The morning light always felt different here. It filtered through the tall studio windows in dusty beams, illuminating a room already filled with the heavy, sharp smell of linseed oil and the faint smell of old wood. It was a smell that most people found overwhelming, but for the student of the Fine Arts department, it was smell of home.
The room was a chaotic symphony of sound. It was the first day of the new semester, and the studio was filled with the restless chatter of students who hadn't seen each other the whole summer. They huddled together in small groups, their voices rising and falling as they shared stories.
In the back corner, Luna sat like an anchor in the middle of the noise.
She was a sharp contrast to the bubbly groups around her. While the other girls wore trendy city outfits, Luna was dressed in a simple, oversized charcoal sweater, her dark hair tucked behind her ears. Luna sat near the window, her world narrowed to the page in front of her. She was sketching the scenery outside the window, her pencil moving with steady grace. To her, the noisy classroom was just a background static.
The heavy studio door swung open, and the professor walked in, carrying a worn leather satchel. He set it down on the podium with a dull thud and looked over the sea of students. "Seats everyone!", he called out. The students quickly found theirs seats,the room falling into respectful hush. "Good morning, everyone. I'm Professor Vance. I'll be leading your Advanced Composition studio this year," he said, his voice deep and gravelly. Professor Vance continue, gesturing toward the doorway, "we have a transfer student joining our cohort today".
At the cue, James stepped into the class.
He wore a simple denim jacket over a white t-shirt. He seemed to bring the morning sun in with him. While the other students stared and whispered, Some of the girls leaning in to get a better look at the handsome newcomer. James stood to the side of podium with effortless confidence. Professor Vance "please introduced yourself". He flashed a bright, lively smile, his voice warm and energetic. "Hello, everyone! I'm James", he introduced himself. "I just transferred in. I'm looking forward to working with you guys. He flashed a genuine smile.
In the back corner, Luna looked up from her sketchbook for a few seconds. At the exact moment, Luna and James made eye contact. James's bright, curious eyes met Luna's calm, gray eyes. She looked at him with indifferent stare for few seconds, and then she immediately looked back down and resumed her sketch.
Professor Vance pointed James toward an empty stool. As James walked down the aisle, he found himself heading towards the quiet corner where the girl was already lost in her work again.
James pulled the stool out with a muffled scrape against the floorboards. He settle in dropping his bag at his feet, he didn't reach for his supplies immediately. Instead,he turned his head.
Luna was right there, barely an arm's length away. Up close, her focus was even more intense. She wasn't just drawing, she was dissecting the world with her eyes.
"Hi again," James said softly, as not to disturb the whole class.
Luna didn't look up.Her pencil continued it's steady skritch-skritch against the heavy paper.James didn't mind the silence. When Luna reach the end of a long, sweeping stroke, she paused. She shifted her head slightly enough to see him. Seeing his opening, James smiled. It wasn't a polite curve of lips, it was a bright,eye crinkling grin that radiated the king of genuine warmth.
"I'm James." He whispered, even though he's just said it to the whole class. "And you're... Incredibly focused. I even feel bad for breathing too loudly..
"Luna," she replied."And breathing is fine. Talking is what's loud.
James chuckled. "Got it, less talking, more sketching."
He finally turned to his own bag, pulling out a set of high-end charcoal sticks. But as he set them out he snuck a glance at work. " Your perspective is amazing."
"It's just practice." she said softly.