Drawing You
(Karina's POV)

Tuesday

“, I can’t think of anything right now.” Karina cursed while putting down the drawing pen. She threw her head back for a moment and looked straight up at the ceiling. She needs to get fresh air.

Her hands scrambled over the messy desk in search of her cigarettes pack. After finding it, she walks to the balcony and allowing a gentle breeze to move the sheer brown curtains that hang in layers as she left the balcony door open.

Leaning on the railing, she reached for her cigarettes. Lucky her, she pulled the last one from the pack.

The clear night sky sometimes spares her some inspiration. But the balcony across her is always a magnet for her attention.

She looked up to the balcony across her, “Oh, she’s not sleeping yet,” Karina muttered, which the light was still on.

Her smile turns into cynical smirked as she saw the shadows of two people in the room through a thin curtain that reflected on the window.

She’s not alone. Karina thought.

It looks like a very faint shadow of her neighbour, but Karina could quickly read the situation, that their gesture was fighting or arguing, again.

“Ah, another episode,” She remarked before makes a sharp inhale and a long, slow exhale.

This time, Karina turned around and had her back leaning against the balcony rail. She let her long hair hanging over the balcony. The wind calmly blowing her hair and let it float like a butterfly on the gentle blow of the wind.

She stood there quietly, just enough time for a single cigarette to burn out.

She frowned when she realized that her cigarettes were out. She tossed the empty pack and remaining into the trash can before stepping inside the apartment.

Karina closed her balcony door, smiled sarcastically as if she already knew how it would end.

“She left her crying again.”

It was a miserable thing to know that all this time, Karina was the one who realized it was an unhealthy relationship.

Wednesday

Karina rolled over and snatched up her phone from the bedside table to switched off her alarm, which was blaring out an EDM track that was far too loud for that hour.

She lay back on her pillow and stared at the ceiling. She didn’t want to get out of bed yet, but an intense sliver of the sun did escape between her blinds and fall right on her cheek. Its sting.

If it weren’t for the deadline that awaited her at the weekend, just once, really just once she would like to have stayed in her bed a little longer.

After a while, she forced herself to get up, opened all windows and the balcony doors to let in the fresh air.

She put the capsule of black coffee in, turned the coffee maker on, and then went to the bathroom to wash her face and shaped her long hair into a bun on the top of her head.

Before she steps out to the balcony with a mug of coffee and a sketchbook, she reminds herself to put on a robe to wrap around her almost body. It’s just a habit of her, always sleep only in her underwear.

“She’s here,” Karina said to herself as she looked up to the balcony across her. The girl was watering her plants like she always does every morning. Karina noticed the girl’s puffy eyes. She looked like she hadn’t gotten much sleep or had been crying equally as long.

This is also another mundane morning routine for Karina. Watching the girl from afar, like she always does. Observing the girl in every feature of her lovely face, silky blonde hair, petite figure, she bore the indisputable mark of refinement in every point of her movement.

All this time, Karina noticed how the girl was giving attention to each plant and flower on her balcony. Sometimes she spoke to them, maybe telling stories from last night. And usually, after being done with her routine on the balcony the girl will immediately go back inside. But not today.

“Oh wait, she’s not looking away,” Karina talks to herself again with half surprised and excited at the same time. Because this is the first time their eyes had met.

A hello wouldn’t hurt. But how? Karina needs to think quickly. She grabs a pen marker and frantically doodles on her sketchbook.

GOOD MORNING! Karina raised her sketchbook in the air with all capital letters so that it was easily readable.

The girl on the other side was looked surprised at the sudden greeting. She didn’t prepare anything, even her heart wasn’t ready for that, and reply with shouting wasn’t a good option either. She turns away and immediately went inside the apartment.

Karina lowered her head, disappointed and frustrated but not at all surprised. She tried to be rational, she might also be flustered if a stranger suddenly greets her out of nowhere.

Speak of the devil, the girl appeared again in her balcony, smiling shyly at Karina. She raised a paper in the air, MORNING TO YOU, TOO!

Karina couldn’t stop smiling. Her cheeks were flushed red, and her heart was going to burst.

She quickly doodles again on her sketchbook.

HAVE A NICE DAY! Karina raised the sketchbook again, with her silent praying for the girl. I hope you are well.

Thursday

Karina looked at the calendar that sat on her desk, the deadline is in two days. She needs to publish the latest episodes of her webtoon series, but right now, she is still halfway to finish the next episode.

“I’m in trouble,” Karina sighed. Closing her eyes, she pinched the bridge of her nose to ease the nagging headache that two aspirin tablets had dulled but not banished.

She went through cabinets, searching for the remaining pack of cigarettes. Unfortunately, she didn’t find any. “Damn it.”

She also hasn’t eaten. It’s positive she would skip lunch and go straight to dinner. She decided to go to the convenience store not far from her apartment to buy cup noodles or maybe some kimbap, and of course, some packs of cigarettes.

After she got all her needs, she took her time strolling down the long sidewalk of the neighbourhood while swinging the plastic bag.

Karina’s hair is blowing fiercely in the wind, annoyed she tugged her hoodie up to cover her hair. However, the twilight sky looked more beautiful than usual, she looked up and smiling.

Not far from where she was standing, a familiar figure just got off from a taxi, carrying two groceries bags in each hand.

“It’s her,” Karina muttered. She immediately approached the girl.

“Hey, can I give you a hand?” Karina said, extends her hand.

The girl was surprised. First, she didn’t expect Karina was standing there before her. Second, she was momentarily stunned by Karina’s friendly gesture.

“Thanks very much, but I’m fine,” The girl politely declines while smiling shyly.

“You sure?” Karina prodded gently, “That looks kinda heavy,” she added.

The expression on the girl’s face couldn’t lie. Her groceries bags were indeed heavy. She smiled sheepishly.

“Come on, let me help you,” Karina insisted as she took the two shopping bags from the girl’s hands and smiling so widely.

“Thank you, sorry to trouble you,” The girl’s smile was nervous.

“No worries,” Karina said, still smiling eagerly.

Karina wants to be around the girl much longer, so she slowed her footsteps on purpose, but she noticed that the girl beside her was making the same pace as her, walking slowly to the main lobby of their apartment.

“That’s an elevator to your block,” The girl said to Karina, directing her chin to the elevator on the opposite side.

“Yup, that’s an elevator to my block,” Karina replied, smiles softly.

They entered the elevator together, and Karina asked before pushed the appropriate button. “Twenty, right?”

Actually, Karina already knew the answer. They are on the same level floor anyway, though a different block. But she tends to ask again, maybe because she wanted to hear the girl’s voice more often. The girl’s voice was sweet and gentle to Karina’s ear.

“Yes, it’s twenty. Thanks.” The girl affirmed with a smile.

“So, you’re throwing a house party? You sure buy a lot of groceries and beers.” Karina said while raised a bag with a lot of beer cans.

“Not really, it’s just I cook a lot. And sometimes my friend comes for dinner,” The girl replied.

Your girlfriend. Karina corrected in her mind. She was witnessing them through her window many times already.

The girl then added, “And the beers are not for me.”

“Ohh, right,” Karina cracked a smile though it took a lot of effort. She didn’t want to ask further, no need for further explanation about who the girl referred to was. Karina knows too well.

“How about you? You good at drinking?” The girl asked back, trying to keep the conversation going.

“I have a pretty low tolerance for alcohol,” Karina grinned, trying to look convincing.

The other girl smiled in disbelief, “Really?”

Karina picked up on the other girl’s hint of disbelief. She laughed in response to the girl’s suspicious smiles, “Hey, I’m serious. I can’t drink well.”

“Alright, I believe you,” The other girls smiling so sweetly that it makes Karina’s heart going to burst very soon.

The elevator went ding, and the doors opened so quickly.

They were surprised because the elevator ride was too short.

“We’re here,” The girl said when they arrive at the door, then stretched out her hand, asking back for her groceries bag.

“Oh, right. Here,” Karina gives back the bags.

“Thank you so much for your help,”

“No worries,” Karina smiled to cover her disappointment, it’s time for her to leave, “I’ll get going now,”

“Ohh