Probing Visions 2

Chapter 2 (Part 4)

     While Bertie discreetly draws the girl from her back, Jean, Kevin, Gabriel, George, and Scarlet roam around the Enchanted Garden. Eventually, Jean's eyes catch sight of Bertie in the distance. Spotting his brother, Jean marches forth, approaching him with a curious smirk as the others trail behind him. As he reaches his back, he places a hand on Bertie's shoulder, causing him to gasp in surprise loudly.

"J-Jean??" Bertie gasped, his eyes widening in shock.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to bother you," Jean said, stepping back from Bertie.

Bertie exhaled deeply. "It's... hehe... don't worry, bro! I!" he stammered.

     As Bertie struggles to speak, Kevin's eyes dart towards Bertie's sketchbook. And there, on the white page, he sees a beautiful portrait of a girl reading a book. Kevin raises a brow and points at Bertie's sketchbook, his curiosity intensified.

"Is that your drawing?" Kevin inquired, pointing a palm at Bertie's sketchbook.

Bertie flinched, his eyes widening. "Hehe, yeah," he glanced down.

"Who is that?" Jean wondered aloud.

"Oh! Just, hehe! Just a, uhh... a concept character for a play in our subject!" Bertie explained with a lie, sweat dripping down his forehead.

"Bertie, surely, whatever that subject is, it belongs to a different course," Jean countered. "We don't do plays."

Meanwhile, Scarlet observed the drawing intently, her gaze fixating on the foreground where a girl sat with perfect posture. "A girl reading a book... look, guys... behold that girl reading a book just a few yards away," she murmured, her finger carefully tracing the figure.

Jean, Kevin, Gabriel, Bertie, and George's eyes converged in the distance, their eyes alighting upon a serene scene—a girl perched upon a bench, engrossed in the pages of a book, basking in the tranquil embrace of a tree's shade.

"Oh, dang..." Bertie huffed as he looked at the girl, realizing he had been caught.

"Bertie, are you drawing that girl?" Jean questioned him with a smirk.

"No," Bertie replied, shaking his head.

"I knew it! Bertie has an object of admiration!" Gabriel cheered, slicing his fist through the air. "An object of romance, I must say..." he smirked playfully.

     Bertie felt knives slicing his skin as his heart kicked through his chest. He quickly closed his sketchbook, hiding the drawing from the others as his eyes widened. He squeezed his legs, and his lips tightened, his embarrassment surging through his entire form. Bertie knew he had been caught admiring a girl from afar, and at that moment, his breath faltered—as if time stood still.

"Bertie, you should talk to her," Jean suggested, placing a hand on Bertie's shoulder. "And show your drawing. Perhaps she'll like it," he added.

"What!? N-no, I can't! You know that, every time, I talked to a girl, they avoided me!" Bertie shook his head.

"Uh, we had plenty of female friends. What are you talking about?" George asked, raising a brow.

"I mean! If I have an interest in a girl, and I talk to her, she'll evade me as if I'm a lobster," Bertie explained, a heavy sigh passing through his lips.

"Well, not everyone is the same. Maybe she's different. You should go on and try," Jean encouraged, crossing his arms and shaking his head slowly.

"No," Bertie refused.

"Try," Jean repeated.

"Alright... alright..." Bertie uttered, his words rushing out. "I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. I'm Bertie, Albert Hidesine-Podeshire, the son of the Hidesine-Podeshire. I can do this..."

     Following Jean's suggestion, Bertie closes his eyes and takes a deep breath through his mouth. Clenching his teeth, he rises from the bench and walks forward, approaching the girl. As Bertie gains closer, a sense of regret tugs at him and pulls him back to his brothers and friends. Hurriedly, Bertie retreats, shaking his head as he grips his sketchbook.

"I can't do this!" Bertie said. "I cannot do this!"

"Well, you have to," Gabriel smirked mischievously.

"Okay, okay!" Bertie groaned, turning around to face the girl.

     With careful and purposeful strides, Bertie approaches the girl. However, with every step, his knees feel collapsing. Bertie pushes through, squeezing his eyes shut as he battles the waves of bashfulness within him. But, as the cold gust penetrates his thick coat and touches his spine, he quickly turns and runs to his brothers and friends.

"Go for it!" they pressed.

"Okay, here I go..." Bertie complied, immediately turning to the girl and approaching her. However, another cold breeze caressed his back, causing him to retreat to his brothers and friends.

"Bertie..." they urged with conviction and a slight tinge of exasperation.

     Closing his eyes, Bertie turns around and approaches the girl. As he draws closer, he feels his heart bursting from his chest. Summoning his resolve and channelling his confidence, he marches towards the girl, trying to neglect all the fears that haunt him. He then stands behind her, gathering his courage as his lips quiver.

"Here I go..." Bertie murmured. With a careful touch, Bertie poked the girl on the shoulder, grabbing her attention. "Good day, Miss," he greeted her with a forced grin.

"Oh, uh, good day?" she greeted him, though she didn't share the same enthusiasm.

"What a lovely day, isn't it?" he said.

"Oh, yes," she agreed with a nod. "It's also a perfect time to read a book." She raised her book and showed it to Bertie.

"Indeed, it is, heh," Bertie replied, scratching his back.

"Oh? Also, uh, do... do I know you, good sir?" the girl asked.

"Oh, we haven't met yet, but! Uh! I would love to be your friend... if! If! Uh! Y-you're willing," Bertie stuttered, his words tumbling out.