Bond part 2

Days passed since Riou first joined the art club. Although he started to feel more comfortable with Karin, Rahma, and Tania, the shadow of Sarah continued to haunt his thoughts. Every time he was in the club room, Riou always felt on edge, afraid of encountering Sarah's cold stare that seemed to judge his very presence.

Sarah was known as an exemplary student—disciplined, smart, diligent, and exceptionally talented in painting. She was respected for her firmness and fearless attitude. Yet, behind all that, Sarah harbored worries she never voiced. When Riou joined the art club, she saw him as a threat, someone who might disrupt the harmony she had built with her friends.

She doubted whether Riou could be trusted and feared his presence would only create more problems.

One afternoon, as school activities were winding down, Riou was still in class for extra lessons. After finishing, he walked alone down the empty hallway. The evening sky was beginning to dim, casting long shadows across the corridor floor.

From a distance, Riou saw Sarah standing by the back wall of the school, painting with deep concentration. Riou stopped for a moment, feeling drawn to observe her more closely, but hesitated to approach, not wanting to interrupt.

However, the serene atmosphere was suddenly shattered by the sound of laughter growing closer. A group of students appeared from the opposite direction, approaching Sarah with mocking smiles.

They began to ridicule Sarah's work without mercy.

"Hah, you call this art?" one of them sneered, laughing. "No wonder your art club is about to be shut down!"

"Yeah," another chimed in, "You should just disband. Stop wasting time."

One of them nudged Sarah's canvas, almost knocking it over.

Sarah remained silent, trying to hold back her emotions, but Riou could see her hands trembling as she struggled to contain her anger and sadness.

Something ignited within Riou. Without thinking, he approached them. "Hey, stop that!" he shouted, his voice trembling but firm.

The students were taken aback by Riou's unexpected boldness.

"Oh, look who decided to show up," one of them mocked, but they quickly lost their nerve when they saw the intense look in Riou's eyes. After a moment, they decided to leave, abandoning Riou and Sarah in an awkward silence.

Still fueled by adrenaline, Riou looked at Sarah's painting, now lying on the ground. Carefully, he picked up the canvas and examined it. "Are you okay?" he asked gently.

Sarah didn't answer right away. Her eyes were fixed on the damaged painting, but there was something different in her gaze—something deeper than mere anger.

"Why do you care?" she finally asked, her voice cold yet fragile.

Riou took a deep breath before replying, "I know... maybe I haven't contributed much to the art club. I might even be just a nuisance. But being in that room, I feel something different, something that makes me want to try.

All this time, I've kept my distance from others, too afraid to interact. But in the art club, I feel a bond I've never felt before. I don't want the club to just be a place; I want to help us gain recognition."

Riou then handed the canvas back to Sarah, but he didn't just give it to her. With his skilled fingers, Riou began to repair the damaged parts of the painting. Lines that were once ruined now transformed into something new—a night sky scene that radiated tranquility while holding a hidden strength.

Sarah was silent, her eyes fixed on the painting that had changed before her. There was something stirring inside her—something she had never felt before. Without a word, she took the canvas back, gently touching the still-wet paint.

Then, without saying anything, she turned and walked away, leaving Riou alone.

But something had shifted between them. Sarah's gaze, which was once filled with rejection, now showed curiosity and perhaps a hint of admiration. Riou, although still feeling awkward and confused by what had happened, began to feel that maybe, just maybe, he could become part of something bigger than himself.

The next day, Riou came to the art club room with mixed feelings. After what happened yesterday, he didn't know what to expect from Sarah or how the atmosphere in the club would change. But when he opened the door and walked in, he was surprised by something different.

Sarah was already there, sitting at her usual table with a canvas in front of her. The cold stare she usually gave whenever Riou entered was nowhere to be seen. Instead, there was a strange silence, but it wasn't entirely uncomfortable. Riou hesitated for a moment before deciding to sit next to her.

They both sat in silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. Riou began setting up his laptop to start working, feeling more at ease than usual.

Shortly after, the door to the club room opened, and Karin and Rahma walked in with bright smiles.

"Morning, you two!" Karin greeted cheerfully.

"Good morning," Rahma added, waving her hand. "You've already started working, huh?"

Riou nodded quietly, feeling slightly more comfortable with their presence. But when he glanced at Sarah, he noticed something unusual—she seemed calmer, even slightly smiling, which was very different from her previous attitude.

While Riou was setting up his laptop, he heard a very soft voice beside him.

"Thank you... for that time," Sarah whispered, almost too softly to hear.

Riou turned, surprised by her words. "I just... I couldn't just stand by," he replied, slightly embarrassed.

Sarah nodded slightly. "At first, I thought you'd only cause trouble here. But now, I'm starting to see that maybe I was wrong about you. Maybe we can work together to make this club better."

Meanwhile, Karin and Rahma, who were observing the interaction, began to look confused. They exchanged glances, wondering why Sarah was still there. Usually, whenever Riou showed up, Sarah would immediately leave without a word. But today, she remained seated, showing no signs of wanting to leave.

Karin, feeling curious, decided to ask, "Sarah, why aren't you leaving? Usually, you... well, you know."

Rahma added teasingly, "Yeah, you usually leave the moment Riou arrives. What's going on?"

Sarah blushed slightly and, with a shy tone, answered, "Nothing... Besides... we do need one more member in this club."

Karin and Rahma exchanged knowing smiles. They didn't press the matter further, but it was clear that something had changed between Riou and Sarah. The once cold and tense relationship was now beginning to thaw, opening new possibilities for both of them.

Riou felt a little more relieved. Although the awkwardness still lingered, he sensed that there was hope for building something better, not just for himself, but for the entire art club. More importantly, he realized that maybe, just maybe, he could become an important part of this group—and of Sarah's life.