A few days after meeting Mika at the café, Aiko was working in her room as usual.
Her table was covered with colors, brushes, and sketches. She had been practicing for hours, completely lost in her work.
Suddenly, her phone vibrated.
It was an email notification again.
Curious, Aiko wiped the paint from her hands and opened the message.
Her eyes slowly widened as she read it.
The same art company that had contacted her earlier had officially decided to purchase her painting.
For a moment, Aiko just stared at the screen.
It was the first time in her life that someone was buying her artwork.
A small smile appeared on her face.
After years of practice and effort, her work was finally starting to reach people.
Without wasting time, she immediately called Mika.
Mika: "Hello? Aiko?"
Aiko sounded excited.
Aiko: "Mika… they bought my painting."
For a second, Mika stayed silent.
Then suddenly she shouted.
Mika: "WHAT?! That's amazing!"
Aiko laughed.
Aiko: "I still can't believe it."
Mika quickly said,
Mika: "We are celebrating this. No excuses."
Later that evening, they met at a small restaurant.
It wasn't a big celebration, but for Aiko, it meant a lot.
For the first time, her dream felt a little more real.
And deep inside, she knew this was only the beginning of a much bigger journey.
To be continued…