The sharp sound of the broken pencil echoed through the silent Art Room.
For a brief moment, nobody spoke.
Rubi lowered her eyes.
The broken graphite rested between her trembling fingers.
Her breathing became uneven.
“…Rubi?”
Emmi’s worried voice reached her from the other side of the classroom.
“I’m okay.”
The answer came almost automatically.
But she wasn’t okay.
The word…
Bike.
It had dragged her back to a memory she had spent years trying to bury.
A promise.
A smile.
A rainy evening.
Then…
Nothing but sirens.
She blinked several times, forcing herself back into the present.
The classroom slowly became noisy again.
Most students returned to their paintings, believing it had only been an accident.
Only one person didn’t move.
Takoru.
His eyes remained fixed on the broken pencil lying across Rubi’s sketchbook.
He remembered.
When Nesmin mentioned the weekend ride…
She hadn’t simply dropped the pencil.
She had broken it.
As if the single word itself had frightened her.
“Boss?”
Nesmin waved a hand in front of Takoru’s face.
“You coming or not?”
Takoru finally looked away from Rubi.
“You go first.”
“Huh?”
“I’ll be there.”
Nesmin blinked.
That wasn’t the answer he expected.
Normally, Takoru never stayed behind.
“…Fine.”
He shrugged before walking toward the exit.
Steav silently followed him, but before leaving, he glanced once at Rubi.
Then both boys disappeared into the hallway.
The Art Room became peaceful once again.
Rubi quietly tried sharpening what remained of her pencil.
It was useless.
The lead kept snapping.
She sighed softly.
“I can finish it at home…”
Just as she reached for her bag…
A hand appeared beside her desk.
Without saying anything…
Takoru placed a small black pencil case on the wooden table.
Rubi looked up.
He still wasn’t looking at her.
He calmly opened the case, took out a brand-new artist pencil and placed it beside her sketchbook.
It wasn’t an ordinary school pencil.
Its smooth black body carried the logo of a professional art brand she had only seen in expensive stationery shops.
It was beautiful.
Takoru closed the pencil case.
“You can keep it.”
His voice remained calm.
Rubi stared at the pencil in disbelief.
“I…” New chapters come out on novelping.com first.
“You don’t have one.”
He said it as though it were the simplest thing in the world.
“No…”
“I mean…”
“I can give it back tomorrow.”
“You don’t have to.”
Silence settled between them.
Rubi carefully picked up the pencil.
It felt surprisingly light.
Almost too perfect to use.
“…Thank you.”
Takoru gave a small nod.
Then he turned around and quietly walked toward the classroom door.
No smile.
No dramatic exit.
Just silence.
Rubi watched him leave until he disappeared into the corridor.
“…Interesting.”
The Art teacher smiled while arranging brushes on her desk.
“You know…”
Rubi looked toward her.
“Mr.
Ryuzaki has never entered my classroom before.”
“What?”
The teacher chuckled.
“He dislikes sitting still.”
“So seeing him stand here for nearly ten minutes…”
She looked at Rubi’s unfinished drawing.
“…that was unexpected.”
Rubi didn’t know what to say.
Did…
He really stand there for that long?
She slowly lowered her eyes toward her sketchbook.
The old oak tree looked peaceful beneath the afternoon sunlight.
Only one thing was missing.
Without thinking…
Her hand began moving.
Soft strokes.
Gentle shadows.
A small wooden bench appeared beneath the tree.
Not a motorcycle.
Not a helmet.
Just a lonely bench.
A place where someone could quietly sit without speaking.
She smiled faintly.
Maybe…
Every lonely person wished for a place like that.
Classes ended earlier than usual that afternoon.
Students poured out of the school building.
The parking lot buzzed with conversations.
Rubi walked beside Yuri and Emmi toward the school gate.
“So…”
Emmi grinned.
“How was Art?”
“It was nice.”
“Only nice?”
Rubi hesitated.
“…I finished my drawing.”
“See?”
“I told you Art would make you happy.”
Yuri noticed something sticking out of her sketchbook.
“That’s not your pencil.”
Rubi instinctively held the pencil tighter. New chapters come out on g.com first.
“…Someone lent it to me.”
Emmi’s eyes sparkled.
“Someone?”
“Who?”
Rubi quickly looked away.
“…Takoru.”
“What?!”
Emmi nearly stopped walking.
“The Takoru Ryuzaki?”
Rubi nodded quietly.
“He…”
“…gave you his pencil?”
“I think so.”
Yuri remained silent.
He didn’t like it.
Not because Takoru had done something wrong.
Because he couldn’t understand his intentions.
As an older brother…
Even though they were twins…
He had promised himself to protect Rubi.
And he didn’t know whether Takoru Ryuzaki was someone she should trust.
Far behind them…
Near the parking lot…
Takoru quietly leaned against his motorcycle.
His helmet rested in one hand.
His eyes followed the three figures walking toward the bus stop.
Nesmin walked over holding two cold drinks.
“You actually gave her your drawing pencil.”
Takoru didn’t answer.
“You’ve had that thing for years.”
Still nothing.
Nesmin laughed softly.
“You really are strange.”
Takoru finally looked toward the evening sky.
“…She looked disappointed.”
“Huh?”
“When her pencil broke.”
He put on his helmet.
“…That’s all.”
The motorcycle engine roared to life.
Within seconds…
The sound disappeared into the distance.
Meanwhile…
Rubi unconsciously tightened her grip around the black artist pencil.
She still couldn’t understand the boy sitting beside her.
But little by little…
The image of the motorcycle in her memories was no longer the only thing she remembered.
Now…
Whenever she thought of Takoru Ryuzaki…
She also remembered a quiet voice.
“You can keep it.”
To be continued…
Thank you so much for reading Part 2 of Chapter 7.
Not every connection begins with a confession.
Sometimes…
It begins with a broken pencil.
Takoru didn’t ask for anything in return, and Rubi still doesn’t know why he helped her.
But perhaps the smallest acts of kindness leave the deepest impressions.
Now I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Why do you think Takoru gave Rubi his favorite artist pencil?
Do you think Rubi will ever return it?
If you were in Rubi’s place, would that small gesture change your opinion of him?
Thank you for spending your time with my story.
See you in Chapter 8!