6 Ambush

Leo walked through the East block, looking for the art club. The corridors in the East block are a lot wider than those in the West block. While strolling through the corridor, he could see various other club activities extended into the corridor. He asked for directions to the art club but nobody seemed to know the existence of the club.

'I was pretty sure that they say there's an art club around here.'

He finally arrived at the end of the block and saw red paint marks strewn across the floor into one of the rooms like a murder scene. Some red hand prints were visible on the door. It was really realistic.

'I guess… this is the art club?'

He turned the metal doorknob and had to give a little push to open the door, it gave a loud creak in the process. He noticed a girl with shoulder-length chestnut hair and a guy with a black bob-cut painting on easels. Both of their hair were messy. He could not see the girl's face as she was facing away from him. The guy saw Leo and his face instantly lit up.

"President! President! There's a newcomer!" he called the girl and shook her excitedly.

The girl placed her paintbrush down and turned around. The apron she's wearing was splattered with various vivid colours. It could be a piece of art by itself.

"Welcome to the art club, newbie. Did you marvel at my masterpiece at the entrance? It's an allegory for the death of individualism, the restriction of freedom. Oh the cruelty of the world! Say did you enjoy it?"

The girl's eyes sparkled through the round frames of her glasses. She was shaking enthusiastically for Leo's response.

"Prez, that thing is the reason why our club is so empty. It's scaring everyone away!"

"You all just don't understand the value of art," the girl pouted.

The guy shook his head and conceded. There's no way of saving her.

"Anyways, my name is Dexter and the prez is Elma. We hope that you'll enjoy your time here," the guy introduced himself and the girl.

"Ah I'm Leo. Third-year and newly transferred this morning. Nice to meet you," Leo introduced himself. What a peculiar bunch.

He then noticed Luna sitting on a couch by the corner engrossed in reading a book. He read the title of the book: 'My Job as A Transforming Gun-Wielding Fish But I Don't Have Hands!'. Now he is genuinely curious too.

"Ah, she's from the novel club. Like us, they only have two members at the moment. You see there are so many clubs and only so much space available. Both of our clubs are sorely lacking in members, so the decision was made to merge it," explained Dexter.

Leo walked over to Luna. As he got closer, she noticed his presence and removed her earbuds.

"Hello! I'm Leo, the one seating behind you from today. Thanks for bailing me out earlier," thanked Leo. He remembered the can of juice he got from the vending machine by the corridor. "Here's juice as thanks."

"No problem, I had the same problem when I transferred in too. People here are really friendly, sometimes even excessively. I'm Luna."

She took the can of juice from Leo and flinched a little, not expecting the coldness of the juice.

"Are you here to join the novel club?"

"Ah no, I'm here for the art club but I might borrow some books to read. The books here look interesting," Leo gestured to the book she's holding.

"Hmm, I just started reading it. Uhh, it's written by someone called JC. The story is surprisingly dark."

"Hey Leo! Have you painted before?" Elma tugged his arm, interrupting the conversation.

"Uh yeah, I've been painting for years. I wanted to be a painter, you see." He found a blank canvas. "Can I?"

"You can use the brushes there too. Feel free to use anything!" Elma was once again shaking enthusiastically.

Leo took up a medium brush and started painting. The watercolours splashed and dabbed with seemingly random order. He felt really good, the brush was smooth and consistent.

Wait, is this a sable brush? He took a look at it and indeed it was. Ah I forgot this is a school for the elites. He felt a little guilty using such a brush.

He continued to paint casually. The swirl of various colours continued to grow rapidly but it still looked abstract. In the chaos of colours and the lack of patterns, it did not look amateurish but it gave a sense of great detail and foresight.

The other club members were still clueless but they were too mesmerised by the act as if Leo was hypnotising them with his motions. The brush flowed effortlessly on the increasingly dense labyrinth. It looked like the brush was controlling the artist. When he changed into a finer brush and painted the finer parts, the picture became clear. It was a picture of the club room and the club members engrossed in their own activities. Every detail was captured vividly.

"Hey Leo, can I marry you?" Elma asked after a brief silence. Everyone else was still engrossed in the painting.

Leo: …

Other club members: …

The birds outside the window: ...

Leo did not expect a proposal, he was lost for an answer.

"I'm… sorry but I think that is a little too rushed. I just got here an hour ago," he took some time to recover and gave a reply.

"It's alright, I'll make you see the value in me and you'll change your mind," Elma did not feel dejected at all.

Dexter was lost for words and Luna blushed a little.

"Prez! You do not propose a marriage to one of our newcomers!"