Finally, it’s Monday, and I’m once again super excited! I’m going to visit home, and that’s not even the best part. The best part is that Myrin is coming too! So I have an hour-long carriage ride ahead together with him.

  When he became friends with my brother, he started to spend a lot of time in our mansion. So much that my parents have started to treat him as their own son. Myrin is a commoner, and nobles tend to decry commoners. I’m just happy that my parents weren’t one of those people.

  I enter the Tower yard and spot Myrin already waiting next to a carriage.

  “Hey, Rin! Sorry for the wait. I’m all ready to go.”

  He nods and steps inside the carriage, and I follow. We settle on opposite sides, and he starts to read a book. I have an urge to talk, but I suffocate it. I totally can act all mature and calm. There is no need to bother with his reading.

  I look outside for a while.

  I lift my legs onto the bench, hugging my knees. I tap my fingers on my legs.

  I lower my legs back to the floor. I tap my fingers on the bench. I gnce at Myrin, but he just keeps reading his book in silence.

  I breathe on the window, making it foggy, and then draw on it. But that doesn’t entertain me for long.

  I lie down on my back on the bench, looking at the ceiling of the carriage. I lift my hands up, just stretching my fingers and making different shapes with them.

  Ugh. I can’t do this.

  “Riiiiiiin. I’m bored.”

  “It’s been barely fifteen minutes.”

  I dart back to sit up.

  “Let’s py something.”

  “We are in a carriage.”

  “So? Let’s py I spy.” I turn to look outside the window, squinting my eyes to spot a perfect target. “I spy with my little eye something red.”

  Myrin drags his gaze to look outside.

  “A bucket.”

  “What?! How did you know? Okay, your turn next.”

  “No.”

  “Okay, I’ll go again.” The carriage soon stops on one of the streets, and I spot a perfect thing. He will never guess this. I grin. “I spy with my little eye something yellow.”

  Once again, he drags his gaze up and immediately says, “The yellow ribbon on one of the dolls’ hair in the shop window.”

  I stare at him, dumbfounded.

  “You are cheating!”

  “How could I even cheat?”

  “I don’t know. There is no other expnation for you to guess that.”

  “It wasn’t a guess. I just know you.”

  “What does knowing me have anything to do with this?”

  “You always focus on the tiniest details. Just like when you paint. It’s obvious that you would apply that to this as well.”

  I feel my chest tighten. Just knowing that he has paid attention to me like that makes my heart race like crazy.

  “Oh… I guess that makes sense then. What are you reading?”

  “Just some research.”

  “Okay, don’t let me bother you.”

  I gnce out of the window again. I spot the cutest little dog.

  “Look, Rin! Isn’t that dog just adorable? I’m so jealous. We never had a pet. Having a dog would have been a delight. But naming a pet is probably hard. Like, how can I determine someone’s name? It’s like a huge responsibility. I would probably end up giving a bad name, something like Spot, even if the dog has no spots. And speaking of spots, I accidentally spilled some paint on my canvas when trying to open the lid. But I actually liked the result. I tried to do it intentionally after that, but it didn’t look so good anymore.”

  I keep looking outside while talking.

  “I wonder how many great paintings are created from an accident. I hope I find that unique red paint from the shop near home. You know, the one made from those rare corals. The red color of the corals is something impossible to mix with other colors. It’s been a year since I had that, but I still keep dreaming about it and—”

  I move my gaze to look at Myrin, who is still just reading his book. And I realize once again that I started bbbering.

  “Sorry. Didn’t mean to disturb you. I will be silent from now on. You can focus on reading.”

  I look outside again and breathe on the window to get it foggy again. I draw a little frog with a little hat on. I smile. It looks rather cute. I breathe again, stopping it from vanishing. Then I draw another frog with an even bigger hat.

  So cute.

  “Rin! They look rather cute, don’t they?”

  I turn to look at him and immediately realize that I wasn’t being silent.

  “Sorry, it slipped. Just keep reading and don’t mind me.”

  I look at the frogs slowly vanishing from the window. Ugh. It’s so boring. I don’t understand how Myrin doesn’t get bored. Some research book can’t really be that entertaining.

  “Do you ever get bored?” I ask.

  “Not really.”

  “Have you always had long hair?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you ever think of cutting it short?”

  “No.”

  “Good, I think the long hair suits you. Have you ever dyed your hair?”

  “No.”

  “Do you want to?”

  “No.”

  “Should I? I mean, Annie dyes her hair so often, it kind of looks fun. Maybe my blond hair makes me look too young. If I had darker hair, maybe I would look older. I’m getting tired of people thinking I’m a minor. You know, I went on a double date st Saturday, and the man who was supposed to be my date thought I was Ayas’s little sister. Can you believe it? The audacity of that man. He just bluntly turned me down in the middle of that restaurant, saying I look too young and my body is like a child’s. I mean, yes, he is right. But still, it gives him no reason to embarrass me in public. But I kicked him in the nuts. He deserved it.”

  “Did he say something else?”

  I honestly startle a little at his question. I guess I’m so used to bbbering alone.

  “Only mocking me for working at the Tower. First, he accused me of being a commoner. It shouldn’t matter if I were a commoner or not; we are all people, after all. Ayas corrected him, but after that, he spouted some nonsense about how no one would want to marry me, and that’s why I work. But it’s okay. I’m used to scum like him. I don’t care what people think of me. Well, okay, that was a lie. I would prefer people to think I’m an adult at least. So maybe I should try dyeing my hair. Or not. I don’t know. I should ask Annie. I wonder how Annie’s date went on Saturday. I bet better than mine. Or did Ayas get to finish his date? I never asked him. I should—”

  I stop in the middle of the sentence, realizing that I’m once again talking way too much.

  “Why do you never stop me when I bbber? Everybody else does,” I ask.

  “I see no reason for it. It’s not like you would stay silent for long if I stopped you.”

  I avert my gaze, feeling rather embarrassed.

  “Sorry. I just can’t help it. I can’t stop my mind from wandering.”

  “Unless you paint.”

  “What?”

  “When you paint, you are silent.”

  My chest tightens again. Not even sure why. I just like the idea that he has paid attention to me enough to notice that.

  “True. But I can’t paint while in a carriage.”

  “Would drawing help?”

  “Drawing? I guess, but I didn’t take any equipment with me.”

  He shoves his hand into his dimensional pocket, a magical item that almost everyone is jealous of. It’s basically a pocket with infinite space. Soon, he hands me a notebook and a pen.

  “Here.”

  I take them, feeling the heat rising to my cheeks.

  “Thanks.”

  I know he probably just gave them to me to make me shut up. But I just want to cling to that small hope that he gave them out of kindness.

  I watch him, sitting so calmly, focusing on the book. Then an idea creeps into my mind, and I smile. I lift my thumb up toward him, measuring.

  He lifts his head to look at me.

  “What?”

  “Stay still! You are my model.”

  “Why?”

  “It’s not like there is anything else to draw. The scenery changes too quickly to draw something outside. So you have to suffer and be my muse. That’s the price to get me silent. So keep reading and stay still,” I say in a teasing voice.

  He sighs but doesn’t protest. Soon, he is sunk in reading, and I start to draw him. I have painted and drawn him many times, but I have never had the opportunity to draw him like this, while seeing him right in front of me.

  I soon become mesmerized by him as I keep drawing his features. His dark brown long hair is always tied in a high ponytail. His eyebrows are dark and low, making him look so serious and stern. His posture is always so uptight, which highlights his broad shoulders. His Tower uniform is bck with grey details, and his own clothes are just pin bck. So there’s not much difference between those. He always carries his bo staff with him, like it’s his lucky charm or something.

  I think his calmness and toughness are one reason why I fell for him. He is like a mountain. Something you can rely on. Something solid and comforting. He doesn’t offer soft words or smiles. He offers solid support and calmness. Something that bances me.

  If he is the mountain, I’m the river surrounding it. Constantly moving, changing, but never leaving his side.

  When the drawing is finished, I look at it, pleased. It’s perfect. I can’t wait to actually paint this. It’s going to be a masterpiece.

  “Thanks, Rin.”

  I gnce outside and notice we are almost there. Time really flew while I drew.

  “Any pns for your visit?” I ask.

  “Yes.”

  I stare at him, waiting for him to continue, but he never does, which is not surprising. But for some reason, I don’t mind it. His silence has always felt comforting.

  When we arrive at our mansion, I can’t wait to go to my room to paint. My parents are waiting for us by the door when we get out of the carriage.

  “Mom! Dad!”

  I spring forward to hug them both.

  “We’ve missed you, Elena. How have you been?”

  “Great. I’ll tell you ter. I’m in a rush.”

  I start hopping up the stairs.

  “Why the rush?”

  “Need to paint! Inspiration can vanish at any moment!” I yell while leaving them and Myrin behind.

  I can’t stop my wide smile. This is the best day ever!