Chapter 6 — What Was That Feeling?
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The soft morning light filtered into Save's room.
There, resting beside his pillow, was the small black cat doll. Its round button eyes stared at the ceiling like it had stayed up all night. Save blinked sleepily at it, as if it had been waiting for him to wake up.
He sat up slowly, rubbed his eyes, then stared at the doll with a soft expression.
He gently picked it up and held it in both hands, like it was something fragile.
Save (quietly): "Why are you still looking at me like that...?"
A small smile tugged at his lips, though he tried to hide it.
He patted the doll's head gently.
Save (whispering): "You're seriously making me weird, you know that?"
Before the moment could get any softer, his momther's voice echoed from the hallway:
Mom: "Save! You're gonna be late again!"
Save: "Coming!"
He quickly fixed his uniform, grabbed his bag, and looked at the doll one last time. Then he placed it neatly on his bed, almost like tucking it in.
Save: "Stay here and don't cause trouble."
The doll stared back.
He rolled his eyes at himself and hurried out the door.
---
In the schoolyard, students gathered in their usual morning haze. Save spotted Por leaning near the stairs, sipping something from a juice box.
Por: "Look who finally survived Monday."
Save (deadpan): "It's Tuesday."
Por: "Time has no meaning when you're suffering."
They both chuckled.
Suddenly, a dramatic screech came from behind:
Patji: "MAKE WAY! THE STAR ATHLETE HAS ARRIVED!"
He skidded to a stop, hair even messier than usual.
Patji (pointing at Save): "Oi! You look like you just got chased by that haunted house ghost again."
Save (flat): "Not as scary as your face."
Patji: "Uncalled for. This face is a national treasure."
Por: "Bury it."
Then, Auau walked in, cool as ever, hands in his pockets. His eyes flicked over to Save.
With that same teasing smirk, he leaned in a little:
Auau (to Save): "Black Cat looks alive today."
Save flinched, just slightly. His ears turned red.
Patji (laughing): "Ohhh, that nickname again?"
Auau: "Well, he suits it."
Por (joining): "Honestly, yeah. Quiet. Mysterious. Could be cursed."
Save (pretending to yawn): "Can I transfer schools?"
They all laughed.
As they walked toward class, Por and Auau ended up chatting slightly ahead — not too far, but just enough that Save noticed. They were laughing at something, probably about yesterday's at the haunted house. Probably nothing.
Still, Save's eyes lingered for a second.
Then Patji threw an arm around him, yanking him back into chaos:
Patji: "If I don't survive homeroom today, tell my dog I love him."
Save (smirking): "You don't have a dog."
Patji: "Exactly. Tragic."
The bell rang. Off they ran — a group of chaos and teasing, with one black cat silently watching from the shadows of his own thoughts.
---
The PE ground was buzzing like a marketplace. Boys were dragging their feet across the hot cement, already regretting every life choice that led to this moment.
"Why is it always dodgeball when the sun wants to cook us alive?" Por groaned, shielding his face like he was melting.
"Maybe Coach wants natural selection to do its thing," Patji chimed in, holding the dodgeball like it was a grenade. "Honestly, I'm ready. Just hit me. Let me rest in peace."
Save adjusted his sleeves neatly, already sweating but pretending it didn't bother him. He glanced at the sky like he could argue with it.
"Let's split into two teams!" Coach shouted.
By some evil twist of fate, Save was put on the opposite team from Por and Patji.
"Oh no, no, no," Patji said dramatically. "My emotional support bestie has left me."
"He's not dead, Patji," Por said.
"He might be when Auau's done with him," Patji muttered. "Or maybe not. Did you see that weird stare-down this morning?"
"Too much energy," Save muttered to himself.
Auau smirked from across the court. "Try not to cry, princess."
"Try not to trip over your ego," Save shot back.
"FLIRT LATER, FIGHT NOW!" Patji screamed like a battle cry. "FOR THE HONOR OF FRIENDSHIP!"
Por groaned. "This is going to be chaos."
The whistle blew.
Balls went flying.
Auau immediately became a dodgeball demon. He was destroying everyone with precision — everyone except Save. Whenever it was Save's turn, Auau's throw would go conveniently just off-target.
Patji, already hit and now on the sidelines, squinted. "He's missing on purpose. Por, look at that! He hit Beam in the face like he owed him money, but Save gets spa treatment!"
Por grinned. "He's totally into him."
"He's a lovestruck panther!" Patji whispered like it was a secret mission. "But like, dangerous and sweet? Ugh, I love this drama."
Meanwhile, Save was dodging casually — like he was born to survive dodgeball. "You're going easy on me," he called out to Auau.
"Just lucky, I guess," Auau replied with a grin.
"LIES!" Patji shouted from the bench. "I OBJECT!"
Someone else got hit. Chaos continued. But not Save. Never Save.
Por and Patji exchanged glances — the kind that said, "Yup. Something is definitely going on."
---
The game had ended with a whistle and a few dramatic falls. The boys sprawled on the bench like tired lions.
Patji flopped down, clutching his chest. "I swear, Auau's got rocket launchers in his arms. I was nearly reborn today."
Por sat more gracefully beside him, wiping his face with a towel. "He was intense, yeah. Focused."
Auau walked over, stretching his arms. "You two look like you ran from a tiger."
Patji pointed weakly at him. "You are the tiger, bro."
Por chuckled but stayed quiet. His eyes followed Save, who sat a little distance away, silently drinking water.
Patji leaned back and smirked. "Hey, Auau… you didn't go soft on us today. But with Save? That ball came flying like a butterfly in slow motion."
Auau's ears twitched slightly. "What? I was just… being careful."
Patji raised an eyebrow. "Careful? The only time you're careful is when you're holding hot ramen."
Por, still watching, added softly, "He didn't even try to dodge. And you still threw it slow."
Auau rubbed the back of his neck. "He looked tired, that's all. I didn't wanna hit him."
Patji grinned. "Hmm… sounds like someone's got a soft spot."
Auau groaned, sitting down. "You're reading too much into it."
Patji bumped his shoulder. "I'm just saying — if you start packing his lunch next, I'm calling it romance."
They all laughed, even Auau — though a faint pink crept into his cheeks. But Por… Por just tilted his head, observing Auau's reaction, and then glanced toward Save, who sat with his head low, lips pressed together.
There was something in Save's silence — not just tiredness.
Por didn't say anything.
Not yet.
---
Save's POV
Save sat under the tree with his knees pulled up, hugging his water bottle like it held the secrets of the universe. His jersey clung to him, damp and wrinkled, but his mind wasn't on the game anymore.
He could hear them laughing.
He glanced sideways, pretending not to look — but his eyes locked instantly on the group by the bench.
Auau, sitting between Por and Patji, was smiling — genuinely, the way he didn't during class. Save didn't often see him laugh like that. It tugged at something soft inside him… and something uncertain.
Then he saw it.
Por leaned closer and said something to Auau. Auau's hand shot up like he was denying it, his cheeks visibly pink, even from this distance. Patji exploded with laughter, smacking Auau's shoulder like he'd scored a goal with that joke.
They looked… close.
Save's heart gave a slow, dull thump. His fingers clenched slightly around the bottle. He wasn't angry. He wasn't jealous.
He didn't know what he was.
Just… something in him shifted. Quietly.
He looked away.
Back at the ground. Back at his shoes. Back to pretending none of it mattered.
But he heard Patji's voice echo again across the field, teasing and bright.
> "If you start packing his lunch next, I'm calling it romance!"
Save blinked.
He didn't smile.
---
The cafeteria buzzed with noise — trays clattering, chairs scraping, someone yelling about spicy noodles two tables over.
Save quietly picked a seat near the window, as usual. His friends weren't around yet. He unwrapped his lunchbox slowly, pretending not to glance at the entrance.
A minute later, Por and Patji burst in — laughing about something as usual. Patji carried two juice boxes for some reason and already looked like he was planning mischief.
Save's chopsticks paused mid-air when he saw Auau trailing behind them.
With them?
The trio slid into a table a few rows over. Por looked relaxed, speaking in low tones. Patji, on the other hand, was grinning like he'd just figured out who to tease next.
> "I'm just saying," Patji said loudly enough that Save could overhear, "you didn't throw any balls at Save. Not even one. It was suspicious."
Auau choked on his water. "Wha—? I did! I—! He dodged it!"
Por chuckled, a little more thoughtful. "You really didn't go full power on him, though."
Auau looked at him, narrowing his eyes. "So what? He's fast. And neat. He didn't even mess up his hair. That's suspicious too!"
Patji laughed. "You're deflecting, bro. Literally. Emotionally. All the ways."
Save couldn't hear what Auau mumbled back — but he noticed the way Auau's ears turned a bit pink. He looked... cornered.
And then Por leaned in, smiling too gently, and said something quiet.
Auau glanced around — and for just a second, their eyes met.
Save quickly looked down at his rice. Suddenly, it didn't taste like anything. He didn't know what they were saying. But it felt like something… personal.
His stomach twisted. He pushed the lunchbox a little farther away.
Save poked at a cucumber slice.
He hadn't asked Auau to go easy on him. He didn't even think Auau liked him. So why did it feel like something was happening behind his back?
> "Oiii~ Save!"
A familiar voice cut through the noise.
Patji waved at him from a few tables over — still grinning like he was mid-prank. "Why you sitting all lonely like a tragic anime boy? Come here!"
Save looked up, startled.
Por leaned slightly to the side, making space on the bench. "We saved you a spot," he said more quietly, nodding toward the open seat between him and Auau.
Save hesitated. His eyes flicked toward Auau — who was drinking water, very focused on… the cup.
Por raised an eyebrow. "You'll catch ants sitting there that long."
Patji added, "Or worse — existential thoughts. Come on!"
That finally pulled a tiny smile from Save. He grabbed his lunchbox and walked over.
> Auau didn't look up.
Save sat quietly beside Por. The teasing paused — for a second — before Patji immediately resumed mid-joke like nothing had happened. Something about Auau blushing like a girl.
Save pretended to focus on his rice.
But inside? He felt like he'd stepped into the middle of a joke without knowing the punchline.
Patji suddenly leaned forward, tossing a biscuit into Save's lunchbox like it was a basketball hoop.
> "Hey, bonus points if you eat that first!"
Save blinked. "I… don't even like those."
Patji gasped dramatically. "What?! Then what kind of person are you?"
Por chuckled. "Let him eat what he wants, idiot."
Patji rolled his eyes. "I'm just making conversation! It's so awkward in here I can hear my own chewing echo."
That got a laugh out of Por.
Auau? Still silent.
Still sitting next to Save.
He opened his mouth — finally.
> "Do you… want my juice?"
He pushed the small carton slightly in Save's direction.
Save looked at it. Then at him.
> "Why?"
> "It's the orange one. You like orange, right?"
Patji raised both eyebrows. "Since when do you know what flavor he likes?"
Auau froze.
Save blinked.
Por raised a brow too, curious now.
Auau fumbled. "I— I mean— It's just what he had before. I noticed."
Patji grinned like a fox who just found a whole nest of secrets.
> "He noticed, Save. Are you gonna marry him now or later?"
Save almost choked on his rice.
Por gently smacked the back of Patji's head. "That's enough."
Save looked down again, heart punching his ribs.
But this time… he smiled, just a little. A quiet, confused kind of smile.
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— End of Chapter 6 —