Kemon sat on the windowsill, sketchbook open. Below, city lights glittered. He drew a circle, a square, and a zigzag, then crumpled the page.
He squeezed the drawing into a tight ball and tossed it outside. The paper tumbled past balconies, spinning toward the bright sidewalk below.
Kemon walked past a bakery, where icing swirls filled the window. He passed impossible mountains in a photo studio. A glowing Roblox character waved nearby. His hands stayed in his pockets.
At the laundromat, Kemon found a silver star sticker sheet on a dryer door. He peeled off stars and pressed them onto his shoe and knee.
One star slipped away and landed in a puddle. “Stupid,” Kemon muttered. He kicked the water, splashing silver reflections across the pavement.
Kemon sat on the step and turned the empty sticker sheet over. Its smooth backing was blank. He uncapped a marker and drew a crooked house with a crooked chimney.
He peeled the paper slowly and stuck the drawing to his shirt. The little house leaned sideways. Kemon grinned at it.
Morning sunlight flashed on the crooked house as Kemon crossed the city. At a bus stop, a girl pointed. “Where did you get that?”