A few days had passed since Aiko submitted her painting. Life continued as usual. She spent most of her time practicing her art and helping her mom at home.
Sometimes she wondered about the email she had received, but she didn't think too much about it. After all, many artists must have submitted their work.
One afternoon, Aiko was sitting in her room, sketching quietly, when her phone vibrated again.
Another email.
Curious, she quickly opened it.
As she started reading, her eyes widened slightly.
Her artwork had been selected.
The email explained that her painting had impressed the judges, and she was invited to participate in an art competition that would be held soon.
For a few seconds, Aiko just stared at the screen in disbelief.
Aiko: "This… this can't be real."
She read the message again to make sure she wasn't misunderstanding anything.
It was real.
Her heart started beating faster.
Without wasting another second, she immediately called Mika.
Mika: "Hello? Aiko, what happened?"
Aiko could barely hide her excitement.
Aiko: "Mika… you won't believe this."
Mika: "What is it?"
Aiko: "My painting… it got selected for a competition."
For a moment, Mika was silent. Then suddenly—
Mika: "WHAT?! That's amazing!"
Aiko laughed nervously.
Aiko: "I'm still not sure if I'm ready for something like this."
Mika's voice immediately became serious.
Mika: "Aiko, this is exactly what you've been working for. You can do this."
Aiko looked at her sketchbook lying on the table.
Maybe this was really the beginning of something new.
For the first time, her dream didn't feel so far away.
To be continued…