The two made their way into Williams' playroom. The space was filled with shelves lined with toys, collectibles, and scattered memories of his spoiled childhood. Williams scanned the room with a brief look of pride, admiring the treasures he'd accumulated over the years.
But his eyes quickly found Sofi.
She was already seated in the corner, her back against the wall, sketchbook resting on her knees. Her fingers moved lightly across the page.
Williams frowned.
"What's wrong with you today? You're being so boring," he said sharply as he walked toward her.
Sofi looked up, her expression calm. "Hm? Nothing. Just sketching a bit."
Williams glanced down at the sketchbook in her hands. His emerald eyes narrowed slightly.
Without asking, he plopped down beside her.
"Sketching again?" he scoffed, leaning over to get a look. "You're always doodling in that thing. It's not like you're gonna become some famous artist or something."
Though his words were cutting, there was a subtle curiosity in his voice, like he couldn't help but be interested.
"That's mean," Sofi said, puffing her cheeks and crossing her arms.
Williams rolled his eyes, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"Mean? Please. You know I'm just teasing. Someone has to keep you humble."
He leaned closer, his blond hair brushing her shoulder as he tried to peek again.
"Come on, let me see what you're drawing. Maybe it's actually good for once."
"Hey! It's not ready yet! Ugh- Williams!" Sofi tried to pull the sketchbook away, but he ignored her protests.
He reached forward and snatched the book from her hands, flipping through the pages with a quick, practiced motion. His eyes scanned each drawing carefully.
"…This isn't that bad," he muttered.
Sofi blinked. "Really? Do you mean it?"
Williams grinned, mischief dancing in his eyes.
"Nah. Still as bad as ever," he said mockingly.
That did it. Sofi's shoulders dropped, and her eyes welled up with tears. She looked away, voice trembling.
"You're so mean…"
"Hey… don't cry," Williams said, guilt tugging at him. He let out a soft sigh and looked around until his gaze landed on a box of tissues nearby. He grabbed one and held it out toward her.
"Sofi…" His voice softened. "I'm… sorry."
He offered the tissue awkwardly, his cheeks tinged with pink.
"Can you forgive me?" he asked. "Please?"
Sofi hesitated, sniffling as she looked from the tissue to his flushed, regretful face. Slowly, she reached out and took it from his hand. Their fingers brushed, and for a moment, neither of them moved.
She wiped her tears in silence.
Then she nodded.
"…You really forgive me?" Williams asked, surprised.
"You dummy…" she muttered, standing up and giving him a soft tap on the chest. She leaned into him gently. "Of course I forgive you. We're friends, aren't we?"
Her tears fell again, this time soaking into the fabric of his shirt.
Startled, Williams froze. Then, unsure but sincere, he slowly wrapped his arms around her in a clumsy but comforting hug.
"…Thank you, Sofi," he whispered.
—To be continued...