Chapter 33.5 – How We Got Together (Part 20)

Natalie’s Side

Yesterday’s incident still lingers in my chest like the soft echo of a dream I don't want to wake from.

But today—

I’m waving goodbye to Jennifer.
She’s really leaving. Heading off to Oklahoma.

Even though she smiles like everything's fine, her eyes… they’re the kind that says “I’ll miss y’all” without words.

I stand beside Luna and Marina.
It feels strange. Like a part of our little world is walking away.

But no time to sulk—
Because one thing is clear:

I need to talk to Alex.

There’s still so much between us. Too many things left unsaid. Too many questions still dancing in my chest like butterflies during a thunderstorm.

I make my way to his place.

But when I get there…

What the heck!?

Faiz, Adinor, and even Alex—

Bruised. Dirty. Bandaged. Sweaty.

…They look like they just survived a street brawl with a gang of wild raccoons!

I blink. My brows knit.

“Alex…?”

He jolts like a cat caught eating fish it shouldn't.

“EYARAGHHHH!!! CRAZY GIRL!!!”

And he tries to run—but I STOMP his foot before he escapes.

“OW OW OW OW!! MY FOOT!!!” he hops around like he just stepped on a lego.

I cross my arms, eyebrow raised.

“Oh yeah? Who’re you callin’ ‘crazy girl’ again?” ☺️

“Uhhh… uuuhhh… anyway—Hi?”

He gives me that goofy, nervous smile.
Typical Alex.

“Sooo…” I glance around. “What exactly are you guys doing here?”

Before he answers, I hear yelling from the side of the house.

I peek around.

There’s Luna. And Marina. And—wait—is that Nadia?! With Dang Aini and Dang Ayu!?

All of them are in full-on commander mode.

“SWEEP HERE!”
“SCRUB THAT WALL!”
“THERE’S A SPOT, FAIZ!”
“MOVE, MOVE, MOVE!!”

Faiz, Adinor, and even Imam Jamil are sweeping, scrubbing, picking weeds, lifting flowerpots like they’re in military bootcamp.

I blink again.

“Ask him…” Alex mutters, nodding toward Faiz while wiping sweat from his brow.

Just then, Marina walks up to me, hugging me like we’re back in the 90s teen girl drama where secrets are currency.

“Hey babe~”

“Marina… what exactly happened here? Did they do something again?”

She nods like a disappointed mom watching her toddlers draw on the walls with peanut butter.

“Yep. Especially Faiz… they did something unforgivable.”

“Unforgivable?” I ask.

Then Nadia steps in like a detective revealing the case:

“Apparently, there’s a new neighbor. From Indonesia. She’s gorgeous. Tall. Curves for days. Voice like an angel. And guess what these three morons did?”

Marina folds her arms.

“Offered to ‘help her settle in’.”

“Even Imam Jamil tagged along,” Nadia says with a dark chuckle. “Claimed it was for community service.”

I peek over again. Imam Jamil is currently being tortured by Elder Muzaffar, Alex’s mom, and Marina’s mom—all standing over him with brooms like they’re about to exorcise a demon.

“There’s a dirt spot here, Imam. CLEAN IT.”
“But I’m the imam—”
“SHUT UP! SCRUB HARDER!!”

I wince.

Marina grins wickedly.

“Now that’s the holy retribution I like to see.”

Faiz groans dramatically from the garden.

“This is a crime against boyhood!”

Alex mutters beside me.

“You deserve it, idiot.”

Yeah…

Boys will be boys.
And girls?
We’re just here with popcorn, watching the show.

So.

Here I am, just casually strolling up to Alex’s house.

Everything seems fine, you know? Faiz and Adinor are hanging around, sweeping leaves like guilty little kids on detention duty. Even Imam Jamil’s here, scrubbing the front porch like his life depends on it.

But then it happens.

That feeling…

That gut-punch sixth sense.

Something’s not right.

Then I see her.

Strutting down the porch like it’s her own private runway—

“D-DON’T LOOK!!!”
I throw myself in front of Alex with the speed of a ninja on turbo mode.

Because what I see is illegal.

The woman is gliding out in a red satin gown so scandalously shiny, it might be classified as a weapon.
Low cut. High slit. Dangerous smile.
She’s sparkling, I swear.
Like she just got back from a soap opera crossover with a rock concert.

“Hey everyone~” she sings.

“Aurora!!” Alex’s mom, Puan Mas, waves at her, all smiles like it’s totally normal to greet people in lingerie with heels on.

“Mas!! Long time no jam, babe!” Aurora replies, flipping her hair like she never left the 80s.

And then… it happens.

She spots Alex.

Her smile widens.

Alex’s smile disappears.

“ALEX~!” she squeals.
Before any of us can process, she grabs him in a bear hug, shoving his face right between—
Oh. My. God.

“A-Auntie Aurora—! Can’t breathe—!”

“Aww, come on now! Don’t be shy! I used to babysit you, remember? You were so adorable, always tugging at my bandana—”

“Please—I’m being suffocated by nostalgia and…fabric!”

Behind me, I hear Adinor wheeze.

“Is this even legal…?”

Faiz collapses on one knee like he’s been struck by divine punishment.

“That should’ve been me, bro…”

Even Imam Jamil mutters under his breath:

“Ceh. Haram thoughts. Astaghfirullah…”

Then another figure walks out from the house—cool, classy, scarf blowing in the breeze like a final boss just entered the scene.

“Tch. Aurora’s being loud again.”

She pushes up her sunglasses with a sigh.

“Aunt Deb!!” Alex lights up.

They high-five with a snap like old buddies—but I don’t miss the tiny flinch in Alex’s eyes.

“Still causing trouble, kid?” Aunt Deb smirks, ruffling his hair.
“You’ve grown… taller. Maybe. A little.”

Puan Mas claps her hands proudly.

“Meet my little sister, everyone! Deb—Alex’s Aunt Deb. She’s staying over this week!”

Aunt Deb raises her eyebrow at me. Then she smirks.

“You must be Nat.”

“Y-Yes ma’am.” 😰

“Hmph. Not bad.” She gives me a once-over like she’s sizing up a fighter before a sparring match.

Aurora suddenly leans over to whisper (loudly) to her.

“She’s cute, Deb~! I like her! I give her 8 out of 10! Maybe 9 if she can cook.”

“I can hear you!” I snap.

Then Marina nudges me from behind.

“Hold it in… don’t break… we’re in public…”

Luna just crosses her arms with an amused smirk.

“Your territory is being invaded.”

“Shut up!” I hiss, red in the face.

And then—because of course it’s not over—Aunt Deb crosses her arms and leans toward Alex.

“So. How long you planning to keep dancing around this girl, huh?”

“HUH!?” I choke.

Alex freezes mid-step.

“I—I don’t know what you mean!”

Aurora jumps in, giggling.

“He still hasn’t confessed? Seriously? This is so high school drama I’m loving it~!”

Aunt Deb snorts.

“When your mom and I were your age, we already had guys writing love letters to us in mixtapes and cassette covers. What’s your excuse?”

“WE’RE JUST FRIENDS!” Alex and I both shout at the same time.

Everyone stares at us.

Dead silence.

Even the breeze stops blowing.

Then Luna claps once.

“Classic.”

Alex’s mom—Puan Mas—clears her throat dramatically in the middle of the garden, as if she’s about to announce a concert.

“Alright girls, and boys who somehow still exist around here,” she grins, hand on hip. “This lovely lady beside me is my younger sister—yes, younger!—and now a permanent citizen around here. She works with a production house back in L.A., no biggie…”

Faiz mutters, “No biggie!? That’s massive…”

“And this one here—” she pats the bubbly woman in loud clothes and heels that don’t belong on gravel, “is Aurora. My best friend’s little sister back from my rock band days.”

Wait. Excuse me. What?

Alex’s mom… was in a band?!

Before I can even say anything, Alex speaks up.

“Sorry… but, uh… who are you people again?”

Dead silence. The kind that hits before an earthquake.

Then it happens.

“YOU SERIOUSLY DON’T REMEMBER THIS!?”

WHAM!!
Aurora spins, grabs Alex’s cheeks, and kisses him right on the lips like she’s in a telenovela!! 💋💥

“WHA—?!” I freeze in place.
My heart stops.
My soul leaves my body.

Aurora: “See!? Still the same soft lips, same stunned face!”

Alex’s mom: 🤦🏽‍♀️ “Aurora, I swear—”

Faiz & Adinor: “BROOOOOOOOOOO!!!!”
They scream in disbelief.

Imam Jamil (who just came back with lemonade): “Astaghfirullah—what is this chaos?!”

Aunt Deb, arms crossed, flicks Aurora on the head.

“Oi, that’s my nephew, not a practice dummy for your drama reel!”

“But come on! He was like this small back then,” Aurora says, pinching invisible baby cheeks. “He used to drool on my shoulder!!”

“He’s still drooling,” Adinor mutters, earning a smack from Marina.

And then it gets even worse.

Because my Hana waddles over.

“AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!! IS THIS YOUR BABY GIRL!? SHE’S PERFECT!!”

Aurora scoops Hana up like she’s a teddy bear on sale at Christmas.
But Hana’s not having it.
She clings to me, practically climbing my leg like a koala, hiding behind my back.

“M-Mommy…” she whispers in that tiny voice only I seem to understand.

“Oh boy,” I mutter.
I gently push her behind me.
Protective mode: ON.

That’s when Aurora stares at me.
Her eyes widen like she just saw a ghost.

“Mas… is that who I think it is?”

Alex’s mom grins smugly.

“Yep. That’s Natalie. Claire’s daughter.”

Aurora shrieks like a fangirl at a Backstreet Boys concert.

“CLAIRE!? As in Doctor Claire!?”

“The one and only,” Puan Mas nods.

“THAT MEANS—YOU’RE PHYLIS’ LITTLE SISTER?!”

“Wait—what? You know my sister?” I blink.

Aurora literally spins in place, then grabs my hands like we’re in a telenovela now.

“Of course I know Phylis! She and I used to raid vending machines together after rehearsal nights! You—” she points dramatically at me—“once slapped my knee and shouted ‘Your hair smells like bubblegum!!’ You were so adorable!”

“Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?!?”
My entire face turns red.

Why do all these chaotic adults know everything about my life!?

Just when I thought the chaos had reached maximum overdrive, Alex’s mom—Puan Mas—whips out her phone like she’s about to summon a boss character in a fighting game.

She presses speed dial.

📱「"HEY!!!! AURORA!! Deb!!!! YOU’RE THERE!?!? WAIT A SEC, LET ME GRAB PHYLIS!!"」

My whole spine tingles.

What the heck?!
Did she just yell that into the phone?
Why are my knees trembling?

“Uhh… Mas…?” I blink as I inch closer.
“What’s going on…?”

Puan Mas casually says while scrolling something on her phone.

“Oh, nothing big. Deb wanted to see Alex. So I’m calling the ‘Family Chaos Hotline™.’”

“The what now?”

Before I can process that—

“Hey, Alex…”

Aunt Deb, dressed like some cross between a soap opera villain and a Malibu fashion icon, leans in with her usual smug grin.

Alex blinks at her, his face completely blank.

“Ummm… yeah?”

She gives a dramatic sigh, arms crossed.

“Still the same ol’ clueless kid, huh.”

“Uhhh… yeah…” Alex replies like he’s buffering mid-conversation.

I quietly edge closer to him.
Maybe if I just stand next to him, she’ll stop staring like she’s gonna inspect his DNA…

Big mistake.

“Oho?” Aunt Deb eyes me up and down like a coach scouting an athlete.
“Nice posture. Mmm-hmm… solid physique… symmetrical face… natural elegance…”

She turns to Puan Mas like she’s placing an order from a bridal catalog.

“Mas. I approve. She’s perfect.”

“Not with that tone you're not,” Puan Mas snaps.
“I told you, if it happens, it happens naturally. Not because you shoved them into a wedding hall!”

Excuse me, wedding hall!?

“Wait… wait—WHAT ARE YOU TWO TALKING ABOUT!?”

Aurora cackles behind me like a Disney villain with a guitar.

And then…

I realize something’s off.

Alex… is gone.

Like, poof, vanished.

“Huh? Alex—? Where—?”

I whip around just in time to see Alex tied up behind us—arms wrapped in rope, duct tape over his mouth, and a tragic look in his eyes.

Faiz, Adinor, and even Imam Jamil are holding the ends of the rope like they’re executing a prisoner.

“DON’T YOU DARE ABANDON US, YOU LUCKY BASTARD!!!” Faiz screams.

“THIS IS FOR THE BOOBS, THE HUG, AND THE KISS!!” Adinor adds.

Imam Jamil holds a slipper like he’s about to perform divine justice.

WHAM!
BONK!
SLAP!

Alex wriggles like a deflated fish on land, eyes filled with betrayal and regret.

“That’s what happens when you hog all the good karma in one morning,” I mutter.

Aurora just blinks.

“Wha… You guys really treat beatdowns like casual breakfast around here, huh?”

“Welcome to the kampung, lady,” Marina says with a grin.
“Where friendship means you get smacked with a sandal for falling in love.”

I sigh, rubbing my temples.

“This is going to be a long day…”

Alex is still crucified by the boys.

Tied up like some guilty war criminal, slumped over a laundry pole they somehow found behind the house. Faiz and Adinor are doing "quality control" with a mop and a rolled-up magazine, while Imam Jamil occasionally reads a prayer over his poor soul.

And if that isn’t enough...

Hana, that sweet little girl, is standing beside him—tiny finger extended, boink—poking her brother's cheek over and over like she's testing dough.

“Awex… Awex… Awex... ?” poke poke

Alex lets out a barely audible wheeze.

“What… is happening… to me…”

I sigh. Loudly. Dramatically.

Then I crouch beside him, arms crossed, giving him the side-eye of doom.

“Well, at least you're not dead, dumbass.”

He blinks up at me, eyes pleading.

I ignore the look.

And somehow, with the power of annoyance and lingering affection, I hoist him up—arms under his shoulders, dragging him off the pole like a firefighter saving a half-conscious victim.

“Geez, you’re heavy. What’ve you been eating, rocks!?”

Meanwhile, Alex's mom is still happily chatting with Aunt Deb and Ms. Aurora on the patio like nothing’s going on. The lawn? Sparkling. Spotless. Like a cleaning crew stormed in with divine brooms.

“Mas, your place is gorgeous as always!”
“Aww, Deb, you’re too kind. Come, come, I made kuih seri muka! Try some!”

Then I hear the sound of the front gate opening.

Mom and Phylis finally arrive.

Mom practically dives at Aunt Deb like they're long-lost sorority sisters from a TV drama.

“Deb!!!! AURORA!!!! IT’S BEEN FOREVER!!!”
“CLAIRE!!!! STILL GORGEOUS I SEE!!”

They scream, laugh, hug, spin—like a tornado of mom-energy in floral blouses.

And Phylis?

Oh boy.

At first, she looks calm.

Then she sees Aurora.

“Agh—!! AURORA!?”

Her voice cracks into full shriek mode.

Before anyone can stop her, Phylis dashes like a missile into Aurora's chest.

BOOF!

She clings to her like a giant, fluffy koala bear.

“PHYLIS!!!!! YOU’RE SOOOOOO CUUUUUUUTE!!! I COULD DIEEE!!!”

Aurora lifts her like she’s cradling a giant stuffed bear, spinning her around while Phylis flails like a ragdoll.

“I’M… DYING… PLEASE PUT ME DOWN!!!” Phylis gasps, arms flapping.

I blink.

Well… at least I’m not the only one being emotionally violated today.

Not that I’m relieved, exactly… but…

I suddenly feel a little less alone.

Alex mumbles weakly in my arms.

“Nat… I think I’m hallucinating… Your mom and my mom are… doing some kind of auntie dance collab…”

“Shut up and hydrate,” I shove a bottle into his mouth.
“You’re not allowed to pass out until you explain everything.”

He gulps and mutters.

“Even the kiss…?”

“Especially the kiss.”

And that, folks, is how my day turned from "awkward" to "full-blown chaos."

And somehow, it's still just morning.

The chaos dies down once Alex’s mom drags Aunt Deb, Ms. Aurora, and Mom back into the house—probably to gossip and snack on pineapple tarts.

Now it’s just me and Alex.

Alone.

The summer air settles around us, thick with that awkward silence you only get when the truth's still hanging somewhere between “do you wanna talk about it?” and “pretend it didn’t happen.”

Alex stretches his arms, looking like he's finally at peace.

I don’t let him get too comfortable.

GLARE ACTIVATED.

He stiffens.

“H-Huh? What’s with the death stare?”

I tilt my head, sweet as poison.

“Care to explain?” 😊

His eyes dart left. Then right.

“Explain… what?”

💢 “Yesterday.”

Instant panic.

He freezes like a bug caught in a flashlight. Sweat forms on his temple.

“Y-You mean that yesterday?! Look, she was the one who grabbed me, okay! I didn’t do anything!”

“Mm-hmm. Really now?”

I take a step closer.

He backs up, nervous.

“I swear, Nat! Jennifer pulled my arm outta nowhere! She showed up in the kitchen wearing that… that thing! I didn’t even know she was there!”

I raise an eyebrow.

“And?”

“And then she started spouting cowboy gibberish and told me she was counting on me to take care of you! Like I’m your—your bodyguard or something!!”

“So you saw nothing wrong with her holding your arm like that?” 😐

He waves his arms frantically.

“I wasn’t enjoying it! I mean—I really tried to avoid looking at her!!”

My face burns.

I hate that image.

Why is my brain cursed with such vivid imagination!?

“I’m not some princess, okay… I didn’t ask to be looked after.”

His eyes soften, just for a moment. But then…

He quickly looks away, rubbing his neck awkwardly.

“Well… whether you asked or not… I still wanna protect you.”

...

My heart skips.

That idiot…

Just when I want to punch him, he says things like that—like it’s nothing.

“Whatever,” I mutter, turning away before he sees my face heat up.

He gets up, dusting off his jeans.

“Hey, Nat... can I ask you to watch over Hana for a bit?”

“Huh? Sure, but why?”

“Need to make a phone call. It’s… something personal.”

He walks off, slipping around the side of the house.

I sit down on the porch steps, sighing as Hana waddles up and leans against me.

“Awex... go?”

“Yeah,” I whisper, brushing her hair gently. “He’ll be back soon.”

But something tugs at my chest.

A strange feeling.

Something in the way he looked back before turning the corner…

It didn’t feel like just a phone call.

It felt like something deeper.

Something buried.

Something… he still won’t tell me.

Something’s… off.

From the edge of the corridor, I peek outside, just beyond the porch where the air still smells of breakfast and firewood. Alex is there, a phone in his hand—his mom’s phone. He’s standing alone near the back gate, pacing slightly, tension radiating off his shoulders like heat waves.

I can’t hear clearly, but I catch the tone.

“Is Frederica around?”

I blink.

Who?

“What do you mean… she’s not?”

A pause.

“There’s no way. You’re wrong!”

His voice cracks. My heart jumps.

I grip the edge of the doorframe.

Who… is Frederica?

I don’t have time to ask. Alex’s mom—Puan Mas—rushes past me, her expression pale. For once, her calm elegance breaks, and I see a woman trying to hold it together.

“No… not again…” she murmurs under her breath as she walks toward him.

“Alex, listen… she’s not around anymore.”

“No! She has to be! She’s still alive, right!?”

His voice echoes like thunder in a small room.

He tosses the phone back into her hands.

“Whatever…”

He storms off, leaving only silence and heavy air behind.

I’m frozen. Something in my chest tightens. Not from jealousy… but something deeper.

Puan Mas turns to me, eyes heavy with years.

“I’m sorry, Natalie. You shouldn’t have had to hear that.”

I step forward carefully, voice gentle.

“What happened…?”

Before she can answer, Aunt Beb comes down the stairs with a sigh that could collapse the whole room.

“That stubborn boy… Still hasn’t accepted it, huh?”

Puan Mas shakes her head.

“He refuses to let go. He truly believes she’s still alive…”

Aunt Beb’s arms cross, her voice stern but laced with sadness.

“Is that why he acts out? The fights, the quiet moments, that distance?”

“No. The doctors gave suggestions. Medication. But I couldn’t… I didn’t want to shut off what makes Alex Alex. He just… needs time.”

“Mas, that was years ago… How long are you going to let him carry this alone?”

“You tell me, Beb. How do you tell your son that the one person he tried to save… is gone?”

Aunt Beb’s expression tightens. Puan Mas walks off, the pain in her back visible even in her footsteps.

I’m left alone with Aunt Beb and Hana, who snuggles beside me, unaware of the storm around us.

We sit on the steps.

“That big sis of mine… always shouldering everything alone. No wonder Alex turned out the same.”

I look down, hands curled in my lap.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude. I shouldn’t be asking—”

“No, Nat. You deserve to know. Because you’re already part of this now.”

Aunt Beb glances at the trees in the distance before speaking, softly, like revealing a ghost story.

“Alex… tried to save her. They having a festival for Frederica’s birthday the village one day when a bull broke loose. The thing went wild. Frederica… she froze. She was terrified. Alex didn’t even think—he just ran. He pushed her out of the way. Took the full impact.”

My eyes widen.

“He fell into a coma,” she continues. “Three days. No one thought he’d wake up. But when he did… he ran out, still calling for her. He didn’t know. No one had the heart to tell him yet.”

My hands tremble. That pain… that ache he carries in his eyes.

She pauses, her jaw clenched.

“Alex went wild. Screaming. Crying. He even attacked Frederica’s parents—can you imagine that? At age seven, that boy fought like a grown man. It took five adults to hold him back when he lashed out at Frederica’s father. The whole village had to step in. And you know what? No one blamed him.”

I gasp.

“No one?” I whisper.

“They all loved him. Even Frederica’s parents. They knew what he did. He saved their daughter—he just… wasn’t fast enough.”

I hold back tears. My hand brushes Hana’s hair as she leans on my lap.

“After that,” Aunt Beb continues, “Mas and her husband moved back to the state capital. To protect him… and maybe to help him forget. But he never really did.”

I look out the window. The trees sway gently, but my heart feels heavy.

My throat is dry. My chest feels heavy. And yet, a strange warmth blooms in my heart.

So that’s why… that’s why Alex always looks out the window like he’s waiting for someone who’ll never return.

Natalie - Present Day (Narration):

Even now, I’ve never told Alex I know. I kept it to myself, holding onto the silence. Because sometimes… when someone you love carries a burden too deep, all you can do is walk beside them—until they’re ready to stop running.

Natalie’s Side (Continued):

“So… that’s why he shuts people out.”

“Maybe,” Aunt Beb says. “But he’s different now, Nat. He’s not that boy anymore.”

I look down at Hana sleeping on my lap. Alex may never be free from his past… but maybe, just maybe…

I can help carry it with him.

Aunt Beb watches me in silence for a moment before she finally speaks again, her voice gentler now.

“Y’know, Mas told me something about you, Nat…”

I blink.

“About me?”

She nods, then sighs, leaning slightly on the armrest of the old wooden chair.

“She said that after Frederica… Alex had never let anyone in. Not even a little. But you—you're different. You got through to him.”

Her words hang in the air like dust in sunlight.

But instead of relief… I feel my heart twist.

I stand up slowly.

My fists clench at my sides.

“I’m not… some replacement,” I say, my voice trembling slightly. “I’m not here to fill in for someone who’s gone.”

Aunt Beb looks up at me. And then… she smiles. Not in mockery. But with that calm, knowing expression only an adult who’s seen too much can give.

“And you're not,” she replies, simply.

I pause.

“He’s changed, Natalie,” she continues. “Mas said it herself. Back then, Alex was… wild. Unpredictable. Ever since Frederica's death, he’d start fights for no reason. Not to hurt people—no, never that. But like he had something inside him burning to get out.”

I sit back down, my gaze dropping to my hands in my lap.

“She said he never started fights with weak kids or bullied anyone,” Aunt Beb adds. “But when it came to older kids? Troublemakers? Bullies? He’d go all in. Like he was trying to fight something that wasn’t even there.”

A memory flashes in my head.

—That time Alex stood between me and Wan with his goons trying to bully me. His eyes didn’t even flinch. He wasn’t just defending me. It was like he was challenging the world itself.

“He fights too hard sometimes,” I murmur, realizing it now. “Like he’s got something to prove. Or something to punish himself for…”

Aunt Beb nods.

“Exactly.”

“But…”

I hug my knees, lowering my chin. Hana curls beside me quietly, her little fingers wrapped around my pinky.

“What if I never reach that part of him? The part that still cries out for Frederica?”

Aunt Beb leans forward.

“Natalie,” she says gently, “you don’t erase someone’s past. You become part of their present. And if you’re brave enough… maybe their future too.”

That catches me off guard. My heart pounds.

“But… how do I know if I’m enough?”

She smiles again.

“You already are. Because Alex smiles around you. He laughs. He talks. You don’t have to replace Frederica. You just have to be Natalie. And trust me…”

She tilts her head knowingly.

“That boy doesn’t just look at you like you're some girl. He looks at you like you're home.”

I feel my cheeks burn.

I turn away quickly.

“Tch… stupid Alex…”

But I can’t stop the tiny smile forming at the corner of my lips.

I gently place Hana in Aunt Beb’s arms.
“Could you look after her? And tell Puan Mas I’ve gone to find Alex.”

Aunt Beb doesn’t question it—she just nods, her expression soft but serious.

“Only you can reach him right now, Natalie… So go. Bring him back.”

I nod. No hesitation. No second thoughts.
Just one direction—towards him.

The swing set behind the old park creaks in the fading sun.

Just as I thought… he’s here.

Alex’s Side

The wind's a little sharp tonight.

The swing creaks beneath me as I rock back and forth, staring at the old park tiles. My hands are shoved deep into my pockets. I don't even know why I came here.

Maybe because no one else comes here anymore.
Maybe because it's the only place I can breathe.

“She’s gone, Alex. She's not coming back.”

I grit my teeth.

Then why do I still feel like I can hear her voice?

“Alex…”

No. Not her voice.

This one’s real.

I glance back and—of course—it’s her.

Natalie. That crazy girl again.
Always showing up when I least want her to.
Always walking straight into my storm.

“What are you doing here?” I grumble, turning away. “This isn’t your scene, you know.”

She plants herself on the swing next to mine like she owns the place.

“You’ve been sulking long enough. Figured I’d drop by before you turned into a statue.”

I sigh. “You should’ve just left me alone.”

“I almost did,” she says casually, “but Hana gave me the puppy eyes. What was I supposed to do?”

“…Tch.”

I swing again, slow and lazy. She doesn’t say anything else. Just rocks next to me.
In sync.
Like she’s been doing this her whole life.

“Not gonna ask what’s wrong?” I mutter.

“Nope.”

“Not even curious?”

“You’ll tell me when you’re ready.”

I glance sideways. She’s staring straight ahead. Calm. Like she’s waiting for the clouds to pass, not chase them off.

“…You’re annoying, you know that?”

“And you’re terrible at hiding when you’re hurting.”

Ouch.

I look up at the stars, trying to steady my breathing.

“I didn’t ask for any of this,” I say finally.

“I know.”

“I didn’t want to remember. But every time I try to forget, something pulls me back.”

My voice cracks at the edges.

She still says nothing.

“I hate this. I hate that I still care.”

Then—

She quietly swings closer…
and leans her shoulder against mine.

We sit there.

Not a word. Not a question.
Just her presence.

Solid. Unshakable.

“I’m not trying to fix you,” she says softly. “But I’ll stay if you want me to.”

The wind carries her words like a whisper.

And suddenly, the weight in my chest shifts.
Not gone.
But not crushing either.

“…Stupid.”

“Mhm.”

“…Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

I don’t tell her anything.
Not tonight.
Not about Frederica.
Not about Long Pasia.
Not about the blood or the screams or the coma.

But she doesn’t ask.

And that’s why, for the first time in a long while, I don’t feel like I’m drowning.

Alex (Present Day Narration):

That night, she didn’t ask me to let go.
She just held on long enough until I didn’t need to hold everything in alone.

Alex’s Side (Continued)

Something about Natalie tonight feels different.

She's still the same annoying, loud-mouthed crazy girl I know—
But... there's this warmth radiating from her now.
Like a campfire in the cold. Not too close. But just near enough.

I glance over. She's been kicking at the dirt with her sneakers, a small pout on her face.

“…Hey, Nat.”

“Yeah?”

“…You bored?”

“Mmhmm. Completely.”
Her tone is playful, but I catch the mischief dancing in her eyes.

“Maybe you could help me.”

“Huh? With what?”

Suddenly, she grabs my wrist and pulls me up like a ragdoll.

“Be my mannequin.”

“…Huh!?”

Before I can protest, she’s dragging me back toward her house, her fingers tightly gripping mine like I’m her runaway pet project.

“I’m not wearing glitter or skirts or—” I begin.

“Relax! I’m not that evil. I just need someone with a decent shape.”

“Gee, thanks?”

We enter her room and it still hits me like a truck every time—
All that soft lighting, the overload of artsy fabrics, mannequin torsos, sketches tacked on the walls like wanted posters, and perfume that smells too… Natalie.

She pulls out a jacket she’s been stitching with patches and threadwork.

“Here. Arms up.”

“…You serious?”

“Come on. If you’re gonna mope, you might as well be helpful.”
She flashes that smug grin that dares me to say no.

So I stand there.

Like an idiot. Arms raised.

As she begins adjusting the seams and poking at the collar, I find myself… zoning out. Not from boredom. Just… peace.
The weight in my chest that was suffocating earlier?
Still there.
But it doesn’t hurt as much anymore.

“Still with me?” she says, tugging at my sleeve.

“Huh? Oh—yeah.”

“Good. Because I need you for a few more fittings, Mr. Coma-Trauma-Tsundere.”

“Geez… what a title.”

She chuckles. It’s soft.
Like wind chimes on a quiet evening.

Honestly?

Maybe this is what I needed all along.
Not a lecture. Not a breakdown. Not a fake smile.

Just her being here.
Doing her weird thing.
Dragging me into her world until I forget mine.

Even if just for a while.

To be continued.