The Contest

"Look, Ren, it's a contest for newcomers, which is what you are. You won't be competing against any professionals. You'll definitely be better than any of them," Leo said, scrolling through his phone screen faster than Ren could keep up.

"It doesn't matter. There are plenty of talented newcomers too. You know I've never won anything!" It hurt to admit that to Ren, but it was the reality, and he needed to dampen Leo's excitement before it was too late.

"Still, what do you have to lose if you try?" Aria asked, also showing enthusiasm.

Hope, Ren thought, having experienced a series of artistic disappointments in his short life. He had reached a point where it was easier not to try than to give it his all only to lose.

At that moment, Leo turned to Aria and extended his hand to her.

"I'm Leo, by the way. Best friend of this guy here, we haven't properly introduced ourselves yet."

"Ah, yes, I'm Aria. Nice to meet you!"

Ren could barely pay attention to the two of them with so many possibilities crossing his mind, but he also felt exposed and didn't want to make the decision in front of them.

"And you, Aria, didn't you play the piano? Why did you stop? There are several music competitions out there, right?" Ren tried to shift the focus of the conversation, but he regretted it afterward; the piano topic seemed delicate for Aria.

"I never said I stopped playing; I just... the magic disappeared, playing became an obligation..." She paused, remembering the real purpose of the conversation, and tried to smile again. "But it's very different from your case! If you love drawing, you should keep trying. I'd love to know how to draw."

He was infected by his companion's smile, and he would never want to say no to her.

"I don't know... it's a lot of work."

"Don't you remember something magical happening in your life recently?" Leo asked, not being very discreet about Aria. "It's a sign that you should try!"

Indeed, Ren couldn't stop thinking about the huge coincidence of Aria's appearance and what it could possibly mean, even though his instinct was to deny all these thoughts.

Realizing that his friend still wasn't convinced, Leo came up with a plan to find a middle ground.

"The competition is in the middle of the year, so let's do this: you prepare your story for it, put in real effort to win. If you succeed, it means you accept that magic still exists in your life and pursue it professionally. If you lose, I'll stop being annoying and leave you alone. What do you think?"

For the first time in a long while, Ren felt tempted to say yes. He still had a lot of insecurity, but it seemed like an agreement he could make, considering he was already drawing a new story and had never felt so connected to a manga before.

Unfortunately, deep down, he knew he wouldn't be able to win. He would only end up disappointing Leo and Aria and continue with a life of defeats.

That's when his eyes met Aria's. They sparkled with excitement as if this competition would give her a prize herself, and he felt that strange feeling again when he thought of Aria.

After taking a deep breath and making his decision, he spoke.

"Alright, I'll participate."

The two friends jumped with the news, and Leo, being the taller one, pulled them into a hug. All the whirlwind of thoughts in Ren's mind disappeared when he touched Aria during the hug, and he only refocused when he heard his own heart beating fast and let go of them, afraid that others would notice too.

"Well, alright then, I need to go home and prepare for the contest."

Before he could leave, Leo held him back.

"Hold on, buddy, we're going to help you. We'll be your beta readers; you have to give it your all to win this, so you need help."

Aria seemed happy with the idea, and Ren thought it would be very strange to see that the protagonist was based on her.

"Okay, okay, but there are still things I need to fix before showing it to you!"

The trio agreed on the plan and headed towards the school entrance. Leo still had club activities, but Aria was still new to the school, and Ren did the least amount of activities after school, so Leo was the first to say goodbye.

Afterward, Ren and Aria stood side by side at the school gates, feeling an awkward silence starting to form.

"Well, my house is this way," Ren said, pointing to the right, with a mix of fear and anticipation in case Aria's direction was the same.

"Oh, mine is over there," she replied, pointing in the opposite direction.

Ren felt relieved that he wouldn't have to make an effort to keep a conversation going with her, but also saddened that they would have less time together.

The two of them stared at each other for a few seconds longer than they felt comfortable until Ren decided to prevent the moment from getting even worse.

"Well, see you tomorrow, Aria."

She smiled, saying goodbye to her friend, and walked away. Ren stayed for a few more seconds, watching her leave, feeling a sense of sadness that he wasn't talking to her anymore. Until he finally set off toward his own home.

This time with new ideas crossing his mind. One last attempt at his dream, a competition to determine if he had the ability to accept a magical world or if life would be monotonous as he expected when he became an adult.

Even though he logically knew it wouldn't be possible, he felt a warmth inside him, reigniting the hope he had long lost.