Chapter 2 — New Glances, Quiet Steps
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Cafeteria (Lunchtime)
The cafeteria buzzed softly with voices and clinking dishes, but Save sat quietly among his small group of friends. His tray was neat — steamed rice, a few vegetables arranged carefully on the side, and a glass of water he barely touched. He always ate slowly, as if tasting each bite could stretch time just a little longer.
Across from him, Por and Patji were deep in their usual chatter. Patji was dramatically retelling a story about how he almost missed the morning lecture — again.
"I swear, the alarm betrayed me," Patji groaned, flopping his head on the table. "One day I'm going to throw that thing into the canal."
Por snickered and nudged Save gently. "Hey, Save… want to donate him a new brain? His current one clearly needs an upgrade."
Save blinked, lips twitching at the corner. "I think that's beyond repair."
Their quiet laughter blended with the soft hum around them, but even as they talked, it was impossible not to notice the energy coming from a table across the room.
Near the wide sunlit windows sat Auau Thanaphum Sestasittikul — Auau. His table was full, almost glowing with movement and sound. Friends gathered around him like moths to a warm light.
Girls from other tables stole glances at him.
A group of juniors whispered, covering their smiles with their hands.
"I heard he was scouted for a modeling agency last month," one girl murmured, eyes wide.
"No way! My cousin said he ranked first in the school basketball tournament and aced his math exam," another whispered back.
"Does he even have flaws? Or is he just a walking romance novel?"
Save's spoon paused mid-air. His gaze drifted — without meaning to — toward Auau.
Auau's sleeves were slightly rolled up, his hand moving as he told a story animatedly. His smile was easy, like sunlight on water. His laughter drifted through the cafeteria — warm, clear, impossible not to hear.
Even one of the teachers, passing by, gave a soft smile at the sound.
Patji followed Save's gaze and wiggled his eyebrows. "Ah, looking at Mr. Campus Crush again, huh?"
Por grinned. "You mean Thailand's national treasure?"
Save's cheeks flushed. He quickly looked down at his plate, stabbing his rice like it had personally offended him. "I'm not looking at anyone."
"Sure," Por said, clearly unconvinced. "And I'm not eating this fried chicken. Oh wait—" He dramatically took a big bite.
Patji snorted into his drink. "You're blushing, bro. You can't even lie properly."
Save gave a small, polite smile, shaking his head. "I'm just thinking."
His friends laughed, but didn't push more.
Still, Save could feel the soft heat on his cheeks lingering.
He didn't even know why he kept noticing these things.
Maybe it was just… curiosity.
He silently scooped another spoon of rice, determined not to glance across the room again.
(He failed within two minutes.)
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Save's Home (Evening)
The soft click of the front door echoed as Save stepped into his house.
"Welcome home, Save," his mother called from the kitchen, her voice warm and familiar.
"I'm home," he replied softly, setting his shoes neatly by the door.
As he turned towards his room, a voice yelled dramatically from the stairs:
"Bow before your queen! Your sister has finished her exam!!"
It was his little sister, Mali, standing two steps up with both arms in the air like she just won an Olympic medal.
Save blinked once. "…Congrats."
Mali stomped down the stairs, plopping into the couch with a victorious grin. "You should be thankful to breathe the same air as a genius like me."
He walked past her, poker-faced, and calmly replied, "Didn't you say yesterday you forgot half the answers?"
Mali gasped like she'd been shot. "Betrayal in my own home?"
Their mother's laugh drifted from the kitchen. "You two, don't start."
At dinner, the table buzzed with small talk. His father glanced up from the news, asking about school,
and Save answered with his usual quiet smile, "It was fine."
Mali, meanwhile, launched into an over-dramatic retelling of her "epic" exam day, complete with hand gestures and sound effects.
Save listened with the same calm face, occasionally glancing at her antics but secretly amused.
After dinner, Save stood up to clear the plates.
Mali handed him her empty bowl like a princess offering treasure.
"Since I'm the family genius, I shouldn't have to do dishes," she said, flipping her imaginary hair.
"Since I'm the quiet sibling, I shouldn't have to listen to this," he replied smoothly, walking away with the dishes.
Later, in his room, the house finally quieted.
Save sat at his desk, his lamp glowing softly. His books lay open in front of him.
First math homework — his pencil moved neatly across the page.
Then English revision — underlining in calm blue ink.
Occasionally, muffled sounds from Mali's room drifted in — some silly pop song she was humming loudly (and slightly off-key).
By 10:30 p.m., Save closed his books, folded his uniform neatly, and set his alarm.
He peeked out the window for a moment, the streetlights casting soft halos on the road. The night was calm.
Before bed, Mali's voice called faintly from her room,
"Don't forget, I'm smarter than youuuu!"
Save shook his head, a tiny smile tugging at the corner of his lips, and finally drifted off to sleep.
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The morning light fell through the big windows of the classroom. The room buzzed quietly with soft chatter as students flipped through their books and notebooks.
Save sat near the window, his pen tapping gently against the desk. His back was straight, uniform neat, as always.
Beside him sat Auau, who had quietly taken the seat next to him today. His posture relaxed, chin resting lightly on his hand as he stared ahead, almost bored but still sharp-eyed.
At the front, Ms. Pichaya, their English teacher, clapped her hands together. "Alright, class. Settle down. Today, we're going to have a surprise quiz."
A wave of groans spread through the room.
Patji, one of Save's friends, muttered loudly, "A quiz before lunch? Is this allowed by human rights?"
The class chuckled softly.
Por, sitting near them, smiled calmly and pulled out his pen. He looked as composed as ever, his handwriting already neat as he prepared his paper.
Ms. Pichaya continued, "English is not just a subject for exams, you know. It's important for your future. Communication, college, even jobs later. So today's quiz is short — but you better take it seriously."
Sheets were passed down the rows.
Save accepted his quietly and began scanning the questions.
Beside him, Auau tilted his head slightly, frowning in concentration. After a few seconds, he leaned toward Save just a little and whispered, "Hey… uh… do you remember what a 'present perfect' sentence is? I forgot."
Save blinked, surprised by how close Auau's voice was. He swallowed once and then answered quietly, "It's something that started in the past and still continues now."
Auau's lips curled at the corner, a small smirk playing there. "Oh, like… I've been confused about English since birth?"
Save blinked once and then let out a soft, surprised laugh.
At the front, Ms. Pichaya snapped her fingers. "Auau! Number 4 — your answer?"
Auau sat straight quickly, blinking innocently. "Oh. Um… thinking deeply, ma'am."
Patji coughed dramatically. "Thinking too deep, bro. Might need a ladder to get back."
The class giggled again.
Ms. Pichaya gave a tight smile. "Less thinking, more writing. Clock's ticking."
Auau grinned and lowered his head back to his paper.
Por, nearby, glanced over at Patji's confused paper and whispered with a teasing smile, "If you want the answer, you owe me a snack later."
Patji gasped. "Blackmail! This friendship is expensive."
The light humor floated around as pens scribbled on papers and the quiz continued.
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The cafeteria buzzed with the usual afternoon noise — clattering trays, chairs scraping against the floor, and groups of students chattering over their lunch boxes.
Save, Por, and Patji had claimed their usual table by the far window.
Patji stabbed a fishball dramatically with his fork. "I swear Ms. Pichaya has a secret grudge against verbs. Why else would she make a quiz like that before lunch?"
Por chuckled, unwrapping his sandwich with calm precision. "Maybe she wanted to see who faints first."
Save smiled quietly, poking at his rice. "It wasn't that bad. The last section was easy if you studied."
Patji threw his hands up. "That's because you actually revise, Save! Some of us live dangerously — relying purely on charm and vibes."
Por laughed. "Seriously though, Save's brain is like a dictionary. You know he scored full marks on the last essay, right? Ms. Pichaya even showed it to the whole class as the perfect answer."
Patji leaned in dramatically. "Bro, don't forget last term's speech contest. Save crushed it. First place. Left everyone staring like goldfish."
Save flushed slightly, shaking his head. "You guys are exaggerating…"
At that moment, from the cafeteria entrance, Auau strolled in — hands tucked into his pockets, a small, easy smile on his face. His school tie hung slightly loose, and a few students glanced up as he passed by, whispering to each other.
He made simple walking down the aisle look like a casual photoshoot.
Patji noticed first and waved enthusiastically. "Yo! Auau! Come sit with us, man!"
Auau's gaze flicked towards their table, and without hesitation, he sauntered over, sliding his tray down onto the table and dropping into the seat directly across from Save.
"Thanks," Auau said coolly, flashing a small smile.
For a split second, Save's gaze locked with Auau's — warm brown eyes meeting sharp, dark ones. Save quickly looked down, his ears tinged slightly pink, suddenly far more interested in rearranging his rice grains.
Por, oblivious to the tiny moment, bit into his sandwich and asked casually, "How'd the quiz go for you?"
Auau shrugged one shoulder, picking up his spoon. "Managed to answer everything. Whether they're correct answers, though, is a mystery even Sherlock Holmes couldn't solve."
Patji snorted into his drink, nearly choking. "Bro, same! Maybe we should start an English recovery club. Motto: We don't conjugate — we pray."
Por laughed. "Or better — we beg Save to tutor us. You know he's the best at English in our whole year. If Save explains it, even I understand."
Auau paused mid-bite, glancing towards Save with a flicker of surprise.
"Really? You're that good?"
Patji nodded enthusiastically. "No joke. If you need to pass English, Save's your guy. He explains stuff way better than any teacher."
Auau turned his attention fully to Save now, curiosity lighting in his eyes.
"Hey… Save, would you mind helping me too? English isn't exactly my strongest subject. Maybe… you could tutor me sometime?"
Save blinked, startled, his chopsticks freezing in midair. His cheeks warmed again, but he gave a quick, shy nod.
"I… I don't mind. Sure. If you want."
Auau's lips quirked in a small smile, eyes soft. "Cool. Thanks."
Patji leaned back smugly. "See? Told you — Save's the nicest. Smart and helpful."
Auau tilted his head, gaze still on Save. "Yeah… seems like it."
Por grinned, biting into his sandwich. "You just hit the jackpot, man."
Save ducked his head again, flustered, but a tiny, pleased smile tugged at his lips.
Around them, the cafeteria noise carried on, but their table glowed with soft laughter and easy chatter.
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— End of Chapter 2 —