“The theme is ‘The Most Peaceful Moment,'” announced a colleague from the Design Department, acting as a temporary judge. “There is a one-hour time limit. Start now!”
Watching the crowd grow larger and larger, I started to regret everything.
‘Why did we actually bring in a judge? And what is with all these spectating colleagues?! Don’t you all have work to do?!’
I didn’t know how it had turned into this, but the arrow had already been nocked.
If I lost here, people might actually think I was a backdoor hire. With such a huge scene being made, I would be dying of embarrassment!
It was all that annoying girl’s fault!
Ugh, all I could do now was draw my best and beat her.
Lin Yuehan and I each took over a temporarily moved desk, and our pen displays lit up. I took a deep breath, my claws gripping the pen tightly.
I had to give it my all. I absolutely couldn’t let her — or anyone else — doubt my strength, especially not by suspecting I was a backdoor hire.
I closed my eyes, trying to capture the feeling of peace.
The first thing that crashed into my mind was a sun-drenched afternoon. Golden light flecks, soft fabrics, and a tranquil silence that made one feel drowsy…
Whatever, I would just draw that!
Compared to yesterday’s four-hour competition, today’s was only one hour. For an artist like me who liked to stay huddled at home and draw slowly and lazily, this was quite rushed.
Since I had thought of this composition, the best course of action was to start drawing immediately and not waste time on the layout.
The tip of my pen began to dance across the screen. I sketched out a spacious bay window where sunlight filtered through sheer curtains, casting warm spots of light onto the floor.
The composition unfolded naturally. A silver-haired cat-girl curled up on the cushions of the bay window, her head resting gently on the shoulder of a black-haired human. Both had their eyes closed, their breathing steady as if they were asleep. The human girl even had a half-read book spread open in her hand.
As I drew, I felt like something was strange.
This scene… it was too specific. The curve of the bay window, the diamond pattern on the cushions, and the small, slightly old dreamcatcher hanging from the top of the curtains.
I should have had to spend a lot of time on these kinds of details, but this time, it was ridiculously smooth. As soon as I finished one area, I already knew how to draw the next.
I felt a bit creeped out, as if I were touching something I shouldn’t have.
However, the pen wouldn’t stop. The sense of peace and security overflowing from the image wrapped around me like a warm tide, suppressing that bit of unease.
I figured that the current emergency must have caused my latent potential to explode.
Forget it, I would just leave it at that. It felt… pretty good.
Finally, I deepened the glow of the sunlight, bathing the entire image in a golden filter. Looking at the finished work, that lazy and beautiful feeling grew even stronger, as if I could personally feel the temperature of the sun on that bay window.
“Time’s up!”
I submitted the work with a bit of reluctance. It was well-drawn — I could even say it was one of my most satisfying works lately.
Although I didn’t know why inspiration had surged up like a tide, I should be able to win this competition, right?
The voting phase began. Watching the HR colleague produce a formal ballot box and slips of paper from nowhere, the tip of my tail curled unconsciously. Was this setup… a bit too formal? It was as if they had been prepared for this.
But once the counting started, I didn’t have room for other thoughts. With every vote read aloud, my heartbeat quickened.
“Guiyun.”
“Guiyun.”
“Lin Yuehan.”
“Guiyun.”
The vote count was a landslide. When the last ballot read my name, Lin Yuehan’s dog ears drooped visibly, her tail hung limply on the floor, her entire face collapsed, and the rims of her eyes even turned a bit red.
It was obvious even without the count. I had won, and it was a crushing victory by a massive margin.
“Lin Yuehan’s work shows very solid technical skill,” the supervisor said, pointing out several details in her image. “The lighting and shadow handling are precise, and the character’s movement is vivid. Especially this stretching motion; the lines have a lot of tension.”
Lin Yuehan’s tail wagged proudly.
“However,” the supervisor’s tone shifted, “the theme ‘The Most Peaceful Moment’ requires a restrained, immersive atmosphere. Your image’s energy is too outward — it’s even a bit… noisy.”
“Noi— Noisy?!” Lin Yuehan’s dog ears instantly stood up.
“It’s like someone is shouting in your ear, ‘Look at how peaceful I am right now!'” another colleague added in a whisper.
Lin Yuehan’s cheeks puffed up in anger, but she couldn’t argue. She could only huff and cross her arms.
The supervisor then switched the screen to my work. The meeting room fell silent for a moment.
“As for Guiyun’s piece…” He paused, seemingly weighing his words. “Technically, it isn’t perfect, but the detail work is excellent.” His voice held a hint of admiration. “The atmosphere is very successful. The light, the composition, and the relaxed state of the characters all work together to convey a sense of defenseless peace. You can intuitively feel that warmth and sleepiness.”
He specifically enlarged a corner of the bay window. “For example, the diamond pattern on this pillow naturally echoes the shadows on the curtains. And this…”
His mouse moved between the sleeping human girl and the cat-girl in the image.
“This sense of mutual trust and reliance is the most moving part of the drawing. It doesn’t need an explanation to make people resonate with it.”
I stared blankly at my own drawing. Now that he mentioned it, I realized that what I had unconsciously drawn was such a private and tender moment.
“So, in terms of theme fit,” the supervisor concluded, “Guiyun’s work is superior.”
Hearing the supervisor’s words, the slight sense of wrongness from earlier was instantly washed away by a surge of triumph. I tried my best to press down the corners of my mouth, but my tail was already out of control, drawing proud circles behind me.
“So?” I leaned closer to her, intentionally lowering my voice. “Now, who’s the one who can’t do it?”
“You…!” Lin Yuehan snapped her head up to glare at me, her eyes even redder now as her claws clicked together. “You just got lucky this time! Next time! Next time, I’ll definitely beat you!”
“Sure, I’ll be waiting,” I replied with a smile. Looking at her fuming, I felt incredibly refreshed.
Just then, a woman from HR walked over with a professional smile. “Lin Yuehan, your work is also very outstanding. Your concepts and colors are very inspired. I wonder if you are interested in joining our company? We are currently recruiting promising newcomers.”
Lin Yuehan was still fuming, and upon hearing this, she simply turned her face away and snorted, her face practically screaming that she didn’t care.
The HR woman’s smile didn’t change. As if she had expected this, she added unhurriedly, “If you join, we will arrange your workstation right next to Guiyun’s. You can learn from each other and progress together. It would also be convenient for… well, exchanges and competitions.”
The smile on my face instantly froze. Wait, what?
Lin Yuehan, who had looked dismissive just a second ago, had her ears shoot straight up, and her eyes brightened. Without even thinking, she immediately turned around and shouted, “Really?! Fine! I’ll join!”
Wait, your attitude changed way too fast!
I looked at Lin Yuehan, who was now so full of fighting spirit that she looked ready to go move her desk right now. My vision went dark, and my tail stiffened in shock.
It was over. I probably wouldn’t be able to work in peace ever again.
***
The pattern on the pillow… the curtains…
Those details that Guiyun thought she had drawn at random were now like silent testimonies, pointing toward a deeply buried past shared by the two of them.
Ning Dongya watched everything through the surveillance feed. When the familiar corner of the bay window in the image was enlarged, her fingertip paused slightly on the tablet.
The pattern on those curtains was something she and Guiyun had designed together back then.
“Finally, I’ve found you…”
Ning Dongya stared at the screen. Unlike her usual playful manner, her eyes now held nothing but endless obsession.