Chapter 11: Fond Memories

As expected, Lian Hua's art was amazing. Though it took her a couple of tries before she produced something she was satisfied with, I couldn't help but be impressed by her drafts. It was almost like I was looking in the mirror.

"You're really have talent," I remarked as I studied the portrait of myself, the paint still wet. She captured what I knew of myself visually perfectly, from my glasses to the slight slouch I carried and my usual nerdy expression. "You make me look gallant."

"Stop it, you're exaggerating." Lian Hua laughed. She began packing up her materials. "Sorry to keep you back so late. We should get going now."

Looking out of the window, I saw that the sun had set and it was already evening. Time flew faster than I expected. Good thing I had stayed with her, or Yun Shan wouldn't be able to rest easy.

While Lian Hua packed her stuff, I suddenly felt a chill run down my spine. Rising from my seat, I peered out the door.

"Stay inside here for a little bit," I told Lian Hua. "I'll check outside to prevent a hit."

Cautiously stepping outside, I looked right and left, scanning the corridor for anything unusual. The lights were off, and dim twilight was pouring through the windows. I squinted, half-expecting a wraith similar to what Han Zhi Hui had turned onto to come crawling out of the shadows, but nothing.

So what was this cold premonition that was tingling along my spine?

"What is it?" Lian Hua asked behind me, obediently staying inside the art club room.

"Nothing…for now. I just don't know. Best if we leave as soon as possible. We're staying longer than is permissible."

"Really?" Lian Hua rolled her eyes, but she complied, holding her bag up. I retrieved mine, and we began our trek down the corridor. Taking a deep breath, I calmed myself down.

If a ghost showed up again, I would just kick its ass.

Clack!

I jumped up, immediately assuming a combative stance. My eyes darted from side to side, looking for the enemy, only to see that the sound came from an opening door.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Shu Hong Qiu frowned as she stared at me. I dropped my stance and relaxed, though I felt the chill in my gut intensify.

Whatever was out there was focusing its attention on Shu Hong Qiu. I felt as if there was a haunting gaze behind me.

Damn it. This was creeping me out more than when I saw Han Zhi Hui's ghost right in front of me. I guess they were right when they said what you couldn't see was far scarier than what you could see. The fear of the unknown and all that. At least, when a ghost showed up, you knew what it looked like, what it could do, and where it was.

Not knowing where the enemy was or how it looked like was more nerve wracking than I realized.

Neither of the girls seemed to notice, or if they did, they didn't display their fear. Actually, they looked more bewildered by my jumpiness.

"Anyway, let's go home. We should leave this dome."

"I'm not done yet," Shu Hong Qiu said wearily, and she was about to head back to the office. The gaze I felt followed her in, but no matter how much I looked, I saw nothing. However, I didn't feel comfortable leaving her alone.

I was reminded of my mission. Shu Bai Chun had ordered me to look after his granddaughter. I would be damned if I leave her alone here…only for her to end up being the target of whatever ghosts lurked in the dark.

Were Shen Ai Qing and her friends ghosts now, I wondered? Or were their disappearances simply a coincidence?

Lian Hua must have noticed my predicament, or perhaps she was just naturally concerned, so she spoke up.

"Are you alone, classmate Shu Hong Qiu? Have the rest of the student council members gone home already?"

"Yeah. After last week, I think it's better for them to go home early." She gave me a knowing look. Then she sighed. "But there's just too much work…"

"Can't you do them tomorrow?" Lian Hua asked. "Why don't you go home together with us?"

"Hmm?" Shu Hong Qiu was surprised. She looked from Lian Hua to me before staring out at the windows. With a sigh, she nodded. "I guess you're right. It's dangerous to stay back too late. I'll call for my chauffeur."

Chauffeur? Wow. A young miss certainly lived differently from us.

"I'll give you two a lift too."

"There's no need…" I began, but Shu Hong Qiu shook her head and cut me off.

"After all the disappearances, it's safer. Just let me give you a lift. Treat it as me repaying you for waiting for me." She then turned back to the student council room. "Give me a few minutes to finish everything up and pack my things. We'll leave together."

The hostility intensified, causing me to whirl around. I thought I caught a movement in the shadows, something scuttling back out of view. Apparently, something had intended to follow Shu Hong Qiu into the student council room.

Next time, I had better bring along the peach wood sword that she gave me. But now, I realized one thing.

My mission was far from over.

*

Fortunately, the weekend came by without any further incident. There were no other disappearances, and Lian Hua and I came to an arrangement with Shu Hong Qiu to wait for her at the student council room when we stayed back late. In return, her chauffeur would give us a lift.

Friday passed, and Saturday arrived – the day of the art competition. That morning, I received a text message from Yun Shan telling me to show up…or else.

Oh, I was so scared. What was she going to do if I didn't appear? Track me down to my house and beat me up? Even though she was athletic and the basketball team ace, I was the guy who took down Hen Xiong.

However, Yun Shan and Lian Hua were still my friends, and I wanted to support them. So I went to You Xi amusement park, much to the amusement of my parents.

"Going on a date?" Dad teased.

"No, I'm going to be the third wheel," I replied. When he gaped at me, I continued. "Don't worry, I have a face of steel."

"No, what do you mean by third wheel…"

I was already out of the house and on my way to entertainment before my astonished dad could finish his question.

The amusement park was about forty-five minutes away by a combination of bus and train. I ended up being late, and by the time I reached the place, it was packed. Forcing myself through the crowd, I sought to rendezvous with my friends.

I didn't have any sense of urgency. The idea was for Yun Shan to enjoy a private date with Lian Hua together for as long as possible without barging in on them. Unfortunately, the art competition was held early – late morning, almost early afternoon. About eleven, just before noon. As much as I disliked leaving my house early, I had no choice.

"Sorry, my two good old mates! I didn't mean to be late!"

Catching sight of Lian Hua and Yun Shan, I waved at them. They were enjoying a candy floss together, having bought a stick to share. Watching them, I felt wholesome. It was just too bad I wasn't handsome.

Unlike their usual school uniforms, Lian Hua was dressed in a yellow one-piece dress. She had kept her hair braided in their usual twin tail manner, and stuck with those huge glasses. A bag containing art supplies hung from one shoulder, and sandals revealed delicate feet.

In contrast, Yun Shan was dressed in a more boyish fashion, typical of her personality. A casual t-shirt and shorts that exposed her tanned arms and legs, plus sports sneakers, but unusually enough, her short hair sported a pink hairclip.

"You're late!" Yun Shan complained. "The contest is going to start soon!"

Then why are you still here, relaxing and slowly munching on cotton candy?

We made our way to the venue for the competition, which was thankfully a lot less crowded than the other attractions. It resembled an outdoor mini-stadium of sorts, with a stage in the middle, and an arc of seats curving around the location like a bowl.

"I'm so nervous," Lian Hua said, hugging herself. Yun Shan placed a reassuring arm over her shoulders.

"Don't worry! Just do your best!"

"I will. Fighting!"

Lian Hua raised a fist before she descended to the stage below. Yun Shan and I were left to look for a seat somewhere amidst the audience. There weren't many people present today, mostly friends and relatives of the contestants. I supposed it wasn't surprising. Most people came to the amusement park to play, not to watch an art competition.

"I hope she'll be fine," Yun Shan said, fidgeting anxiously. She walked down the steps, scanning the front row. Fortunately, there were still a lot of empty seats, and she found a couple right in front of the stage. "Lian Hua asked me to sit near the front, for some reason."

"Yeah, it's best for us to do just that," I said vaguely. I knew the reason – Lian Hua would try to use her as her model. "She needs all the support she can get."

"Agreed," Yun Shan replied, though she didn't know what I did. For my part, I just needed to get her as close to the stage as possible. Having accepted Lian Hua's request, I knew that for this task, I was responsible.

The lack of an audience played to our advantage, and we were able to secure a good vantage. A few minutes passed as more people trickled in, but the seats still looked sadly empty. Fortunately, we didn't have to wait long before the emcee strode onto the stage to announce the contestants' entry.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, ladies and gentlemen!" The emcee almost shouted. I wondered if he had forgotten the purpose of a microphone, or maybe he got carried away by excitement. "Thank you for your patience! We will now commence the 22nd Annual You Xi Drawing Competition! Allow me to introduce to you the participants!"

Lian Hua was among them, taking her stool right before an empty canvas. There was a total of twelve participants, and they formed a half-ring across the stage. Picking up their paintbrushes and palettes, they waited for the emcee to declare the start of the contest before they began to move.

Even when they drew, there was a flair and flourish to their brushstrokes, an energy that fueled their elegant movements as they sought to breathe life into the paper before them. I kept my eye on Lian Hua, silently praying for her success. She would return my stare sometimes, but her focus wasn't on me. Instead, she peeked at the anxiously fidgeting Yun Shan, a gleam in her eyes that was barely visible behind her glasses. A confident smile crossed her face, and her strokes became faster and more precise. I had gotten used to it over the last two days when I watched her practice in the art club room, but it never failed to amaze me whenever I saw Lian Hua transform into a completely different person.

Usually, Lian Hua was quiet and timid, cowering behind Yun Shan or hiding at her desk. She wasn't able to make eye contact with anyone, and other than her best friend (and me), she barely spoke to the other students in our class. Her crippling shyness and lack of confidence made her resemble a chihuahua of sorts, always needing to find someone to shelter beneath.

All that anxiety and self-doubts were gone the moment she picked up her brush and began to draw. I remembered how disturbing her paintings were, but the expressiveness and vibrant color across those canvases were evidence of her pride as an artist. In this battlefield of artistic sensibility, she refused to lose to anyone.

She would not be intimidated from manifesting her imagination on canvas.

An hour passed. Two hours. Above, the sun shone down mercilessly, its vicious rays deflected slightly by the canopy that arced over the audience seats and stage to provide some shelter. Underneath the light, the twelve artists labored furiously, lost in their own worlds.

And then time was up. The emcee cleared his throat, striding to the stage with his microphone and clumsily clapping his hands.

"I'm sorry to stop this when everyone's so immersed in their work, but it seems that time's up! Stop! Please present your drawings to the judges!"

There was a panel of five judges who were invited onto stage to rate each painting. While they studied and scrutinized each and every drawing, making notes and conferring softly with each other, Yun Shan prayed beside me. Her eyes closed, she clasped her hands and muttered incoherently under her breath.

Atop the stage, Lian Hua waited silently with the other artists, her earlier air of confidence and exuberance slightly deflated now that she had let go of her brush. She was staring at her feet, wringing her hands nervously as she awaited judgement.

I stared at her drawing, marveling over the emotions she had poured into it. Lian Hua had painted a beautiful landscape – that of the amusement park. The Ferris Wheel. The roller coaster tracks. The stalls with candy and drinks. The various mascots.

In the center of the painting, she and Yun Shan stood together, hand in hand. Her best friend was depicted as holding candy floss while Lian Hua was bearing a balloon that hovered above the both of them, almost like an umbrella. The joy on their faces were fully conveyed with paint and vibrant colors. Though it wasn't 100% realistic, it didn't have to be. There was a certain surreal quality that complemented and emphasized the liveliness of the people inhabiting the space of her painting.

To me, it was utterly beautiful. Then again, I was biased. I wasn't a good judge. But I was sure they could feel the vibrancy…the passion poured into this drawing. That Lian Hua's feelings would come across. Hearing gasps from the audience as their gazes passed over Lian Hua's drawing, I was certain they were moved.

"That balloon…" Yun Shan whispered, tears welling in her eyes. "She remembers…"

"Huh? What about the scarlet balloon?" I turned to stare at her, bewildered. "No offense, but you sound like a loon."

"It's nothing." The tomboy wiped her face and sniggered. "You don't have to know."

Fine. Have it your way then. Like I care. Rolling my eyes, I settled for admiring Lian Hua's masterpiece.

Then the judges pulled back to discuss among themselves, comparing notes and debating their ratings. We watched with bated breath, both Yun Shan and I feeling just as nervous as Lian Hua looked.

After what felt like an eternity, they came to a decision. The emcee moved over to listen to them, nodding as they whispered their decisions into his ear. Then he turned to the audience and beamed.

"The judges have made their choices! The winner of the 22nd You Xi Annual Drawing Competition is…"