Hi tanuki chan here, I'm really sorry I didn't post a new chapter yesterday. I was planning to, I swear!! But I went to the gym and… well, a weight totally fell on my foot (don't ask 😭). Had to go see a doctor and they gave me painkillers, which knocked me out way earlier than I expected.
I promise I'm okay now! Just a little bruised (physically and emotionally lol). The next chapter is coming real soon!! Thanks for being patient and not giving up on me.
....
The sun hadn't fully risen yet when Saval opened his eyes. The house was silent, holding that kind of stillness that only exists between four and six in the morning. He got up without making a sound, trying not to wake Semiel, and slipped into his workout clothes. A light t-shirt, worn-out sneakers, and a pair of headphones that no longer worked in one ear. He didn't care. Sometimes he preferred running without music, with the world raw and unfiltered.
In the kitchen, while filling a bottle with water, he heard footsteps on the stairs. It was Semiel, wearing a gray hoodie draped over his shoulders and hair still messy.
—Going out for a run already? —he asked, voice raspy.
—Yeah. What about you?
—I'm heading to the corner store. I want to make something good for lunch —Semiel rubbed his eyes—. Need me to grab anything?
—Just don't forget to buy bread. The one from yesterday was like a rock.
—Got it —Semiel said, smiling.
Saval smiled back and stepped outside. The fresh morning air hit him in the face like a reminder—you're alive. He started jogging along the shore, letting the rhythm of his steps set the pace of his thoughts.
It had been days since Antonella left. Since Santiago disappeared with her, leaving behind a void that was hard to name. It wasn't just their absence that weighed on him—it was everything left unsaid, everything ripped out by the roots.
Antonella… She'd always been like a storm. The kind of person who tore through everything she touched, for better or worse. For years, he thought he knew her, thought he could predict her. But no. In the end, she turned out to be just another one of those people who walk away without looking back.
Santiago…
That name still twisted something in him. He had admired him, followed him. And in a way, he had betrayed him without even realizing it. He didn't fully understand how it had come to that. He just knew something inside him had changed for good. Maybe it had always been broken—and only now he could see it.
He kept running. The waves broke nearby, frothy and calm. The sky was beginning to blush with shades of pink and orange. In the distance, he saw two figures coming from the opposite end of the beach, jogging too. As they got closer, he could make out a tall guy and a girl with light-colored hair pulled into a messy ponytail.
When they were close enough, the girl smiled.
—Hey, you're the guy from the university, right?
Saval slowed down a bit, surprised.
—Do we know each other?
—We crossed paths on campus a few days ago. I saw you leaving. I'm Mia —she raised a hand in a casual wave—. This is George, my cousin.
George nodded with a friendly smile.
—Ah, right —Saval nodded—. I think I remember now. I'm Saval.
—Nice to meet you, Saval. Do you always run around here?
—Just for a few days. I'm staying nearby with a friend.
—Us too! We came for a few days to unplug. We're having a bonfire on the beach tonight, near the cabins up north. Want to join?
Saval hesitated for a second. There was something light about her, something that didn't make him feel judged or watched.
—Maybe. I'd have to ask my friend. I don't think he'd mind, but still…
—Totally fine —Mia took out her phone—. I'll give you my number. Text me if you feel like coming. The more, the merrier.
Saval saved her contact as "Mia Beach" and then they jogged together for a while longer, until they split off at a curve in the shore.
The way back was quiet. The sun was up by then, and a few birds had started gliding over the sea.
When he got back to the house, Semiel was in the kitchen, pulling warm bread from a paper bag.
—How was the run? —he asked without looking up, focused on slicing a tomato.
—Good. But something odd happened.
Semiel raised an eyebrow.
—Yeah?
Saval set his bottle down on the table.
—I ran into a girl. Well, her and her cousin. Her name's Mía. She said we crossed paths once at the university. She invited me to a bonfire tonight.
—A bonfire? Like one of those teen movies where everything goes horribly wrong? —Semiel joked.
Saval laughed.
—Yeah, but hopefully without the killer in the woods.
—So… are you going?
Saval looked at him, serious for a moment. Then he nodded.
—Yeah. But I want you to come with me. It'll be more fun.
Semiel pretended to think about it for a second, then smiled.
—Alright. It's been a while since we went to a bonfire. And you need to laugh a bit more.
—Oh yeah? And you don't?
—I'm always laughing on the inside. I'm like a tragic clown.
—That was deeply depressing, Semiel.
They both laughed. Saval dropped into one of the chairs, and Semiel poured him some fresh orange juice, pulp and all.
The day was just beginning, but for the first time in a long while, it didn't feel like everything was about to fall apart.
Saval thought about Mía, about George, about the bonfire. He thought about how good it had felt to talk without having to hide anything, without being on edge. Maybe it was nothing. Maybe the night would end up being dull.
But it was a start.
And for someone who'd felt stuck for so long, starting to walk —or run— toward something new was already more than he'd hoped for.