that my eyes are a little swollen, did I cry that much?

I take my makeup powder out of my pocket, but before I put my makeup on, I decide to put it away again and then take a deep breath, ‘It's going to be okay’, is what I tell myself.

I want to have an honest conversation with Hina and ask for help to apologize to Thomas. I just thought bad things about him, but not only that, I also treated him badly.

Coming out of the bathroom I find Hina with a bottle of water in her hand, she offers it to me. Hina is a very kind person, even though she was upset with me moments ago, she is willing to listen to me.

I take a deep breath before starting to speak. I think I've been sighing a lot lately, but the feeling I have now is of relief instead of anxiety and stress.

“Oh! I think it's the first time I've seen you without makeup”.

“I usually only look like this when I'm alone in the room, is it bad?”.

"No, you look good like that".

“To be honest, it's hard to go without makeup in public. I'm always paranoid about the looks... I feel like I'm being judged or evaluated...”.

"I understand this a little, sometimes I also worry about my appearance, of course, I don't get paranoid about it.".

“My father is an ex-politician, during my childhood he was always strict with my appearance and with my mother’s since she is a model”.

“Wow is your mother a model!?”.

"Yes! She is beautiful too! However, my father... left us for something better... the way he was strict made me think about being perfect to please his image in the eyes of the media and those around us”.

Hina just sat in silence listening to me, paying attention to every word.

"When I began to think like that... people's looks started to bother me, as if they were looking for flaws in me like my father... I could never please him...".

“Your father is an idiot! You should be his daughter and not a trophy to be shown off!”.

"Yeah, he was an extremely shallow person and a narcissist, but I still wanted to be seen as a source of pride for him...yet it turned out he just dumped my mom and me.".

Hina hears everything with sadness in her eyes, she seems sorry for me... at least that's what I felt. Her eyes were of a person I really felt could be a friend...

"So, after that I thought my mother could also discard me when she managed to remarry, it was like I was no longer part of her family or anyone else... I felt abandoned".

The night breeze coming from the trees cooled my still-damp face.

“All my life I've judged others believing that the world would judge me like my father did, but I want to change. I don't know how to do this, but I need to try...”.

"I also hope you can do it Dina...".

We enjoy the evening breeze, it's not easy to change... I know that. I'll probably stumble a few times, but I took my first step today. I feel like I can finally become friends with Hina for real. I want to believe that.

3-4

I feel like I slept really well last night, maybe it was because I almost died from work or because I was finally reconciling with Hina. Anyway, I'm in a great mood today! Nothing will shake me! I'm full of energy!

...

I thought all my spirits would help me at work today... I couldn't be more wrong! Muscle pain made a powerful combo with manual work! I had to spread the duvets on the clothesline and they were heavy – because they were wet! But worst of all was the bathroom!

Thomas got an early break, then took extra time to paint. Meanwhile, I find myself exhausted beside Hina as Nian approaches us.

"I see you two have made up".

"I was already wondering why you called me at that time, when I went back to the room with Dina you were already asleep".

"Ah, at least you managed to reconcile".

“Thank you Nian”.

“Just don't forget the agreement!”.

"Leave it to me!".

"But you still need to apologize to Thomas".

“Yeah…I know Hina, I just don't know how to do it…”.

Nian and Hina sigh.

"You are more complicated than I imagined".

“I'll have to agree with you Hina…”.

Nian puts a hand on my shoulder.

“Relax, you just need to find the right moment, you managed to reconcile with Hina, now it's the same with Thomas. You can talk to him when you're done here. It's the only time we have for this here”.

"It might be".

Eric seems to be calling for Nian.

"Looks like Eric is calling me, see you later".

"OK see ya". I said.

"Until later". said Hina.

"Hina, can I ask you something?".

"Yes".

"Have you ever argued with Thomas or been in a difficult situation to the point where you can't talk to him?".

“I see you want to use me as a reference. I will help you then”.

"Thanks".

"Thomas and I fought for silly reasons, but there was a time when it was difficult to have a conversation".

"Seriously?".

“Yeah, but we didn't have a fight or anything. At the beginning of high school he declared himself to me, it was a very strange situation. I think he must have felt pressured after I met Ash”.

"I see, but how did you manage to talk to each other again?".

“It just happened, I feel like I was trying too hard to have a conversation with him, Thomas doesn't have much confidence in his appearance. I don't know if he ever thought that if he was handsome maybe he would have had a chance with me, but that's not it. I see him as a brother and I always saw him that way”.

Hina then gets up.

"Dina, if you really want to apologize to Thomas, your only choice is to have a conversation with him, just like you did to me, don't run away!".

"O-Ok".

"Okay, let's eat, then you think about how you're going to apologize to him".

...

After work, I decided to walk around the inn. This will be the last night I'll be here, I'll probably have to go out in the afternoon. It was tiring, painful, but I learned a lot here. I walk across the lake feeling the breeze as I watch the moon shine... I want to be able to come back as a customer next time.

Returning to the inn Thomas appears to be coloring a drawing on the porch. Since the moment I met him, I've been judging him. I'm sure this isn't just out of frustration, but also out of envy, but I've never understood why. Maybe if I apologize and get to know him better, I think I can find out.

When I reach the porch, Thomas doesn't seem to notice my presence.

"This is a beautiful night isn't it".

Thomas turns around in surprise.

"Dina?".

"Hi".

I walk to his side.

"Too bad this will be the last night, I probably won't be able to enjoy the scenery tomorrow. We should leave in the afternoon and in the morning we will have to finish the job".

"So it is ...".

An awkward silence suddenly arises.

Ahhhh! I'll just apologize right away!

“Thomas…”.

Before I can apologize, Thomas interrupts me.

“Sorry Dina, I ended up making the meeting worse, you and Hina had a fight, and we also didn't have Kenny's help with the soundtrack”.

"Why...". I whispered softly.

"Dina?".

"Why are you apologizing!? I'm the one who should! It wasn't your fault the date went wrong! Everything was bad from the start, I just took my stress out on you for no reason!”.

I think Thomas felt guilty about the fight at the bowling alley.

"I'm sorry for everything I said Thomas!".

He started scratching his head as if he didn't know how to respond.

"Okay Dina, let's just forget about it ok?".

"Actually, there's also something I wanted to talk to you about, or rather, clarify”.

Admitting this is very embarrassing, I probably must be blushing!

"I might have mentioned it that time, but during early middle school, I saw one of your paintings at an exhibition, and since then I've become a bit of a fan of yours".

“A-A fan!? Seriously!?".

It's so embarrassing to answer him! I'll at least nod. When I did that Thomas just started to smile, it only made me even more embarrassed.

"Thomas, can you answer me a question?".

"No problem".

“To be honest, every time I tried to write, I couldn't. Do you go through situations like this sometimes?".

“Of not being able to paint?”.

"Yes".

“What do you usually do to solve this?”.

"There is no exact answer, but I think you should start by asking yourself 'what should I write?', if I find an answer then that will be the first step".

"The first step...Thomas...why do you draw?".

Thomas gives a small smile and the gentle wind blows over his face.

"I don't know, something inside me screams for it 'draw it!', if there's something in front of your eyes 'draw it!' I'm not drawing for others, I just want to be able to express how I see the world”.

Now I understand... I wasn't envious of the beauty of his paintings, but of the way he saw the world around him. While I'm afraid to look at the world and the people around me, he's free... looking at his paintings made me realize how big and beautiful the world was, but at the same time it showed my own prison.

I want to know more... I never wanted to meet Thomas, I just saw him as Atlas. After all, who is Thomas? I want to know.

I extend my hand to Thomas.

"Can we be friends Thomas?".

“Do you really want to take my hand? It's smeared with ink, you know?".

"Yes".

Thomas shakes my hand. I could see how much effort and dedication he can get through this handshake, he had calluses, it was full of ink, it's clearly a hand with imperfections, but for some reason, it was beautiful.

"You're really a fan of mine apparently".

“Shut up Thomas! You better not tell this to anyone!"

"Probably Hina already suspects that, since you mentioned knowing my paintings that time hahahah".

I put my hands over my head.

“Ah! It is true!".

3-5

What do I want to write? That's the question that has been bothering me from the beginning. I've never written anything in my life, honestly, it's even more complicated than I expected and there are people full of potential around me. The question that bothered me so much before finally has an answer...

I want... to write something that shows the potential of the people around me. I know this answer is only valid for this project, but I believe I can achieve something by expanding my horizons without fear of being judged.

Without wasting much time in the morning, I head to the kitchen.

"Drake, are you too busy?".

"No, we've already finished preparing for breakfast, so I have some time, what do you want?".

"About what we talked the other day at the inn, can we do this now?".

“Ah, the interview to collect reference materials? No problem, as long as it doesn’t take too much time”.

I take my notepad out of my bag.

"So, let's start!".

"But before that, did you sleep well? It looks like you have some dark circles".

"Ah... I slept a little late preparing some questions for the interview, I'll go to the bathroom quickly and be right back".

The glances still bother me, but I want to get used to it with time, however... I don't want to stop wearing makeup! At least I want to take it easy on myself, I really like to look pretty, but I want to do it for myself, not to avoid being judged by others!

With a few touches of makeup done, I sit with Drake on the reception couch.

"Ok Drake, I want to start by asking you, why did you want to study gastronomy?".

"I’ve always liked to watch my mother in the kitchen, as time went by I started to help her. We have some gardens in the backyard, as we were a humble family, I liked to reap the fruits for my mother's work, I felt the care that she had.".

Drake gives a chuckle, maybe he remembered something?

“Once I tried to cook something for her, I ended up failing, it was very frustrating, but she still seemed very happy. From that point on she began teaching me a few things. The first dish I made successfully had cherry tomatoes. The expressions my parents made when eating my food made me want to cook more. My wish was to be able to see more of those reactions”.

So that's why Drake cooks, it's a really cute reason on his part. Before, I wouldn't even care about knowing something like that, I'm glad I asked.

"I see, they must be a great incentive for you".

"Yes". Drake answered me with a smile on his face.

The interview continues a little longer until Drake needs to go back to work. The rest of the day passed in a flash. Before I knew it, we were already packing our bags to leave.

It was all pretty tiring, but for some reason I'm going to miss this place. It's strange that it was only three days, but it felt like a week. Mr. Lloyd decided to give us a ride back home, that turned out to be great. I think he realized it would be very tiring if we got back by bus or subway. While we are all exhausted inside the van, I remember something:

“Ah! That’s right! Hina what about the soundtrack!? What do we do!?".

“Yeah, I've been thinking about it these days. We'll probably have to commission it online.”

“Commission online?”.

“Yes, but the only serious problem with this is the teacher not allowing the help of commissions in the projects”.

"So, we're still in trouble...".

“Fortunately, not during our trip I contacted her by email, and she replied that there was no problem. However, the rest of the things must be done by the students”.

Everyone inside the van sighs of relief, however, Eric is the only one who looks deep in thought for some reason. And with that... a week went by.

The script was finalized and the animation finally started on Thursday. Eric and Thomas had to watch Drake cook the dish that will appear in the story. This happened a few times, and we had to eat it all of them.

Hina started to research as much as she could for some commission. Since I had already completed my part, I decided to help her. As time progressed the animations started to come to life with Thomas' colors and then Eric edited everything on the computer.

Since Thomas has no experience with digital painting, he had to do everything by hand using watercolors. The days passed, in the blink of an eye there were only a week and four days until the deadline. I felt like it was yesterday that we were working together at Mr. Llyod's inn.

However, we missed something very important... after coming home from work... Eric collapsed at the entrance of 'Plateful'.