The Background Character Loop: One Last Chance to Break the Cycle

Chapter 15 - Sketches He'll Never Show

The soft light of dawn slipped through the gap in the curtains, gently waking Theo from his short sleep.

His body felt a bit stiff after spending the whole night leaning on one arm at his study desk.

His jet-black hair fell across his forehead, a few strands sticking to his cheek. He let out a low sigh, took a deep breath, and slowly opened his deep, dark eyes.

Still groggy, his gaze wandered over the messy pile of books scattered across the desk.

They were supposed to be Physics and Math textbooks, stacked and ready for his morning study session with his childhood friend.

But if you looked closer, hidden among all the scribbles and formulas, the pages were filled with detailed sketches.

Ah... Damn it. I ended up drawing again.

Ivansia's totally going to scold me if she sees me like this again...

He stared at the sketches he had drawn half-consciously the night before.

There were drawings of a girl with wavy black hair, expressive eyes, and that subtle, gentle smile she often wore.

On other pages, there were intricate outfit designs, or maybe the layout of some stunning architectural structure.

He might've looked like the classic dating sim protagonist—handsome, athletic, always reliable on the field—but Theo had a secret: he was an artist at heart.

He sighed, a faint, guilty smile tugging at his lips.

Last night, he really did intend to study... but the creative ideas in his head had taken over, again.

Moving slowly, Theo stretched his body. His well-built muscles ached slightly after sleeping in such an awkward position.

Soon after, he walked into the bathroom. The sound of running water could be heard not long after.

He let the cold water fully wake up his senses, washing away the leftover sleep—and the strange dream he couldn't quite remember.

That morning, like every other, he was ready to face the day at school. After saying goodbye to his mom, he headed straight to the supermarket to grab his favorite sandwich.

He jogged toward the store, and strangely, not a drop of sweat formed—like running was as effortless as walking for him.

"One large sandwich, same as usual," Theo said to the cashier.

The male cashier quickly prepared Theo's favorite sandwich—he already knew it by heart. He wrapped it up and handed it over with a familiar motion.

"You know... I've always wondered," the cashier said, curious. "Why do you eat the same sandwich every morning? And how the heck do you keep that kind of body when all you eat is bread?"

Theo thought for a moment before replying.

"Well... Everyone has their favorite food, right? And as for this body... I guess it's thanks to all the hard work I put in. Maybe good genetics too," he said, half-joking.

"You make me jealous, man. Seriously, what's the secret behind your motivation? Could it be... your childhood friend cheering you on?" the cashier teased with a smirk.

Theo's face turned a little red. "Come on, don't be ridiculous. I'm just a regular student. And her? She's amazing. She's like the sun, y'know? While me? I'm probably just a speck of sand to her."

The cashier raised an eyebrow, completely confused. He looked Theo up and down, as if seeing him for the first time.

What is this guy talking about? With a face like that and a body like that, he's saying he's just a speck of sand?

"If you're a speck of sand, then what are the rest of us? Dust particles?"

"Anyway, I gotta go. I'll be back tomorrow—make sure my favorite sandwich is ready!" Theo said with a grin as he dashed off toward school.

He ate the sandwich while running, and just as he finished the last bite, someone called out to him.

From the distance, he saw a beautiful girl with silver glasses waving her hand.

Theo recognized her immediately—it was Ivansia, his childhood friend. The person he admired deeply.

She appeared like a painting come to life.

Her long, wavy black hair cascaded over her shoulders, catching the morning light like a soft halo.

And those violet eyes—so rare, so intense—gazed out from behind her silver-rimmed glasses. Her sharp nose, soft lips, and flawless skin completed a face that was almost too perfect to be real.

"Theo!" she called, waving at him.

"Ivansia? I thought you were already at school. What are you doing here?" Theo asked, surprised.

"I was looking for you everywhere, duh! I even went to your house. Your mom said you'd already left. Didn't I tell you yesterday that we'd go to school together this morning?" she scolded, poking his chest repeatedly with her finger.

Theo scratched his head and gave her a sheepish smile.

"Ah... Yeah, I forgot. Sorry, Ivansia," he said, clapping his hands together and bowing a little in apology.

Ivansia sighed. "Ugh, whatever. Let's just hurry or we're going to be late."

They started walking side by side, barely a meter apart, almost close enough to touch.

Silence fell between them, broken only by the chirping of birds in the trees.

Eventually, Ivansia broke the quiet.

"Did you finish the homework I gave you yesterday?"

Cold sweat ran down Theo's neck. He couldn't bring himself to meet her eyes. He knew full well he didn't do the homework last night... Instead, he had spent the whole night sketching... her.

Theo stopped walking and muttered,

"Uh... Sorry, Ivansia. The questions were really hard... So I ended up falling asleep..."

His voice trembled slightly. He braced himself, ready for her to explode in anger.

But instead, Ivansia just let out a long sigh.

She was about to say something when suddenly, a brown car sped by on the road, splashing a huge puddle of water straight toward her.

In a flash, Theo pulled her back, shielding her from the splash just in time.

"Are you okay?" he asked, holding her shoulders.

Ivansia could feel her face heat up. Her cheeks were probably bright red now—like a cherry.

Whatever she was about to say vanished. Swallowed by the sudden quiet between them.

Realizing what he was doing, Theo quickly pulled his hands away from her.

"Ah—sorry!" he blurted out, stepping back.

Ivansia looked down and cleared her throat awkwardly, trying to hide her embarrassment.

"Ahem... Anyway, let's just talk about your homework at school later, okay?" she said, quickly walking ahead of him.

"Ah—wait, Ivansia!"

Little did she know, Theo's face behind her was just as red—if not redder.