Chapter 10 – Even Stars Burn Quietly
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The cabin was still draped in early morning hush, the kind of quiet that blankets you right before the world starts moving. Soft sunlight filtered through the cracked wooden blinds, scattering golden light across the rough floorboards.
Save was already awake. He lay still, breathing slowly, his hands resting on his chest. The warmth of the blanket did little to calm the buzzing inside him.
He tilted his head slightly.
Auau slept in the bed nearby, hair a tangled halo around his head, one hand loosely clutching the edge of the pillow.
Save's eyes lingered — just for a second.
> "Even if there was a ghost, I'd protect you, Black Cat."
The words replayed from the night before. Save's chest pulled tight with the memory. He had smiled under the blanket then, even if no one saw it. Now, the smile tugged at the corner of his mouth again, uninvited but genuine.
It wasn't just the words.
It was the way he'd said it.
And it was the first time Save had felt like maybe — maybe — he wasn't just someone tagging along.
The door burst open. "GOOD MORNING, LOSERS!" yelled Patji.
"Breakfast ends in fifteen minutes!" Por chimed in. "Save, if you want an egg, run."
Auau groaned into his pillow. "Too loud," he muttered.
Save sat up slowly. He grabbed his notebook — his usual shield — but paused.
Auau sat up too, rubbing his eyes. "You okay?" he asked, voice still hoarse from sleep.
And then…
For the first time in days — maybe weeks — Save didn't write.
He looked up, hesitated… and said softly, "…Yeah. I'm fine."
Auau blinked.
Across the room, Por — mid-sock-pull — froze. "Wait, did he just say that?"
Patji nearly dropped his shoe. "He spoke! Directly! Without writing!"
Save blinked, suddenly self-conscious. "What? I can talk."
"Sure, sure," Por grinned, tying his laces. "But usually we need a translator… or, like, an ancient scroll to understand your feelings."
Save rolled his eyes, but there was no bite to it. "Shut up."
Auau smirked, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm. So he can talk when it's to me…"
That earned a quiet blush from Save. He turned away quickly, grabbing his hoodie like it was a life raft.
But he didn't hide.
Not like before.
—
Ten minutes later, they were outside, the morning chill crisp and sharp. The teacher was checking a clipboard and counting heads.
"Pair up, folks. It's a three-hour trail today — up and back. I don't want to carry anyone who faints."
Por stretched dramatically. "Only ghosts are allowed to faint dramatically."
Patji poked Save's shoulder. "Hey, if we see one, I'm hiding behind you."
Save gave a small smile. "Not funny."
Auau handed Save a small protein bar without a word.
This time, Save took it and — after a second — looked up. "Thanks."
Their eyes met for just a breath.
That moment felt different.
It felt like something that had been frozen for a long time had finally thawed.
Por watched from behind and whispered to Patji, "They're being all emotional again. Should we pretend we didn't see?"
Patji grinned. "Yep. But we're definitely going to talk about this later."
The teacher clapped. "Let's go, everyone! No wandering off!"
The group began to move up the path, boots crunching against forest leaves.
And for the first time in a long time, Save didn't walk behind the others.
He walked beside Auau.
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The warm afternoon sun began to shift toward a golden glow as the class gathered near the portable cooking stations set up in the open field beside the campsite. Folding tables lined the grassy clearing, each assigned to small student teams, with bags of mismatched vegetables, instant noodles, spices, and other semi-useful ingredients stacked haphazardly on each one.
Their teacher clapped their hands like the host of a cooking reality show.
"Alright, campers! It's time to test your survival skills—with fire, oil, and your terrible sense of teamwork. Welcome to our Cooking Challenge!"
The students groaned, laughed, and scattered to their teams. Some cheered; others were clearly already regretting waking up today.
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Team Assignments
Team 1: Save & Patji
Save stood silently by the stove, notebook tucked under one arm, a spatula in hand. Patji was in charge of boiling rice, though he stirred like he was punishing it.
"Salt?" he asked, glancing at Save.
He blinked, nodded once, and passed him the small pouch.
He didn't say much. But he watched.
His eyes kept flicking sideways.
Por and Auau were laughing about something. Por had just wiped sauce off Auau's cheek with his thumb, muttering something teasing. Auau chuckled and didn't pull away.
Patji noticed Save's gaze linger. He said nothing, but a faint smirk appeared.
Team 2: Por & Auau
Por, wearing a frilly apron he'd somehow smuggled into camp, struck a pose. "Cooking is an art. And baby, I'm Picasso."
Auau rolled up his sleeves calmly and inspected the ingredients. "Let's just not poison anyone," he said.
Por threw an arm around his shoulder dramatically. "Oh come on. With our combined hotness and skills? Michelin stars will rain from the sky."
They started chopping together, moving around each other with surprising grace. Auau handled the knife like he'd done this a thousand times, and Por—though chaotic—was strangely efficient. Their rhythm was easy, synchronized, comfortable.
Team 2: Save & Patji
Save stood silently by the stove, notebook tucked under one arm, a spatula in hand. Patji was in charge of boiling rice, though he stirred like he was punishing it.
"Salt?" he asked, glancing at Save.
He blinked, nodded once, and passed him the small pouch.
He didn't say much. But he watched.
His eyes kept flicking sideways.
Por and Auau were laughing about something. Por had just wiped sauce off Auau's cheek with his thumb, muttering something teasing. Auau chuckled and didn't pull away.
Patji noticed Save's gaze linger. He said nothing, but a faint smirk appeared
Team 3: Mind, and Rawee
"We literally watch MasterChef," Mind declared, confidently slicing carrots with elegance.
"My hands are burning from the onions," Rawee whimpered, eyes wet.
"Do we have gloves? Goggles? ANYTHING?" Mind muttered.
Their table was the most organized, but the tension was apocalyptic.
Team 4: Win (solo by choice, or... default?)
Win sat alone on the grass, eating a cucumber like a corn dog. He had no station. No ingredients. No explanation.
When the teacher asked why, he just said, "I believe in raw foodism."
Team 5: Thanit and Kanom
These two had decided to deep fry something in the rice cooker.
"Innovation, bro," Thanit insisted.
The teacher nearly had a heart attack.
"You CANNOT deep fry rice! Or the RICE COOKER! What do you think this is, Iron Chef: Chaos Edition?!"
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The Shippers Begin
"Auau, pass me the soy sauce," Por called, flipping something in their pan with flair.
Auau tossed it over without looking. "Behind you."
Por grinned. "We're like... telepathic."
From nearby, a group of classmates started whispering:
"Are they dating?"
"They're totally dating. Look at them."
"That's domestic as hell."
One kid fake-swooned. Another giggled, "Ship name: Porau. Canon."
Save's grip on the spatula tightened.
He didn't say anything. Just kept his head down.
Patji finally leaned in. "You okay, Captain Quiet?"
He nodded. "Just cooking."
"Right," he said, knowingly. "Cooking up jealousy, maybe."
He turned to him slightly. That familiar look—blank expression, eyes not quite matching it.
He didn't push. But he smiled a little. "Your noodles are burning, by the way."
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Background Chaos
Book tried to add ketchup to his cucumber.
Love screamed: "You're the reason cooking shows have disclaimers."
Sky accidentally set off the rice cooker early. It made a weird sound. Everyone stepped back.
Sea dropped an egg and slipped. It was a full cartoon moment.
Patji flipped a pancake too hard—it soared through the air.
Por caught it mid-spin with a spatula.
"I am a god," he said.
"You are dramatic," Auau replied, laughing.
The teacher stood in the middle of the chaos, hands on hips, muttering, "I went to school for this. I have a degree."
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Save Watches
When no one was looking, Save let his eyes drift again.
Por, nudging Auau with a shoulder. Auau shaking his head, trying not to laugh. The little moments.
The smiles that weren't his to receive.
He looked down.
Wrote something in his notebook.
A single line:
Even stars burn quietly before they disappear.
Patji glanced at it but didn't comment. Just kept stirring.
---
The sun was setting over the forest, casting gold across the clearing where rows of colorful dishes lined the makeshift picnic tables. The students, full of smoke and laughter, gathered around, hair messy and aprons stained.
Kru Win, their teacher, stood in front with a wooden spoon like it was a mic.
"Alright, MasterChefs. It's time… for judgment!"
Cheers. Groans. Nervous laughter.
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Team 1: Save, Patji
Their dish? Curry with vegetables (barely saved from burning) and over-salty fried egg.
Kru Win takes a bite and pauses dramatically.
"Hmm… spicy. A little aggressive with the salt."
Patji shrugs. "That's Save. He seasoned like he was casting a spell."
The students laugh. Kru Win raises a hand.
"But… edible. I'll give it that. 5/10."
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Team 2: Por, Auau
Their table is all pretty — clean plates, flower-shaped carrots, and carefully arranged rice.
Save watches from a few feet away as Por hands Kru Win a fork with a wink.
"Bon appétit, sir."
Auau, meanwhile, looks quietly proud, fingers brushing crumbs off the plate.
Kru Win takes a bite, blinks.
"Oh. This… actually tastes like food."
Por claps. "YES!"
He throws an arm around Auau's shoulder like they just won a reality show.
"We're kitchen soulmates now!"
The crowd starts teasing —
"Ooooooh!"
"Por and Auau gonna open a restaurant now?"
"They're so cute together!"
Save's smile is tight. He looks down, then away.
Patji bumps his arm, low voice:
"You okay, man?"
Save shrugs. "It's nothing."
But it's not nothing.
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Team 3: Mind, and Rawee
It's chaos on a plate. The rice is green (??), there's a boiled egg on top, and a side of… was that peanut butter?
Kru Win stares. "I don't know what this is."
Mind deadpans: "Fusion."
Rawee: "We call it 'Mystery Bowl'."
Kru Win actually laughs. "Points for confidence. 3.5/10."
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Team 4: Thanit and Kanom
Their dish looks great — but Kru Win nearly spits it out.
"Why is this sweet?! It's fried chicken!"
Thanit beams. "I added sugar for love."
Kanom groans. "He thought it was salt."
The class loses it.
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THE AWARDS
Kru Win claps again, dramatic as ever.
Best Presentation: Por, Auau
Most Confusing Dish: Mind's Team
Most Chaotic Energy: Thanit's team
Quietly Impressive: Save's team ("you survived, and that's worth something")
Por raises both hands in victory. "Teamwork makes the dream work!"
Auau smiles, a little shy.
Namtan elbows him. "You guys are so cute. You two cooking, like—"
Por cuts in. "Yeah yeah, kitchen love story, we know!"
More laughter.
Save just watches. Silent.
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— End of Chapter 10 —