01
The paintbrush in my hand suddenly stated, falling to the ground with a faint clatter.
I nearly toppled from my chair in shock.
Staring at the just completed design on my desk, I picked it up and tore it to shreds.
Then, I fed the rest of my drafts into the shredder.
Only after that did I allow myself a sigh of relief.
I realized I had been reborn.
I was back on the day before the design competition.
After regaining my composure, I quickly set up a new social media account and opened Frieda’s profile.
Immediately, a familiar draft greeted me.
If not for seeing that sketch, I might ve dismissed this “rebirth” as a final hallucination before death.
But there it was, on Frieda’s account, real as could be.
She’d posted the draft over half an hour ago, yet I’d only just finished drawing it.
This design’s style was a stark departure from her previous work
Frieda’s usual designs leaned towards a refined, romantic aesthetic. Though polished, they often lacked novelty.
But this sketch was simple yet strikingly fresh
Despite being up for only thirty minutes, it already had tens of thousands of likes, with the count rising.
The comments were flooded with praise.
[Oh my god, she’s a design genius! How is she only getting noticed now?]
[Apparently, she’s a freshman at some design school She’s so young and already has such great taste. She’ll definitely take first place in this competition!]
[Couldn’t agree more. There’s finally hope for the domestic design industry!]
The Inspiration for this entry had come to me while sketching at a cathedral abroad,
I’d infused it with my love for cyberpunk elements, creating a unique style that took countless revisions to perfect.
Had I not seen Frieda’s posted draft, identical to my final version, I might have doubted my own sanity:
I thought, “Could I somehow have drifted into Frieda’s memory in a dream? How else could she have completed and posted a design identical to mine before I did? It was beyond comprehension”
In my past life, I’d submitted my entry brimming with confidence, certain that a prize awaited
Instead, what came was a torrent of online abuse and a disqualification notice from the organizers.
I was bewildered until Jaelyn Collins called to explain.
Jaelyn told me that my entry was identical to that of Kaysen’s childhood friend, Frieda
At the time, I thought maybe it was just a similar concept. I felt wronged, wondering why I deserved such backlash.
But when I clicked on her social media account, I was stunned
The day before the competition, she’d posted her sketches and sources
Her draft was identical to mine.
Yet, I hadn’t browsed her profile before submitting my entry.
I quickly called Frieda, hoping to clarify things.
After all, a plagiarism accusation could ruin a designer’s career.
Besides, we’d had a decent relationship up until then
But that day, her phone was constantly busy
Soon, I saw Frieda’s video post on social media.
ces of inspir
inspiration.
In it, she was crying, her face tear–streaked. “I always looked up to Ms. Watson as my inspiration, so I shared my ideas with her right away. I never thought she’d plagiarize my design, using my exact sketches as her own. She even called and threatened me, telling me to admit I copied her work, or she’d make my life hell at school, I may not have much power, but I refuse to let this kind of behavior slide. Even if she retaliates, I have to speak up!”
Her video quickly went viral, and the comments were brutal.
[Support originality! Plagiarists should get out of the design world
Exactly! It’s shameless to copy someone else’s work like that!
You don’t have to be afraid, well stand by you and make sure justice is served!]
