LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 3: Chapter 3: Art Booth
The morning of the school's club fair, Ethan stood in front of his full-length mirror, adjusting the collar of his shirt. The butler, ever efficient, was right behind him, meticulously straightening his sleeves.
"Are you ready, Master Ethan?" the butler asked, his voice steady but carrying a hint of curiosity. "The event today should be quite lively, I imagine. Your first real chance to see all the extracurriculars your school offers."
Ethan nodded as he ran a hand through his messy hair. He wasn't entirely sure what to expect from the fair. This was a chance for everyone to really show who they were outside of class. And, maybe more importantly, it was a chance for him to keep a low profile.
The butler, noticing the brief pause in Ethan's thoughts, gently probed, "How's school going so far, Master Ethan? Any new friends?"
Ethan hesitated for a moment, then shrugged nonchalantly. "It's... fine. A lot of people. Getting used to it."
"Anyone you're particularly interested in? A certain young lady, perhaps?" The butler's tone was playful but respectful, as always.
Ethan's face flushed slightly, though he tried to cover it with a smile. "Nah. Just trying to focus on fitting in, you know? Trying to make some friends."
"Very well, Master Ethan," the butler replied, a knowing smile hidden behind his professionalism. "I trust you'll do well today."
Ethan grabbed his bag and headed out the door, determined to have a normal day. He didn't want to talk about Lily or any other potential complications in his new life. He had enough on his plate already.
When he arrived at Summit Grove High, the campus was already buzzing with energy. Students swarmed the walkways and gathered in front of brightly decorated booths. Each club had its own stand, adorned with posters, flyers, and students shouting to advertise their activities. The air was thick with excitement, and Ethan couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed by the sheer volume of people.
As he walked across the courtyard, trying to take it all in, a voice called out behind him.
"Ethan! Hey, Ethan!"
He turned to see Isabella, a sophomore with long dark hair, running up to him. She looked more excited than usual, and her energy was contagious.
"Hey, Isabella," Ethan said, surprised by her sudden enthusiasm.
Without warning, she grabbed his shoulders and shook him lightly. "You can draw, right? I mean, you're good with art, yeah?"
Ethan blinked. "Uh… I mean, I can sketch a little, I guess. Nothing special."
"Perfect!" she said, beaming. "You're exactly what I need. You're coming with me. Now."
Before he could protest, Isabella had already dragged him toward one of the stands. It was a small booth with bright posters that read "Join the Art Club!" and "Free Drawings for the Community!" The booth was manned by a few other kids, but Isabella seemed to be the ringleader.
"You're going to be perfect for this," Isabella said as they reached the table. "We're giving away free drawings today, and I need someone to handle the requests. All you have to do is draw whatever the kids ask for. Easy, right?"
Ethan glanced around, noticing that there were already a few kids milling around, looking at the club's posters. "Wait, but... who was supposed to do all this work?" he asked, clearly a bit confused by Isabella's sudden enthusiasm.
"Don't worry about it," Isabella said, flashing him a grin. "I'll handle the promotion. You just get to draw. Trust me, it'll be fun. And hey, it's not like you've got anything else to do, right?" She winked before dashing off to talk to a group of passing students.
Ethan stood there for a moment, unsure of what exactly he'd gotten himself into. But he shrugged, figuring it wouldn't hurt to try. How bad could it be? He sat down at the booth and began drawing a simple request for a little girl who asked for a dog. The line started out slow, but it quickly grew as more and more kids crowded around the table, excited to ask for custom drawings.
Ethan was surprised at how much he enjoyed it. There was something calming about sitting and sketching, focusing on a single task. He made small talk with the kids who requested drawings, asking them about their favorite animals or hobbies. The line continued to grow, and by the time he realized it, there was a decent-sized crowd waiting for their turn.
It was then that a familiar voice broke through the noise of the fair.
"Sorry, sorry I'm late!" said Lily as she hurried over to the booth, looking flustered. She slipped into the seat next to Ethan, completely unaware of his presence. She adjusted her apron and turned toward the growing line, her professional demeanor immediately taking over. "Next!" she called out, looking down at the kid waiting patiently.
Ethan's heart skipped. Lily? His eyes lingered on her for a moment, and he couldn't help but notice how effortlessly she moved into the task at hand. It was like she had done this a hundred times before, and in that moment, he was reminded of just how much she seemed to be in control of everything—something he envied.
He returned his attention to the kid in front of him, trying to focus, but his hand started to tremble slightly. He was finishing up a drawing of a dragon for a kid named Parker, but his mind kept drifting back to Lily. Without realizing it, he started to lose track of the details, smudging the edges of the drawing.
Parker quickly realize that his drawing was getting worser and all of a sudden he burst into tears. Shocked Ethan soon realize what had happen, trying to calm down the situation and not draw attention Ethan tries to fix his mistake. Despite his effort is wasn't going so well.
Lily noticed Ethan struggle, and she immediately jumped in.
"Let me fix that for you," she said to Parker, her calm voice instantly putting the kid at ease. She took the drawing from Ethan's hands and smoothed out the lines, redrawing the dragon with ease, and adding in a few more details that made it come to life.
Ethan sat back, watching her work. He couldn't help but feel a sense of awe as she worked with such precision and calmness. He had always been decent at drawing, but what she was doing was different. It was art, not just a sketch. Her focus was mesmerizing, and for a moment, everything else faded away.
Lily finished quickly and handed the completed drawing back to Parker, who grinned from ear to ear. "Thanks!" he said, running off with his prize.
Ethan's eyes stayed on Lily, watching her as she began to interact with the next kid in line. She was so natural, so good at this.
A few minutes later, Isabella returned, breathless from promoting her club to other students. She glanced over at Lily and raised an eyebrow.
"You're late," she said with a teasing grin. "You're lucky Ethan was here. Otherwise, we'd have had a disaster."
Lily turned to Ethan, finally acknowledging his presence for the first time. "Oh, hey," she said, offering him a small but genuine smile. "Thanks for helping out earlier."
Ethan, slightly taken aback, shrugged it off. "It wasn't a big deal."
Isabella grinned at both of them. "So, Ethan," she said, turning to him. "What do you think? You should totally join the art club! You're good at this stuff."
Ethan paused for a moment, then nodded, though he didn't know if it was the right decision. But in that moment, with Lily sitting right there and the excitement of the fair still buzzing in the air, it felt like a step toward something new. Something real.
"Yeah," he said, his voice more confident than he felt. "I think I will."
Isabella quickly told us off " go and enjoy the fair"
As the club fair wound down and the crowds started to disperse, Ethan found himself once again thinking about Lily. He wanted to talk to her, to get to know her more. But when he looked around, she was already gone—disappeared into the crowd like she always did.
Ethan sighed, feeling a strange mix of disappointment and determination.