Here is Chapter 5 of "I Accidentally Drew a Harem"
Title: "Behind the Gym, Beneath the Surface"
(Approx. 2000 words)
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Chapter 5: Behind the Gym, Beneath the Surface
The bell rang, but Eli didn't move.
Students shuffled out of the classroom, chatting about the upcoming school festival or arguing about whose job it was to clean the chalkboard. A few girls passed by his desk a little slower than necessary, tossing curious glances at him.
Eli stared at the pink note in his hand.
"Meet me after school behind the gym. I have something to say."
No name. Just a sticker of a heart.
"That's not ominous at all," he muttered.
"You gonna go?" Jay's voice came from over his shoulder. The dude had somehow appeared out of nowhere again.
Eli didn't answer.
Jay leaned on the desk like a bored detective. "Could be Emma. She writes like she does math. Precise, neat, and scary."
"Could also be Lila. Her handwriting is soft like her voice," Eli said quietly.
"Brooke would've signed it with a kiss mark and attached glitter."
Jay tilted his head. "Or maybe it's someone new."
That thought hadn't occurred to Eli. And now that it had, it wouldn't leave.
"You're not helping," Eli mumbled.
Jay grinned. "I know."
---
Eli waited until most of the school had emptied out. He lingered near the vending machines, pretending to browse energy drinks he couldn't afford, just to stall for time.
Eventually, with his heart thudding in his chest like a broken drum, he headed toward the gym.
The back area was quiet. A few stray leaves tumbled across the ground. The sun dipped low in the sky, casting long shadows across the pavement.
He rounded the corner slowly.
Someone was there.
She stood with her back to him, long, wavy dark hair spilling down her blazer. Her hands were clasped in front of her, and she was rocking slightly on her heels.
Eli froze.
She turned.
It wasn't Emma. Not Lila. Not Brooke either.
"Hi," she said softly. "You probably don't know me."
He blinked. "Uh…"
"I'm Mia. Mia Holloway. I'm in Class 3C."
She looked nervous but determined.
"I know this is weird," she continued. "But I've seen you before. Around the library. And I saw your art last week, in the club hallway. The portrait of the girl reading."
"That was Lila," Eli said.
"I know," Mia replied. "But the way you drew her… it wasn't just her face. It was her feeling."
Eli's breath caught.
"I used to think art was just something people did for fun. But when I saw that drawing, it made me feel something I hadn't felt in a long time. I used to sketch a little. Nothing serious. Just when I was bored or sad."
She looked down at her shoes, then back up.
"I guess what I'm trying to say is… your art reminded me of what it felt like to be noticed."
Eli opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
She smiled shyly. "So… I was wondering. If maybe you could draw me sometime."
"I—uh. Sure."
"Just… not right now. I want to earn it."
That caught him off guard. "Earn it?"
"I want to know what you see when you draw someone," Mia said. "And I want that version of me to actually be real."
Eli didn't know what to say to that.
"I'll see you around, Eli," she said, then turned and walked off, her hair catching the sunlight for a second before disappearing around the corner.
He stood there, stunned.
Not a confession. Not a flirt.
Something else.
Something deeper.
---
Later that night, Eli found himself in his room, sketchbook open but untouched.
He kept thinking about Mia's words.
"I want to earn it."
Nobody had said that before.
Emma had seen herself in his drawing and been afraid.
Lila had confessed right after seeing her sketch.
Brooke treated it like a mirror she was proud of.
But Mia? She wanted to become someone she felt worthy of being drawn as.
He stared at the blank page.
Jay burst into his room without knocking.
Eli nearly jumped out of his skin.
"Bro, emergency. Actual emergency," Jay said, flailing like his hair was on fire.
"Is someone dying?"
"No, worse. They put me on decoration duty."
Eli blinked. "You? The guy who tried to hang a banner upside down last year?"
Jay pointed dramatically. "This is art oppression. They said I have to work under you. Something about 'you being the only person who can make a wall look less depressing than my love life.' Their words."
Eli couldn't help but laugh.
Jay dropped a folder onto the bed. It was full of rough booth layouts and costume sketches. None of them looked even halfway decent.
"Okay, but real talk," Jay said, dropping into a bean bag. "Someone gave you a love note yesterday. Spill."
"It wasn't a love note."
Jay raised an eyebrow.
"It was a girl named Mia. She wants me to draw her. Eventually."
Jay's grin slowly grew until it was practically illegal.
"Oh no."
"Oh yes."
"I don't have room for another girl in my emotional breakdown schedule."
"That's not how harems work, Eli."
"It's not a harem."
Jay pulled out a crumpled schedule and scribbled something on it with a pen.
"What are you doing?"
"Updating your destiny."
---
The next day at school, Eli tried to act normal. That lasted about thirty seconds.
At his locker, Lila was waiting.
She held out a paper fan she had made for the festival, decorated with flowers and gold ribbon.
"For the booth," she said softly.
"Thanks," Eli said.
They stood there awkwardly.
"I'm sorry about yesterday," she said suddenly. "I didn't mean to make things heavy."
"You didn't."
She smiled, brushing her hair behind her ear. "Still, I want you to know… even if other girls come into the picture, I'm not giving up."
Eli opened his mouth but paused.
"I'm not asking for anything," she added. "I just want to support you."
Before he could reply, she turned and walked toward her classroom, leaving him standing with the fan in hand and more emotions than he knew what to do with.
---
In the art room, Emma was already setting up paints.
She didn't speak right away. Just nodded when he walked in and handed him a brush.
They painted together in silence.
Eventually, she said, "You seem overwhelmed."
"I kind of am."
Emma stepped back and examined her work. "You're not the only one who's unsure."
He looked at her.
"I don't know what I want either. But I know I want you to keep being you."
He didn't reply. He couldn't.
---
Later in the afternoon, as Eli was pinning up decoration sketches outside their homeroom, Brooke showed up with a tray of cupcakes.
"I baked these for festival prep. Want one?"
Eli took one. "Thanks."
She bit into one herself and leaned against the wall.
"I saw that girl yesterday. The one from Class 3C."
Eli paused. "Mia?"
Brooke nodded. "She's got a calm vibe. I like her."
Eli waited for the sarcasm. It never came.
"You don't need to explain anything," Brooke said. "If this thing becomes more complicated, fine. But I'm still in. I don't care how many chapters it takes."
He gave her a look.
She smirked. "What? If this was a manga, I'd be the bold one with the dramatic arc and killer fashion sense."
He laughed. She winked. And just like that, the tension melted a little.
---
By the end of the week, the festival decorations were starting to come together. Posters were being painted, lights tested, and Eli's wall sketches were drawing attention.
Literally.
Other students stopped in the halls to compliment them.
A girl from the music club asked for a drawing on their booth sign.
Two underclassmen from Class 1A begged him to design their poster.
And on Thursday afternoon, Mia stopped by again.
This time, she brought a small notebook.
"I started sketching again," she said quietly. "Just rough stuff."
Eli flipped through the pages. They were simple, but good. Honest. Like her.
She watched him carefully.
"Still want me to draw you?" he asked.
"Not yet," she said. "But… maybe soon."
He closed the notebook gently. "I'll wait."
She smiled.
---
That night, Eli sat on his bed, a dozen thoughts spinning in his head.
Jay burst in again.
"No knocking," Eli muttered.
"I've evolved beyond doors."
Jay tossed him a crumpled note.
"What's this?"
"It's from a girl in Class 1B. She asked me to give it to you."
Eli opened it.
Another confession.
He stared at it, then looked at Jay.
Jay was grinning like a proud parent.
"Dude, you're not even trying anymore, and they're lining up."
"I don't want a line."
"You've got one anyway."