Work Text:
Dream looked over to his illustration board in frustration. He knows that he doesn't have a lot of time to dwell too much on his lack of arts and crafts skills, but he can't help it.
Especially when he looks around only to see multiple people already putting finishing touches on their paintings.
In all honesty, he prefers to interpret the given theme “Light at the End of the Tunnel” through writing.
Hell, he'd even prefer interpreting it in an Extemporaneous Speech Contest instead of conveying its message through painting. But alas, his luck is currently going against him.
It's not like he hates drawing and painting. It's mainly because the pencil and paint hates him. He can't draw and paint even when his life depended on it.
Like he's supposed to do in this stupid activity right now.
He knows it's only part of the shenanigans of their scholarship program because they're having a month-long celebration for the founding of it. Dream's not too foreign about that concept, as they do it in their school for each month of their school year.
What he's not used to is most (if not all) activities are mandatory for them to participate in; a direct contrast to what their school does, that is participating in contests being voluntary.
And now his lack of visual artistry is being shown in full display, in front of his colleagues.
“Last 30 minutes!” Called someone from the front, as the visual projecting from the huge white cloth on the stage shows the timer counting down from 30 minutes.
“Great.” Dream muttered to himself. “Adding the time pressure on top of everything else.”
He took a few deep breaths to try and calm himself down. The blond wanted to at least submit something finished and he needs to calm down before his mind goes down into a huge spiral.
It's not like he spent the hour and a half doing nothing– the moment the theme was announced, he already had the concept in his mind: he visualized a hallway with someone turning around to the viewpoint.
He was also envisioning that the hallway's colors will be dark near the viewpoint and gradually becoming lighter as it gets near to the person at the end of the hallway.
It was the easiest idea he could think of basing off the surface meaning of the theme, a lot of interpretations being prepared to be written. He even got a reference photo from a music video of a song he watched a few days ago.
But then again, he can only visualize it in his brain. Translating what's inside his head by drawing and painting it himself is another.
And the sketch he had drawn on his illustration board has been absolute garbage in his eyes that he thinks it'd be a disgrace to even call it art.
He tried looking around, checking how his co-scholars were doing and he saw that most of the contestants had the same concept as him.
Add that on top of the fact that the others are doing his concept way better than the bare minimum that he could do.
Of course, his competitiveness won't let him lose.
If he needs to change his submission, he needs to think of an idea.
And he needs to do it fast.
He checked the timer, only to see that he have 25 minutes remaining.
With the limited time he had, he stood up and went to the front to ask for another illustration board to paint on while desperately looking around for inspiration.
Nothing.
The moment he received the board, he ran to his spot and sat there staring at the blank canvas.
It would be no use to restart if I don't have any other ideas.
Desperate, he stood up once again to try and roam around when he accidentally looked upwards.
The gears in his head started moving, activating the lightbulbs in there.
Dream finally found an inspiration.
23 minutes remaining.
He quickly sat down on his spot and reached out for the black paint he brought.
For his idea to work, he needed to cover the entire canvas with black paint.
It was a blessing that he bought varying paintbrushes and quick dry paints just for this event. That'll make the painting easier, as well as make the drying process a bit faster.
While waiting for the paint to dry, he pulled out a sheet of paper and started writing the interpretation he thought of the moment the inspiration came flooding in him.
He might not be able to get the judges’ eyes from his painting itself but he's confident that he'll make up for the interpretation.
17 minutes.
Dream checked the canvas to see if he can add the details he needs to complete his painting. He felt that the painting was now dry.
He can hear his already finished colleagues talking to each other by his spot since they're only waiting for the others (like Dream) to finish. One of them went over and sat by Dream to check on what he's working on.
“You could've used the back of the illustration board if you needed black, you know…” The colleague remarked.
Dream scoffed as he looked for a smaller brush and his white and yellow acrylic paints, “Thought of it— even asked about it in front earlier. Can't.”
The two didn't notice that another finished colleague went by their side to check in on him as well, “If your drawing will be what I think it is, then you don't have to panic.” The newcomer said, lightly patting Dream's shoulder. “Relax. You'll finish it before the time is up.”
The blond got reminded of the time so he decided to take a glimpse of the timer on the front.
5 minutes.
How did the time fly by so fast? His mind started panicking as he couldn't find the brush he needed to finish his art. The colleagues who checked in on him noticed his distress and helped him look for the brush.
“Found it!” one of them called out as they lifted up the now scrapped illustration board Dream initially used.
Opening the yellow and white paints, he dipped the brushes and painted the black-coated canvas to finally finish his work.
3 minutes.
For their work to be counted on the actual contest, the piece needs to be submitted and have a respective number before the time is up.
So Dream needs a bit of a time allowance, especially since his spot is on the other side of the stage where the submission process takes place.
While sprinkling his work with the final touches, he sighed in relief.
Thank goodness he didn't even try painting the first idea he did. It would've taken him more than 30 minutes to even finish the colors, and he's not even counting the minutes needed for the detailing yet.
He tried blowing on the wet paint in his canvas to speed up the process. The blond was so fixated on submitting his work before the time that he didn't even realize that both of his colleagues have gone back to their spots to let him concentrate.
One minute.
Dream was once again relieved that he didn't have to borrow glue and tape to stick his interpretation on the back of the canvas. After doing so, he ran to the line that's slowly getting longer by the stage.
The moment the staff announced that the time is over, his work has already been labeled as entry number 31.
Dream went by his spot with relief and calmness overtaking his senses.
All he needs to worry about is the results.
He knew damn well what his advantages in the contest are and he listed them in his head:
- Interpretations count in the criteria. What he lacked in the visual artistry, he's confident that he'll make up in the written interpretation, and
- All of their works are anonymous. No one except from the creator (and in his case, his colleagues who checked his progress) will know that it's their work until it's announced. Their program argues that it is implemented to remain fair with judging.
Okay, maybe not completely anonymous… They've written their name alongside the painting title on a sheet of paper, and the staff that received your painting will write down your painting’s number beside your name.
Once everyone submitted their works and had cleaned up, everyone was then allowed to leave as the results would be announced in the culminating activity over the weekend.
And now the waiting game begins.
2 days after the contest, Dream saw his painting be part of the final 15 that was posted by their scholarship’s social media, alongside the interpretations as their image caption.
The scholarship apparently wanted to give 4 awards from the painting contest: the 3 best, and the popularity choice. Hence the posting of the top 15 on their public account.
He can see a lot of people liking all of his contender's works. His, on the other hand, has been left with less than 3 digit in terms of likes.
Well, he's certain that his work won't win that popularity award and that's for sure.
The week went by fast and today is the culminating event for their scholarship’s month-long founding anniversary celebration.
Dream, alongside the other scholars, are mandated to attend the celebration and there'll be a meeting afterwards.
They're also allowed to bring people to accompany them, especially the ones that will perform throughout the program so he brought Sapnap and George with him.
They sat down where his co-scholars of the same grade level were assigned to sit by the bleachers. “Why do we have to sit through this program with you?” Sapnap, the most active person in his circle, complained.
Dream sighed. “I get that you wanted to run today, but I'm really nervous about that painting contest, Sapnap. I don't want to be embarrassed.”
Since the painting contest was the only contest where they can show the actual works, the staff said that they'll be revealing the winners by flipping the illustration boards leaning on the labelled monoblock chairs when it's time to award the winners.
The scholars, of course, have heard about it beforehand.
This explains Dream's distress, especially because the moment some of the staff have been congratulating him.
For what? He joined the painting and singing contest and he knew he only placed 2nd in the singing contest…
George picked up on what was unsaid regarding Dream's distress and tried teasing him about it.
To be fair, they'd been made aware of this before they went with him to the venue. After all, his friends were the reason why his mind didn't dwell much on overthinking what the result is, as well as comparing his works with the other 14 finalists that were chosen.
Dream has been nothing but thankful to have them as his best friends and has been distracted by that fact long enough until the staff went to where the chair “podiums” were placed to place it on the front and flipped the paintings to finally reveal who won.
“Dream–! Your painting is in there!” The two beside him exclaimed while excitedly shaking his shoulder.
The blond remained frozen on his seat. The noise surely drowned out what his friends have said to other people but he's still processing each word and every syllable as his mind replays the “unveiling” of the winning pieces in slow motion.
Why is my work in the middle? he wondered. Is it really that ugly that it needs to be in the middle so the other 2 beautiful works beside it will equalize his abomination?
“Dumbass. It's probably first.” Sapnap replied to his inner thoughts like he said it out loud.
Wait— did he—?
Also, what did his friend just say?
Dream whipped his head at Sapnap to double check if he heard the younger right. Sapnap just shrugged in response.
His work winning first place…
As much as his competitiveness wants that to happen, the visuals of the work of his rivals humbles that thought as quick as it came.
Winning first place at a painting contest when he only placed second on the singing contest is like him waiting for a miracle that will never happen.
He then tried squinting to see what place the middle painting won but they're too far from the middle and the sunlight from the parked vehicles beside the venue has been reflecting off of their place, making it harder for him to see.
Giving up on discovering what place he won, Dream slouched nervously as the awarding for the painting contest started.
The most popular among the finalists was announced first, and everything in his system is expecting he'll be called to the stage to be awarded the 3rd place prize.
To his surprise, he wasn't.
His jaw dropped the moment that the staff lifted the art from the right of his drawing to proclaim it the third placer.
To be completely fair, Dream already knew that it wasn't his work the moment the host read out the interpretation for the art.
But that does not make him accept the fact that he might be second placer, or worse, first! He's already expecting his work to be the third placer!
After the creator of the 3rd placer piece received their award and the photographer taking pictures, the host then proceeded with the second placer.
Earlier, he was nervous that he was losing this contest so badly, but now Dream was extremely nervous about the realization that his atrocious painting might have been the winning piece in the contest.
What would everyone even say about him? His thoughts starting to overflow. People might say I have too much influence for being well-known, or that I have personal connections with one (if not all) of the judges in the contest!
I didn't even know who judged the paintings! He exclaimed inside his head.
He was so occupied with his thoughts that he didn't realize that the first placer would be awarded next.
His senses came back the moment the host read the interpretation for the first place art— the interpretation he wrote.
“The winning piece, despite being simpler than the ones that placed below it, had the best interpretation amongst the other finalists.” Dream heard the host starting as the staff transferred the ribbon pasted on the monoblock to the painting.
Way to sugarcoat the fact that it sucks, but I'll take it.
"The creator of this painting said: I made my work simpler than the first draft I've made– I know it's not what everyone expected but I couldn't draw and I only had a limited amount of time to be too ambitious so I did what I could in accordance with the theme.
there are a few ways this can be interpreted that's matching the theme;
- the night sky representing "darkness", for we are all blind about what's going to happen soon; the stars representing "brightness", like, no matter how bright or faint it may look to us, we know that they exist, like our future: we don't know any of it but we're sure that we'll get there.
- it can also be interpreted as the night sky being one's hardships in life, for it can feel like we're 'carrying the entire sky' sometimes; while the stars being the motivation, or like what the theme says, 'the light at the end of the tunnel'.”
Okay, that doesn't sound right. Dream commented, raising a brow. I'm pretty sure I've made a more detailed interpretation of each detail in the painting and they've changed it.
“George,” He called as he reached out to the person on his right, “They've changed my interpretation.” The brunet lightly tapped his arms, “We can talk about it later." His friend then pushed him lightly, "For now you get there to claim your award!”
Sapnap was pulling his other hand to make him stand up and go down the bleachers to get on the stage and get his award.
He can hear the host talk about his interpretation “being the only one written in English” and it being “personal to the experiences the artist had” as the envelope containing the cash prize, as well as the completed art set being handed to him alongside the drawing.
A few hand shaking here, a few pictures there, and he's off the stage afterwards.
Not only can he hear people murmuring around him, but he can also feel eyes looking at him with intent as he walks by lines and lines of people to go back to his seat by the bleachers.
Dream doesn't know the intent of each pair of eyes looking at him, though. And honestly, he couldn't care less.
Now that the nervousness is entirely wiped from his system (being replaced by adrenaline), all he can care about is the fact that he won because of his wits.
That, and the fact that he should be proud because he won the prize despite his visible lack of visual art magic and he won it fair and square.
Sapnap and George congratulated him and asked him questions about the entire experience to divert his attention long enough for the singing contest awarding, as he's meant to perform a song as part of the 3 people who won a place.
He might have only placed second, but he knew he did his best. And he was going to show that to everyone as well.
After his special number, the program went by smoothly.
By the per level post-program meeting was adjourned, Dream's mood had ended up on a very high note.
Maybe he can use this good mood to at least learn how to paint using the set he just got from the painting contest.