Cupid decided to pay a visit to the art club room.
It's almost the end of the day now, so he hopes not a lot of the club member is around…
When he slightly opened the door with his sketchbook on the other hand, he saw a shadow of someone sitting near the window and turned their back to the door.
Indeed, Cupid didn't actually join any club at all, but the art club had tried its best to pressure him to join in; in the end, he still didn't do it, but he was allowed to visit them sometimes.
"Vice president…" vice president of the art club. Yara. She's a smooth talker, and the more you talk, the more comfortable it gets. She's simply a good listener…
Everyone said Cupid is a good listener, but he thinks he is not even good enough to compare with half of what Yara has.
"Oh…" she turned back at the door noise: "Cupid, welcome."
Cupid nodded his head slightly. "How have you been, Yara. It's been a month since I last saw you last time?"
"Yes, it's quite a long time. How did your days go?"
"It's fine…I just got bored because Nova is not here…but I got more time to think about other things now, I guess…"
Cupid closed the door before he grabbed a nearby chair and moved it over to sit near Yara.
The classroom floor is covered with paint and broken pencils. On the desk that was moved to both sides of the wall of the room were no books nor work, but white plaster statue; there was a woman's head turned to the left, another man's head looking in front, and another man with a thick beard.
Seen like a poetry scene, but this is actually hell. Hell to all art students and the members of this club.
"What are you drawing?" Cupid is curious about Yara's notebook, lying on her lap.
"Nothing…I was too busy thinking…"
Cupid also turned his head to look at the window outside. He adores the layout of this room, where all the tables and chairs all move away, leaving the window space empty…there is so much you can view from here…
They stay like that for a while…in silence and just let the wind blow, the cloud slowly moves to cover the sun, bringing shadow into the world for a moment before the sun comes back around. The winter breeze makes the weather slightly warm, just enough for us all…
Not too hot, not too cold…
"Cupid." Yara gentle ask, put her chin on her hand: "Would you like to see my new creation once it's done?"
"Uh?" He looks back at Yara: "Do you want to spoil me about the theme or wait until I see it myself?"
"Hm…" She whispered something in her mouth before continuing: "Maybe when you see it yourself? I want to impress you and the club president, but I don't know…is what I drew good enough to make you and her shock to the knees…!"
"Hum hum." Cupid makes some noise that sounds similar to a laugh, even if he doesn't seem like smiling at all: "I think everything Yara made is beautiful, so go for it."
"The club president said so too…" Yara's eyes seemed out of focus for a moment: "Never mind, I was just saying that to myself."
"It's fine."
"Then, I will wait and show that to you all later." Yara giggles: "We really like you to join in…"
"No can do."
"I wasn't talking about the clud ativity…"
"Can do."
Yare giggles again: "With your way of using words again. But I can't really judge you, I'm a strange one too."
"Everyone who makes art is a weirdo… that's just our thing, I guess…" he shrugs his shoulder as if that were a normal thing.
"You're right, we're all just a bunch of weirdo... Anyway, I was just hoping you would join us on the judgment day of the art club activity."
"Hey now." Cupid frowns: "Didn't you tell me it's not about club activity? You cheating liar…"
Yara tilted her head to the right: "No, no, little Cupid, don't get mad."
"I'm not."
"You clearly are…" she kept giggling for a little more, always with that smooth way of talking. She always reminds you that you're younger than her, because if you are younger than Yara, she will treat you like you're just born yesterday.
For short, she loves her junior. For being one year younger than her, of course, Cupid is also being treated with pampering.
"We only ask you to come and take a look at what the other members of the club drew. There will be a contest, and the drawing that the judging panel likes the most will be the winner."
"Oh…sound fun…"
"The club president was planning to ask for other outside, just only me and her would be a bit… biased…"
"True…" he nodded his head a bit.
"But some others don't have keen eyes for art. So we was plan to ask you for help."
"…is there really no one else…?"
"Uh…we haven't found anyone yet…well, there is one, but the club president doesn't like that person much, so…we're avoiding that plan for now…"
"Clud president…!"
"I can't help her on that one…sorry…so, what do you think?"
"I…think it's fine. Just a visit and help you look through the drawing, right?"
"Yes! That's all the work you need to do."
"But…I was wonder will the other will be alright if I…"
"Oh, sweet pie, are you wondering that others will be annoyed by you?"
"Yes…something like that, like it's not fair because I'm not one of the members and just someone that…"
"Dear!" Yara cut throught is word before he could finish: "You've been here for some time now, most of us already knew you. It's fine, we love to have you visit…to be honest with you, they even ask when you're not here because then they can chat with you and forget to do their artwork as a cover-up reason for being lazy, haha."
"What… that's not a good thing…"
"So, tell me right now. Do you yourself want to join the activity or not?"
"Well…"
"Don't think about what others think…what do you want, little Cupid?"
"Well…" he told her to stop calling him that sometime, but she just kept going with it; there's nothing he can do about this: "I'll join."
"Great~! See you there…and don't put pressure on yourself, you worry for others too much, little dear."
I do?
He walks out of the room in confusion when Yara says she has to close the art club early today since no one is here but her.
Yara closed the club and locked the room before departing with Cupid. She said she would text him the date later, after discussing it with the club president.
I usually worry for Nova alot but…do I worry for others THAT much too…? He wondered…but there was no answer…only more question flowting around his head as he walked through the hallway back to A-1 classroom.
Cupid then hear footstep running through the hall.
"Cupid!" of course, it was Heos.
He ran over and raised two cartons of milk in front of Cupid's face.
"What…?"
"I don't know, should I buy the strawberry one, the one I accidentally made you spill it, or the melon one, because you like this favor…Please take it as an apology for what happened yesterday! Even if you don't mind about it, I do!"
"Hm…alright."
Cupid takes both of the milk cartons, his eyes seem softened, making Heos breathe a relieved sigh.
"Also, Cupid, I got the registration paper! I'll go ask everyone about it tomorrow."
"Ah…good…"
When he was about to turn his feet to go back to class, Heos still stood in the hall… asked with a small voice: "Hey Cupid…I was thinking…if I won first place in any of the spot games I sign up for…I'll…"
"You'll…?"
"I'll ask Nova out on a coffee date!"
Cupid slowly opened his eyes wide. He wanted to clap his hand, but with to carton of milk, he can't really move much.
But he is glad, somehow he feels glad…
"Congratulations…" Cupid whispers, but loud enough for Heos to catch.
"…thank? I mean, I was just planning to, I haven't actualy sign up for any games yet, but…"
"No…that's enough." Cupid looks down at his feet, so Heos can barely see what this guy's expression is: "It's good that you made up your mind. Brave one."
As Heos was too stunned at Cupid's strange reaction to continue, Cupid walked back into class, but he remembered something and stopped at the classroom door
"Right…then don't join the marathon games. I don't think you can win against her…" and continued to walk, leaving Heos alone in the hallway.
"What…? Who's her? Cupid? What do you mean by that?"
-o-
How was everything, Cupid?
That night, Nova was texting him when he was lying on his sofa, drawing the stuff he thought about in his little head again.
It's fine…nothing much happened, it was a bit boring now that I have to walk home alone.
Cupid text back to him.
Nova sends a crying emoji and text:
Nova: [Sorry for that, I'm a bit tired today, so I can't text you much…]
Cupid: [It's ok, go rest! We can chat about it next week.]
Nova: [Uhm hm…But I do miss you…]
Cupid: [Go get some rest!]
Then he put his phone aside and turned on some music from his iPad on the table.
As his younger brother walks by, Eros frowns: "Nah, what kind of music is that…"
"…" clearly Eros was trying to piss him off.
"Let me show you a better one."
Cupid stayed silent for a bit before he suspected what this little guy was up to: "Don't tell me you're about to put that weird music up again…"
"Hah…how did you know!" he still did it anyway…
"Of course I know."
Eros is four years younger than Cupid; with that being said, it's like he takes all Cupid's nutrients even before Cupid is born or something. How the hell did this guy grow so tall? He is one head away from his older brother's height.
Cupid jumps over to hug Eros' neck from the back and rear-naked choke him.
"Let go!"
He doesn't move a bit, but Eros leads back and put presure on him so his leg starts to move backward too.
Eros then bends his knee and low their body down, immediately he grabs Cupid's arm and throws him over Eros's shoulder.
Cupid then turned over to lock Eros' waist when his pair of legs, using his hand to push Eros lying on the ground.
It's all happened in under 5 minutes.
"Cupid! Honey, I hear the school will open the winter spot festival…" Their mother walked over to the living room. She was interested in what gamse does Cupid plans to sign up for before seeing two lions fighting with each other on the floor.
"He hit me first!" Eros screams, pointing his hand at Cupid.
"Hey, you mess with me first." Cupid frowns before standing up and sitting back on the sofa.
"Alright, alright, settle that aside, both of you. Eros, did you finish your homework yet?"
Eros jumps and looks away from his mother.
"Eros…"
"Fine…I just got some math work to do, that's all, at least I'm way better at it than someone~" Then he walked away to go get his homework.
"I swear I'll delete all your games from that dam ipad." Cupid said it loud enough so Eros could hear.
Their mother is so used to this that she just doesn't really think about stopping them from it. They have been like this for years now. Cupid was a responsible big brother, but the moment Eros grew his teeth and learn how to grab things, Cupid was having the most hellish time on Earth.
One time when she just finished cooking their lunch, Eros ran over and smiled with her.
"Honey, aren't you playing with big brother right now?"
And Eros laughing in his adorable baby voice when she holds him up, just to see something he was holding in his hand.
"What's that, my little angel…Eros…is that Cupid's hair?!"
It's not just a single strand of hair, but a handful of it!
"Eros…oh goodness…"
When she ran back to the bedroom, Cupid, hugging his head, looked like he was on the verge of tears from madness. He looked back to Eros with a message: 'This baby! I'll wait until you grow more hair, and you'll be dead to me! I will remember this!!!'
And he…did…
Later on, when Eros can talk and understand, he still has a bad habit of grabbing Cupid's hair, so Cupid grabs his hair back. Of course, he didn't rip it out of his young little brother's head, but he gives him a warning: "How was it, Eros…? Painful? Do you understand how I feel now?"
Their relationship now isn't bad…not at all…but if you aren't familiar with the way they treat each other, you might think they're hating each other to death…
"Right…about the spot festival…" Cupid thinks for a while: "Nah, I'll go with running again…it's enough for me."
"What? Don't you want to try something else, honey? You already ran last year."
"Mom, I only joined the festival because my class didn't sign up for the festival games, but the rule was that at least 2 students from each class needed to join the spot games so I just helped fill in the spot."
"But still…maybe swimming?"
"No way."
"Uh…" she seem abit dissapointed, but Cupid won't budge abit. He knew how to swim. His mother sent him to swimming class in the summer sometime when he was young, but swimming in the winter? Hell no. "…fine, I won't force you, just have as much fun as you can, honey. Ah, right, how was Nova and that boy you were talking about?"
"What? You want an update on that…?"
"Yes! Why not? Please tell me about it! I'm curious!"
"Sure…so Heos was planning to invite Nova out for coffee if he won first place in one of the festival games…But I think it's really hard because this year we have some heavy competitors, mostly from section C…"
"Right…that girl you lost the first place last year is from class C-1."
"Yeah, you remember…so anyway, I warned him about it, but I don't know. I think tug of war is a good idea, but… that's a group game and I don't know if class A-1 has enough strength for that…"
"Cupid, how about you ask Heos what he plans to do if he didn't get first place?"
"Mom…hm…I wasn't planning to ask since I think that might weaken his fighting spirit, but now that you mention it, I think it's a good idea…" Cupid covers his mouth with his right hand and starts whispering to himself: "If he wins, he'll ask Nova out on a coffee date…if he loses…he has to confess to Nova…"
She giggles a bit when she hears that, oh honey, you just straight up want him to suffer, now isn't you?
"I was just saying…don't look at me like that, mom…I won't actually do it. It's up to him to do his thing, why should I tell him to confess…that's his love life on the line…not mine."
"Then, Cupid~"
"Yes, Mom?"
"Then when will be your turn~"
"My…?"
"Your love story turns! I'm waiting for the day you go home and tell me all about your romance life!"
Right after she finishes that line, Cupid's face starts turning dark like he witnesses a murder case right in front of his own eyes.
She at it again…
"Or? Do you like a boy or something?"
What the hell is she talking about right now…
"Come on, Cupid! It's been years! I start losing my patience, you know?"
"Mom, how many time I told you…I don't like anyone, romantic, at all…"
"But one day you might~!"
Cupid's face frowns even harder: "I'm not interested…"
The more she pushes, the worse Cupid's face looks. His stomach switched, and his throut taste bitter.
I don't care…
I don't care about all this romance shit at all…
It's been years now…Cupid doesn't love anyone…romantic at all…and slowly, but surely, he learn that he doesn't really need it that much…
"I already told you…" Cupid talked in a gentle voice…he never wished to be rude to his lovely mother: "Even until the day Eros grows up and might have a lover himself, I'm still stay like this…it's normal…I like it this way…"
He stood up and started walking away, back to his room with a bitter expression on his face.
Take a deep breath before he closes the door, but it still feels so suffocated…It's fine…everything will be fine…yeh…it's fine…it's…terrible…
Living in a world where people wish the best for you, but they're doing everything their way…
'This chocolate is delicious,' they said…and they feed it to their dog because they love their dog so much…
I don't need those romantic things…He been living for years just fine, but everyone just keeps asking, keeps saying about it…
'Do you have a girlfriend yet?' his old classmate once asked
'When you love someone with all your heart, you'll understand!' they told him.
'Do you have anyone in mind?' his classmate once asked when they were chatting about the topic of dating.
Yeah, Cupid… it's just a very…very normal thing…why should you overreact…he asks himself…
But...is love people romantic, is all that we humans are…?
Like those movie where the guy fight the baddies, and get the girl and marrie and have a family and dies happily together…
UH, DON'T MAKE ME SICK…
Such a boring plot, over and over again…love this love that…get a girlfriend…have a lover…live a life…
Don't make me sick…
He sits down on the ground, hugging his head and slowly digging his hand into his hair.
I'm so bored with this…
He was lying down on the ground…hitting the floor with his broken nail that he bit so near to the skin…it been the fourth time he told his mom that he's not interested in this romantic thing at all…
Or the fifth…? When will she understand me…she act like she understands me sometime but…
When will she truly understand… who Cupid is, besides her oldest son?