Like an excited little kid

It's 7:40 pm, and I've been staring at the notebook for about 10 minutes without even realizing it. "That's it!" I exclaimed aloud.

This notebook offers me freedom; I can write whatever I want, whenever I want,and fully express myself . That must be it…

I filled the first page and then moved on to another, and another. When I finally finished, about 6 pages were already full. "That's… It's freedom," I said to myself.

So that's what Takasaki felt, or at least something akin to it, which means there's more. Just thinking about it brought a smile to my face.

After contemplating it for a while, I tidied up my desk and went to make some dinner. My mother wasn't home, and my father was away on a work assignment in another city, so I had to cook for myself.

"I've made up my mind; there's no turning back after this."

I resolved to start learning about writing. I'll try to maintain decent scores in my studies and delve deeper into the world of words. I'm nowhere near Takasaki's level, but I'll make the most of my current abilities.

I've always performed well in tests that require writing about certain topics and themes. I can also draw, but I'm not proficient enough yet, so I'll have to practice that daily as well.

I don't have many options; if I want to combine my interests, then I'll have to write either manga or light novels. Writing a decent long novel with my current skill level seems doubtful; besides, I haven't attempted a long story before.

"Guess I'll start with a light novel," I decided as I finished making dinner: fried fish and rice with soy sauce. Nothing fancy, but it suits me.

Creating a manga adaptation for my story would be a beneficial exercise, so I must prepare for it. I suddenly have a lot of work ahead of me, but I'm not upset about it. I've been anticipating this moment for a long time; I can't complain now.

As soon as it was 22:00, I went to bed. It wasn't my usual bedtime since I often sleep at 23:00 or later, but I need at least 8 hours of sleep. Tomorrow's going to be quite busy.

"Finally! Man, I don't know what I would do if those tests weren't over. I can't endure another one," exclaimed Asato before thumping me on the back.

"That hurts man, can't you greet others normally?" I chided him.

"Heh, lighten up, dude. Everyone is happy because we finished those tests," he said with a broad grin.

"You're right. How did you do on them?" I inquired.

"Don't even ask, I have no idea," he replied, arms behind his head.

"I have to go, see you later, Asato," I said.

"Yeah, catch you later." There was nothing amiss in his words, but the way he looked at me was odd, as if he were teasing.

"What's up?" I queried.

"Hmm, you seem different, Haru… A bit happier than usual. Oh, have you got yourself a girlfriend? We're in our final year of high school after all, it makes sense," he speculated.

"Stop jumping to conclusions, it's not like that," I interjected. "But I think I'm feeling better than I used to,"

"That's good to hear!" he exclaimed, patting me on the shoulder.

Almost half of the classroom shared Asato's jubilant mood. I was relieved too.

"Morning, everyone. You all seem cheerful," greeted Mori sensei.

"Of course, sensei! Lately, I've been having nightmares about maths and other subjects," joked one of our classmates, provoking laughter.

"Don't get too comfortable yet, you can only relax a bit after passing the finals at the end of the year, remember that," cautioned Mori sensei.

He's right, neglecting my studies now will come back to haunt me at the end of the year. We can't rest easy until we graduate. But then things will become even more serious.

I doubt I can truly relax and forget about school after graduation.

Class ended for the day, and we'll have the next week as a break. "I have to make sure not to waste a single minute," I muttered to myself.

"Not a single minute? That's going to be a busy week," remarked Takasaki.

I hadn't noticed him. Lately, I've been consumed by thoughts of my new goal, completely unaware of my surroundings.

"Yes, it's going to be an eventful week," I replied.

"It seems you've found what you were looking for, you were curious about how it feels to wake up with a sense of purpose, right?" he asked.

"You knew about that?" I questioned in surprise. "It was easy to tell," he responded.

"But anyway, you'll find your answer very soon, or perhaps you've already found it?" he continued.

"You're right, I have. I'm going to start writing and illustrating a light novel," I announced.

"Glad to hear it, I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of writer, no, what kind of artist you are," he said, looking at me with a somewhat serious expression.

"Same here," I replied. It's finally going to begin. I can't wait any longer.