Chapter 9 – The First Night
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Golden afternoon. The final school bell rings.
Students are flooding out of the building — shouting, hugging, throwing their hands up. It's the last exam of the year, and everyone's heading home or getting ready for the long-awaited summer camp.
Save, quiet and soft-spoken, walks through the crowd like a silent breeze. His eyes are low, his movements calm — as if the noise doesn't reach him.
Por, his best friend, comes jogging beside him with a big grin.
> Por: "SAVE! Dude! We're done! This is it — no more math torture! You ready for the woods?"
Save gives him a small nod and the tiniest smile.
> Save: "You sure it's not optional?"
> Por (grinning): "Don't you dare ditch me. Or I'll drag you out of your bed."
---
INT. SAVE'S HOME – EARLY MORNING
A modest but cozy house. Warm yellow lights. Wooden shelves stacked with books, indoor plants, and family photos.
Save's younger sister runs to his bed and flops down dramatically, throwing her legs up in the air.
> Mali: "So you're leaving now? You sure you don't want to cry before you go?"
> Save (deadpan): "Thinking about it."
Their mother, a soft-faced woman in her forties, walks in with folded clothes.
> Mom: "Don't tease your brother, Mali. He's going to the forest, not the battlefield."
> Mali: "Same thing! There are mosquitoes there!"
---
The family is now in Save's room, helping him pack.
His dad comes in, tossing a flashlight at him like a pro.
> Dad: "You'll need that. And try not to get eaten by a bear. Or worse… lose your phone."
Save (with a rare smile): "I'll think about it."
His mom folds his blanket gently into the bag.
> Mom: "Don't forget to eat, okay? I packed your favorite dried mangoes."
> Mali (with a dramatic gasp): "You packed HIS favorite?! What about meee?!"
> Mom (smiling): "You didn't have exams."
Save (teasing): "Yeah. You're still in second grade."
> Mali (pretending to faint): "I'm ten! Why does no one take me seriously in this house?!"
---
The room fills with laughter.
He took one last look around the room as everyone went back to their morning chaos.
Save zipped up the bag halfway… then paused.
His gaze shifted to the corner of his bookshelf, just above his reading desk. There it was — the magic book. Bound in faded green fabric, with the strange embossed letters that only seemed to shimmer in the dark. It looked like it hadn't moved since he last dropped it there in a rush weeks ago.
He had never finished it.
The last page had stayed unread. The words had begun to blur when he reached the moment where he was no longer in the center of the story… just a quiet observer of Por and Auau. A background character. And his chest had hurt too much to keep going.
But now… he didn't know why, exactly… he reached for it.
His fingers hovered, then closed around the spine.
SAVE (softly, to himself)
"Just in case."
He slid it into a side pocket of his duffel bag, careful not to wrinkle the edges.
His eyes settled on the small black cat doll sitting quietly on his bookshelf. The ceramic figurine had always been there. Its glossy eyes stared back at him, a silent witness to every night he couldn't sleep, every exam he stressed over, every moment he kept to himself.
He walked over, brushing dust off its ears with his thumb. For a second, he thought about taking it with him.
It had always brought him comfort. It had always felt… alive, somehow.
But then he paused.
"I'll be fine," he whispered.
He left it on the shelf.
---
The school gates stood wide open, the early morning sun washing everything in a soft golden haze. A line of buses waited at the curb, engines humming, while students buzzed around with backpacks, suitcases, and way too much energy for 6:30 a.m.
Excited voices filled the air — plans being shouted, snacks being shared, selfies already being taken.
Save stood near the second bus, hands stuffed in his hoodie pockets, headphones in but no music playing. His eyes followed the movement around him without really seeing any of it.
He wasn't smiling. Wasn't talking.
He looked like he wanted to disappear.
A few meters away, Auau was surrounded by a couple of classmates — laughing politely, nodding, pretending to be fine. But his eyes kept drifting.
To Save.
Again and again.
Por stepped off the curb with a dramatic stretch, dragging his roller bag behind him like it had betrayed him in a past life.
Por:
"Remind me again why we do this trip after exams and not before? I've already suffered. Let me rot at home."
Patji joined him with a yawn, sipping something suspicious from a thermos.
Patji:
"Because if we had it before, nobody would come back."
Por (grinning):
"Fair. I wouldn't."
They walked toward the buses, chatting — until Por spotted Save. His smile dimmed slightly.
Por:
"He's still in his ice age, huh?"
Patji followed his gaze.
Patji:
"He didn't even react when I offered him a choco bar earlier. That's not normal. That's alarming."
Por (half-laughing):
"Maybe he thinks chocolate's a love language now."
Patji:
"Well… he's not wrong."
They stopped near Save, trying to play it cool. Por leaned against the bus frame.
Por (teasing, softly):
"Cheer up, grumpy cat. We're going to the mountains, not a funeral."
Save didn't respond.
Didn't even glance at them.
---
Save had taken his usual spot — window seat. His forehead rested lightly against the glass. Outside, the sky was still pale. The morning light cast a golden sheen across his hair, but his eyes were distant, as if watching something far beyond the schoolyard.
Auau boarded a few minutes later, hoodie half-zipped, a goofy little sticker still clinging to the side of his bag. His hair was slightly messy, and his headphones hung around his neck.
He paused in the aisle when he spotted Save.
His grin widened.
He strutted down the aisle like he was on stage, loud enough for Por and Patji to notice.
Auau (cheerfully dramatic):
"Well, well, if it isn't my favorite Black Cat."
Save didn't move.
Auau hovered beside him, arms crossed and head tilted.
Auau (teasing):
"Mind if I borrow this seat, oh mysterious feline of the shadows?"
No answer. Not even a glance.
Save calmly flipped his notebook open and scribbled something.
He turned it slightly so Auau could read it:
"Please don't."
Auau blinked, mock-offended.
Auau (clutching his chest):
"Rejection from my own Black Cat? My fragile heart can't take this."
Por and Patji snorted with laughter from behind.
Auau gave Save a dramatic bow and turned away.
Auau (muttering as he sat across the aisle):
"One day you'll let me sit next to you. Or at least meow back."
Save didn't react — but the corner of his notebook page lifted just slightly, like it was catching a breeze… or maybe hiding the smallest smile.
---
The bus grumbled its way up the narrow mountain road, the trees outside growing thicker, shadows longer. Inside the bus, it was... chaos.
Mook had taken control of the Bluetooth speaker and was blasting a playlist she swore was "perfect for scenic suffering." Patji kept screaming every time the bus leaned too hard on a curve.
Save sat in the back, chin resting on his hand, pretending to scroll through his phone. He wasn't in the mood for music or jokes. Especially not for the way Auau kept glancing at him like he wanted to say something.
Then Por, sitting across the aisle, suddenly said, "You ever realize how every school trip starts with screaming and ends with trauma bonding?"
"Por," Patji groaned. "It's 8 a.m."
"And?" Por replied, adjusting his glasses coolly. "The existential dread doesn't wait for coffee."
Auau snorted. "You're weird."
"No, I'm cultured," Por said with a mock shrug. "Besides, look at Save back there. That's our resident ghost energy collector."
Save didn't look up. "What does that even mean?"
"It means," Por said thoughtfully, "you're probably going to be the first one to hear weird forest whispers. I just hope you share them with the class."
Patji leaned forward. "He's got that main character vibe."
Auau grinned. "You mean emotionally distant, mysterious, and probably hiding a tragic backstory?"
Everyone laughed — except Save, who gave the faintest smirk. Por caught it. He always did.
---
A Sudden Bump
The bus jolted over a rough patch of road.
"AHH—" Patji shrieked, grabbing onto Mook like the world was ending.
Por raised a brow. "Relax. That was the road saying hi."
"More like the road trying to throw us into the abyss," Mook muttered.
Por casually glanced out the window. "If we die, I call haunting rights to the third-floor bathroom of the school."
Auau burst out laughing. "What would you even do? Flush the toilet mid-use?"
"Exactly. Justice."
---
"Everyone! Settle down!" came their teacher's sharp voice. "We'll be arriving at the villa in fifteen minutes. Behave!"
Silence fell like a fog — but only for a few seconds.
Por leaned across the aisle and whispered to Save, "Ten bucks says this villa has at least one ghost story attached."
"I'm not betting," Save said flatly.
"That's because you know I'm right."
---
The villa bus had just stopped. Everyone was stretching, groaning, grabbing bags and complaining about stiff necks.
While most students bustled toward the front gate, Por slowed down beside Auau, who was adjusting his bag with a soft sigh.
Por peeked at Save walking ahead — silent as always, pulling his bag like it owed him money.
He smirked and leaned toward Auau. "He gave you the icy-cold stare again, huh?"
Auau sighed dramatically. "Yes. With extra frost this time."
Por nodded seriously. "That's definitely the limited-edition Winter Special. You must've unlocked something."
Auau tried to hide a smile. "I don't know what I did."
"You existed."
"What?"
"I mean, you exist near him. That's dangerous. Very romantic."
Auau gave him a look. "Por."
"What? He only gets that awkward with you. With me he's just... grumpy."
Auau laughed softly, clutching his bag closer. "Do you think he hates me?"
Por raised an eyebrow. "No. But I do think... you affect him."
That made Auau pause.
Por grinned. "Anyway, tonight's room reveal is gonna be fun."
"Huh?"
"Nothing. I'm just psychic."
As Por skipped ahead dramatically, Save — a few steps in front — happened to glance over his shoulder. He saw Por leaning close to Auau, both of them smiling about something.
He blinked once, quietly turned back.
He didn't feel anything. Not exactly.
But he gripped the handle of his suitcase just a little tighter.
---
The villa was tucked between a mountainside and a sleepy road, with tall pine trees lining the edges like secret guards. It looked like something out of a vintage travel poster: sloped roof, stone steps, and little balconies with flower pots.
Everyone gasped when they saw it.
Patji spun around dramatically. "We are so not poor this time!"
Por shouted, "Thank you, school budget committee!"
Laughter broke out. Even the teachers looked slightly proud.
Inside the villa, things got chaotic fast. Shoes came off. Bags crashed to the floor. People darted in every direction, some already calling dibs on balcony corners.
A teacher clapped loudly. "Quiet! Quiet! You'll get your rooms based on the draw — no arguing!"
Everyone groaned.
Por leaned toward Save and whispered, "This is how revolutions start."
Patji added, "If I get paired with someone who snores, I'm sleeping in the hallway."
One by one, students stepped up to the little glass bowl the teacher held, pulling folded slips of paper.
Por pulled his. "Please be my soulmate," he muttered.
He opened it. "Patji."
Patji smirked. "Your wish came true, darling."
Por made a dramatic show of fainting in his arms.
Then it was Save's turn.
He walked up, silent as usual, pulled a paper, unfolded it — and froze.
Auau.
He blinked once. Then again.
"Next!" the teacher barked.
Save walked back stiffly.
Por's voice was like a whisper-bomb in his ear. "Oh. Fate is so dramatic."
Auau peeked at his own paper, and when their eyes met for half a second, he smiled.
Save looked away quickly, gripping the paper so tightly it wrinkled.
His heart didn't beat faster. Obviously.
That would be ridiculous.
---
The cabin door creaked open as Save stepped in first, the light from outside briefly catching the soft strands of his dark hair before the door swung shut behind them.
The room was small — two single beds with soft, faded covers, a wooden floor that squeaked if you stepped just wrong, and a window where the curtain moved gently with the breeze. The faint scent of old pine lingered in the air.
Save moved quietly to the bed closest to the window and set his bag down. Every movement was careful, almost too careful, like he was trying not to disturb anything — or anyone.
> Auau (playfully):
"You always walk like you're in a horror movie. Gotta admit, it's got a vibe."
No response.
Auau threw his bag onto the second bed with a flop, then bounced once before lying back with his arms behind his head, gazing at the ceiling.
> Auau:
"What a cozy little haunted shack we have here. Two single beds, one ghost window, and a moody roommate. Love that for me."
Save, still silent, began unpacking — folding a shirt neatly, aligning his notebook against the edge of the nightstand.
> Auau (half-turning his head):
"So, are you like... allergic to conversation or just saving your words for the right person?"
No answer.
Auau sat up, propped his chin in his hand, and observed Save like a curious scientist.
> Auau (pretending to take notes):
"Subject shows no response to casual banter. Possible symptoms: selective silence, overfolded clothing, dangerous levels of brooding."
Save sat down with his notebook, opened it, and wrote something.
Auau leaned in slightly.
> Notebook:
"Don't try."
> Auau (reading, then chuckling softly):
"Wow. Dark. Dramatic. Kind of hot."
Save's pen paused mid-stroke.
> Auau (smirking):
"Challenge accepted, Black Cat."
Their eyes met. A little too long. Not enough to call it a moment — but just enough to stir something.
Then Save looked away sharply, flipping to another page in his notebook like it would shield him from whatever that was.
Outside, the wind danced through the open window, brushing the thin curtains with a gentle whoosh. The golden evening light filtered in, painting soft shadows across the wooden floor.
Auau stood up and crossed to the window, staring outside for a moment.
> Auau (quietly):
"Not bad. I thought it'd be more boring, this trip."
He turned slightly, looking over his shoulder at Save.
> Auau:
"Though I didn't expect to be rooming with a ghost. Or maybe a prince cursed to silence."
Still no answer — but something in Save's posture shifted, like a breath he held too long.
Auau returned to his bed, lying on his stomach now, sketching something in a notebook. His pencil moved quickly, almost restlessly.
> Auau (glancing up once more):
"Just so you know… I'm not trying to make you talk. I just don't want this room to feel like a grave."
For the first time, Save blinked. Slowly. Like something in those words hit a soft spot.
But he still said nothing.
The curtain fluttered again, and in that quiet room, time seemed to hold its breath.
---
Late afternoon, sun golden over the sea, laughter echoing from the villa lawn.
Groups of students scatter around the wide villa grounds — some head to the beach, others pose for selfies by the trees.
The sound of waves crashing blends with laughter.
Patji holds up a strange-looking rock near the sand.
PATJI:
(grinning)
"What about this one? It looks like a potato!"
POR:
(mock offended, holding a heart-shaped seashell)
"You uncultured sponge. This is art, not farming."
PATJI:
(poking it)
"Your art just gave me a splinter."
They burst out laughing. Por suddenly looks toward the villa window, and spots Save standing inside, partially behind the curtain.
---
Save's POV
Save watches them through the window, expression unreadable.
> He doesn't even realize he's been watching longer than he meant to.
What are they laughing at?
Why is that laugh so loud?
Why is he looking back?
…It doesn't matter.
He quickly turns away and opens his notebook, but instead of writing, he just stares at the blank page.
The page stays empty.
---
Auau bends to pick up a seashell, thoughtful.
POR:
(grinning, handing him the heart-shaped shell)
"Give this to your roommate. Maybe it'll melt his icy heart."
AUAU:
(dramatic gasp)
"You saw it too? He gave me the blizzard eyes again."
POR:
(mock serious)
"Bone-chilling. Goosebump inducing. We should write a survival guide."
They both laugh. Patji joins in, shaking his head.
Auau takes the shell, spinning it between his fingers.
---
Save sees Auau and Por standing close, laughing.
Auau's head tilted back in amusement, Por brushing something off his shoulder casually.
> He doesn't know why his chest feels tight.
It's probably nothing. It's always nothing.
He shuts the curtain and turns away.
---
Auau walking alone toward the sea.
Sunlight reflects off the shell in his hand.
He walks slowly, wind blowing his hoodie back a little.
> In his pocket, the shell feels warm. Or maybe he's imagining that.
He's not sure why he took it. He's not even sure what he's doing.
But for some reason… it doesn't feel like just a joke anymore.
---
The sun had dipped behind the mountain line, casting long shadows across the villa grounds. The sea breeze now carried a gentle chill. One by one, students drifted into the main house — a wide, open wooden hall with long benches and warm yellow lights that made everything feel softer, safer.
The scent of curry filled the air — spicy, comforting, nostalgic. Giant steel pots steamed at the far end of the hall, surrounded by noisy chatter, clattering spoons, and plates passed around with wild energy.
Por was already seated at the center of a noisy group, scooping a mountain of rice onto his plate. He looked up and saw Patji holding a ladle like a sword.
"Oh no," he whispered dramatically, "the Rice Warrior has returned for vengeance."
Patji jabbed the ladle at him. "You insult curry, you pay."
"You wound me," Por said, clutching his chest and leaning back onto another student's shoulder, who immediately shoved him off.
In the middle of the chaos, Save walked in quietly, almost unnoticed. He scanned the room briefly before settling on a corner seat, away from everyone. He began eating, precise and quiet, his eyes never leaving the plate.
Not long after, Auau appeared — loud and breezy, already laughing with someone near the door. But when his gaze found Save, he paused mid-sentence, then slowly made his way over.
Without asking, Auau sat beside him and slid his tray onto the table.
"You eat like you're solving a crime," he said, nudging Save with his elbow.
Save didn't look at him. He just continued eating — neat bites, no reaction.
Por, a few seats away, caught sight of them and leaned toward Patji. "Place your bets. Will Save speak today? Or will he turn into mist and vanish?"
Patji shrugged, mouth full. "Mist. Totally mist."
Auau heard them but didn't comment. He picked up his spoon, then pointed at Save's tray. "That potato looks lonely. Can I steal it?"
No answer.
He stole it anyway.
Save looked at his tray, then at Auau. Their eyes met — just for a moment — before Save blinked and turned away.
Auau smiled to himself, chewing slowly. "So generous. You really do care."
For a few seconds, neither of them spoke. Around them, the room roared with laughter and shouting. But at that tiny corner, it was quieter — filled with unspoken tension, softness hidden beneath teasing words.
And for once, Save didn't push his tray away. He just kept eating — slow, steady — with someone beside him who didn't mind the silence.
---
After dinner, the students began returning to their rooms, stomachs full and energy slowly settling into a sleepy calm. The night air was cooler now, carrying the scent of the sea and damp earth.
Later, in Room , the lamp cast a soft glow against the wooden walls. The curtain at the window swayed gently with the wind, brushing against the edge of the desk.
Save lay in bed, turned toward the wall. His breathing was quiet but uneven, his thoughts louder than he wanted them to be.
Auau was across the room, lying on his back with a sketchbook balanced on his chest, pencil still in hand. He hadn't said anything for a while.
Then the wind howled a little louder.
A sharp creak echoed from somewhere outside. A tapping noise started against the window.
Save's shoulders stiffened. His fingers gripped the blanket tightly. The air felt too still.
Auau sat up slowly and looked over.
"Hey… are you cold? Want me to close the window?"
No answer.
He stood anyway, walked over, and gently shut it. The tapping stopped.
He turned back, voice lower now.
"There's no ghost. It's just the wind. Even if there was… I'd protect you, Black Cat."
His words weren't loud, but they settled into the quiet room like a blanket.
Save didn't respond.
But under the blanket, his fingers slowly uncurled. His shoulders loosened just a little.
He lay there, watching the wall, remembering the moment Auau had looked at him during dinner — the kind of look that made it hard to breathe for a second. Not teasing. Not pity. Just… like he saw something.
Save closed his eyes.
But for now, he let the quiet take him, a strange warmth settling where fear used to be.
---
— End of Chapter 9 —