Chapter 14 — Maybe I Was Just a Side Character
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Save lies asleep in one of the beds, curled in on himself, his hair still damp from the night before. His breathing is soft, but his face is pale. The blanket around him is slightly crooked, like someone else tucked him in gently.
Por stands near the foot of the bed, arms folded, shifting on his feet. His face is tense, trying hard to look unaffected.
Patji sits beside Save, elbows on his knees, eyes locked on his friend's face.
For a moment, no one says anything.
Por breaks the silence with a shrug and a forced smile.
> "He's fine now, right? I mean… he'll probably laugh about it later."
Patji doesn't respond. His eyes never leave Save.
Por tries again, a little more defensive this time:
> "You saw how he was with Auau. He wasn't saying anything. This was supposed to… I don't know… push him or something."
> "Push him?" Patji repeats, finally looking at Por.
His voice is low. Not angry — just tired.
He slowly stands, facing Por now.
> "You said it'd help him, Por."
> "Yeah, I thought—"
> "But that wasn't helping," Patji interrupts gently.
"That was cruel."
Por's jaw tightens. He crosses his arms tighter, like it might hold his guilt in place.
> "You think I wanted him to get scared like that?"
> "I saw his face," Patji says. His voice is still soft, but it lands like a slap.
"That wasn't just fear."
A pause.
> "That was pain."
Por opens his mouth, but nothing comes out.
Patji continues:
> "You think this is still a game?"
Por drops his gaze.
> "Then you weren't watching the same person I was last night."
He turns back to Save, gently adjusting the blanket so it covers his shoulder better.
> "He's sensitive, Por. You know that. He always has been."
Por's eyes flicker with guilt — not just over Save, but over himself too.
> "I didn't think he'd take it like that."
> "You didn't think," Patji says simply.
They both fall silent again. The kettle clicks off in the background.
Then, quietly:
> "He didn't even get the chance to say what he wanted to."
Patji sits down again, gently brushing a strand of hair from Save's forehead.
> "That prank wasn't just a bad idea."
> "It broke something."
Por swallows, eyes stinging a little, but he doesn't wipe them.
He just nods, finally.
> "I'll tell him… when he wakes up."
Patji doesn't answer. But this time, he doesn't look disappointed.
Just… tired. And hopeful.
---
Save stirred. Not fully awake, not fully asleep. His body felt like lead, sunk deep into the mattress. There was a dull ache behind his eyes and a strange chill that clung to his skin even though he was wrapped in two blankets.
The first thing he felt was Patji's presence.
Soft.
Quiet.
Steady.
Save blinked and turned his head slowly to see Patji sitting on the edge of the bed, a gentle worry in his eyes. The silence between them wasn't awkward—it was watchful, as though Patji had been sitting there a long time, just waiting.
"Water?" Patji offered softly.
Save nodded faintly. He pushed himself up slowly, wincing at the way his body trembled. It wasn't from the cold anymore.
As he drank, Por stepped into the room. His footsteps were hesitant. Unlike his usual easygoing attitude, today he seemed... careful. As if his presence alone might shatter something fragile.
Patji stood and let Por take a step closer.
Por cleared his throat. "I... um. You okay?"
Save didn't answer. He stared at the floor.
Por rubbed the back of his neck, guilt flickering in his expression. Then, finally, he said what had been caught in his throat since the night before:
"Auau didn't plan the prank."
Save's head snapped up.
Por kept going, words faster now: "He didn't know. He tried to stop us. I mean... I guess, in the end, he couldn't. But he didn't want it to happen. Not really."
Something cracked inside Save's chest.
All the things he had shouted.
The way he had pulled away.
The way he had looked at Auau, like a stranger.
He clutched the edge of the blanket.
"I blamed him," he whispered. "I thought..."
His voice trembled.
Patji knelt down beside the bed again, his voice low and steady. "You were scared. And confused. It's okay."
But Save shook his head, tears stinging his eyes. "No, it's not. I told him he didn't understand. I looked at him like... like he was the one hurting me."
Por stepped back, his guilt rising like a tide.
"I'm sorry," he said. "We thought— I thought it would help. That it might force something out of you. But... it didn't go the way I imagined."
Silence.
Then Save whispered, "I hurt him."
The three of them sat in the stillness of the morning.
No birdsong. No wind.
Just the weight of realization hanging in the quiet room.
Save looked toward the door, voice barely a breath:
"I need to find him."
And with that, he began to rise.
---
The teacher stood in front of the gathered group, holding up a laminated sheet like a mission scroll.
> "Alright! Today's warm-up game: The Great Plant Hunt!"
"You'll get a list of plants. Each group finds five. First team to return with the correct ones wins."
Groans, laughter, scattered cheers.
Por yawned dramatically. "Are we gonna get extra credit or just sunburns?"
The teacher grinned. "Hopefully both."
Names were called out one by one as the students were sorted into groups. Save stood quietly, hands in his pockets, eyes low. His stomach hadn't quite settled since the night before.
Then—
> "Group Four: Save, Patji, and Auau."
Save blinked.
He looked up.
Auau stood across the fire pit, visibly pausing mid-sip of his water. Their eyes met—and both immediately glanced away.
Patji smirked between them, very much not surprised.
> "Guess it's fate," Patji muttered under his breath.
---
A few students nearby reacted noisily:
> "What a weird trio!" "Why does Patji always get the chill group?"
Por was placed with two loud kids who instantly began arguing about which flower was actually edible.
"Lucky me," he mumbled, giving a glance toward Save's group. His gaze lingered—but no one noticed.
---
The teacher handed them the laminated checklist:
Plant List:
White wildflower
Clover with five leaves
Tiny red blossom
Leaf that smells like mint
Something shaped like a heart
> "Bonus points," the teacher said with a wink, "if you don't get lost."
---
Patji immediately took charge—too eagerly.
> "Alright, generals! I say we split up." "Save, you go that way. Auau, over there. I'll cover the west."
Save raised an eyebrow. "Wouldn't it make more sense to stay together?"
Patji waved him off with fake confidence.
> "It's called divide and conquer, bro."
Auau looked unsure, opening his mouth as if to protest.
But Patji suddenly pointed in the other direction.
> "Wait, is that mint? I'll check it out—be back!"
He jogged off dramatically before either of them could reply, leaving Save and Auau standing… just the two of them. Again.
Silence.
A soft wind stirred the leaves.
> "I… guess we're going this way," Auau said, not looking at him.
Save nodded, swallowing hard.
They started walking.
---
The forest floor crunched under their steps. Save and Auau walked in slow rhythm, not too far apart, but not close enough to brush shoulders.
Every now and then, Save stole a glance at Auau, who looked… calm. Or maybe pretending to be.
He didn't know what to say. Or how to begin.
The silence between them wasn't heavy this time—but it was full. Full of things they hadn't said yet.
They reached a cluster of wildflowers—tiny white ones, like lace on green.
> "That's one," Auau said quietly, crouching.
Save hesitated, then crouched beside him.
Their hands nearly touched as they reached for the same stem.
Both pulled back.
> "Sorry," they said at the same time.
Their eyes met. And suddenly—
—FLASHBACK (Auau's POV)
The night before. Torchlight. Breathless silence. His heartbeat pounding when he found Save shaking alone in the woods.
> "I should've stopped them," he had whispered.
> And the way Save had looked at him—eyes full of betrayal, of fear… like Auau had broken something that couldn't be put back.
Back to present.
Auau stood up a little too fast.
Save noticed. "Are you okay?"
Auau nodded, brushing off his pants. "Yeah. It's just… this place is kind of…"
He trailed off, uncertain.
> "Reminds you of last night?" Save asked softly.
Auau didn't answer right away. Then:
> "I didn't mean to hurt you. I tried to stop them."
Save swallowed hard. His voice was small.
> "I know. Patji and Por told me."
Auau blinked, startled. "Then… why did you—?"
> "Because I thought… I thought you were one of them. And it felt worse, thinking you were."
Auau turned to look at him properly now.
> "Did I make you feel like I didn't care?"
Save didn't answer right away.
> "You didn't," he finally said. "But I made you feel like you hurt me. And that's what's eating me up."
Their eyes held for a moment.
Auau's lips parted—like he wanted to say more.
But just then, a loud voice echoed in the distance:
> "HEY GROUP FOUR! DID YOU FIND A MINT YET?!"
They both flinched.
> "That's Patji," Save muttered with a faint smile.
> "Of course it is," Auau sighed.
A beat passed.
> "Let's go," Auau said gently, this time stepping closer. Not touching—but not far.
As they walked, Save felt something shift—not fixed, not healed… but understood.
---
The clearing buzzed with laughter, complaints, and snapping branches.
"Is this mint?"
"No, that's poison ivy, genius."
"WHO FOUND A DAISY IN JUNE?!"
One group dramatically collapsed under a tree, claiming defeat. Another held up a clump of weeds like a trophy.
The teacher in charge, a sweet but strict woman with glasses slipping down her nose, was trying her best to stay calm.
> "Everyone! I said find three specific plants. Not half the forest!"
Patji reappeared beside Save and Auau with a handful of crushed leaves and a grin that spelled mischief.
> "You two okay?" he asked casually, eyes twinkling.
Auau nodded. Save glanced away, ears a little pink.
Patji smirked, clearly noting it.
> "Cool. Just checking."
Then, loudly to the teacher:
> "Ma'am! I swear this is real mint!"
> "That's a leaf from your sandwich, Patji!"
> "...It still smells nice!"
Laughter erupted around them. Even Save laughed quietly, almost forgetting.
Por jogged over, panting and muddy, waving a tiny flower. "Did we win?!"
> "What did you bring?"
> "I don't know, but it's pretty!"
The teacher sighed. "It's a dandelion, Por."
> "So that's a no?"
> "That's a no."
The groups were herded into pairs for final results. Patji immediately volunteered to switch partners.
> "You two stay together," he told Save and Auau with a wink. "I have… unfinished business with Team Chaos over there."
> "You mean the ones who collected mushrooms instead of flowers?" Auau asked.
> "Exactly."
He was gone before they could answer.
Now left alone again, Save and Auau stood among the chatter and laughter. But this time, the silence felt… lighter. Like a thread tying them together rather than keeping them apart.
Auau handed Save the flower he had picked earlier—small, white, slightly crushed.
> "I thought it was pretty," he said softly. "Even if it's not the right one."
Save stared at it for a moment.
> "It is," he said. "It's the right one."
Their fingers brushed.
Neither of them pulled away.
---
After the group activity ended, laughter slowly faded into distant echoes. Everyone was packing up their samples, taking pictures, or tossing leaves at each other like little kids.
Save walked away for a moment, saying he needed "fresh air." No one stopped him.
He found himself on a narrow path, half-shaded, half-sunlit. Just enough to be alone. Just enough to think.
He wasn't trying to eavesdrop.
He really wasn't.
But there they were—Por and Auau—standing a few trees down, not noticing him.
They were talking.
Por said something. Something that made Auau laugh—not loud, just enough to crinkle his eyes and tilt his head the way Save knew too well.
Por smiled too.
There was no teasing. No awkwardness. Just comfort.
Something inside Save sank.
> That smile… it used to feel like mine to notice.
The words in his mind came on their own, sharp and quiet. Like the memory of something he never really had.
His hand drifted to his backpack—resting right where that strange, worn book sat.
He hadn't opened it again. He didn't need to. The line was already etched into him.
> "Just because you're close to the story… doesn't mean you're the main character."
He looked back at them.
They weren't doing anything special—just standing close, talking like two people who didn't need to explain their presence.
But in Save's eyes, it looked like a scene written without him.
> "Maybe they're meant to be."
> "Maybe I was always just the one watching."
His breath hitched. He blinked hard and looked away.
> "It's okay. I'm used to being the extra."
> "Extras don't get happy endings anyway."
He walked back toward the group.
The sun felt a little colder than before.
---
The trip back was filled with small conversations and crunching footsteps on gravel. The sun dipped low behind the hills, and the sky turned a soft shade of gold and lavender.
Save walked a few steps behind everyone else.
No one really noticed.
Auau glanced over his shoulder once or twice, like he wanted to say something. But the moment never stretched long enough to reach them.
Por was unusually quiet too.
Even Patji kept to himself, watching the path, hands in his hoodie pockets.
They arrived at the guesthouse. The lights flickered on like nothing had changed—but something had.
Save entered the room last.
He didn't speak.
He just set his bag down, changed out of his shoes, and laid on the bed. He didn't pull up the blanket. He didn't even look at the others.
His eyes stared up at the ceiling, but they weren't really seeing it.
---
Save's Pov.
> "They looked happy together."
> "Por made him laugh. Just like that."
> "I keep telling myself I'm okay with being on the outside. That not every story needs me in it."
> "But… sometimes, I wish it did."
> "Maybe I was never supposed to be anything more than the side character."
> "And maybe… that's okay."
---
On the other side of the room, Auau paused while folding his jacket.
He looked at Save's still body—his hand resting over his chest like he was holding in something heavy.
He wanted to speak.
But the words tangled somewhere between guilt and confusion.
He said nothing.
And the silence grew full again.
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— End of Chapter 14 —