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Chapter Text

Boboiboy Fanfiction

© Boboiboy | Animosta Studio

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Taufan is weaker than the others. He has been easily prone to illness since childhood, even frequently going in and out of the hospital. In a single year, he could be hospitalized more than twice. He doesn’t have any chronic diseases, his body is just naturally weaker.

Because of this, Taufan spends more time indoors rather than playing outside with his brothers. He would pretend to be busy reading a book whenever one of his brothers invited him to play. But every time Gempa saw his face, he knew that Taufan wanted to play with them too.

Father and Mother might seem to give more attention to Taufan because he’s always sick, sometimes making Gempa and his other brothers jealous. But thinking about it now, wasn’t it unfair for them to feel jealous of Taufan? They were born with strong and healthy bodies, able to run under the scorching sun while laughing. Meanwhile, Taufan could only sit by the door, watching them play.

They were so cruel to their brother, how could they distance themselves from him because of jealousy? Taufan always sat by the door, watching them play. Maybe there would be a book on his lap, but every time they turned to look at him, Taufan would wave at them. This was proof that Taufan also wanted to be close to them in his own way. Maybe he couldn’t play with them, but he would always appear in their memories of childhood.

It had been years since their childhood, and Gempa had forgotten when they last spent time with Taufan. Now he was 24 years old, the same age as Taufan. It might be a bit late to realize it, but Gempa hoped he could still mend their sibling relationship.

Gempa took a deep breath to steel himself, then knocked on the door in front of him. He waited for the person inside to open the door for him, but after a few minutes passed, there was no response. He repeated his action, knocking on the door but this time accompanied by calling out the homeowner's name. Still, there was no answer. Gempa thought the owner might not be home at the moment, so he checked his phone to see the time; it was only 10 AM. He decided he would come back later.

That was his intention, but just as he was about to turn around, Gempa heard the sound of something falling. And the sound was quite loud. This made Gempa panic. He knocked on the door again, this time while calling out the owner's name and trying to open the locked door. The thought of breaking down the door crossed his mind, but he decided not to do it.

He didn’t know how long he had been doing this, but then he heard the sound of a key turning, and the door opened. This time revealing a pale, slender young man with messy shoulder-length hair. Dark and heavy bags were under his eyes, his glasses were askew, and his hair was disheveled. The blue sweater he was wearing looked faded and worn out, but despite his pitiful appearance, the sparkle in his blue eyes never dimmed. And Gempa would always say this: those blue eyes were like sparkling sapphires.

“Astaghfirullah, brother! Your head is bleeding!” Gempa exclaimed. He quickly took some tissues from his bag and pressed them against the wound on the young man’s head. Meanwhile, the young man in front of him looked confused.

“What are you doing here?”

“Hold on, brother! Let’s go inside now, I’ll treat your wound.” Gempa urged the young man to go back into the house. He continued to mutter under his breath at the homeowner while making him sit on a chair and searching for the first aid kit that should be available in this house. Once he found it, Gempa started scolding him again while treating the wound on the young man’s head. Thankfully, it was just a small cut, though there was quite a bit of blood. Gempa had been really panicked earlier when he saw him show up with a bleeding head.

“What were you doing? How did you get hurt like this?”

“Huh? I... I think I fell asleep earlier. Then I heard someone knocking on the door. When I got up to open the door, my vision blurred and I fell. I think I hit something but I don’t remember what.”

Gempa was at a loss for words. He was torn between scolding the young man in front of him and apologizing for showing up unannounced. In the end, he could only sigh and give a small smile.

“Why... are you here? You were just here with Mom two days ago. Did something happen?”

Gempa shook his head. “No. Nothing happened. But maybe I should introduce myself properly.”

“Huh?”

“Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Gempa, I’m 24 years old, and from now on, I’ll be your assistant. Please take care of me.”

“Huh? WHAAT?!”

...

Let Gempa properly introduce himself this time. He is Gempa, the third child of seven brothers and the youngest of the other two twins, and this year he has turned 24 years old. Initially, he worked at a small private company in the financial sector but resigned after a year of working there.

It wasn't because he didn't fit in with the environment or because the salary was low. In fact, the employees there were so friendly and kind to him, and the salary offered was quite generous for someone who was still a beginner. But Gempa had another reason for resigning from that company.

The reason was the blue-eyed young man in front of him.

Taufan, his second older brother and one of the twins.

His brother, who was physically much weaker than the other siblings.

Taufan is a writer. He is quite well-known for several of his works, such as 'The Dancing Butterfly', 'The Sun Ring', 'Breath of the Wind', 'Hero', and 'Echo'. In fact, 'The Sun Ring' has now been adapted into a film and is recognized as one of the most anticipated films of the year. It is also rumored that 'Hero' and 'Echo' will soon be adapted into films and animations.

Unfortunately, being a writer means you have to pour your heart and soul into your work. Taufan always said that a writer is recognized as a writer if they live for their writing and how they succeed in bringing the reader into the world they create. In Gempa's opinion, Taufan is that kind of writer. He is deeply dedicated to what he works on, which means he often neglects his health for the sake of his work.

That is the reason why Gempa chose to resign from his job. He had a goal to take care of his brother.

"Wait... wait. What do you mean, Gempa? My assistant?"

"Yes, starting today, I am the assistant to the writer Taufan."

"But how is that possible? Weren't you working in finance?"

Ah... Gempa forgot that Taufan often fell behind on news about the outside world. Since the age of 22, Taufan had no longer lived with them. He bought his own house with the money earned from his works. The house was relatively simple but large enough for just one person to live in. At that time, Taufan reasoned that he needed peace and quiet to write, but Gempa felt there was another reason behind it. And since living alone, Taufan had become very rarely gathered with them anymore, which made the information he had about them very limited. Especially when Gempa left his previous job, he didn't make any fuss about it. His company accepted his decision, his parents didn't mind his actions, and the other brothers felt that Gempa knew what was best for himself.

But it seems that Gempa did mention to Taufan about him changing jobs. Maybe Taufan thought he had just changed companies and was still in the same field?

"I quit my job at that private company last year. And six months ago, I got a job at the publisher that will publish your work this time. And this time, I was assigned to be your assistant."

"Huh?!"

Taufan looked very confused, and in Gempa's opinion, his brother's confused expression was very cute. But as much as Gempa enjoyed teasing Taufan, he preferred seeing his brother resting well. Didn't Taufan just say his vision blurred while walking? It was likely that Taufan hadn't been resting properly or, as usual, he forgot to eat.

Wasn't this his goal from the beginning? The reason why he left his promising job and moved to a field that wasn't really his because he wanted to take care of Taufan and become closer to his brother. As he mentioned earlier, it might be a bit late to realize his past foolishness, but he hoped it wasn't too late to mend their brotherly bond.

"It would be better if you rest now, we can talk about it later."

Taufan was still in a daze, his focus seemingly torn between wanting to protest Gempa's words or obeying them. Gempa took advantage of this to gently push his brother into his bedroom and help him lie down on his bed. Taufan's eyes quickly closed as soon as his head touched the pillow, and he fell asleep immediately.

Gempa smiled softly as he watched Taufan's sleeping face. He removed the glasses Taufan was wearing, adjusted the blue sweater his brother was wearing while thinking about how thin Taufan had become.

It seems he should start by cooking something so that Taufan can eat regularly from now on. Looking around Taufan's messy room, Gempa sighed softly. He would cook after tidying up this place.

Gempa couldn't believe Taufan had been living alone for the past two years. Sure, their mother often visited to bring food or just to check on Taufan, but still. The Taufan in Gempa's memory was a child with a weak body, easily falling ill just from trivial things. This was the reason their father and mother seemed so attentive to Taufan, even forbidding him from leaving them. Gempa still remembered the uproar caused by Taufan when he said he would live alone. He remembered how their father looked so angry and their mother looked so worried and sad.

But even though he had a weak body, Taufan's resolve was never weak. Once he decided on what he thought was right for him, it was not easy to change his mind. And when Taufan said he would live alone, he was already determined about it. Their father and mother still didn't agree with it until now, but they could never stop Taufan from doing what he wanted.

Taufan's house is a simple house with a living room, two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a bathroom. The yard isn't very large but enough to plant a few types of flowers. Actually, this house is too big for one person to live in. Gempa remembered their mother worrying that Taufan had been scammed by the real estate agent, but Taufan seemed fine. He even said that he really wanted this house and reasoned that if he had a lot of stuff, then this house was perfect for him—although Gempa worried it was because Taufan didn't want to panic their mother or that he was unaware he'd been scammed.

Whatever the case, the house had already been bought by Taufan, and his brother seemed to like it. What Gempa needed to do was help Taufan take care of it while he also took care of his brother.

Cleaning Taufan's house turned out to take much longer than Gempa had anticipated. It seemed that Taufan wasn't someone who cleaned often—not that Gempa was surprised, given that Taufan, once immersed in writing, could even forget to eat. Gempa remembered starting to clean Taufan's house at 10:30 AM and finishing when it was almost 4 PM. The hunger in his stomach reminded Gempa that he hadn't had lunch. Looking around, Gempa nodded in satisfaction at his work and decided to stop cleaning for today. It would be better to start preparing dinner; who knows, his brother might have woken up while Gempa was cleaning and now wanted to eat.

Fortunately, two days ago when Gempa visited with their mother, they brought plenty of groceries. So, Gempa didn't have to worry about what to cook. For today, he started with a relatively simple menu—just corn soup and fried chicken for their dinner.

While frying the chicken, Gempa heard a thud, causing him to worry that Taufan might have hit something and hurt himself again. Gempa quickly turned off the stove and rushed to Taufan's room, only to find his brother trying to gather the books that had scattered across the floor.

"What's wrong?"

"Gempa? Is it already Saturday?"

Gempa smiled in confusion. Wasn't it just Monday?

"Are you the one cooking? Didn't Mom come with you today?"

Gempa grew even more confused. Why was Taufan asking this? Hadn't Gempa clearly stated his purpose when he arrived earlier that morning?

"I had a funny dream, Gem. In my dream, you said you wanted to be my assistant." As Taufan said this with a laugh, Gempa could only smile helplessly. So that's what it was. Gempa approached Taufan, touching his shoulder and suggesting that it might be better if Taufan washed his face or maybe took a bath first, leaving the books to be tidied up by Gempa. Although confused, Taufan followed Gempa's advice. It wouldn’t be long before Taufan realized that what he thought was a dream was actually reality, but it was better if his brother figured it out on his own without Gempa having to explain it again.

Gempa had finished organizing Taufan's books and was about to return to the kitchen when he heard Taufan's shout and hurried footsteps. Gempa smiled when Taufan opened the door to his room forcefully. He glanced at Taufan from head to toe before laughing and grabbing a blanket from Taufan's bed.

"Gempa! Don't tell me you were serious about becoming my assistant?!"

Gempa laughed, not answering Taufan's question. Instead, he draped the blanket over Taufan's body. "Don't run around naked again. You'll catch a cold."

Taufan reflexively held the blanket draped over his body, looking confused. However, as he realized what Gempa had done, his cheeks turned a shade of red. Ah, when it wasn't about books or writing, his brother really didn't care much about other things, did he?

"I'm going back to finish preparing dinner. You should continue with your bath. Afterward, we can have a long talk," Gempa said. He ruffled Taufan's hair, who still stood frozen in place. Thankfully, Taufan didn’t say anything more and just nodded his head. Gempa returned to the kitchen to continue cooking, which had been interrupted earlier. Should he prepare more food? Seeing Taufan’s body earlier, Gempa grew more worried that his brother might be malnourished. Taufan was very thin and looked like he could be blown away by a small gust of wind. As far as Gempa remembered, Taufan’s body was much fuller when they were still living together.

Maybe it would be a good idea to ask their mother about this. Gempa made a mental note to call his mother after dinner with Taufan today.

At dinner, strangely, Taufan didn’t say much. Gempa had thought he would be bombarded with questions from his brother, but it turned out that Taufan chose to eat while casting suspicious glances at Gempa. Gempa could only smile and chuckle to himself. He hadn’t expected this side of Taufan. He had thought his brother was a mysterious figure, hard to approach, but it turned out Taufan had a childish side like this.

"So, do you want to ask your questions now?" Gempa broke the silence between them, unable to stand the quiet any longer. Taufan shivered at the sound of Gempa's voice, looking at him with hesitation, even though Gempa could easily read what Taufan was thinking. Sometimes, Taufan was like an open book to him, very easy to read.

"Why did you suddenly change jobs?"

"Hm? It wasn’t sudden. I’ve thought it through carefully and even discussed it with Mom and Dad."

"But, Gem, being an assistant to a writer is very different from managing finances!"

"I know. That's why I’m asking for your help in the future because I know I have a lot to learn in this field."

Even though Gempa gave a reasonable answer and maintained a calm demeanor, Taufan still seemed anxious. He ruffled his hair like someone who was frustrated—or maybe Taufan was indeed frustrated at that moment.

"Gempa, answer my question honestly. Why did you leave your promising job and switch to something completely unrelated to what you're good at?" Right now, Taufan sounded very serious. He probably wouldn’t accept any reason from Gempa, no matter what it was. The only thing left was to tell his brother the truth. Gempa hoped Taufan wouldn’t misunderstand his good intentions. The last thing he wanted was for Taufan to misinterpret his motives.

"Maybe you’ll think I’m being reckless, but I’ve thought about this for a long time. Even before graduating from college and before applying for jobs, I had been thinking about this for a while. Unfortunately, I was more cowardly than I thought. I only had the courage to take the step a year ago." Gempa smiled wryly.

Taufan didn’t say anything. It seemed he knew that Gempa’s explanation wasn’t finished yet.

"Everything I’ve done, the reason I quit my job and chose to work as an assistant to a writer, is because I want to be close to you."

"Close to me?"

"Yes, I want to take care of you. I want to be with you. I know it’s very late to start, but I hope you’ll give me a chance."

Gempa didn’t dare look at Taufan. He was afraid of the expression his brother might show him. Maybe Taufan would look at him with disappointment or perhaps feel disgusted with Gempa for only trying after 24 years of never even attempting. Whatever it was, Gempa wasn’t sure he could handle it. But seconds passed, and Taufan still hadn’t said anything. Whether he liked it or not, Gempa glanced at his brother and found him deep in thought. He looked so serious, who knows what was on his mind at that moment.

"So, if I sum it up, the reason you did all this is because of me?" Taufan asked. His tone sounded normal, without accusation or anger, or any of the things Gempa thought would be there at first. Even his facial expression seemed neutral as if they were talking about something else.

"Yes... exactly. But don’t get me wrong! I didn’t do this out of pity or anything like that. I really want to be close to you."

Taufan nodded. "Alright then. After all, it’s your decision."

Huh? Just like that?

Gempa thought Taufan would yell and scold him for only trying to get close after years of ignoring him. What is this? Why did Gempa feel like something was off?

They continued their dinner as if the conversation hadn’t happened. Taufan began explaining his new novel and what Gempa had to do as his assistant. He seemed to have accepted that Gempa would now accompany him not just as his younger brother but also as his assistant. Taufan even started giving Gempa tasks that needed to be done immediately. Oh, this was a new side of Taufan that Gempa hadn’t seen before. All this time, Taufan had always appeared as a somewhat mysterious figure, loving books but understanding and kind-hearted. Gempa hadn’t expected Taufan to be so strict when it came to his work.

"Tomorrow, I’ll be visiting the Cathedral Church out of town. You have to come with me, so prepare yourself now," Taufan said as they finished dinner. Gempa didn’t have time to respond before his brother retreated to his bedroom, saying he needed to continue his novel as he had a sudden burst of inspiration.

Gempa sighed. Well, this was his job now. He had to remain professional.

This is the story of Gempa becoming the assistant of a famous novelist, who is his own brother.

Chapter Text

Boboiboy Fanfiction

© Boboiboy | Animosta Studio

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Taufan’s current novel tells the story of a young man who becomes a priest after his lover death. At first, it sounds like a tale about someone’s spiritual journey after a tragic loss. Gempa thought the same when Taufan first told him about it. He believed that the young man became a priest to heal his wounds by getting closer to God. However, it turns out that this is a spiritual mystery novel that Taufan had long planned. The main character, despite becoming a priest, doesn’t perform his pastoral duties out of faith. He doesn’t fully surrender himself to God but instead uses this as an escape from his grief. In fact, he seems not to believe in God’s existence. The reason the protagonist becomes a priest is that he wants to bring his lover back to life, believing that the Church has a way to do so.

Gempa had already read the plot outline that Taufan had prepared, and in his opinion, Taufan’s novel this time is truly different from his previous works. Gempa has read all of Taufan’s published works, and most of them revolve around themes of family or friendship. Sometimes, there are stories of teenage romance that feel warm, but this is the first time he knows that Taufan enjoys writing mysteries. It can be said that this is Taufan’s first mystery novel. Gempa is a bit worried because it’s Taufan’s first attempt at such a genre, especially when he’s immediately combining it with religious elements, which certainly require a lot of research and deep understanding. Of course, Gempa is not worried that Taufan can’t do it; he trusts Taufan’s abilities and is fully confident that Taufan will turn this novel into another masterpiece. What concerns Gempa is Taufan’s health. He’s afraid that Taufan will push himself too hard. And the last thing Gempa wants is for that to happen.

Well, whatever happens, Gempa will ensure that Taufan’s health remains his top priority.

“You’ve made too much for breakfast,” Taufan complained for the umpteenth time.

“No. This is the right portion for the two of us, with the nutrients we need for today’s activities,” Gempa smiled as Taufan seemed on the verge of gagging on his breakfast.

“How many times a day have you been eating recently?”

"Eh?" Taufan looks confused. He pondered for a moment, poking at the eggs in front of him. “Once?”

Honestly, Gempa wasn’t surprised by Taufan’s answer. He wouldn’t even be suprised if Taufan said there were days when he didn’t eat for days. He just rubbed his forehead, feeling a sudden headache. He didn’t comment on Taufan’s eating habits but silently promised himself to ensure his brother ate three times a day to maintain his health.

“Oh, here’s the list of psychology books you requested, as well as a list of mystery novels with spiritual elements, and then a list of Church-related cases from around 1900 to 1945 that I could find. I’ll update the data if I find more cases or if you need a different time range. Also, for the trip, I’ve prepared the budget plan to report to the company. You can review it first.” As he explained, Gempa handed a stack of papers to Taufan.

“You… you did all this in one night?”

“Yes. Oh, was that not fast enough? I’ll try to improve next time.”

Taufan shook his head, panicked. He grabbed the stack of papers in front of him and said, “No, this is just fine. Don’t push yourself.”

Gempa didn’t say anything. He just silently watched as Taufan started reading the documents he had given him. Taufan looked very serious, reminding Gempa of a rare moment they once shared together when they were children. Gempa remembered Taufan reading a short story he had written for a school assignment. Ah, it made him feel nostalgic.

“Oh, by the way, why did you choose to make the protagonist a priest? I mean, his goal is to bring back the woman he loves, right? Why not have him go to a shaman instead? I think the purpose is the same—using dark magic.”

Taufan didn’t answer Gempa’s question right away. Instead, he quietly stared at the paper in his hand, perhaps thinking about the right answer to give his brother.

“Do you know when people seek the God?”

“Um… when they’re sad?”

Taufan now gazed directly at Gempa. His sapphire eyes, slightly obscured by his long bangs, glimmered as he smiled and said, "You're not wrong. But you're not entirely right either."

"Hm?"

"It's true that people will turn to God when they are sad. But does everyone do that? Not really. Seeking God is never a top priority for humans; they will seek pleasure for themselves. Whether it's from material things or other people. If you're sad because you lost your favorite book, would you pray to God about it? Would you tell God that you lost your beloved book and hope to find it again?"

Taufan's words were quite surprising. Gempa hadn't expected Taufan to answer his random question so seriously. He had only hoped for a simple response. All Gempa could do to answer Taufan's question was shake his head.

"When you're sad about something trivial, you won't seek God. Instead, you'll try to handle it yourself or ask for help from someone else. But what if you're feeling completely hopeless? When you think no one in the world can help or support you? When you're in despair, that's when you'll think of God. You'll believe that God is the only one who can help you now. Say you've been scammed out of hundreds of millions, and your family turns away from you. You're at your lowest point and want to give up, but you know that's not the path you should take. Before you truly give up, you'll seek God. You'll pray for guidance and help from Him. The main character in this story, after losing the woman he loves, falls into a deep pit of despair. He goes to church because the woman he loved was devout and believed in God. In his mind, he might find comfort by going to a place his beloved considered sacred. That day, the priest preached about Lazarus being raised from the dead by Jesus. What do you think he felt when he heard the story of a dead man being brought back to life?"

"He was... confused?"

"No. He was filled with hope. He had hope that the woman he loved could also be brought back to life. What's more, he had already researched this deeply and found that it wasn't just Lazarus who had been revived. There was the widow's son in Nain, who was also raised by Jesus, and in the Old Testament, there was the widow of Zarephath's son, who was revived by Elijah. There are many such examples. In 1 Corinthians 15:22, it says, 'For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.' What do you think his reaction was when he read that verse?"

Gempa paused for a moment, carefully considering Taufan's question. He tried to put himself in the shoes of the main character, who had lost someone he loved so dearly, falling into despair and then slowly finding hope in the stories from the scriptures.

"Did he... think that maybe the woman could be brought back to life because she was faithful in her beliefs?"

"Exactly. He would think that the woman he loved would surely be resurrected because she was a person of faith. That Christ, whom she believed in, would raise her because of her devotion. But we as humans cannot measure someone's faith. This is why I made the main character as a priest. He wants to be closer to what he believes could bring back the woman he loved. But, unknowingly, he ends up falling into heresy."

Once again, Gempa was amazed by Taufan's thought process. How did Taufan come up with such an idea? And how impressive was it that he could pour his thoughts into a series of words that would invite readers to understand what he was thinking? Truly remarkable.

"You know a lot about this, huh."

"I did research when the idea first crossed my mind. That's why it took me a long time to feel confident enough to write it. Writing something based on religion requires a deep understanding because you can't afford to misinterpret or miswrite it."

Gempa nodded in agreement. It was indeed true that matters concerning religion were sensitive. Gempa himself hadn't expected Taufan to take such a bold step in writing a story like this. His second eldest brother was truly amazing.

"But why didn't you choose to use another religion?"

At that moment, Taufan's response was nothing but a mysterious smile, indicating that he had no intention of explaining his novel further to Gempa. Of course, Taufan would be like this. He would only say what he wanted to say. No matter how much you pressed him, if he had no intention of revealing something, Taufan would never tell. All you could do was wait until Taufan decided to share it on his own.

...

Gempa actually knew that writers often visited many places to find sources of inspiration. And he knew that Taufan had also visited many places for his works. He just hadn’t thought that their visits would come with so many tasks. Gempa had assumed they would just take casual trips like normal people going to tourist spots. But that wasn’t the case. Now, Gempa was taking pictures of the Cathedral they visited while Taufan was busy talking to the Pastor of the church. They were even allowed inside the church to take more photos.

As Gempa photographed the altar, he glanced again at Taufan, who was still speaking with the Pastor. His brother looked very serious, his hands constantly writing in the notebook he had brought. Gempa was surprised that Taufan could talk so smoothly with a stranger, considering that his brother had always appeared shy and reluctant to speak to new people. Maybe for the sake of his work, Taufan was willing to do anything.

The next thing that surprised Gempa was how much time they spent. He never thought that checking out the church would take much longer than expected. They had already missed lunch, and it was now almost 4 PM. Strangely enough, Taufan still looked full of energy as he typed something on his laptop. Gempa guessed that Taufan was now writing his novel. He would leave Taufan for a moment to find something for them to eat. It seemed he had seen a restaurant nearby. He just hoped they sold food that suited Taufan’s taste.

When Gempa returned to where he had left Taufan, he found him scribbling something in his notebook. He thought maybe Taufan was jotting down more ideas for his novel. As he approached his brother, all he saw were abstract doodles. He really couldn’t figure his brother out.

"Brother."

"Oh, Gempa! Where did you go? When I turned around, you had disappeared. I thought you’d gone home."

"No, I went to buy food. We haven’t eaten since earlier. This is for you. I hope it suits your taste," Gempa said, handing over the paper bag filled with food he had just bought.

"Oh! Fried chicken! Thanks, Gem." Taufan smiled, his eyes narrowing into crescents. For a moment, Gempa was taken aback by Taufan’s smile. He didn’t know his older brother could smile like that. Taufan looked… so happy.

"Gempa, are you the one handling the cover for my novel and the illustrations inside?"

Gempa didn’t immediately answer Taufan’s question. Instead, he pulled out a tissue from his bag and wiped the corner of Taufan’s mouth, which was stained with sauce. His brother... why did it feel like he was taking care of a child? Gempa thought, smiling to himself.

"Yes. The company gave me a list of artists who often collaborate with us on book covers and other illustrations. I’ll give you the list along with samples of their work when we get home."

"Hm... don’t you want to be my illustrator?"

"Huh?"

"Yes. The illustrator for my novel this time."

"Me? But I don’t know anything about art and such."

Taufan tilted his head, his blue eyes gazing at Gempa with pure confusion, which reminded Gempa of a child.

"Really? As I recall, you had a talent for drawing. You loved to draw when you were little, and I think your drawings were great. Didn’t you win a poster design contest in high school? And I remember you often participated in competitions like that during college too."

Gempa was genuinely surprised when Taufan said all that. He never expected Taufan to know such small details about him. He had always assumed Taufan didn’t care much about his surroundings since he started writing novels. And he remembered that the distance between them had grown wider when he and Halilintar went to different middle schools from Taufan. Ah, once again, this proved how bad they were as brothers to Taufan. Taufan cared and knew small things about them, while Gempa didn’t even know Taufan’s favorite book.

"Um.. yeah, you’re right, but I haven’t done it in a long time."

"Why not give it a try? Try making a cover for my novel this time. Of course, other artists will also be involved, and I'll choose the one I feel is best for my novel," Taufan said casually.

"Eh? But isn’t it the editor who has to approve such things first?"

This time, Taufan laughed as if Gempa had just told him a joke. Taufan placed the chicken bone on the tissue Gempa had prepared for him, then looked at Gempa with the mischievous grin he used to have when they were little.

"I don’t mean to sound arrogant, but didn’t your seniors tell you about me when you started working with me?"

"Eh?"

Now Gempa was confused. He had indeed volunteered to work with Taufan when he first found out Taufan would be publishing his novel through their company. Even when his seniors learned that he was Taufan’s twin brother, they immediately entrusted him with the task without much protest. They said that because Gempa was Taufan's twin, he must know what’s best for him. Now that he thought about it, something was odd about the whole thing. After all, he was a beginner who had only been working for six months. Entrusting a famous writer to him seemed unreasonable—almost like they were underestimating the author. Were his seniors underestimating Taufan?!

"It seems you don’t know," Taufan was still laughing, as if he didn’t mind being underestimated by others—or so Gempa thought. "You may not believe me, but I’ve fired three assistants before you and made a few editors cry."

"Eh?!"

Gempa found it hard to believe what Taufan was saying. The Taufan he knew was gentle and understanding. His second brother never protested against unfair treatment, and the fact that he paid attention to small details about his siblings only proved that Taufan was a caring person. How could someone as kind as Taufan have fired three people and made others cry?

"You can ask your seniors. From what I know, they call me a hard-to-please author."

"What kind of nickname is that?" Gempa wasn’t sure what to feel upon hearing that nickname. While he was certain his face must be frowning and displeased, Taufan burst out laughing again, nearly taking Gempa’s breath away. With his shoulder-length hair slightly tousled by the wind, illuminated by the orange glow of the sunset, Taufan laughed until tears came to the corners of his eyes. What could Gempa say? His older brother had always had striking features, but right now, he looked so beautiful, as if stepping out of a painting. Without realizing it, Gempa had taken a photo of Taufan still laughing.

A soul so free, yet unfortunately confined by a fragile body.

"That’s because I’m rarely satisfied with them. I can be quite harsh when it comes to work, you know. Even if you’re my brother, I won’t hesitate if I find your work unsatisfactory." Taufan said, winking—whether teasing Gempa or simply out of habit, Gempa wasn’t sure.

Hearing Taufan’s words, Gempa couldn’t help but feel a little worried. He had only worked with Taufan for a day, but he already knew that Taufan was a very disciplined person when it came to his work. And now, Taufan was reinforcing this trait, which only made Gempa even more anxious. Could he meet Taufan’s expectations with his work?

"Also, the company you’re working for now, they were the ones who offered to publish my novel. When I first signed the contract, I set the condition that anything related to the novel, except for editing, would be my decision. And they agreed. So, don’t worry if you want to make the cover as I requested; it won’t be an issue if I end up choosing your work over the artists they recommended. Don’t worry about that."

Taufan’s grin disappeared, replaced by the sincere smile typical of his second brother. His blue eyes, gleaming like gemstones, looked at Gempa with a confident gaze.

"If you’re worried that I’ll choose you just because you’re my brother, I’m not that kind of person. I value people’s work and will choose based on fairness, not our relationship."

Gempa still felt uncertain about Taufan’s offer, but he knew he was interested in giving it a shot. After all, he did enjoy drawing, even if it was just a hobby.

Although Gempa’s original intention for working with Taufan was to protect and grow closer to his second brother, somehow, Gempa knew that he would learn a lot about—or from—Taufan.

It was at that moment Gempa realized the decision he had made was the right one.

Chapter Text

Boboiboy Fanfiction

© Boboiboy | Animosta Studio

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"⁴Then He said to me: 'Prophesy to these bones and say to them, "O dry bones, hear the word of Yahweh ⁵Thus says the Lord Yahweh to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. ⁶I will lay sinews on you, and bring up flesh on you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you shall know that I am Yahweh."' 

⁷So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I was prophesied, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. ⁸I saw, and, behold, there sinews and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. ⁹Then He said to me: 'Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, "Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live."' ¹⁰So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army."

Ezekiel 37: 4-10

I couldn’t believe what I had just read. How could it be that with just a word, all those dry bones could be covered with flesh and blood again? How did they receive the breath of life just because He commanded it? Oh, the thought of His mighty power sent shivers down my spine.

A smile spread across my face as I closed the Bible on my lap.

“Wow... I didn’t expect the main character to be this intense,” Gempa said as he read the first part of the novel Taufan had finished writing. Nearby, Taufan was lying on the floor, playing with a paper airplane that Gempa had made for him.

“What can I say? From the start, the love he felt for that woman wasn’t pure. He was obsessed with her, even after her death,” Taufan said casually. Gempa glanced at his brother before turning back to the pages in his hand.

“Really? I thought he loved this woman purely and sincerely. Then, little by little, his character diverged this far after the bitterness and despair of losing the woman he loved.”

Taufan threw his paper airplane, intending to fly it, but it ended up somewhere else. A pout formed on his face. Gempa chuckled at his brother’s behavior. He stretched out his hand to retrieve Taufan’s paper airplane and handed it back to him. By now, Taufan had rolled over to grab the giant teddy bear Gempa had provided for him. He took the paper airplane from Gempa’s hand and started spinning it around.

“I don’t know if others have different opinions, but in my view, loving someone means you’re ready to let them go, no matter how painful it is. That’s different from obsession.”

“Hm, I’ve heard of cases where someone is so obsessed with another person that they steal that person’s corpse just to stay with them.”

“Exactly. If he truly loved her, what he would’ve done is try to follow her. Not try to bring her back to life,” Taufan said as he stretched like a cat lazily.

“No matter how many times I think about it, I find it amazing that you came up with an idea like this. How did you come up with it?”

“Oh, it was actually a random idea that popped into my head when I got hit by a car six years ago.” Taufan said it so nonchalantly, as if his words had no impact on Gempa. But that event had terrified him, the fear of losing Taufan still haunting him to this day. He could still vividly remember the blood pouring out of Taufan and the horrifying sight of Taufan’s arm bone sticking out through his torn flesh and skin.

“You know, right before the car hit me, I thought, ‘Am I going to die? Could God bring me back if that happens?’ Then, during my hospital recovery, I kept thinking about it, and eventually, it turned into this idea.”

Gempa had no response to Taufan’s words. Though he was impressed that Taufan could create such a work from a random thought, on the other hand, he felt anger. Anger at how Taufan talked about the incident that nearly claimed his life so casually, as if he didn’t care whether he had truly died back then. The way Taufan spoke made it seem like his life held no value at all. Yet, Gempa felt he had lost the right to be upset about this, given how absent he had been from Taufan’s life.

In the end, he could only smile and ruffle Taufan’s hair—something their mother always did to lull Taufan to sleep. When his brother finally fell sound asleep, using his big teddy bear as a pillow, Gempa went back to reading Taufan’s story. The story was far more complex than Gempa had anticipated. Could he create illustrations that matched what Taufan had written? It felt impossible, especially when even famous artists had their work rejected by Taufan. How could he, who wasn’t even a professional artist, possibly do it?

...

“No! I don’t want to eat! I don’t want to eat!” Taufan shouted, choosing to wrap himself in a blanket to prevent Gempa from dragging him to the dining room. Taufan had been refusing to eat since last night. At first, Gempa let it slide because Taufan said he suddenly got an idea and shouldn’t be disturbed. Gempa had only entered his room to give him some snacks as a substitute for dinner. At that time, Taufan was deeply focused on typing at his laptop, to the point where Gempa was slightly worried that his brother’s keyboard might break from how fast he was typing. This morning, Gempa had only prepared breakfast for Taufan before rushing off to the company for some work. He had reminded Taufan not to forget to eat, and his brother replied that he would eat after finishing his typing.

Although skeptical of Taufan’s words, Gempa chose to trust him and left him alone. He didn’t return to Taufan’s house until 4 p.m., only to find the food he had left untouched. Worried something had happened to his brother, Gempa hurried to Taufan’s room. He found his brother lying on the floor with a pile of books on top of him. At first, Gempa thought Taufan had hit his head somewhere and passed out. But Taufan explained that he had simply tripped and fallen, causing the books from the shelf to tumble down on top of him. When he wanted to get up, Taufan felt too lazy and chose to stay lying on the floor with his books.

As Gempa dragged him out from under the pile of books, he also tried to drag Taufan to the kitchen to feed him. But Taufan stubbornly refused, saying he didn’t feel like eating and just wanted to lie around and think about ideas for his next project.

Not persuaded by Taufan’s words, Gempa tried once more to drag him out. This only resulted in the situation they were in now—Taufan cocooned in his blanket, rolling away from Gempa while Gempa wasn’t sure whether to find the situation funny or frustrating. Rubbing his face in exasperation, Gempa decided to leave Taufan’s room. He headed to the kitchen after changing his clothes, reheated the cold food, and set it on the table while thinking of a new strategy to make Taufan eat. Usually, if Taufan refused to eat, their mother would coax him into eating. She always did it so effortlessly, while Gempa had to struggle to think of other ways to get his brother to eat.

If gentle persuasion didn’t work, Gempa would have to resort to force.

He returned to Taufan’s room, finding him still in the same spot where he had left him. Stretching a bit, Gempa bent down to lift Taufan onto his shoulder. Unsurprisingly, this action was met with shocked protests from his brother. Taufan began yelling and thrashing, demanding to be put down. But Gempa chose to ignore him. One thing he had learned from dealing with someone as stubborn as Taufan was that you had to be just as stubborn.

For some reason, Gempa was grateful that Taufan was much smaller and lighter than him, so he could easily lift his brother without worrying about dropping him.

Once they reached the dining room, Gempa set Taufan down on a chair. His brother turned his face away from Gempa, a clear sign that he was sulking. Well... Gempa preferred this over letting Taufan go an entire day without eating.

Gempa didn’t bother trying to coax Taufan further. Instead, he simply placed the food in front of his brother, then took a seat across from him. After praying, Gempa began eating, paying no attention to Taufan, who was still sulking. After being ignored for a long while, Taufan started making restless noises, like a sad puppy being neglected by its owner. Taufan the puppy. Gempa chuckled at the thought.

“Eat, brother. The food’s already cold.”

Taufan squinted his eyes at Gempa, glaring at him as if he wanted to bore a hole through his head. But instead of being frightened by Taufan’s stare, Gempa found it amusing and adorable. He couldn’t help but compare Taufan to their eldest brother’s favorite cat. That white cat always gave people the same look. Oh, he was such a sweet kitten around Halilintar. And for some reason, the cat was also quite fond of Taufan. Gempa guessed it was because of their similar personalities.

Fortunately, Taufan stopped being stubborn and started eating, though sadly, he didn’t finish his meal, claiming he was already full.

By nightfall, Taufan was complaining about his stomach hurting. Gempa wanted to scold him, to tell him that this was the result of not eating since the previous night, but he couldn’t bring himself to do so because Taufan already sounded so miserable. Instead, he chose to remain silent, helping Taufan rub ointment on his stomach and staying with him until he fell asleep. Gempa thought everything would be better by tomorrow. He had underestimated how poor Taufan’s health truly was.

At that time, Gempa was preparing breakfast for them. Taufan stumbled out of his room, walking unsteadily before suddenly collapsing onto the floor. Gempa panicked, especially when he touched Taufan. Taufan's temperature was quite high, and his body was trembling. Gempa quickly carried him back to the room, double-checking his temperature to make sure he wasn’t mistaken. Gempa bit his nails nervously, wondering what he should do.

He knew Taufan had a weak body; that much was clear. Taufan had been in and out of hospitals since he was little. Gempa also knew that a common illness for most people could mean something far more serious for Taufan. What he didn’t know is whether this time Taufan's condition could be classified as severe or not. If it had been one of his other siblings, Gempa would have just treated it like an ordinary fever. But this was Taufan—if you weren’t careful, you could endanger his life.

Should he take Taufan to the hospital? That seemed like the best option.

However, something stopped him from doing that. Gempa remembered their mother once saying that Taufan had thrown a fit and run away when they tried to take him to the hospital. He didn’t know the full story. At the time, he didn’t consider it important. How old had he been? Wasn't he already 18? It was childish of him not to take his brother's health seriously.

Gempa slapped himself to bring his focus back—this wasn’t the time to be upset with himself. He needed to think about what was best for Taufan. He couldn’t call their parents; they were on vacation back in their hometown. His other brothers probably knew even less about what was best for Taufan than he did. What should he do?

Gempa looked at Taufan again. His brother's face was flushed from the fever, sweat covered his forehead, and he winced in pain. There was no other choice. It would be better to take Taufan to the hospital for an examination. He was prepared to face Taufan's tantrum if it meant ensuring his brother would be okay. He quickly booked a taxi online and helped Taufan change his clothes. When the taxi finally arrived, Gempa hurriedly carried Taufan in a koala-style hold.

“No…,” Taufan weakly whispered. His hot breath tickled Gempa’s neck uncomfortably.

“Shh… it's okay,” Gempa tried to reassure him. With the taxi driver's help, Gempa managed to get Taufan into the car safely. He dashed back into the house to grab his bag and Taufan's favorite panda pillow—Gempa remembered their mom saying that Taufan liked hugging it when he was sick. They rushed to the nearest hospital, with Gempa anxiously hoping he had made the right decision.

...

Gempa sighed once again as he looked at his sleeping brother. Taufan had really thrown a tantrum when they arrived at the hospital. It didn’t matter that he was sick or that his strength was far weaker than Gempa’s; Taufan had insisted that he didn’t want to go to any hospital. He also claimed that he was healthy and perfectly fine. After some drama that required Gempa to ask for help from the hospital’s security staff, Taufan was finally dragged into the hospital. Although the doctor scolded Gempa for forcing Taufan in despite his refusal, Gempa felt he had no choice. Besides, Taufan didn’t cause any further trouble once he was seated with the other patients waiting their turn.

When it was finally their turn, Taufan, who had exhausted his energy from the earlier tantrum, could no longer move. Gempa had to carry him into the doctor’s room—he counted this as payment for his rude actions to his brother. After a series of tests that Gempa didn’t fully understand, the doctor recommended that Taufan be admitted to the hospital, stating that his condition was quite serious. Gempa was truly shocked; he had no idea that a simple fever for others could land Taufan in a hospital bed with an IV drip in his arm.

As he stroked Taufan’s hair, Gempa once again regretted his previous indifference towards his brother. What should he do to make up for this mistake?

Gempa had asked the doctor what caused Taufan’s illness. His initial thought was that Taufan hadn’t eaten properly the day before, but the doctor said that Taufan’s condition was related to stress. The doctor had asked Gempa if he knew what was causing Taufan’s stress, but unfortunately, Gempa had to admit with embarrassment that he didn’t know at all. At first, he thought about the novel Taufan was working on. It was a difficult novel, and it made sense for someone to get stressed while writing it. But Gempa quickly dismissed that thought, remembering the happy smile on Taufan’s face every time he typed a new part of the novel. Was it because he had forced Taufan to eat yesterday? But could that really be the reason?

No matter how many times he thought about it, Gempa still didn’t know the cause of Taufan’s stress that had made him this sick.

Gempa glanced at the clock in the room where Taufan was being treated. Besides Taufan, there were three other people sharing the room, but Gempa hadn’t really gotten to know them. He had only greeted them briefly before focusing on Taufan. Usually, Taufan was very sensitive to strangers, especially when he was sick. Gempa would have to request a room change, even if it meant paying more. It was much better than sacrificing Taufan’s comfort, which could possibly hinder his recovery.

Because they had come to the hospital unexpectedly, Gempa hadn’t made any preparations. It was already getting late, and he hadn’t eaten since the morning. He hadn’t bathed, and his body now felt sticky from sweat. It was really uncomfortable. But how could he leave Taufan alone? The only option he had was to contact one of their other brothers to come and take over for a while.

He chose to call their eldest brother, Halilintar, knowing that he didn’t have much to do at the moment. Despite Halilintar’s usual complaints about being busy, he came as Gempa had requested. After all, it wouldn’t take long. Gempa only needed to go home to shower, eat, and pack a few clothes for himself and Taufan. Besides, Taufan was asleep at the moment. What could possibly go wrong?

...

Gempa needed to stop thinking about it. He really needed to stop.

He had only left Taufan for a little over an hour, but Taufan’s condition had already worsened. When asked what had happened, Halilintar looked just as confused and scared. Feeling slightly guilty, Gempa decided to ignore Halilintar for now and focus on Taufan. Taufan had suddenly experienced a seizure. Gempa had already asked the nurse to call the doctor immediately, trying his best to remain calm despite the fear gripping him. Especially when Taufan looked at him, seemingly trying to speak, though no words came out. In Taufan’s blue eyes, Gempa saw a fear that was different from his own. While Gempa was scared out of concern for Taufan, the fear in Taufan’s eyes was more like horror, as if he had seen or felt something terrifying.

Luckily, the doctor arrived quickly and began treating Taufan. Both Gempa and Halilintar were ushered out of the room for being in the way. Outside, Gempa could only wait anxiously for news of Taufan’s condition.

“Gem…” Halilintar called.

“I’m sorry for pushing you earlier. I was just so scared something would happen to Taufan,” Gempa said, trying to smile to lighten the mood, though judging by Halilintar’s expression, it didn’t seem to work at all.

“I don’t understand. Taufan was doing so much better. The doctor even said he might be discharged the day after tomorrow. Why did he suddenly have a seizure like that?”

Halilintar didn’t answer. He averted his gaze, looking at the floor instead of at Gempa. Wait, something was wrong. Could Halilintar have been the reason Taufan had the seizure?

“Brother… I’m not trying to accuse you, but did something happen after I left, and are you trying to hide it?”

Halilintar remained silent. His silence was enough of an answer for Gempa. How could he not see it sooner? Halilintar was one of their siblings who didn’t really like Taufan—almost resenting him, if Gempa were to be blunt. It had always seemed like a trivial issue to Gempa, but now Halilintar should realize that it was far from trivial compared to the life of their brother. Gempa recalled that day—the final match of the soccer tournament Halilintar had participated in, along with his chance to get into his dream high school. The whole family had come to support Halilintar, but unfortunately, that day, Taufan and Duri had suffered from food poisoning after eating something they bought before the match. While Duri had only experienced some nausea and vomiting, Taufan had nearly died from it. Their parents had rushed Taufan and Duri to the hospital, taking the younger siblings along because it wasn’t safe to leave three small children alone in the crowded stadium. Gempa had stayed behind because he attended the same school as Halilintar and could join his friends. He had also said he would stay to support Halilintar.

Unfortunately, the absence of their parents and siblings caused Halilintar’s performance to drop, and his team lost the match with a score of 1-3. He didn’t get noticed by the high school scouts he had hoped for, and his team lost. Halilintar had blamed Taufan for it, even though he knew it wasn’t Taufan’s fault.

“Gempa, I didn’t mean to—”

“Brother, I don’t think this is a conversation we should be having in a hospital hallway. How about we save it for another time? It’s getting late, you can go home now,” Gempa said. Halilintar looked like he wanted to say something, but in the end, he remained silent and left without a word.

Once Halilintar was out of sight, Gempa roughly rubbed his face.

Why wouldn’t he be surprised if, later on, Taufan revealed that the cause of his stress was Gempa’s presence around him?

Had his decision to get closer to his second brother been a bad one all along?

Chapter Text

Boboiboy Fanfiction

© Boboiboy | Animosta Studio

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"Did you really dream about that during your thesis exam?" Taufan asked, trying to hide his amusement. Gempa could only give a small smile. He gently squeezed Taufan's hand and said, "You wouldn't believe how nervous I was back then. I couldn't sleep the night before and only managed 30 minutes of sleep early in the morning. Even then, I ended up having a weird dream."

"Did taxes make you so dizzy that you dreamed about being possessed by a tax demon during your thesis exam?" Taufan burst out laughing.

"Yeah. When I woke up, I thought it would have been better to be possessed by a tax demon during the exam so I could answer the questions from my examiners."

"I didn't expect you to feel that way before the exam. Mom told me you were really excited at the time."

"I was excited to get slaughtered by my professors." Gempa gave Taufan a resigned smile, along with a thumb-up. Taufan burst into laughter again upon hearing Gempa's reply. Even though what Gempa shared with his brother was embarrassing for him to admit, he was glad his story could lift Taufan's spirits.

After what happened to Taufan the previous night, Gempa felt uneasy leaving him with anyone else, even their own brothers. No, it seemed safer to keep Taufan away from their brothers altogether. Was their sibling relationship really that bad?

Taufan hadn't said anything about what had happened between him and Halilintar. He seemed to be avoiding any discussion on the matter. Although Gempa was curious, he didn’t want to push his brother. He planned to confront Halilintar directly, but only after Taufan was discharged from the hospital. What made Gempa feel guiltier was how Taufan still asked about Halilintar’s condition, despite visibly tensing and looking deeply uncomfortable when discussing their eldest brother.

Gempa wished he could do something to repair their sibling relationships. Taufan didn’t deserve to be hated by their brothers—he hadn't done anything wrong. They should have realized that by now; they weren’t children anymore, competing for parental attention and feeling jealous of one another.

"Is college fun?"

Taufan's question sounded so innocent to Gempa’s ears. He understood that college life was foreign to Taufan. When they graduated high school, both Gempa and Halilintar took a series of tests to get into university. Unfortunately, at that time, Taufan was fighting for his life after a car accident. Taufan was in critical condition for two days and fell into a coma for a week before finally waking up. Gempa remembered Taufan's desperate cry when, despite having been accepted into his dream university before graduation, he had to withdraw due to his health. Even after being discharged from the hospital, Taufan had to go through a long rehabilitation process to fully recover.

Taufan had always been determined, but at that moment, he chose to bury his dreams of attending college and instead focused on his career as a writer. Gempa didn’t know if Taufan’s decision was the right one or not; it wasn’t for him to judge. He was just happy to see Taufan content with the path he had chosen, as Taufan seemed truly alive when he started creating his new works.

He was probably asking out of pure curiosity.

"I guess it depends on the person. Some people find college fun, while others don’t."

"What about you, Gempa? Did you enjoy it?"

"Hm? Yeah, you could say that."

Taufan nodded slowly. His eyes began to look drowsier with each passing minute they talked. It wouldn’t be long before Taufan fell asleep. He had let go of Gempa’s hand, which he had been holding earlier, and now he started fidgeting, searching for something.

"Where’s my panda?"

Gempa smiled, trying to suppress his laughter. Taufan looked so cute when he said that. With sleepy eyes and a slight pout, his hand without the IV fidgeted restlessly to find his beloved panda pillow. Gently stroking Taufan’s hair, Gempa handed him the panda pillow, letting him cuddle it as he drifted off to sleep peacefully. Taufan deserved this peace after the rough night he had endured.

Because of Taufan’s condition, Gempa decided to take a few days off to care for and look after his brother. He had informed their parents, though only through a private message, as he didn’t want to disturb them. Still, Gempa knew they would call soon. His guess was right when he saw his mother’s contact name appear on his phone screen. At that moment, Gempa was reading a book to pass the time while waiting for Taufan to wake up. The sudden ringing of his phone distracted him from the book, and he answered the call without checking, careful not to disturb Taufan’s sleep. Soon, his mother’s voice came through, making Gempa glance to see who the caller was.

"Gempa, how’s Taufan?! Halilintar said he had a seizure."

Halilintar? Gempa hadn’t expected his eldest brother to contact their parents. Or perhaps their mother had called Halilintar after receiving his message? But this was strange. Knowing how protective their parents were of Taufan, they should have called Gempa first, since he was the one staying with Taufan. Could it be that Halilintar took the initiative to inform their parents before Gempa?

"Hello? Gempa, are you there?"

"Mom, I'm sorry, but please wait a moment."

Gempa glanced at Taufan, who was still fast asleep. Even so, he didn't look as peaceful as before; his forehead was furrowed, and he seemed restless. Their conversation was likely disturbing Taufan's sleep. Gempa gently stroked Taufan's hair to calm him, making sure his brother didn’t wake up, then stepped out of the room to speak freely with his mother.

"Hello, Mom."

"What happened, Gempa? How is Taufan?"

Gempa bit the inside of his cheek. The older he got, the more he understood his parents' protective nature toward Taufan. Unfortunately, that didn’t heal the childhood wounds of feeling like they were never fair to him and his other brothers. On one hand, Gempa loved Taufan dearly and only wished the best for his brother. But on the other hand, he wished their parents understood that they had more sons than just Taufan.

"Gempa?"

"Hm? Taufan? Ah… he's fine now."

"Really? But Halilintar said he had a seizure earlier. Are you sure he's okay?"

Ah… Gempa thought he had grown mature over time. In reality, he's still a child yearning for his parents' full attention. He wouldn’t blame Taufan; it wasn’t his fault he was born with a weak body. Moreover, Taufan, who had done nothing wrong, ended up being resented by their other siblings. Taufan… who was even too scared to talk about their siblings, didn’t deserve such hatred. He also wouldn’t blame their parents; they only believed that the decisions they made were for the best. It must have been hard to be parents of seven children. So who was at fault? Gempa couldn’t say because he didn’t know.

"Don't worry, Mom. Taufan is stable now, and he's sleeping at the moment."

"Sleeping?"

Why did his mom sound confused?

"Did the doctor give him a sedative?"

Huh? What did his mother mean by that? The doctor hadn’t given Taufan any sedatives. Even when Taufan got agitated when they first arrived at the hospital, he wasn’t given anything to calm him down. Taufan had fallen asleep purely from exhaustion and his fever.

"No. Why would the doctor need to give him a sedative? He just has a fever."

"He didn’t throw a fit? He didn’t pull out his IV or try to escape?"

Why did this conversation feel strange? Aside from the incident when they first arrived, Taufan had been calm and hadn’t caused any problems. He laughed when Gempa told funny stories, slept when he was tired, grumbled about the bland hospital food at mealtimes, and asked Gempa to play cards with him when he was bored. No, Taufan hadn’t caused any issues for Gempa at all.

"He didn’t do any of that, Mom. So please don’t worry. He’s very calm."

His mother didn’t say anything for a while, making Gempa wonder if she had ended the call.

"Gempa."

"Yes, Mom?"

"Taufan… really didn’t do any of that?"

Was it just Gempa’s imagination, or did his mom sound like she was about to cry? What had made her so emotional? Gempa had never heard his mother sound like this. Maybe when they were younger, she would cry every time Taufan ended up in the hospital, but over time, Gempa knew she had learned to be strong for her son.

"Mom, he's very calm. He hasn’t caused any trouble at all. True, when we first got to the hospital, he was reluctant and wanted to go home, but once he sat with the other patients, he calmed down and didn’t act up."

"..."

There was no response from his mother. Whether it was because she didn’t believe him or something else was preventing her from speaking, Gempa couldn’t tell.

"Gempa, this is Dad."

"Yes, Dad."

"It might be hard to believe, but Taufan has never been calm when he’s taken to the hospital. He always tries to run away, no matter how bad his condition is."

His father’s words completely contradicted Gempa’s experience. Gempa hadn’t spent a lot of time taking care of people in the hospital, but he had looked after Solar when he was hospitalized from overworking, and Blaze, who had broken his leg from being too reckless. Gempa could confidently say that both of his younger brothers had behaved far worse than Taufan, who only complained about the bland hospital food. So, hearing his father’s words, Gempa found it hard to believe.

"Taufan… has always hated hospitals since he was a child. He always said that they felt like a prison."

That wasn’t new information. Anyone would feel that way if they spent most of their time lying in a hospital bed, being monitored by doctors. But that wasn’t enough to explain why Taufan would want to run away from hospitals or explain why his behavior seemed so different from what their parents were describing.

"When you all turned 18, Taufan started refusing to go to the hospital, even for routine checkups. Your mother once told you about Taufan throwing a fit when taken to the hospital, didn’t she?"

Gempa unconsciously nodded. He quickly answered when he realized his silly reaction.

"We never understood why he acted like that. What you need to know, Gempa, is that Taufan has never been calm when brought to a hospital. He always tries to escape by any means. He often forcefully removes his IV, sometimes causing his hand to be tied to the bed, and he frequently resists medical examinations, to the point where he’s sometimes sedated to calm him down. That’s why we were so surprised when you said Taufan didn’t cause any trouble."

Gempa could only remain silent, processing the words his father had said. Everything his father had mentioned completely contradicted what Gempa had experienced. Was there a reason behind Taufan's different behavior?

"Gempa, we know we haven’t been good parents to all of you. We’ve been unfair to you and your other brothers, but that doesn’t mean we don’t love you all. What we did to you was wrong, and it’s our fault for not showing our love equally. Though it sounds selfish and shameless, please don’t hate Taufan for our mistakes."

"I've never hated him, and this isn’t anyone’s fault."

Gempa heard a sigh but could imagine his father smiling. Gempa smiled too.

"I know. Please, take care of your brother. We’ll be home soon to check on him."

"Alright, Dad."

"Call us anytime you need anything, Gempa. We’re your parents too."

"Hm. I will, Dad."

They exchanged a few more words before ending the call. When Gempa re-entered Taufan’s room, his brother was still soundly asleep, hugging his panda pillow. Though Gempa still couldn’t fully believe what his parents had said, they had always been the ones caring for Taufan when he was hospitalized, and they had no reason to lie. So, the real answer must lie with Taufan. What was the reason behind his different behavior this time?

…

"Ha! I knew you couldn’t beat me!" Taufan exclaimed as he once again managed to defeat Gempa in their card game. Gempa laughed at his brother’s antics, gathering the cards while watching Taufan happily hum.

"You seem really happy, brother."

"Of course, I beat you four times in a row."

"Your happiness is pretty simple."

Taufan chuckled, lightly drumming his pillow while waiting for Gempa to deal the next round of cards. Gempa paused, holding the cards in his hand, not yet ready to deal them. Instead, he observed Taufan. His brother appeared content, showing no signs of rebellion. He hadn’t resisted the doctors’ examinations or caused any trouble, except for complaining about the hospital food being bland.

"Gempa?"

"Brother, Mom and Dad called earlier." Gempa said, carefully observing Taufan’s reaction. He noticed how Taufan’s body slowly tensed before he tried to relax again.

"O-oh. What did they say?"

Gempa smiled. "They were asking about how you were doing. Apparently, Halilintar told them about your condition before I did."

"Halilintar?" Taufan's breathing started to quicken, clearly uncomfortable with the topic.

"Yeah. Don’t worry, though. Halilintar didn’t say anything weird." Gempa reassured him. Taufan nodded, but he still wasn’t as calm as before. Gempa reached out to touch Taufan’s hand, noticing how his brother flinched at the contact.

"Is that all they said?"

"No. They also mentioned being worried that you might try to run away."

Gempa watched as Taufan’s hands started gripping the blanket tightly, his breathing becoming erratic as his eyes darted around. Gempa feared that if they continued the conversation, Taufan might have a panic attack, and he had no idea how to handle that.

"We don’t have to talk about it if you’re uncomfortable." Gempa said, rubbing Taufan’s back to calm him. But Taufan shook his head, biting his lower lip before saying, "I’m fine."

"Are you sure?"

Taufan only nodded in response. Gempa was still hesitant and felt guilty for making Taufan this anxious, but if Taufan insisted he was okay, Gempa wouldn’t push him. He waited until Taufan was calmer before speaking again, "Brother… I’m sure you know what I want to ask, but I’ll say it anyway. Why do you hate hospitals so much?"

"Uh…"

Taufan fidgeted with his fingers, his lips forming a small pout. He glanced at Gempa uncertainly. His head hung low, and his bangs fell over his face, hiding his expression from Gempa. Gempa’s hand remained on Taufan’s back, assuring his brother that whatever he said wouldn’t be judged.

"I… I’m scared you guys will hate me even more." Taufan’s voice was so small, it was almost a squeak. But Gempa heard it clearly, and he froze at Taufan’s words.

"Why… why would you think that?"

"Um… because I always ruin your important moments whenever I end up in the hospital."

Out of all the reasons Gempa could have thought of, he hadn’t expected that to be the cause of Taufan’s hatred for hospitals. He had assumed it was because hospitals made Taufan feel weak and powerless. Another possibility Gempa had considered was that Taufan hated causing worry for their family. Or perhaps something traumatic had happened in the hospital that made him despise the place. But this… this reason had never crossed his mind.

"But you’ve never done that. Why would you think so?"

Taufan shook his head. "I always mess up your important moments. Halilintar’s soccer matches, Solar’s olympiads, Blaze and Ice’s birthdays, and many more. I just… didn’t want to ruin more of your important times with Mom and Dad. If I didn’t go to the hospital, you’d all have more time with them. So, when I’m taken there, I keep trying to run away. Of course, I try to stay healthy, so I don’t end up in the hospital, but… my body is just too weak, even though I want to be strong."

At the end of his sentence, Taufan laughed, but Gempa could tell it was a forced laugh, one meant to mock himself for being so pathetic. Ah, how Gempa wished he could go back in time and slap some sense into his younger self.

Chapter Text

Boboiboy Fanfiction

© Boboiboy | Animosta Studio

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It took a week for Taufan to be discharged from the hospital. During that time, their parents often came to visit. They offered to take care of Taufan, and while Gempa was tempted to agree, knowing they had more experience than him, Taufan clutched his shirt so tightly that Gempa remembered why Taufan hated hospitals. So, he declined his parents' offer, explaining that it would be much easier for him to take care of Taufan since they now lived in the same house. Of course, he had to get through a debate with their mother, but Gempa managed to convince her that he would take good care of Taufan.

During that time, their brothers also visited at least once. Unfortunately, Gempa had to forbid them from coming too often, given how tense Taufan looked around them. Gempa would never forget what happened when Halilintar took care of Taufan.

The most important thing was that Taufan had recovered—though he was still a bit weak—and was now allowed to go home.

"I missed you, Mr. Bear," Taufan said as he threw himself onto his bed, hugging his giant teddy bear. Gempa was a bit puzzled by Taufan's collection of stuffed animals, most of them oversized and cluttering the room's corners, but he never asked about it since it felt too personal.

"I'm sure Mr. Bear would feel better if he were aired out first, brother. He's probably dusty from being left alone for a week." As he said this, Gempa pulled the bear from Taufan’s embrace. He didn’t care about Taufan’s pouting look; what mattered was keeping his brother healthy. Dust could cause coughing, which could lead to other illnesses. Perhaps if it were a normal person, Gempa wouldn’t be so concerned. But this is Taufan, his brother who could die from a mere fever.

Gempa ruffled Taufan’s hair, letting him protest and swat his hand away. He laughed at how Taufan looked cute with his messy hair and pouting lips. "Rest now, brother. I’ll clean up the house."

Cleaning wasn’t a task Gempa particularly enjoyed, but if it helped keep Taufan healthy, he didn’t mind. Dust had piled up in the corners of the house, and they had only been away for a week. What would happen if they left for more than that? Maybe rodents and insects would throw a party in their home.

Taufan had already fallen asleep while Gempa cleaned. His brother must have been exhausted. Indeed, nothing could compare to the comfort of home. Gempa managed to clean half the house before deciding to continue the rest tomorrow. He was preparing dinner when Taufan appeared, dragging another teddy bear—this one much smaller than his usual companion, and the color was red. Still looking sleepy, Taufan stood in the doorway, leaning against it while hugging his bear. "Gempa, I don’t want to eat today."

Hm?

Gempa’s smile froze. He turned off the stove and walked over to Taufan, touching his forehead to check if his fever had returned.

"Your temperature is fine. Is your stomach hurting again?"

Taufan shook his head, then slowly nodded. He leaned against Gempa’s shoulder, wrapping his arms around Gempa’s waist as his brother rubbed his back. Gempa didn’t know what to feel. He wished there was something he could do to ease Taufan’s suffering, even just a little. In his heart, he wondered why God had to torment his brother like this.

"I'll make some porridge. You need to eat at least a little."

Thankfully, Taufan wasn’t being stubborn today. He sat at the dining table with his teedy bear next to him.

"Do you feel nauseous?"

"Yes. I've felt like throwing up for a while now."

"Even so, you still need to eat. I’ll make something light for you."

Taufan nodded. He waited quietly, making Gempa think of a pitiful puppy on the street waiting for someone to feed it. Ah, Taufan was adorable, but why did he also give off such a sad impression?

"Gempa."

"Yes, brother?"

"Um... thank you."

Gempa didn’t know why Taufan suddenly thanked him, and even after asking, Taufan didn’t explain. He just smiled and changed the subject. So, despite his curiosity, Gempa didn’t press further.

After dinner, Gempa invited Taufan to watch a movie together, keeping him from going back to his laptop while he was still recovering. He chose a random movie playing on TV and dragged his brother out of his room. Taufan grumbled at first, but he ended up being the one most engrossed in the film. He even scolded Gempa when his phone rang. It was almost midnight by the time the movie ended. Gempa stretched before getting up to clean the mess they’d made. Meanwhile, Taufan seemed lost in thought, likely still absorbed in the movie. Maybe he had found inspiration for a new part of his novel. That was a good thing. Gempa just hoped Taufan wouldn’t stay up late again to finish it.

"Gempa."

"Hm?"

"Let's sleep together tonight."

"Why all of a sudden?"

Taufan hugged his teddy bear, moving its arms as he said, "Mr. Bear is scared to sleep alone tonight."

At first, Gempa didn’t understand, but then he remembered a scene from a movie that was surprisingly eerie for a fantasy film. Was his brother… scared to sleep alone? Gempa couldn’t help but laugh out loud, even though he tried to suppress it. Taufan was probably angry with him, but Gempa couldn’t stop laughing. Even after being hit by a teddy bear and a sandal, Gempa was still laughing. He never thought Taufan was scared of ghosts. He thought only Halilintar was afraid of them.

"Forgive me, forgive me," Gempa said, wiping his eyes. Wow, how long had it been since he laughed like that? Gempa was still chuckling while Taufan had started to sulk. He had to spend the next few minutes sweet-talking his brother while apologizing. In the end, Taufan did sleep in his room, and Gempa had to endure almost falling off the bed several times because Taufan wouldn’t let go of his big teddy bear.

...

I saw him sitting on top of the Assyrian lion, full of majesty and glory. His three heads with six eyes stared straight at me as if they could pierce through my mind. He breathed fire from his mouth but was not burned in the slightest. He was clothed in the sun, with the moon under his feet. His tail dragged a third of the stars from the sky and cast them to the earth. He performed great signs, bringing fire down from the heavens to the earth before my eyes. Who is this majestic being?

Ah… is he God?

No matter how many times he said it, Gempa would always say that his brother was a genius. The novel Taufan was working on now was very different from his other novels, but Taufan could still create such a good story. He was curious about how people would react to Taufan's novel once it was published. Maybe they would reject it at first because the genre was different from his usual work, but once people started reading, they wouldn’t be able to stop and would continue to be intrigued. Even Gempa, who lived under the same roof as the writer, was still very curious about what would happen next.

"So, he meets the devil? I didn’t think it would go that far."

"He is someone who is lost. No, he is a sinner who is so far gone he can't return. Blinded by his obsession, he walks in sin. He becomes a priest to be closer to God, but instead of getting closer, he drifts further away. The only thing that draws closer to him is the devil who tempted him from the start."

Gempa bit his lower lip to avoid making any noise. A novel this amazing and Taufan had asked him to be the illustrator? That’s right, just a few days ago, Taufan had decided that Gempa was the perfect illustrator for this novel. He said he had compared many works, and Gempa’s style was the best fit. Although Gempa wasn’t sure if the decision was purely objective, he didn’t refuse the opportunity his brother had given him.

Now, though, he felt a bit insecure. Could he really pull it off? This novel was so complex—if Gempa failed to create the right imagery for the readers, it could have a negative impact on Taufan's book.

Ugh, maybe he needed to practice a lot and read Taufan’s published novels to understand the kind of illustrations used before. Ah, he also needed to read more books similar to Taufan’s novel. Gempa would ask for recommendations from his brother and his senior colleagues. This would be a huge task, but Gempa couldn’t wait to take it on.

"Brother, about the main character in your novel, could you describe what he looks like so I can get an idea of him?"

Taufan didn’t immediately respond to Gempa’s request. Instead, he looked deep in thought, as if telling Gempa what the main character looked like was a very difficult task. After a while, Taufan stood up from his seat and walked over to one of the bookshelves in the room. He carefully examined the neatly arranged books before pulling out a thick and large one. It seemed to be a photo album.

Taufan opened the book, flipped through it a few times, then pulled something out from it. He returned the book to the shelf and slowly approached Gempa. His expression was unreadable. Was he confused, or was he angry? Gempa didn’t know.

"Here." Taufan said as he handed him a photograph. As Gempa took it, he couldn’t help but notice how Taufan looked a bit nervous.

The photo was of Halilintar and Duri. In the picture, Duri was smiling happily, holding Halilintar's hand, but Halilintar's expression was the complete opposite of Duri’s. Ah, Gempa remembered this event. It was when Duri forced Halilintar to join his in a school play. The play was supposed to be performed with parents, but at that time, their father was out of town on a business trip. Meanwhile, their mother had to care for Taufan, whose condition had worsened for some unknown reason. Gempa was supposed to accompany Duri that day, but he had an urgent matter that couldn’t be postponed. In the end, Duri forced Halilintar to take his place in the play.

Hm, thinking back, it made sense that Halilintar had that expression. His role in the play was to portray an angry man who would attack a cat. How could someone who loved—no, worshipped—cats like Halilintar ever want to play that role? By the way, why had Taufan given him this photo?

"Um… brother?"

"The main character in my mind looks like Halilintar. His expression is more or less like this." Taufan said.

Gempa looked at the photo again. He hadn’t expected Taufan to base the main character in his novel on their eldest brother. He always thought Taufan would distance all of them from his work. He had underestimated his brother.

Wait a minute. Gempa just realized something important. He looked back at Taufan, who had now started reading a book. Gempa really wanted to ask Taufan to confirm his suspicion, but once Taufan started reading, he would forget the world around him. No matter what you did, as long as Taufan wasn’t bored with the book in his hands, nothing could distract him. Gempa had to investigate it himself.

Gempa entered Taufan’s room, searching through the piles of books until he found what he was looking for: Taufan’s previously published novels. To be honest, he had a complete collection of Taufan’s novels, but they were all at their parents' house, and he hadn’t brought them when he moved to Taufan’s place.

Gempa started with Taufan’s first published novel. If he wasn’t mistaken, this novel was about 12 years old. Taufan had written it when he was only 12, so the writing style was still childish and not as polished as now. This novel was only published thanks to the help of their father’s friend, who had seen potential in Taufan’s work and decided to help him publish it. Of course, this wasn’t the most popular novel, but Gempa knew it had its own significance for Taufan.

The novel told the story of two orphaned siblings trying to find their home. The plot was simple, and there wasn’t much conflict. It was a good read for when you wanted something light and relaxing. It was a decent novel, considering it was written by a 12-year-old.

Gempa moved on to the next novel, this time Taufan’s second, which was his first major success as a writer. He wrote it when he was 16, and it became a bestseller. It was a story about the protagonist’s journey to make peace with himself. It was a very touching novel that made many people cry. Gempa continued with the next novel and the next one. After checking almost all of Taufan’s published works, Gempa finally realized that what he had been thinking was correct.

All the main characters in Taufan's stories, for some reason, have similar depictions to him and their brothers. Take, for example, a novel titled 'The Dancing Butterfly', a poetic tale of a teenager who loves plants, or 'The Sun Ring', which features a protagonist with a fiery spirit like a flame. And in each novel, there will always be one character, whether a side character or an antagonist, who has quite a bit of interaction with the protagonist and is portrayed similarly to Taufan. It's as if Taufan intentionally made his protagonists resemble their brothers and then inserted himself into the story so that they could interact.

Gempa couldn't believe he had just realized this now. His eyes felt hot as he looked at the stack of Taufan's novels with sadness. What kind of brother he is? He was the one who always bought Taufan's novels whenever they were released but never noticed this. Gempa always thought that Taufan might not like them because of the neglect they had shown him all this time. Yet, he always made them the protagonists in every story he wrote. And without fail, he would insert himself so that he could interact with them. So they could be close, even if only in a fictional world.

Gempa wiped his eyes. Taufan must have been suffering all this time.

"Gempa? What are you doing in my room?"

Gempa turned toward the bedroom door, seeing Taufan standing at the threshold with a confused expression on his face. Seeing his brother's face, Gempa felt his heart ache even more. How did Taufan manage to endure all his suffering alone? How could he not hate them all after what he had experienced? Gempa stood up, rushing over to his brother and hugging him. His brother, so fragile yet with a pure soul.

"Huh? What's going on? What is this?"

Gempa only shook his head, tightening his embrace on his brother's small body. What had Taufan been thinking when he wrote his novels? Did he think about how lonely he was and hope that his brothers would treat him better? Had he ever blamed them for all the terrible things that were said about him?

"Brother, I'll make you happy."

"Huh?"

It didn't matter if Taufan didn't understand what Gempa meant. Gempa had made a promise to himself ever since he changed jobs, and now his resolve was even stronger. No matter what happens later, Gempa had only one goal: to ensure Taufan's happiness.

That whole day, Taufan kept asking what Gempa meant. But Gempa had no intention of explaining to his brother; he just smiled and gave Taufan a light pat on the shoulder. Words weren’t necessary, Gempa thought. He would prove it with his actions.

...

"I don’t think this is a good idea, Mom." For the umpteenth time that day, Gempa tried to convince their mother that inviting their brothers to Taufan’s house wasn’t a good idea. Whether their mother was blind to the dynamics between them or was trying to improve their relationships, Gempa didn’t know. Nor was he interested in finding out. What occupied his thoughts now was how Taufan would react to their mother’s idea. More importantly, how would he react to seeing Halilintar? As much as Gempa wanted to know the truth behind the hospital incident, he didn’t want to force Taufan to remember anything uncomfortable or feel uneasy in his own home.

Unfortunately, just like Taufan, their mother was stubborn. Maybe Taufan inherited his stubbornness from her. So here was Gempa, standing awkwardly to welcome his parents and brothers to Taufan’s house. Meanwhile, Taufan stood behind him, clutching Gempa’s shirt so tightly it seemed like he was trying to hide behind him. Gempa would have found this amusing on any other day, but now it just felt sad.

Taufan was the owner of this house; he had every right to act however he wanted in his own home. But what was happening now? He looked uncomfortable in his own home and was trying to hide. Deep in his heart, Gempa felt a small satisfaction seeing Taufan hiding behind him. It meant Taufan saw Gempa as someone who could protect him. How cursed was he to find satisfaction in his brother’s suffering?

"Gempa," Taufan called out. His voice was so small, like a tiny squeak. He sounded like a small animal, hurt and scared, surrounded by predators. Trying to find protection from the only creature he believed wouldn’t harm him.

"It’s okay, brother. I’m here," Gempa whispered, hoping his words would calm Taufan.

Taufan was truly reluctant to leave Gempa’s side. He talked to their parents, but even then, he held onto Gempa’s shirt to make sure Gempa wouldn’t leave him. He also greeted their brothers, but only because Gempa was talking to them. If their parents or brothers noticed Taufan’s behavior, they didn’t say anything and just let it be.

"Taufan’s book collection is way bigger than Solar’s," said Duri, one of their younger siblings. He was the sixth child in their family, one of the siblings who acted neutrally around Taufan. He didn’t hate or particularly like Taufan. Gempa wasn’t sure how to describe Duri’s behavior because he always appeared as the innocent and friendly one to everyone he met.

Gempa glanced at Taufan, seeing his brother occupied with the Rubik’s Cube their mother had given him. Perhaps their mother’s intention was to distract Taufan from feeling uncomfortable around their siblings. Taufan was relatively easy to distract when he wasn’t reading or writing his stories. Just give him something to tinker with, and it would keep him busy for a few minutes.

"Yeah, you know Taufan loves reading," Gempa responded to Duri’s comment. His younger brother glanced at Taufan, and once again, Gempa couldn’t tell what Duri was really thinking. Duri then turned his gaze to him, giving that characteristic smile of his, "Of course. I know that."

Gempa didn’t know what else to say, and Duri didn’t seem interested in continuing the conversation either. His younger brother started sitting next to Taufan, watching as Taufan tried to figure out the puzzle cube in his hands. At that moment, Gempa caught Halilintar glancing their way. Ah, speaking of Halilintar, Gempa had been noticing him sneaking looks at Taufan and himself since they arrived. Maybe he wanted to talk to one of them, or maybe he felt uncomfortable around them because of the hospital incident. Gempa wasn’t sure which, but he had something he wanted to talk to Halilintar about as well.

He glanced at Taufan again, who was still focused on solving the puzzle cube. It should be fine to leave him for a while, right? Gempa would make the conversation with Halilintar as quick as possible.

For someone who had been looking at them constantly, Halilintar seemed surprised when Gempa approached him. He didn’t show his usual scowl when Gempa asked to talk to him privately. Instead, he quietly followed Gempa to his room without a single protest.

Gempa made sure to close the door and reminded himself not to raise his voice, as he didn’t want anyone, especially Taufan, to overhear the conversation. He regulated his breathing and mentally sang his favorite song, hoping it would help keep him calm.

Gempa turned to face Halilintar, who looked nervous, as if Gempa were the older one instead of Halilintar—though they were the same age, Halilintar was still technically older by birth.

"Let’s skip the small talk; I’m sure you already know what I want to talk about."

"...Yes."

"Then let's get straight to the point. I'm sure that day left Taufan in a good condition. The doctor had said his condition was stabilizing and that he only needed to stay in the hospital for one or two more days. In reality, we ended up spending a week in the hospital. Brother, you are my brother, just like Taufan. That's why I choose to ask you, rather than make conclusions on my own," said Gempa. As he spoke, he never took his eyes off Halilintar, observing the changes in his expression.

Halilintar, who had already been restless from the start, became even more agitated after hearing Gempa's words.

"I... uh... I'm sorry."

Their other brothers would wait for this moment to see their eldest brother apologize and act nervous, like a little kid being scolded by their mother. But Gempa wasn't impressed by this. It wasn't him who deserved an apology from Halilintar—it was Taufan, who had gone through all the suffering. Halilintar should be apologizing to Taufan.

"How about you accompany that apology with an explanation? Because I'm actually interested in knowing why you're apologizing."

Halilintar touched his nose, his gaze darting left and right, refusing to look directly at Gempa, who was standing before him.

"Forgive me if this seems rude, but I think I need to ask it this way to get an answer. What exactly did you do, or rather, what did you say to Taufan at that time?"

"Uh..." Halilintar's face showed regret.

"Brother."

"I... I said he was being a burden." Halilintar said it so softly that Gempa could barely hear him, even though he was paying full attention to him.

"I really didn't mean to say that to make him have a seizure!" Halilintar hurriedly tried to explain to Gempa.

"Does that mean you did intend to say it?"

"Um..."

Gempa wondered what their parents would say if he punched Halilintar in his own room. Also, how would Taufan react if he knew Gempa hit Halilintar because of him? Never mind, he would only make things worse. Gempa tried to remember the many tasks Taufan had given him before to help keep himself calm. He was on the last list when he opened his eyes—which he hadn't realized were closed—and looked at Halilintar.

"Is that why you contacted Dad and Mom about Taufan?"

"Uh... yeah...?"

"Brother... have you ever tried reading the novel Taufan is writing?"

Halilintar looked confused, but he still answered Gempa’s question with a shake of his head. Gempa sighed softly, taking a stack of papers from his desk and handing them to Halilintar. "This is the novel that Taufan is currently working on."

Still looking confused, Halilintar took the stack of papers and started reading. He only read two pages before looking at Gempa with a questioning expression, as if asking why Gempa had given it to him in the middle of their conversation.

"Did you know the main character in this novel was made by Taufan to resemble you?"

"Huh?"

"Not just this one. If you at least tried to find Taufan's works, the main character in his first novel was also depicted like you. His novel titled 'Angel' also has a character like you in it. Not just you, but in every novel Taufan has written, the main characters always resemble us."

Halilintar didn’t say anything. He just held the papers tightly in his hands, his gaze not focused on Gempa but on what was written in those papers.

"Have you ever asked yourself if Taufan resents us for all the neglect we've shown him? Do you know Taufan is afraid of going to the hospital because he doesn’t want us to hate him even more? Do you know that Taufan always blames himself because you lost your match? He almost died that time, but he still felt guilty for your loss."

Halilintar remained silent, neither trying to defend himself nor deny Gempa's words. Even so, Gempa didn’t want to assume that Halilintar had realized how childish his actions towards their brother had been. Halilintar could be quite stubborn when it came to what he believed in.

"I'm not asking you to like Taufan, but can you at least start lessening the hate? Doesn't Taufan deserve better than our hatred?"

Chapter Text

Boboiboy Fanfiction

© Boboiboy | Animosta Studio

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"I'm not asking you to like Taufan, but could you at least reduce the hatred? Doesn't he deserve better from us?"

Gempa watched as Halilintar remained silent, staring down at the papers in his hands without uttering a word. Feeling there was nothing more to say, Gempa opened the door and told Halilintar that he needed to return to Taufan's side. Just before leaving the room, he was sure he heard Halilintar whisper something, but it might have just been his imagination. After all, it seemed impossible that Halilintar would say he never hated Taufan, especially when his actions had consistently shown the opposite.

When Gempa returned to where Taufan was, his brother had already finished solving his Rubik's cube and was now occupied with an object made up of two interlocking metal rings. Gempa recognized it as one of their youngest brother, Solar’s IQ puzzles. This time, not only was Duri sitting beside Taufan, but Solar had also joined them, observing as Taufan fiddled with the puzzle in his hands.

The three of them looked so serious that Gempa didn’t want to disturb them. He also found the sight amusing, so he took out his phone and snapped a photo of the trio. After all, how often did he get to see Taufan sitting comfortably with their brothers, free of fear or awkwardness?

When Taufan managed to separate the two rings, Solar couldn’t accept it and immediately challenged Taufan to solve a more difficult puzzle. Unfortunately, Solar’s challenge only brought back Taufan’s discomfort, and he started to hesitate, as if worried that he had upset Solar. Gempa knew that their youngest brother was just feeling competitive because Taufan had quickly solved his favorite puzzle. Up until then, no one had been able to solve Solar's favorite toy as fast as he could. And now that he knew his second brother could do it even faster, his competitive spirit was clearly awakened.

While it would be fun to see Taufan tackle more of Solar’s puzzles, perhaps it was best to stop for now, considering Taufan's growing discomfort.

“I think Taufan will give it another go when he visits Mom and Dad's house, but for now, it's better to let him rest.” Gempa said, diverting the attention of his three brothers. Upon seeing him, Taufan’s face lit up. He handed the two metal rings back to Solar and picked up the Rubik's cube he had already solved.

“Look! I did it!” Taufan exclaimed. He was so eager to show off his hard work to Gempa, like a child wanting to share their accomplishments with their parents. Gempa ruffled Taufan’s hair—a gesture that earned him a light slap from Taufan—while laughing and praising him for solving it without any help. With his praise, Taufan started to preen proudly.

It was heartwarming to see Taufan in such high spirits. Gempa chose to ignore the strange looks from their two younger brothers, focusing solely on Taufan. Duri smiled knowingly at him, while Solar looked confused and guilty for reasons Gempa didn’t understand. He didn’t know what was going through their heads; he only hoped they no longer saw Taufan as someone deserving of their resentment.

...

Because Taufan had fairly long hair, whenever they were relaxing, Gempa would start playing with it. His brother’s hair was so soft and thick that Gempa couldn’t resist touching it and braiding it into various styles he found on the internet. Normally, Taufan would get mad at him, claiming it made him look like a woman, but when Taufan was engrossed in a book, he wouldn’t even notice. He would only assume Gempa was stroking his hair, something Taufan actually enjoyed because their mother used to do it when they were younger.

Like now, for instance. Taufan was sitting on the floor, leaning against the sofa while reading a book. It seemed to be a new novel their mother had bought as a bribe to get Taufan to forgive them for showing up at his house with their brothers in tow. Meanwhile, Gempa sat on the sofa watching TV. He didn’t remember how it started, but at some point, his hand unconsciously began to touch Taufan’s hair. This time, Taufan had left his hair down, not tied up in his usual messy half-ponytail or bun.

Initially, Gempa was just running his hand through Taufan’s hair, but gradually, he got more focused on styling it than watching the TV. He began braiding strands of Taufan’s hair, undoing and redoing it until he was satisfied with the result.

Gempa was considering redoing his work once again when he noticed Taufan leaning into his touch. His brother’s eyes were still glued to his book, but his body began to rest more against Gempa’s. He shifted a few times, searching for a comfortable position, before settling down with one arm wrapped around Gempa's leg. It was like watching a cat getting cozy with its favorite human, all done without Taufan realizing it! Why was his twin brother so adorable?

Even though Gempa's body was starting to ache from sitting too long, he didn’t dare move, knowing it would disturb Taufan. Now he understood why Halilintar could sit for hours on end if his beloved cat curled up on him.

When the sound of a knock came at the door, Gempa didn’t know whether to be annoyed or relieved.

Taufan, who had been engrossed in his book, flinched at the knock. He gave Gempa a confused look, to which Gempa responded with a smile. Patting Taufan's head, Gempa got up to answer the door. Of all the people he imagined might visit, his two youngest brothers were not who he expected to find standing outside Taufan’s house.

Duri, cheerful as always, waved and greeted Gempa. Solar—who Gempa was sure had been dragged here by Duri—wore a sulky expression, his ears turning red. Whether from annoyance or embarrassment, Gempa wasn’t sure. While it wasn’t polite to turn them away—even though a part of him was irritated that they interrupted his peaceful time with Taufan—he invited them inside. By then, Taufan was lying on the floor, using his stuffed bear, which he called 'Mr. Bear,' as a pillow. He was playing a game on his phone, with the novel he’d been reading earlier lying next to him.

“Brother, Duri and Solar came to visit.”

Taufan glanced at them, awkwardly greeting them before returning to his game. Duri, unfazed by Taufan’s awkwardness, made himself comfortable next to him, watching the game. Meanwhile, poor Solar looked so out of place and unsure of what to do. Gempa had no idea why they had come to Taufan’s house, but he knew he couldn’t ignore them. So, he patted Solar on the shoulder and invited him to sit with him.

Gempa asked Solar about his day at school, trying to figure out why the two of them had shown up unannounced. He also kept an eye on Taufan and Duri, ready to step in if necessary to save Taufan. Solar’s answers were vague. He said something about just visiting and being dragged along by Duri, as if putting all the blame for their visit on him.

“Have you guys eaten yet? Stay for dinner before you go home,” Gempa suggested, ruffling his youngest brother’s hair as he sulked about being ignored by his twin. Gempa understood Solar’s feelings, as he was also a bit miffed that Taufan was now focused on his game and Duri, especially after the fun they’d had earlier with Taufan leaning on him.

"Solar likes to read, right? You can read a book while waiting for me to finish making dinner. There are many interesting books in Taufan’s collection."

When books were mentioned, Solar's expression visibly brightened. He looked curious and excited.

"Really? What kind of books?"

"What kind of books do you like? Taufan’s collection has plenty."

"Science, maybe?"

"Science, huh..."

Gempa tried to think if Taufan had any science books in his collection. It seemed like he had come across a few science books while organizing Taufan’s books.

"I think so. Why don’t you check that bookshelf?" Gempa pointed at one of the bookshelves in the living room. Solar quickly stood up and moved towards the bookshelf Gempa indicated. While his youngest brother busied himself searching for a book to read, Gempa turned his attention back to Taufan and Duri. This time, Duri was holding Taufan’s phone—apparently playing a game—with Taufan sitting next to him. Oh? They were more comfortable with each other than Gempa had expected. He thought Taufan would be really awkward and Duri a bit pushy, but it seemed Gempa didn’t need to worry about his two brothers.

It was better for him to think about what he should cook for their dinner. Since his two brothers would be eating with them, Gempa had to cook much more and take their tastes into account… eh… hopefully Taufan wouldn’t fuss about the food again this time.

Everything was going fine until Solar approached him in the kitchen, holding a book. From the cover, Gempa knew it was one of Taufan’s novels, and it happened to be one of Gempa’s favorites. The novel was titled 'Light', a heartwarming story. It was about a teenager’s struggle to win a science olympiad despite all the limitations he faced. It was truly a delightful read, especially for those who needed motivation to keep fighting even when others tried to bring them down. Once again, Taufan really gave his all in the novel because he even included some olympiad problems and explained how to solve them as the protagonist studied with his homeroom teacher. There was also a detailed section discussing cheating, including leaked questions and bribery, which seemed to be inescapable from human life.

The novel felt so real, as if Taufan had written it based on a true story.

"Brother, I want to ask something." Solar said. His expression seemed hesitant, and so did his body language. He pointed at the novel in his hand, moving uncomfortably and occasionally glancing toward the living room where Taufan and Duri were still playing games together.

"What is it?"

"This novel... is it one of Brother Taufan's works?"

"Yes, you should read it. The story is good, and I think it's perfect for you."

Solar nodded. He glanced back at the living room, then at Gempa. It seemed like he wanted to say something, but didn’t know how to express it. At that moment, Gempa finally realized why Solar looked so uneasy and conflicted at the same time, especially when he recalled the plot of the novel in Solar’s hands. The main character in 'Light' was so similar to Solar. In fact, if Gempa had to say, perhaps it was Solar that Taufan had in mind when writing the novel. That was probably why 'Light' felt so real, as if it had been written about someone’s life. More or less, Taufan had written about their youngest brother’s struggle when he competed in the science olympiad during middle school.

In the novel, the protagonist eventually made it to the national level and placed second, but in reality, Solar never made it to the national level. All of this was because the exam questions had been leaked, and Solar was accused of getting the leaked questions. The problem was resolved before Solar was disqualified, but by then, Solar had already lost his interest in competing. Their parents tried to persuade him, but they couldn’t fully focus on Solar because once again, Taufan was hospitalized at that time.

Could it be that Taufan wrote the novel as an apology to Solar? As Taufan had said, he always felt like he ruined their important moments whenever he ended up in the hospital. He mentioned Solar’s olympiad as one of them.

"Did you... realize it?"

Solar only nodded. He held the novel so tightly that Gempa could see his knuckles turning white. The emotions reflected in his younger brother’s eyes were complex. Gempa knew he couldn’t interfere with whatever Solar was feeling. He had to let his youngest brother process the new information and work through his emotions. Solar had to face his feelings on his own.

Solar was silent throughout dinner, and he seemed reluctant to look at Taufan. Unfortunately, this led to a slight misunderstanding, as Taufan began to think he had done something wrong to upset their youngest brother.

"Is Solar really not mad at me?" Taufan asked Gempa for the umpteenth time. He nervously bit his thumb. Gempa had to stop Taufan’s hand and give him a small teddy bear so he would stop biting his finger.

"No, brother. Solar just... dealing with complicated emotions."

"What kind of complicated emotions?"

"Let’s just say... teenage emotions."

Taufan seemed to ponder Gempa’s words for a while, then nodded. Whether Taufan truly understood what Gempa meant or came up with his own conclusion, Gempa wasn’t sure. Either way, he would let it be as long as it didn’t lead to a bigger misunderstanding.

The next day, Duri and Solar came back to Taufan’s house. This time, only Gempa greeted them, as Taufan had locked himself in his room. He said he wanted to work on his novel while the inspiration was still fresh. Duri looked disappointed not to see Taufan, saying he wanted to play games with him again. At first, he wanted to barge into Taufan’s room, but Gempa stopped him. Taufan was not someone who liked being disturbed while working. Gempa himself had once received a long lecture from Taufan just for accidentally breaking Taufan’s train of thought when he brought him dinner.

As for Solar, he simply grabbed a book from the shelf and started reading quietly. Seeing his twin brother reading calmly seemed to pique Duri’s interest, and he eventually joined in, searching for a book that could capture his attention, making Gempa sigh in relief but also promising himself not to let his guard down around his two younger brothers.

Gempa himself was working when Duri and Solar arrived. Now, he had to get back to his task, or else he would get scolded by both Taufan and his senior. Adult life really was exhausting. Gempa could only sigh in resignation. He wasn’t sure how much time they spent in that quietness, focused on their individual activities. The silence was eventually broken by Solar.

"Brother Gempa."

"Yeah, Solar?"

"Is there more like this?" As he said that, Solar pointed to the book in his hand. It was Taufan's novel that had made Solar curious yesterday; it turned out that Solar had been reading that same novel for a while. Another novel similar to the one Solar was reading... was Solar saying he wanted to read another one of Taufan's works, but with him as the main character? It seemed that besides 'Light', there was another novel where Solar was also the main character.

"If I'm not mistaken, 'Breeze'. The story is a bit sad, actually, but you should give it a try." Gempa said. He saw how Solar's face lit up at his suggestion. It was like Solar couldn't wait to read the novel Gempa had just mentioned.

"Ah... that one is in Taufan's room, and we probably shouldn't disturb him."

Solar's smile began to fade, and Gempa could only laugh awkwardly. He hadn't meant to dampen his little brother's excitement, but should he really let Solar go into Taufan's room while Taufan was still working?

"But I have it at home. If you want, just take it from my room." Gempa quickly offered. Thanks to that, Solar's smile returned. Gempa was happy that one of his brothers wanted to read Taufan's works, aside from himself. Until now, none of their brothers had shown any interest in reading Taufan's novels. Gempa himself had started reading Taufan's work when one of his classmates praised one of Taufan's novels to him. Embarrassing as it was to admit that he only started reading his brother's work because of someone else's compliments, Gempa was glad he did. Otherwise, he wouldn't have known just how talented Taufan was.

Taufan finally came out of his room when it was almost dinnertime. He looked surprised to see Duri and Solar, but he greeted them anyway, though his greeting was still somewhat awkward. This time, Solar didn’t shy away from Taufan. In fact, he returned the greeting with the same cheerfulness as Duri. Gempa could only watch with amusement at his brother's confusion upon seeing their youngest brother act that way.

When Taufan sat down to watch TV, Duri and Solar rushed to sit beside him, making Gempa feel a little annoyed as though his spot had been taken by his younger brothers. For now, Gempa would let them enjoy their time with their brother; after all, it was good for them to start mending their fractured relationships, not just with him but with the other brothers as well.

While preparing dinner, Gempa could faintly hear the noisy chatter from his brothers. When he peeked at them, the three were playing cards, and it seemed like Solar was losing to Duri and Taufan. They were having fun, and that was a good sign. When it was time for dinner, Gempa let the three continue playing cards while eating. Normally, he would have scolded them, but this time he let them do whatever they wanted. He couldn't bear to stop their fun.

Before 9 p.m., Gempa made sure both his younger brothers got home safely. He didn’t want to get scolded by their parents for letting those two teens wander around too much. Even though at first they didn’t want to leave Taufan’s house and even suggested spending the night, Gempa managed to get them home, of course with a little threat.

It had been quite a tiring day. Would they come again tomorrow? As much as Gempa was glad that his younger brothers seemed to want to get close to Taufan, he couldn’t let them keep coming and just play around here. After all, they were high school students, and they needed to study, not just play. Besides, even though Gempa saw that Taufan didn’t mind their presence, he knew that Taufan was still awkward and a bit uncomfortable around their brothers. Taufan’s comfort was Gempa’s priority, after all.

...

The sound of screams echoed through the night. The rumbling sky seemed to compete with the screams, as if trying to see which was louder. The cold January air bit at the skin, in stark contrast to the flames consuming the buildings around.

The young man stood, staring at the burning building before him, his hands clasped in front of his chest as he prayed for divine intervention. Tears streamed down his cheeks, his voice filled with sadness and despair. The cries of his prayer echoed through the oppressive night.

"Ut quid Deus repulisti in finem: iratus est furor tuus super oves pascuæ tuæ? Memo resto congregationis tuæ, quam possedisti ab initio. Redemisti virgam hereditatis tuæ: mons Sion, in quo habitasti in eo."

He paused, still watching the burning building with tear-filled eyes. Then he shouted, "Incenderunt igni Sanctuarium tuum: in terra polluerunt tabernaculum nominis tui!"

But the smirk on his lips told a different story than his prayers.

Gempa groaned in frustration at having to wait for Taufan to finish the next part of the story to know what happened next. Why did his brother like to leave him hanging like this? No, it was actually Gempa's fault for immediately reading Taufan's work the moment he handed over the new chapter. But Gempa couldn’t help it—who could resist the temptation of reading work fresh from your favorite author, especially when it hadn’t even gone through editing yet? If there was someone who could resist, Gempa wasn’t that person.

Taufan said they were nearing the climax of the novel. Gempa couldn't wait to see how Taufan would handle it. But before that, Gempa had to finish designing the cover for Taufan's novel and some illustrations for the book. After reading this latest part, Gempa felt inspired on how to draw the illustrations for Taufan’s novel. Maybe this was what Taufan meant by a burst of inspiration.

The main character was a religious figure who committed various sins to fulfill his obsession with resurrecting his dead lover. While sketching the cover for Taufan’s novel, Gempa imagined a young man dressed as a priest standing in front of an altar, his head slightly turned to the side to show his face, his eyes looking sorrowful but with a slight smirk on his lips. And the focus would be on the shadow of the young man, not a human shadow but a devil’s shadow with horns and wings.

When he showed the result to Taufan, his brother jumped with excitement, saying how much he loved it. He only asked Gempa to make the lighting darker.

"I guess it's because we're twins, it feels like we're sharing the same mind." That was what Taufan said.

Gempa didn’t argue with that thought, though it felt a bit much to say they shared a mind. After all, sometimes he had no idea what was going on in Taufan’s head.

Chapter Text

Boboiboy Fanfiction

© Boboiboy | Animosta Studio

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"Gempa! Let's play this!" Taufan exclaimed, showing off a large box to Gempa. It was a box filled with puzzle pieces they had to assemble one by one. Gempa wondered where his brother got the puzzle, but he didn’t ask.

They cleared out the living room, pushed the sofa and table to the corner, and then started spreading the puzzle pieces on the floor and arranging them.

"I didn't know you liked putting puzzles together. I thought you wouldn't like it because it's messy and seems kind of boring."

"Well, sometimes it is boring. Especially if you play alone, but you're here with me now."

Gempa went quiet. He looked at his brother, who was still busy choosing the right puzzle pieces. He always thought about this—how Taufan must have felt lonely, all alone in this house. But he also knew that Taufan likely felt lonely even when living together with them at their parents’ home. As much as Gempa was happy that Taufan no longer felt alone now, he still felt guilty for leaving Taufan lonely for so long.

"How long do you think it'll take us to finish?"

Gempa pushed aside all thoughts of self-blame and focused back on his brother. He gave Taufan a smile while picking out puzzle pieces as well, "I don't know. The puzzle looks pretty complicated, doesn’t it?"

Taufan responded with a hum. It had been nearly six months since Gempa started living with Taufan, and he’d learned a lot about his brother, things he’d never known even though they’d grown up under the same roof. For example, Taufan was surprisingly flexible. Gempa only discovered this when he found Taufan reading a book in positions that looked painful to Gempa but were comfortable for Taufan. Or how Taufan named every stuffed animal he owned, adding “Mr.” or “Mrs.” in front of their names. The clearest example was “Mr. Bear,” Taufan’s favorite stuffed animal. Or the fact that Taufan would soak in the bath when he was stressed—it took Gempa a lot of effort to pull Taufan out once he’d started this. Gempa also learned a lot about the writing world while working with Taufan. Yes, although he had to admit he was often scolded by Taufan for making mistakes—now he understood why Taufan was known as a difficult writer to please.

Thanks to Taufan, Gempa had also picked up a long-abandoned hobby. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d enjoyed drawing something. Now, his heart always beat with joy whenever he thought about what illustrations he’d create to depict scenes from Taufan’s novel.

Speaking of Taufan’s novel, Gempa had a lot of questions about it. Maybe he should ask while Taufan was in a good mood.

"Brother."

"Hm?"

"About the last part of the novel you gave me yesterday… I have a question."

Taufan still seemed focused on choosing and arranging the puzzle pieces, but Gempa knew he had his brother’s attention.

"The part where the main character sets fire to a church but acts as if someone else did it. I’m curious why he did that."

As usual, Taufan didn’t immediately answer Gempa’s question. He stayed silent for so long that Gempa nearly thought Taufan didn’t want to answer. But then Taufan turned to him, a grin clear on his lips, and his eyes sparkled with joy.

"Do you remember what I said about him being a sinner who could never go back?"

"Uh… yeah. That was when he met the devil, right?"

"Yes, you’re right. He met the Devil then but thought he was meeting God. Do you know how people in ancient times confessed and sought redemption from God for their sins?"

"Eh? No."

"A burnt offering. They would sacrifice a young, flawless lamb to be slaughtered and burned on the altar as a burnt offering."

Gempa pondered the meaning behind Taufan's answer—a sinner who met the Devil but thought he'd encountered God, and the burnt offering as atonement.

"Ah! Did he... burn the church with the nuns inside as if they were a burnt offering?"

Taufan snapped his fingers at Gempa. "Exactly!"

"Then, why did he act like that?"

"Simply put, he was just pretending, showing sadness in front of others for the burning of the church. But deep down, he was thrilled. That church was the altar for the offering, while the nuns inside were the sacrificial lamb. Didn't he say, 'Suscipe sacrificium holocausti mei, Domine. Absterge peccata mea,' which means 'Receive my burnt offering, oh Lord. Wipe away my sins,' before he set the church ablaze?"

"Uh, yeah. I forgot about that part because I was so focused on the ending."

Taufan chuckled and started humming a tune Gempa couldn’t recognize. He was clearly thrilled to have impressed Gempa with his work. And Gempa couldn’t blame him; he was indeed very impressed with Taufan's latest creation. Taufan, who usually wrote lighthearted or touching novels, had come up with something starkly different. He had always created protagonists readers could love and sympathize with, but now he had crafted a complex character with a twisted sense of righteousness that would make readers feel both creeped out and disgusted. To Gempa, he was especially unnerved by the protagonist's mindset—how he so easily justified his crimes in the name of God and his obsessive devotion to the woman he loved.

"Then why did you model the main character after Hali? I mean, why does the protagonist you imagine have a face like Hali's?"

Ever since Gempa found out that Taufan often modeled the main characters in his novels after them, he couldn’t help but wonder why Taufan had imagined Halilintar as the protagonist in this one. Could it be that Halilintar's personality had hurt Taufan so much that Taufan wrote him this way? But that didn't seem likely. Taufan was someone with such a sincere and loving heart, as Gempa had always known.

"Eh... well, actually, I just did it for fun. Plus, I wrote the main character with red eyes, and devils are often associated with red eyes, right?" Taufan then quickly added, "But that doesn't mean I’m saying Hali is like the Devil or that he is one!"

Gempa stared in shock, then laughed at his brother’s antics. Of course. This was Taufan, his warm-hearted brother.

...

It took them three days to complete the puzzle. On the first day, they managed to finish half, then on the second day, they only made a little progress since Gempa had to go to the office while Taufan worked on other parts of his novel. On the third day, when both had some free time, they finally completed it. The picture that formed was a horse race scene. Taufan looked so proud, even taking a photo of it and posting it on his social media. Predictably, his followers went wild. After all, Taufan rarely used his social media, except for promoting his work. Now that he posted something unrelated, his fans naturally created a stir. Some praised him, others asked where he got the puzzle, and some even linked the puzzle to Taufan's next work. In short, there were various reactions to just one photo from his brother.

And the person in question seemed completely unfazed, now lying on the couch, munching on an apple Gempa had just sliced for him.

Gempa could only sigh. Yeah, his brother rarely cared much about such things.

Duri and Solar still visited Taufan's place. Sometimes they’d come by just to read or watch some of Taufan's collection. Other times, they’d invite him to play a few games—cards, puzzles, or UNO. Seeing the growing bond among them, Gempa felt proud of his two younger brothers and happy for Taufan. In truth, Gempa still didn’t understand why Duri and Solar suddenly decided to get closer to Taufan. Maybe they were influenced by Gempa’s actions, or perhaps something else had sparked this change. He could only hope this wasn't temporary, that they wouldn’t drift away again. That would utterly break Taufan’s heart if they did.

Gempa doubted he’d ever forgive them if they hurt Taufan like that.

As for their three other siblings, Halilintar had distanced himself from all of them. Maybe he was self-reflecting—Gempa hoped Halilintar could find his answers and make peace with himself. Blaze and Ice had long watched their relationships quietly. Of course, Gempa knew they also harbored feelings of jealousy towards their siblings for their parents' affection. However, they just kept to themselves.

It seemed almost impossible to hope for those two to mend their relationships with Taufan. Gempa might have to settle for Duri and Solar alone.

"Brother, out of all of Taufan’s novels, which is the most interesting?" Solar asked one evening during a visit. At the time, Taufan was trying to finish a puzzle his editor had sent with Duri, while Solar decided it was better to read than join in. Gempa, meanwhile, just wanted to observe Taufan and Duri enjoying the puzzle, so he didn't join them either.

"The most interesting, huh. Ah, 'Dear Lord' is the most interesting one, in my opinion."

Solar frowned. "But why isn’t it in your collection? I’ve read every Taufan’s novel in your collection and don’t recall any with that title."

For a moment, Gempa was confused as well since he was sure he owned all of Taufan’s published works. Then he realized that Taufan's novel titled 'Dear Lord' was still in the works. It hadn’t even reached the final stages yet. Gempa was lucky enough to read it directly because he was currently working as Taufan’s assistant. Otherwise, he probably wouldn’t even know his brother was writing such an incredible novel.

"Ah... right, that's the novel he's working on. I forgot it isn't finished yet."

Gempa could only give an awkward smile, feeling guilty for leaking details about Taufan's unpublished novel to his younger brother, especially now that Solar's face had scrunched up—a sign that the teenager was feeling annoyed.

"Brother, you're so mean, telling me that without giving me any hints about the story! Give me a little preview."

"No, you'll have to wait until it’s published and buy it yourself." Gempa chuckled, teasing Solar.

"Does it have something to do with the photo Taufan uploaded a few days ago?"

"I don't know~ no spoilers allowed~"

Perhaps out of frustration, Solar hit Gempa's arm with the book he was holding, and Gempa laughed at his youngest brother's antics. Their playful banter drew the attention of Taufan and Duri. Out of nowhere, Solar complained to Taufan, accusing Gempa of bothering him. Gempa couldn't believe it—this felt like a betrayal as Solar ran over to Taufan, earning himself a gentle pat on the head from Taufan, a gesture that Taufan used to reserve only for Gempa. He could only sit in silence as Taufan lightly scolded him for disturbing their younger brother.

Gempa narrowed his eyes at Solar, who was still glued to Taufan. That little devil.

Fortunately, Taufan didn’t scold him for long. Though somehow Solar managed to charm Taufan, Gempa clearly knew Taufan better than Solar did. He successfully distracted him from the reason for scolding him by purposely engaging Taufan in a conversation about his puzzle. He even joined in on putting it together, though he hadn’t intended to participate earlier. Solar kept pestering him to talk about the novel Taufan was working on, but Gempa held firm in his decision not to give his youngest brother even the slightest hint.

Gempa thought the issue would be resolved quickly, but that wasn’t the case. Solar, with his curiosity piqued, kept trying to get an answer to his question. Since Gempa refused to tell him about Taufan’s novel, Solar turned to ask the writer himself. However, when it comes to his work, Taufan strictly adheres to his principles of professionalism. He also refused to give Solar any spoilers, especially since the novel hadn’t yet reached its final stages or been published.

But Solar didn’t give up there; he tried all sorts of ways to find out about Taufan’s latest novel. Eventually, he managed to get a glimpse of it. Gempa was briefly puzzled as to how Solar could have found out. Then he remembered that he had once shown Taufan’s work to Halilintar—luckily, only the beginning—when he visited Taufan’s house with their mother. He hadn’t expected Halilintar to remember, let alone to tell Solar about it. He thought Halilintar didn’t care about the novels Taufan wrote. Perhaps Halilintar, like him, secretly cared about Taufan. Perhaps what Gempa had heard that day was true, that Halilintar had never really hated Taufan.

Still, Gempa thought that Halilintar’s way of treating Taufan was wrong. He shouldn’t be so cold and dismissive toward him, especially since he often said hurtful things. Gempa guessed that maybe now Halilintar had realized his mistakes and wouldn’t act that way anymore. He hoped that someday Halilintar would find the courage to apologize to Taufan for all he’d done.

…

Since Duri and Solar made it a routine to visit Taufan’s place after school, Gempa was reminded of how attentive Taufan was to even the smallest details about them. For example, Taufan knew they liked different flavors of wafers: Duri preferred chocolate, while Solar liked vanilla. So, whenever they went shopping, Taufan would buy two types of wafers to suit their tastes. Or how he knew Solar sometimes did his homework at his place, so he organized a shelf with school textbooks suitable for a high schooler. And on a few occasions, when the two of them visited, Gempa would find Taufan and Duri digging around in the yard, claiming they were planting seeds Duri had brought.

If asked whether Gempa ever felt jealous of the attention Taufan gave to their younger brothers, he would say no. After all, he had received that same kind of attention from Taufan long before they did. When he first moved in with Taufan, there were times he didn’t have time to cook, making Taufan order food for him. Back then, Taufan would ensure he ordered meals that matched Gempa’s tastes. Or, if he wanted seafood, he’d order a different meal for Gempa, knowing about his seafood allergy. Another example was when Taufan ordered clothes online; he’d ask Gempa’s size and favorite color, then buy something for him as well.

As grateful as Gempa was for Taufan’s attention, that attention also weighed on him a little. It made Gempa feel like he wasn’t able to care for Taufan or look after him as he should. He had intended to make up for his past mistakes by pouring all his efforts into caring for Taufan, but it turned out Taufan was the one who ended up caring for him. He wanted to ask his parents about it, but he doubted they would understand how he felt. His brothers wouldn’t get it either, and they wouldn’t be able to give him any advice.

"You seem down today." One of his coworkers commented.

Gempa gave the girl a quick smile in response, nodding when she asked if he minded her sitting next to him.

"Is something wrong with your work today? You’ve looked sad for a while now."

"Not really. My work is fine."

"Then what’s wrong? You always come to the office with such a bright smile. Oh, don’t tell me Tempest finally gave you an impossible assignment?"

Tempest was Taufan's pen name. People at the office knew Taufan’s real name, but they still called him by his pen name. They said it sounded more mysterious—though Gempa didn’t agree.

Gempa just chuckled in response. Many of his coworkers had started placing bets on how long he’d last working with Taufan. They often asked about the types of tasks Taufan assigned him. Gempa always happily shared with them, thinking that what Taufan asked of him was normal and that previous assistants must have had similar tasks. It turned out they all complained that Taufan favored him. They said he was only gentle because Gempa was his brother—even though Gempa knew Taufan was far from gentle when it came to work.

Gempa’s seniors said that Taufan often assigned them inhumane tasks, like asking them to find and complete a whole set of Olympiad questions in one night or taking them to a seed shop just to learn how to distinguish good seeds from bad ones. Once, Taufan even disappeared somewhere, unreachable, causing a lot of people to panic, worried that something might have happened to him. In that case, Gempa actually knew the reason behind Taufan's "disappearance." The truth was, Taufan hadn’t gone missing; he had simply gone on vacation to their grandparents' house in the village. And the reason he was hard to contact was because he had accidentally dropped his phone into the river while fishing with their grandpa.

So, it could be said that his coworkers felt Taufan hadn’t given Gempa any tough tasks because Gempa always managed to complete his assignments quickly and accurately.

"There’s nothing like that. But it is related to Taufan."

"What happened to him? Don’t tell me he’s in the hospital again!"

"Huh? No. Don’t worry, he’s been healthier lately."

The girl sighed in relief, visibly glad that Taufan was okay.

"Then what’s bothering you?"

Gempa hesitated to share but didn’t really have anyone to talk to about his problem. Maybe his friend here could help him find a solution.

"Actually... it’s more of a personal issue. Is it okay if I share it with you?"

The girl nodded, assuring him he was free to share and promising not to tell anyone. Gempa didn’t need such a promise because what he was sharing wasn’t a secret, but he didn’t comment on her dedication.

"I… um… you know that Taufan is my twin brother, right?"

"Yes, we all know. You mentioned it when you applied to be his assistant."

"Yeah, well, long story short, my relationship with him wasn’t always good."

"How come?"

Gempa felt embarrassed to admit it out loud but knew he needed to tell her everything to get accurate advice.

"He was often sick as a child; his body was weak. He was in and out of the hospital year-round."

At this, the girl had a sympathetic expression on her face. She hadn’t expected the author who often stressed out his assistants had such a difficult past.

"So… our parents gave him most of their attention. We—I and the others—felt jealous of him. We often ignored him, didn’t want to play with him, and even blamed him for things he didn’t do."

Gempa didn’t need to look at her to know what her expression must be like. She must think he and his brothers were so cruel to Taufan, and Gempa couldn’t deny it.

"I… I know our actions were terribly wrong, unforgivable. But I want to make things right and mend the broken bond between us. I want to care for him, give him the love and attention I never gave him while we grew up."

"Oh yeah, you mentioned this when you first started working here. You said you took this job to reconnect with your brother, right?"

"Yeah."

"So, what’s making you sad?"

Gempa rubbed his face, trying to control his expression to make it appear better. He smiled again at the girl sitting beside him. “I promised I would do anything for him. I said I would take care of him and be a better brother to him. But in reality, he's been the one who has take care of me all this time.”

There was a brief silence before the girl burst into laughter and slapped Gempa’s back—a surprisingly strong hit for someone who usually seemed so gentle. Gempa didn’t understand why she was laughing. What part of his story was funny? Wasn’t she supposed to be telling him that his efforts were pointless and shameful?

“Oh, Gempa, you’re really good at your job, so friendly and always helping others. But it turns out you can be silly too! I thought you only knew how to be the perfect young man.”

Gempa didn’t understand what she meant. He wasn’t someone perfect, as she claimed. Gempa made mistakes in his work all the time; in fact, Taufan scolded him nearly every day. And being friendly—wasn't that just normal? His parents had always taught him to treat others the way he’d want to be treated. And Gempa didn’t want anyone treating him harshly. And helping others—that was just a human obligation, wasn’t it?

"I'm the eldest child. I have a younger brother who’s quite a bit younger than me. He’s, uh... he’s pretty rebellious, maybe because he's in his teenage phase right now. But he’s a good kid and always wants to help me. As his older sister, I’m so happy he’s thoughtful toward me, but at the same time, I want to spoil him, to give him whatever he wants, and care for him just like when he was little. Maybe Tempest does that because he feels he's your older brother, whether you’re twins or not."

He had never considered that before. In his mind, he was only thinking about how he could make up for the mistakes he’d made with Taufan and how he could become a worthy brother for Taufan. He never thought about it from Taufan’s perspective. His friend was right. Regardless of them being twins, Taufan was still his older brother. Even Halilintar always treated Gempa like that. Among the three of them, Gempa was still the youngest, and they were his older siblings. Of course, they’d want to act as older brothers to him, even though they were the same age as him.

"The point is, what you're doing isn’t wrong. But you also have to let your brother do what he feels he needs to do. After all, siblings are meant to take care of each other, aren’t they?"

Gempa let his friend's words sink into his heart and mind. She was right. Siblings were supposed to take care of one another, not just one person doing all the caring. What Taufan did was his way of caring for and loving Gempa, but that didn’t mean Gempa had failed as a good brother to Taufan.

"You’re right. I was a fool for never thinking of it that way."

The girl nudged him again, this time more gently than before. "Don’t say that. But I’m glad to know you can be sad too."

Gempa raised an eyebrow at her, his look saying, "Are you serious?"

But then they laughed together. Gempa had never imagined he’d feel this relieved after sharing his troubles with someone who didn’t know him well. Maybe that’s why he felt such relief—she didn’t know him, didn’t judge him right away, and gave him the advice he needed.

"Thank you so much, Yaya."

...

"Usquequo Domine oblivisceris me in finem? Usquequo avertis faciem tuam a me? Quamdiu ponam consilia in anima mea, dolorem in corde meo per diem? Usquequo exaltabitur inimicus meus super me? Respice, et exaudi me Domine Deus meus. Illumina oculos meos ne umquam obdormiam in morte;"

Anyone who heard his prayer would think of how sad he must be and how heartbroken he was. How he was begging for God's helping hand, how sincere his prayers to the God he worshiped seemed.

Anyone, except himself. He knew that the prayer he spoke was nothing but strings of lies and that his tears were nothing more than drops of deceit. Even if he wore a cross around his neck and prayed at the altar every night, all of it was just a facade.

Gempa really wanted to know what the main character felt when he prayed to God every night. He wanted to know what the main character thought when he chose to turn away from God and turn to the devil. He wanted to know what kind of life the main character had lived before he met his beloved. Why was he able to turn to the devil for her sake?

It remained a mystery to him and the other readers.

Gempa glanced at Taufan, who was trying to peel the salak that Duri and Solar had brought when they visited today—where they got it, he didn’t know, but Solar claimed it wasn’t illegal. Taufan tried to scrape the scaly skin of the salak with his nails, which unfortunately didn’t lead to success. Amused, Gempa took the fruit from Taufan’s hands and started peeling it.

He was reminded of his friend’s words that what he had been doing wasn’t in vain. He just needed to let Taufan take care of him too. There was no need to think about who took care of whom—they were siblings, after all.

"Brother, do you want to go to the beach?"

The sudden question surely surprised Taufan. His brother, who had been focused on the salak in Gempa’s hands, now looked at him with a confused expression.

"Why all of a sudden?"

"No reason. I just thought it would be fun to go to the beach."

Before Taufan could answer, Gempa handed him the peeled salak. He watched as his brother, happy with the fruit he'd just received, began to eat it. Taufan sat beside Gempa, his eyes fixed on the TV, which was now showing a popular cartoon series.

"When?"

"Hm?"

"When are we going to the beach?"

"How about tomorrow? It’s not the weekend, so it won’t be crowded, and I don’t have to go to the company tomorrow."

Out of the corner of his eye, Gempa saw Taufan nod. With that, Gempa began to plan where to take Taufan. He would also need to let Duri and Solar know not to come to Taufan's house tomorrow—he hoped they wouldn’t make a fuss about not being invited to the beach.

Chapter Text

Boboiboy Fanfiction

© Boboiboy | Animosta Studio

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Gempa actually wanted to use a motorcycle when going to the beach with Taufan, but let’s just say Gempa is someone with too many worries. He worried about many things that probably wouldn’t even happen, and since they would be bringing a lot of stuff, Gempa decided to play it safe to avoid any of his concerns coming true. He went to their parents’ house this morning to borrow their father’s car for the beach trip with Taufan.

"How could you be so mean like this?! We want to come too!"

Gempa had expected this reaction when he came to their parents' house to borrow the car. Deep down, he slightly blamed himself for not timing his visit better. He should’ve come when his younger brothers had already left for school.

In front of him, Duri and Solar looked upset. When Gempa arrived, they were already getting ready to leave for school, but they changed their minds after hearing the reason for Gempa’s visit. Solar—even more shocking—suggested skipping school just to join Gempa and Taufan. Gempa was completely taken aback to hear his most diligent brother even consider skipping school! Their father and mother didn’t say anything; they just laughed. In fact, their parents allowed Duri and Solar to skip school today. According to them, the two brothers deserved a break after being so diligent. However, Gempa firmly forbade them from skipping school just to go to the beach with him and Taufan.

He didn’t want them to think skipping school was okay. Besides, he just wanted to spend time alone with Taufan!

With a grumble, Duri and Solar finally went to school—though they were already very late. Gempa also promised to take them to the beach next time.

"What about Blaze and Ice? Do you guys want to come too?" Gempa asked his other brothers. Since they were already in college, their schedules were much more flexible compared to the younger two. For instance, Ice was lying on the couch—either asleep or just daydreaming—while Blaze sat on the floor, watching TV while having breakfast. Although Gempa’s question was more of a formality, he wouldn’t mind if they wanted to come—though he’d feel a bit reluctant in his heart.

"I have a class at 1 PM," Ice said.

"I don’t have any classes today, but I have a meeting," Blaze answered.

Gempa nodded but secretly cheered inside. On the other hand, their father and mother teased Gempa, saying he was starting to monopolize Taufan. Gempa laughed but didn’t defend himself. In his heart, he thought, Haven’t you two monopolized him for the past 22 years of his life?

Just before he left, Halilintar came out of his room. Their eldest brother looked exhausted—probably from work. He seemed surprised to see Gempa but greeted him awkwardly. It seemed the conversation they had previously had affected Halilintar in ways Gempa didn’t understand. Gempa tried to act normal with his eldest brother, responding to Halilintar’s greeting much more casually.

"Brother, Taufan and I are going to the beach today. Do you want to come?"

For a moment, Halilintar’s face lit up with excitement, making Gempa sure his eldest brother would say yes. But then Halilintar seemed to realize something, and he shook his head, the excitement disappearing from his face.

"No. I... uh... have other things to do today."

Gempa knew it was a lie. He could tell just by looking at Halilintar’s awkward demeanor. Clearly, Halilintar wasn’t ready to face Taufan yet. He hadn’t figured out which direction he wanted to take regarding their relationship as brothers. Halilintar hadn’t found his own answers. As much as Gempa wished to have more time with Taufan, he also hoped Halilintar would see that Taufan was their brother and didn’t deserve his hatred. Especially since they were twins who had been together since their mother’s womb. He wanted his twin brothers to reconcile and finally spend time together.

Perhaps only time would tell what would happen next.

When Gempa returned to Taufan’s house with their father’s car, he saw his brother sitting on the porch floor, hugging his knees and pouting like a child left behind when their parents went to the market. Taufan was wearing an old blue t-shirt, high school training pants, and black flip-flops. His hair was messy, as if he had just woken up. Well... Gempa did leave for their parents’ house while Taufan was still asleep. As soon as Gempa parked the car in front of Taufan’s house, he quickly got out and approached his brother.

"Brother, why are you sitting here?"

"Huh! I thought you’d gone to the beach and left me behind!" Taufan said.

He then turned his face away from Gempa, his lips pouting, looking like a child sulking. Gempa had to muster all the self-control he had not to lunge at Taufan and start pinching his cheeks. How could a 24-year-old man still look this adorable?

"I just went to borrow Dad's car. Besides, didn’t you notice the things we packed last night are still in the living room?"  

Gempa chuckled softly as Taufan suddenly stood up and walked into the house without saying a word. For a brief moment, Gempa noticed how Taufan's cheeks flushed red with embarrassment over not paying attention to the items in his own home.  

His brother really is something. Gempa shook his head weakly.  

They had packed the items they would bring for their trip to the beach the night before. Gempa made sure to include sunscreen and a change of clothes for both of them, while Taufan was busy looking for a beach ball supposedly given by one of Gempa's seniors a year ago. Gempa had always wondered why his senior gave Taufan a beach ball. When he asked his coworker—Yaya—the girl explained that at the time, they were trying to convince Taufan to join a beach activity they were organizing. The beach ball was merely a bribe to show Taufan how fun the beach could be with a group of people. Of course, they failed to lure Taufan out of his comfortable, cool house.  

How would they react now, knowing that Taufan easily agreed to Gempa’s suggestion to go to the beach?  

Since their belongings were already packed the night before, today they only needed to prepare food to enjoy at the beach. Usually, when going to the beach with family or friends, they would bring marinated chicken or fish to grill there. However, this time it was just the two of them, and it would be too troublesome to bring grilling equipment and set it up at the beach. It was better to make something simpler. Luckily, Gempa had asked their mother for advice earlier. She suggested making fried noodles, which was much easier. Gempa also thought of making simple sandwiches as snacks. Perhaps they could stop by a convenience store to pick up some extra snacks and drinks.  

Once everything was ready, Gempa, with Taufan's help, began loading their items into the car one by one. He also made sure Taufan had easy access to snacks and brought along some books to keep his brother entertained during the trip.  

The beach they were heading to was quite far. The journey would take about an hour and a half. Gempa deliberately chose this beach based on a recommendation from one of his college friends. He hadn’t been there himself, but his friend said it was a beautiful, relatively untouched place with very few visitors. On a weekday like this, the odds of encountering other visitors were slim to none.  

A perfect spot for Taufan, who disliked crowds.  

Once everything was set—Gempa had double-checked—they were finally ready to leave. Taufan seemed very excited, tugging at Gempa's hand to hurry up and get in the car, even as Gempa was locking the front door. It must have been a long time since Taufan last went to the beach.  

For the first 15 minutes of the trip, Taufan chatted about all sorts of things—his novel, a video of pandas he watched on his phone yesterday, or the cake Gempa brought him a few days ago. Gempa mostly listened, occasionally responding. Who knew his brother could be so talkative?  

In the next 15 minutes, Taufan focused on the scenery outside. He took out his phone and started taking pictures of anything he found interesting. When he got bored of that, he began fiddling with the car radio, looking for an interesting station until they landed on one playing popular songs.  

Since most of the songs were well-known, Taufan started singing along. He even got Gempa to sing with him. It was heartwarming to see Taufan laugh whenever Gempa accidentally sang off-key. Gempa wished he could capture that moment of Taufan laughing, but he had to focus on driving.  

"Aih? Why did you suddenly go quiet?"  

Taufan sighed, leaning back against his seat and stretching. "I'm tired."  

"Huh? But we’re not there yet."  

Apparently, Gempa’s comment upset Taufan a little. His brother started pouting and refused to look at him. Gempa decided to let Taufan gather his energy for a while. Taufan had used up too much of it early in the trip. Gempa often forgot that while Taufan sometimes resembled their younger brother, Blaze, who was cheerful and energetic, Taufan's body didn’t allow him to be as active as Blaze.  

Gempa reached out and gently ruffled Taufan’s hair. It felt like he was their father, and the one sitting beside him was a young Halilintar sulking because he wasn’t allowed to play soccer.  

Thirty minutes before they reached their destination, Taufan regained his energy, perhaps because the sea was now visible, and the breeze carried the salty scent of the ocean. Taufan pointed out seagulls flying over the water, fishing boats returning from the sea, and mangrove trees along the shore. He took out his phone again, snapping pictures of anything he found interesting along the way. Gempa slowed the car down so Taufan could take photos at his leisure—the road was completely empty, so he wasn’t worried about disturbing other drivers.  

Gempa already knew the beach they were visiting was very natural and largely untouched by human hands. He also prepared himself not to expect complete facilities at the site. However, he hadn’t anticipated that the beach would lack a parking area, and the distance between the parking spot and the beach itself was so far. On top of that, they had to climb and descend several stairs to reach the beach. Oh no, it seemed like Gempa had chosen the wrong location.  

"Oh! Gempa, take my picture!" Taufan handed his phone to Gempa. He ran up a few steps and struck a pose—even though Gempa was preoccupied with figuring out how to carry all their stuff.  

Gempa could only sigh in resignation, guiding Taufan to a better position and taking his picture. Well, at least Taufan's smile made up for it. Gempa snapped a few photos before Taufan was satisfied and returned to the car.  

Taufan—who usually tired easily—was now full of energy. He grabbed a few items he could carry and ran up the stairs. "Gempa! Hurry up!"  

Gempa smiled softly. It was heartwarming to see his brother so lively. So, even though Gempa had to struggle to carry all their belongings up and down the stairs, he didn’t mind at all.  

The beach was truly worth the effort. The view was breathtaking, leaving Gempa almost speechless. The blue water sparkled under the sunlight and was crystal clear at the shoreline. The white sand was pristine, lined with coconut trees. The breeze carried the salty scent of the ocean, accompanied by the sound of waves crashing against the rocks and the cries of seagulls. It was a stunningly beautiful place.  

Gempa spread out a mat under a shady tree and placed their belongings on it. Meanwhile, Taufan was already in the water—doing who knows what.  

"Gempa! Look at this!" Taufan ran toward him, holding something in his hand. When he reached him, he showed a brownish seashell with an interesting pattern. "Isn't this beautiful?"

"Yes. You're very good at finding these."

Taufan laughed cheerfully. He handed the seashell to Gempa.

"This is for you, as a token of good luck."

Gempa froze at Taufan's words. He didn't have the chance to respond because Taufan had already returned to the water, searching for more seashells. Looking at the shell in his hand, Gempa smiled faintly. It seemed Taufan still remembered.

Back when they were little, during a trip to the beach with Uncle Pian, Taufan couldn't join because he was down with a fever. Gempa had been very upset, wanting to stay home with Taufan, but Uncle Pian persuaded him to go. He said Gempa could bring back a seashell as a token of good luck for Taufan. And Taufan, smiling, had told him to find a pretty one. They had been only five years old at the time—still so young.

Gempa had forgotten all about it, but Taufan brought the memory back to him.

His brother truly was something special.

...

"Brother, you've put on sunscreen, right?"

Taufan quickly averted his gaze, starting to dig a hole near his feet while claiming he was looking for crabs. The corner of Gempa's eye twitched in irritation at his brother's antics. Taufan's behavior was so reminiscent of Halilintar. Every time they went to the beach, Halilintar would refuse to use sunscreen, claiming he wasn’t a girl who cared about his skin tone—only to end up suffering sunburns. Was it because they were twins that both Taufan and Halilintar shared such similar traits?

Gempa had to drag Taufan over and forcibly apply sunscreen to his brother's body. Taufan grumbled, calling Gempa a mean little brother for forcing him. But it didn’t last long after Gempa handed him a small shovel and bucket, encouraging Taufan to dig in the sand and hunt for more seashells.

In no time, the small bucket Gempa had given Taufan was almost full of various seashells—big and small, broken and intact, white and brown.

"Brother, I don’t think we need this many."

Taufan chuckled, saying Gempa didn’t understand what he was doing—and he was right. Gempa could only shake his head, letting Taufan do as he pleased. During their seashell hunt, they stumbled upon a freshwater pool not far from the beach, perhaps just about 20 steps away, hidden by trees and rocks. What a surprising discovery!

After Taufan was satisfied with his haul, they returned to their belongings. Thankfully, nothing had been lost or damaged. Gempa realized he had made a mistake by leaving their things unattended.

"Do you want to swim in the water, brother?"

"Nah, I’ll do something else." As he said this, Taufan poured the bucket's contents onto the sand and began digging again. Since Taufan was near their belongings, Gempa felt it was fine to take a quick dip in the sea. It had been a while since he’d swum in the ocean.

While Gempa enjoyed the water, Taufan remained engrossed in his digging and sand work. What was his brother trying to make? As long as Taufan was happy, Gempa didn’t mind. He spotted a starfish and a large, beautiful seashell. He thought Taufan might like them. He also saw some small fish, and the fact that the coral reefs here were so well-preserved was proof of a healthy environment. If only he had come prepared for snorkeling with a waterproof camera. He made a mental note to return here someday, maybe bringing his family along to enjoy the beach’s beauty.

Gempa was sure he had only left Taufan for a moment, but when he returned, his brother had already built a mini sandcastle and was sorting through the seashells they had collected. Gempa hadn’t even known Taufan could make a sandcastle with just a shovel and bucket!

"Brother, look what I found."

Taufan looked up, initially confused, but then a bright smile spread across his face. He eagerly urged Gempa to hand over the starfish and seashell.

Gempa laughed at his brother's enthusiasm. He joined Taufan in sorting the seashells and decorating the sandcastle. For the finishing touch, Taufan placed the starfish at the front of the castle, declaring it the symbol of his kingdom. The seashell Gempa had found was placed near the castle—Taufan claimed it would be the castle's guardian. Gempa crafted a flag from a leaf and planted it at the top of the sandcastle.

"This is awesome," Gempa said. Hearing this, Taufan gave him a thumbs-up and beamed. He then asked Gempa to take a picture of their creation as a keepsake. Gempa retrieved the camera and tripod from their bag, adjusting it to get the perfect angle before setting the timer and posing beside the sandcastle with Taufan. The camera's flash went off, signaling the photo had been taken.

Gempa took a few more photos of the sandcastle, even without himself in the frame. He also captured several shots of his brother laughing and smiling that day. It was such a joyful moment that Gempa wished it would never end.

By midday, they ate the packed lunch they had brought. During the meal, Taufan and Gempa shared stories about all sorts of things—from trivial topics like their favorite cake flavors to personal experiences. It turned out that even when you live with someone, there are still many things you can learn about them through their stories.

After eating, they didn’t return to the water, hunt for more seashells, or build another sandcastle. They simply lay on a mat under the shade of a tree, closing their eyes and feeling the gentle sea breeze carrying the scent of the ocean. The sound of waves crashing, birds chirping, and the rustling wind blended into a soothing symphony that calmed both heart and soul. It was no wonder people built houses near the beach; they probably wanted to enjoy this view and serenity. Sadly, they often ended up harming the environment in the process.

This beach was beautiful. Gempa wanted more people to know about it, but he also didn’t want it to be ruined by visitors. Keeping it a secret seemed like a better idea—though he knew the day would come when this place would be crowded with people. If it ever became a tourist spot, Gempa hoped the local government would do their best to preserve it. He also hoped visitors would know how to respect and care for such a lovely place.

"Today has been wonderful," Taufan suddenly said.

Gempa glanced at his brother, who was now lying beside him with his eyes closed and a soft smile on his lips.

"Thank you so much, Gempa."

Gempa smiled too. He knew Taufan couldn’t see it, but he smiled nonetheless. "Of course. Thank you too, brother."

"I think we’ve rested enough. Let’s go on another adventure!" As he said this, Taufan quickly got up and grabbed his small bucket.

"Huh?"

"Let’s look for crabs, Gempa. We didn’t find any earlier."

Gempa sighed, but the smile never left his face. He made sure their belongings were neat and secure before joining his brother, who had already run toward the water. They didn’t find any crabs but came across more starfish and some interesting seashells. They didn’t venture far, staying along the shore. Occasionally, Taufan splashed water at Gempa, who sometimes retaliated and sometimes just laughed.

Besides starfish and seashells, they also found some beautiful small fish and a tiny octopus clinging to a rock. There was even a piece of glass smoothed by nature’s forces. Taufan’s small bucket was filled with various treasures. He said he would sort through them later and bring some home. The seashell Gempa had found earlier for him would also be brought back as a decoration.

"Gempa, look at this! Its color is similar to Blaze, isn't it?" Taufan showed an orange seashell. "And this one is like Brother Hali, right?" This time, he held up a reddish-brown seashell.

How did Taufan find them? All this time, Gempa had only seen things that looked similar—either stones or white seashells that were slightly damaged. Gempa continued searching in the water, carefully observing the objects within to find something interesting. Then his eyes landed on a seashell near some rocks. In the water, it appeared black, but once lifted, it had a deep blue color like the ocean depths.

"Oh! Look at this, Brother!" Gempa called out.

"Wow! It's beautiful!" Taufan exclaimed.

"And this one looks like you."

For a moment, Taufan said nothing. His expression seemed surprised. He looked at the seashell in Gempa's hand, then at Gempa, who was smiling at him. Not long after, Taufan laughed and agreed that the color of the seashell did resemble him.

Their adventure of collecting seashells turned into a hunt for ones that matched the colors of their siblings. Taufan found a light blue shell, while Gempa discovered a green one. For their youngest brother, they both agreed that white would suit Solar.

Who knows how much time they spent searching for seashells, but by the time they finished, the sun had already moved westward. It was time to go home. Although it would be delightful to stargaze at this clean and beautiful beach, Gempa didn’t want to take any risks. The place was still so quiet, and the nearest houses were quite far away. No one knew what might happen if they stayed until dark, especially since it was just the two of them. Once out of the water, Gempa dragged Taufan to rinse off in the freshwater pool they had found earlier. Afterward, Gempa began packing their belongings, ensuring nothing was left behind, including their trash, and loaded everything back into the car. He also changed into dry clothes inside the car.

Before leaving, Taufan took another photo of his sandcastle and the sunset view. His brother also returned the starfish that decorated the sandcastle to the water. Carrying a small bucket filled with shovels and various seashells, Taufan left the beautiful beach. Gempa watched as Taufan skipped happily, clearly overjoyed. Seeing him like that made Gempa happy too.

Of course, Gempa had to insist that Taufan change out of his wet clothes before they left and forbid him from bringing the bucket of seashells into the car unless it was placed in the trunk.

The drive home was much quieter than the trip there. Taufan fell asleep before they even reached the halfway point, leaving only the evening news on the radio to accompany Gempa as he drove.

Next time, he had to come back with Taufan again. And this time, their other brothers had to join them. He needed to find out when they were all free so he could drag all five of them to the beach with Taufan.

...

"Brother, we're home. Wake up." Gempa tried to wake Taufan, but his brother was sound asleep, even though Taufan was usually a light sleeper. He must have been really tired today. Gempa smiled weakly, unloaded their belongings from the trunk, and brought everything into the house. When he returned, Taufan was still asleep, now curled up in his seat. Gempa tried waking him again, but Taufan swatted his hand away and curled up even tighter.

Oh no. If this was the case, Gempa would have to carry Taufan to his room.

Taufan's body was still smaller than Gempa’s, but he had gained some weight in recent months. Gempa wasn’t sure if he could lift his brother anymore. But it was worth a try. If he really couldn’t, he’d find another way to wake Taufan.

Surprisingly, Gempa managed it on the first try.

"Brother, why are you still so light?"

Gempa didn’t know whether to celebrate his success in carrying Taufan or feel sad that his older brother was still so easy to lift. He would have to cook more nutritious meals for Taufan!

After bringing Taufan to his room, Gempa soaked their wet clothes and thought about washing them right away. But it was better to wash the dishes they had used today first. He had placed everything in the sink; he just needed to wash them. Unfortunately, a sudden wave of exhaustion hit him. He nearly fell asleep in the kitchen if not for the sound of something falling in Taufan’s room. When he checked, he found Taufan awake, trying to tidy up the books scattered on his bedroom floor.

"Leave it, Brother. We’ll clean it up tomorrow."

Taufan looked at him, then at the books on the floor, and back at him. His brother seemed a bit dazed, probably because he had just woken up. Gempa decided to take advantage of the moment to push Taufan into the bathroom, telling him to shower properly to avoid itchy skin. Thankfully, Taufan didn’t put up a fuss and did as Gempa told him.

Gempa thought again about the clothes he had soaked and the dishes that still needed washing. Oh, it felt so exhausting. He couldn’t manage it tonight. He’d deal with it tomorrow. For now, he’d just take a shower and sleep soundly.

Yes, yes. He just needed to wait until Taufan finished showering, and then he could shower too.

He just need to wait.

Chapter Text

Boboiboy Fanfiction

© Boboiboy | Animosta Studio

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For who knows how many times that day, Gempa wanted to bang his head against the wall. How could he, a 24-year-old grown man, fall asleep on his brother’s bedroom floor?! Worse, when he woke up that morning, Taufan had already washed the dishes and done the laundry that Gempa hadn't managed to do the night before. He was even hanging up the clothes to dry. Oh, God, Taufan had even made breakfast for them! Though the fried rice was a bit salty.

Gempa had never felt this embarrassed about waking up late! He was the one who usually took care of everything, and he was used to not sleeping and heading straight to campus during his college days. Maybe he had gotten too comfortable in Taufan’s room. Well, his brother’s room was really cozy.

Gempa unconsciously smiled as he recalled the warmth of his brother’s room. The blanket that had wrapped around him last night, and the warm body that had hugged him. Huh? Wait.

Gempa didn’t remember it too clearly, but he had a faint memory of hugging someone last night.

Oh no! Don’t tell him Taufan had slept on the floor with him too! His brother caught colds way too easily. Sure, Taufan liked sleeping on the floor, but Gempa only allowed him to do so in the living room, where there was a thick carpet. Meanwhile, his bedroom had no carpet, and the floor got cold at night. Hopefully, Taufan hadn’t caught a cold from sleeping on the floor with him.

Just as he anxiously worried about Taufan and his incompetence that morning, something cold suddenly pressed against his cheek, making him scream involuntarily. It turned out to be a can of drink. The culprit, however, only laughed loudly, completely unbothered.

"Did your lover just dump you?"

Gempa rolled his eyes. "You know I don’t have one."

"Right. My bad for thinking you'd finally find a partner."

Gempa wasn’t sure whether to feel offended or what by that comment.

"So, what’s making you look so miserable?"

"It’s about my older brother."

"Wait, which brother? You have two."

Gempa had forgotten how annoying his friend was. Maybe because they hadn’t seen each other in a while, he had forgotten his friend’s personality. He could only sigh and open the can that had just been pressed against his face.

"Taufan."

"Oh, Taufan. How is he? Last I heard, he was in the hospital."

"That was six months ago. He’s fine now."

"Then what about him is making you look so grumpy?"

"I made him work this morning because I overslept."

His friend’s expression remained indifferent—he didn’t look surprised or find it strange. "So? I always make my brother work in the morning."

"You don’t get it, Fang. Taufan shouldn’t be working so hard like that. He washed the dishes, did the laundry, made breakfast, and even before I left this morning, he was cleaning the house!"

Fang, the young man who had been talking to him, only looked confused. Then he snorted and smacked Gempa’s arm. "You still treat your brother like he’s made of glass, huh?"

"Fang, you know Taufan is physically weak! He gets sick easily!"

"You make him sound like a terminally ill patient about to die."

Gempa punched Fang’s arm—pretty hard this time—for what he said. He didn’t like hearing the word "die" being associated with Taufan. If anyone dared say that to his face, he might actually beat them up.

Fang groaned in pain, complaining about how Gempa never went easy on him. But Gempa chose to ignore his friend. He didn’t see any reason to go easy on the purple-haired guy next to him.

"If your brother Kaizo was physically weak, you’d be just as worried as I am."

"Huh? Nope, not at all. My brother wouldn’t let me worry about him. Besides, there’s no way he’d ever be as weak as Taufan. That guy is obsessed with sports. His body will stay healthy for the next 50 years."

That sounded exaggerated, but remembering how Fang’s older brother had beaten him and Halilintar up back in high school… yeah, maybe the guy would stay strong for 50 more years, just like Fang said.

"He even slept on the floor because of me. Ugh, I’m such a terrible little brother."

Fang scratched his head, looking puzzled. "Sleeping on the floor is normal, though? I sleep on the floor all the time when I’m bored."

Gempa shot his friend a cynical look. How could Fang compare himself, someone strong and healthy, to his brother, Taufan? Didn’t Fang know that Taufan was often in and out of the hospital because of his weak body?

"I think you worry too much about Taufan."

Gempa wanted to protest Fang’s words, but before he could say anything, Fang cut him off.

"I know what you're about to say. I also understand that Taufan's physical condition is weak, but that doesn't mean you have to treat him like this. There’s nothing wrong with being concerned about your brother’s health, but I think you’re overdoing it."

"Overdoing it how?"

"Like right now. Gempa, Taufan is an adult. He’s not a child anymore. Have you ever asked your brother if he’s comfortable with how much you worry about him?"

Gempa fell silent.

Taufan had never said anything about Gempa worrying too much. His brother just seemed to accept it, which made Gempa think that Taufan didn’t mind. But hearing Fang’s words, Gempa recalled the first time he stayed with Taufan in the hospital. The doctor had said that the reason Taufan fell sick was due to stress. To this day, Gempa still didn’t know what had caused that stress. There was a chance that it was because of him.

"You can’t protect him forever, Gempa."

Gempa wanted to tell Fang that he wanted to stay with Taufan forever, that he wanted to always be there to take care of him. But deep down, he knew Fang was right. He was able to live with Taufan these past six months because he was working as his assistant—but what if, one day, Taufan became dissatisfied with his work and decided to replace him? Wouldn’t that mean he had to leave Taufan’s house as well?

And like Fang said, Taufan was already an adult. He was a 24-year-old young man, just like Gempa.

"Your actions come from your love for Taufan, and I understand that. But don’t go overboard. Anything excessive is never good."

Gempa said nothing. He would think about Fang’s words and decide what was best later. They sat in silence for a while, even the canned drink Fang had given him earlier had lost its chill. Fang himself had already finished his iced coffee.

"By the way, what are you doing here?"

Fang laughed. "I had a photoshoot around here at 10 earlier. When I saw your office, I decided to drop by and say hi."

"Is your photoshoot done?"

"Yeah, and I don’t have any more schedules after this."

Gempa nudged his friend. "So you came here because you were bored, huh?"

Fang chuckled. They then talked about many things. Nothing serious, just topics about Fang’s job as a model and Gempa’s work as a writer’s assistant. They also talked about their families, and at one point, Fang teased him about finding a partner. There were so many things they talked about that they almost lost track of time. If it weren’t for a call from his senior, Gempa might have kept chatting with Fang for a while longer.

"Looks like I should head home too. My brother would be mad if I kept wandering around," Fang said while checking his watch.

This time, Gempa raised an eyebrow and looked at his friend. "Are you sure your brother isn’t overdoing it with you?"

Fang only laughed. "Look at you, using my own words against me. My brother does worry about me a bit too much… but isn’t it normal for an older sibling to worry about their younger one? I’m sure Halilintar is the same with you and Taufan."

Gempa didn’t know what to say to Fang.

Even though Fang had been a childhood friend to him and both of his brothers, there was no way he could tell him that their sibling relationship had hardly made any progress over the years. Especially Taufan and Halilintar’s relationship. Gempa knew that Taufan cared about Halilintar, but he also knew that Taufan was afraid of him. As for Halilintar, Gempa wasn’t sure whether his oldest brother cared about Taufan in return or if he simply saw him as a sibling with no special attachment.

He didn’t give Fang any response, and it seemed his friend understood his feelings. Fang himself had once had a complicated relationship with his older brother during their teenage years, but they had managed to resolve their issues and were now the closest pair of siblings Gempa had ever seen.

Gempa hoped that one day, he and his brothers could be like them too.

When Gempa returned home, he found his two youngest brothers along with Taufan making a mess in the kitchen. Flour was everywhere, eggshells were scattered on the table, and the smell of something burnt filled the house.  

Both Taufan and the younger brothers laughed as they promised to clean up the mess. Gempa had no idea what they were trying to make to cause such chaos, but he hoped they would actually clean up later. He didn’t join the three of them, choosing instead to rest for a bit and check on them later.  

About thirty minutes later, Gempa heard a loud scream from the kitchen, followed by the sound of something falling. He rushed out of his room and headed straight to the kitchen, where he found Duri and Solar floating anxiously around Taufan.  

"Brother! Taufan’s hand got burned!"  

Gempa wanted to ask how that happened and scold them for their carelessness, but treating Taufan’s injury was more important. He guided Taufan to the sink and turned on the faucet, letting the water run before directing Taufan to place his burned hand under the stream. Taufan followed Gempa’s instructions without a word. However, when Gempa looked at him, his brother gave him a small smile as if to tell him not to be mad at their younger brothers.  

Gempa could only sigh, glancing at Duri and Solar, who still looked panicked about Taufan’s condition, and then at the mess his three brothers had created.  

"Duri, Solar, go get the first aid kit from my room," he instructed.  

The two quickly ran off to do as he said. Meanwhile, Gempa turned off the water and examined Taufan’s hand closely. His palm was red and looked painful. Taufan’s hands were soft and smooth since he had never been used to hard labor since childhood. In fact, his hands were probably even softer than those of women who regularly took care of their skin. And now, those rarely injured hands had suffered a burn—it must have hurt a lot.  

"Solar accidentally dropped the baking tray right after it came out of the oven. I was careless and tried to catch it with my bare hands," Taufan explained without Gempa even asking.  

Gempa didn’t respond. Instead, he pulled a plastic bag from the drawer and walked to the fridge to take out some ice cubes, filling the bag with them. He held Taufan’s hand and placed the ice pack over the burn.  

"Are you mad?" Taufan asked.  

"No, I’m just worried about you."  

Taufan fell silent. He bit his lower lip hard enough to leave a red mark when he let go.  

"Sorry for always troubling you."  

This time, Gempa let out a tired sigh. He looked at Taufan with a small smile and ruffled his hair, showing that he wasn’t angry. Taufan still looked sad, like a puppy that had been kicked out of the house. He remained quiet even when their younger brothers returned with the first aid kit.  

Gempa didn’t scold Duri or Solar. He only gave them a few words of advice to be more careful in the future.  

"What were you even trying to bake? How did it get this messy?"  

"They were practicing for their school project and asked me to teach them how to bake cookies. We planned to make something simple, but I guess I forgot how to do it properly," Taufan admitted with an awkward laugh. He seemed embarrassed about causing such a commotion over something as simple as baking cookies.  

Fortunately, Taufan’s burn wasn’t too serious. It just needed some ointment, and he had to avoid any heavy work for the rest of the day. It might be sore for a few days, but other than that, he would be fine.  

Gempa told Taufan to rest, turning on his favorite TV show and giving him a crossword puzzle book to keep him occupied. Meanwhile, he dragged Duri and Solar to clean up the mess they had made. The two of them whined about it, but they didn’t complain that Taufan was sitting there doing crosswords. After all, he got hurt because he was helping them—if they dared to protest, Gempa would pinch their ears.  

"Brother, what did you guys do at the beach yesterday?" Solar suddenly asked.  

Gempa hadn’t expected his youngest brother to ask about his and Taufan’s trip to the beach. He had thought Duri would be the one to ask. But he answered anyway.  

"Not much. When we arrived, Taufan immediately went to the water to look for seashells. After that, I had to drag him back to put on sunscreen," Gempa chuckled as he recalled Taufan trying to escape when he attempted to apply sunscreen on him.  

"Then we looked for seashells along the shore and found a freshwater pool. After that, I went swimming for a bit while Taufan built a sandcastle."  

"Oh! I saw the sandcastle! Taufan showed me the picture earlier!" Duri exclaimed.  

"Cool, right? Then we ate, rested for a bit, and went back to searching for seashells in the water."  

"Huh! You guys had fun without us! That’s so mean!" Duri huffed.  

Solar nodded in agreement with his twin.  

Gempa could only let out a small laugh to cover his guilt. He then promised them that he would take them to the same beach next time—with their parents and other brothers as well—but only if they managed to convince Taufan to come along. He also warned them not to expect the trip to happen anytime soon, since persuading Taufan wouldn’t be easy. Once Taufan made up his mind, he could be incredibly stubborn. And considering that his relationship with the rest of the family wasn’t very close, convincing him to go on a family trip would be difficult.  

As Duri and Solar were about to leave, Taufan called them back and handed them the seashells he had brought from the beach. At some point—probably while Gempa was at work—Taufan had cleaned the seashells.  

"A lucky charm," Taufan said, reminding Gempa of the brown seashell he had placed on his desk.  

Both Duri and Solar happily accepted the seashells, telling Taufan to collect more if they ever went to the beach together.  

Their relationship had grown so much. They could now joke around, seek comfort from each other, and share stories. They no longer seemed awkward or avoided one another. Maybe it was because, aside from their younger brothers’ persistent efforts, Taufan himself had started to open up to them.

Gempa was undoubtedly happy about this progress. If only Halilintar, Blace, and Ice were also willing to get closer like Duri and Solar had. However, Gempa didn’t dare to hope, nor did he want to hurt Taufan by giving him false expectations.  

...  

"Are you sure it's okay?" Gempa had heard that question countless times since Halilintar called him today.  

"Yes, brother. It’s fine." And Gempa had given the same answer just as many times.  

Halilintar was going on a business trip out of town for three days and two nights, and he wanted to leave his beloved cat in Gempa and Taufan's care. Why not leave the cat at their parents' house? Gempa had mentioned it before—Halilintar’s cat wasn’t friendly with other people. She only liked Halilintar. Though, she also seemed comfortable around Taufan. Halilintar also didn’t trust their four younger brothers to take care of his beloved cat because, frankly, they were a bit unreliable when it came to pets. That was why Halilintar wanted to leave the cat with Gempa and Taufan. But he had sounded so unsure all this time—whether it was because he was overly worried about his cat or because his relationship with Taufan was still awkward, Gempa wasn’t sure. Maybe both.  

Gempa had reassured him that Taufan had no issues with the furry white guest. In fact, if anything, Taufan seemed happy to have a pet in the house. Gempa wasn’t sure what stopped Taufan from getting one of his own, but he knew Taufan wouldn’t mind the cat staying with them for a few days. After finally convincing Halilintar, Gempa sent a message to inform Taufan about it. Just as he expected, Taufan was thrilled to welcome the white cat into his home. It was amusing—Taufan and the cat’s owner had such an awkward relationship, yet with the cat itself, he was so at ease.  

Halilintar arrived with his beloved pet at Taufan’s house just as Gempa was coming home. Gempa didn’t know if it was pure coincidence or if Halilintar had planned it that way. He had stopped trying to guess Halilintar’s thoughts.  

Much like the time Gempa visited their parents’ house to borrow the car, Halilintar still seemed slightly uneasy around him. But compared to before, he was much better, and they could hold a proper conversation. It was only when Taufan emerged from his room that Halilintar tensed up and grew visibly nervous. He kept touching his nose or adjusting his watch—gestures he only did when he was anxious.  

Taufan, on the other hand, although Gempa knew he felt just as awkward, tried to appear friendly and treated Halilintar the way he did with Duri and Solar. They exchanged a brief conversation before Taufan turned his attention to playing with the cat.  

At least it was something.  

Halilintar left after giving an excessive number of instructions on how to care for his cat, even making sure Gempa remembered every detail. Good grief, his brother was truly over-the-top when it came to his precious cat.  

Gempa could only sigh tiredly as Halilintar finally got on his motorcycle and rode away. His brother, honestly...  

When he walked back inside, Gempa found Taufan scrolling through his phone while absentmindedly stroking the white cat sitting on his lap. Gempa had known for a while that the cat liked Taufan, but he hadn’t realized she liked him this much! Just look at her—so calm and content under Taufan’s touch. If Gempa tried to pet her, he’d surely get scratched and met with bared fangs.  

Gempa took a seat beside Taufan, still observing the cat closely. The white feline didn’t seem to care, even starting to purr as Taufan scratched under her chin.  

"How did you tame that cat? She really likes you."  

Taufan glanced at Gempa with a puzzled expression. He put his phone down on the table and continued petting the cat.  

"You don’t know?"  

"Know what?"  

"This is the same cat I used to feed in the park."  

"Huh?"  

"Yeah, the little stray I used to feed back in high school. The one in the park near our house."  

Gempa tried to recall. It was true that Taufan used to feed stray cats in the park near their home. But out of all the cats Taufan had fed, he didn’t remember a white one among them.  

"She was the tiny, gray, limping kitten from back then."  

Ah! Gempa finally remembered which cat Taufan was talking about. Among the many strays in the park, there was one that had caught Taufan’s special attention. A small, thin kitten with a limp—probably from being beaten by bigger cats or, worse, mistreated by humans. With her tiny body and injured leg, survival on the streets must have been nearly impossible. Even when Taufan came to feed the strays, the little gray kitten was always too late to get her share. That was why Taufan had always set aside a separate portion for her.  

Taufan never took her in as a pet, but he had given her extra care. He took her to the vet to get her injured leg treated, used money from selling his books to pay for her medical bills, and did so much more for the tiny stray. Gempa had never realized her fur was actually white—he always thought her was naturally gray. She must have just been covered in dirt and dust. He had only seen the gray kitten once, and everything else he knew about her came from Taufan’s stories.  

So it turned out Halilintar’s beloved pet was that same little stray! No wonder she always followed Taufan and was so affectionate toward him.  

"But why did Halilintar take in a stray you used to care for?"  

"Oh, that. I couldn’t feed the park cats for a few weeks. When I finally went back, a lot of them were gone. I asked around, and the locals said animal control had captured them because someone reported them as a nuisance. I don’t know where they were taken—maybe some went to shelters, others to pet stores. Halilintar must have found her in one of those places."  

Gempa felt sorry for the captured strays but also relieved that at least this one no longer had to struggle on the streets.  

"But how did you know she was the same cat?"  

"See her paw? Some of her claws are missing. I took her to the vet when she almost lost her whole paw to an infection."  

Gempa nodded. "Why didn’t you ever take her in as a pet when she was still a stray?"  

Taufan gave a sad smile. "You know what things were like back then. Mom and Dad always scolded me for feeding strays—they said I could catch diseases from them. But I was too stubborn to stop, so I kept doing it anyway. Imagine what they would’ve said if I told them I wanted to adopt a stray cat."  

Their parents would have absolutely forbidden Taufan from taking in a stray. Thinking back, there were so many restrictions placed on Taufan, all in the name of protecting his health. It wasn’t that Gempa blamed them—he knew Taufan didn’t either—but sometimes, their rules felt like they were locking Taufan away from the world.  

A small example: Taufan wasn’t allowed to play soccer with Gempa and their other brothers because he got tired too easily. Even his diet had to be strictly monitored because of a past food poisoning incident that nearly killed him. There were so many things Gempa was sure Taufan had wanted to do but simply couldn’t because of their parents' rules.

Actually, Gempa understood their parents' concerns very well. He felt the same way when he first started living with Taufan and taking care of him. However, once again, Gempa felt that their parents were being overly protective of Taufan. Perhaps it was simply because they were parents, and that was how they naturally acted.  

"Have you ever thought about having a pet?"  

The surprised expression on his brother's face indicated that Taufan hadn't expected Gempa to ask him that question at all.  

"Um... not really. Having a pet requires a lot of responsibility. I wouldn't be able to dedicate my time to a pet—it would probably feel lonely if it was owned by someone like me, who often forgets to eat and sleep on time."  

Although what Taufan said was true, Gempa had a feeling that his brother must have, at some point, wished to have a pet. A companion to keep him company and listen to his stories when no one else was around. Especially after seeing how he interacted with Halilintar’s cat, Gempa was almost certain that Taufan had once wanted a pet of his own.  

"I'm actually quite surprised that this cat loves Hali so much and hasn't just followed you instead," Gempa said, voicing his thoughts. Upon discovering that Halilintar’s cat used to be the same stray Taufan had cared for, Gempa had been shocked that the little cat hadn’t just clung to Taufan. What was even more surprising was that the cat genuinely adored Halilintar and stuck to their eldest brother instead.  

Taufan laughed, his hands continuously stroking the white cat in his lap. "I have no idea how Hali managed to tame her. Maybe he offered something irresistible and won her over? Or maybe ahe was simply captivated by Hali's handsome face?"  

Gempa knew the last part was just a joke, but he couldn’t help but feel that there might be some truth to it. Despite him and Taufan being Halilintar’s younger twin brothers, their eldest brother was undoubtedly the most handsome among them. They resembled each other, but Halilintar had always been the best-looking. The number of admirers he had could even rival Fang’s, and Fang was a model, while Halilintar was just an ordinary office worker. Can you imagine that? A model losing popularity to a corporate employee.  

Gempa had to blame it all on their old school friends, who had once formed an exclusive fan club for Halilintar.  

And with the rapid growth of social media today, Halilintar’s photos were everywhere. It had become such a hassle that sometimes Halilintar had to hide his face when going out in public. Luckily for him, his workplace was filled with professionals who prioritized their jobs over idolizing his looks.  

Now, thinking about the possibility that this cat had also been won over by Halilintar’s face just made Gempa want to laugh. My God, was his brother’s handsomeness truly capable of charming anyone, even those from a different species?  

This time, he shifted his focus to Taufan. He had probably mentioned this before—his second brother was beautiful. He was like a living painting, mesmerizing and breathtaking. Seeing him now, with that gentle gaze directed at the cat in his lap, a soft smile on his lips, and his long, half-tied hair framing his face, Gempa once again thought that his brother must be a masterpiece brought to life. A work of art designed to steal the breath of anyone who looked at him.  

Ah, if only he were a professional painter, he would immortalize the scene before him and showcase it to the world.

Chapter Text

Boboiboy Fanfiction

© Boboiboy | Animosta Studio

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Halilintar's cat is a nightmare if Taufan wasn't there with Gempa. The cat is tough to please and loves causing chaos. She has knocked over Gempa’s glasses multiple times—thankfully none were glass or porcelain—messed up the litter box, left fur on almost every piece of clothing they owned, and even occasionally stole food from the table. She also often scratched and bit Gempa! Oh dear, how could Halilintar care for such a naughty cat? Gempa was almost at the end of his patience in taking care of the white cat. If it weren't for Taufan, who was always there to help clean up the mess and tame the cat, Gempa might have sent the cat to his parents' house, regardless of his promise to Halilintar.

She had only been three days under Gempa’s care, and the cat had already caused more chaos than Gempa could have imagined. Luckily, Halilintar only owned one cat—if he had more and left them with Gempa like this, Gempa would probably go bald from stress!

The white cat—or the little devil, as Gempa called her—was especially naughty when Gempa was the only one watching. However, whenever she saw Taufan, she would turn into a sweet little angel. She would walk around Taufan's feet and meow softly and sweetly. Anyone would be fooled into thinking that Halilintar's cat was a cute and well-behaved pet. Gempa wouldn’t deny her cuteness—the cat was indeed adorable—but she was also the naughtiest cat he had ever met! Fang also had a pet cat, and his gray cat was friendly and well-behaved. He allowed anyone to hug him and wouldn’t scratch or bite randomly. Fang said it was because his cat was old, but Gempa didn’t believe that was the only reason. He had been friends with Fang since elementary school, and the cat had been with Fang’s family for a long time. Still, the cat had always been friendly to Gempa whenever he visited Fang’s house as a kid.

So, it really was just Halilintar’s cat that was too naughty to Gempa.

No matter what method Gempa used to approach the cat, his hand would always end up scratched or bitten. Maybe the cat just hated him.

“What? Don’t be silly!” Taufan laughed heartily when Gempa shared this thought.

As usual, Halilintar’s beloved cat was perched on Taufan. Enjoying being petted by Taufan’s skilled hands and hissing every time Gempa tried to come close. Now Gempa wondered who the cat would choose if Halilintar—now sitting beside Taufan—was in the picture.

“See? She hates me.” Gempa pointed at the cat, who was still hissing at him.

Taufan kept laughing, scratching the naughty cat’s chin to calm her so Gempa could sit down.

“She’s just... a little aggressive. She doesn’t hate you.”

Gempa gave a wry smile. Taufan didn’t know that the cat would attack him whenever he tried to feed her without Taufan nearby. Should he dress up like Taufan and wear blue contact lenses so the cat would stop hating him? Maybe he could even dress as Halilintar, considering their similar body types.

“Maybe she just feels unfamiliar with you, that’s why she acts this way.”

“Brother, I lived with Halilintar when he first adopted that cat.” Gempa replied skeptically. The cat always hated everyone. His father, mother, and younger brother were also targets of the white cat’s hostility. Knowing her past, Gempa understood that the cat didn’t trust humans. Surely, Halilintar had gone through tough times to earn her trust. But Gempa had been living with Halilintar since he adopted the cat! Why did she still hate him so much?!

Taufan shrugged indifferently, "Just call it a cat problem."

Gempa wasn’t sure, but he chose to agree for now. He shot a sharp glance at the cat, who was rubbing her head affectionately against Taufan's chest, as if mocking Gempa at that moment. Oh, Gempa couldn’t wait for Halilintar to take her back.

...

"I'll be home late today. Are you sure it’s okay for me to leave?"

Taufan waved his hand, "Don’t worry. I’ll be fine."

Gempa was still a little hesitant. Usually, when he went to the office, he would be back by exactly 5 PM. However, this time, his seniors had already informed him that there would be a meeting after work to discuss important company matters. It was certain that Gempa would be home late today.

"It looks like it’s going to rain heavily today. Make sure you bring a raincoat and be careful on your way home," Taufan reminded before Gempa left. Gempa responded with a nod and a promise to be careful. He hoped the rain wouldn’t be too heavy when he returned.

The meeting was held as planned, and by then, rain was already pouring down over the city. Gempa had to restrain himself from commenting on how the discussion kept going in circles. He dutifully took notes so they could review them later with the team—though inwardly, Gempa was complaining about it. After going in circles for more than two hours, they finally reached an agreement, and the meeting was dismissed.

Gempa sighed wearily as he checked his watch, which showed 7:53 PM. He hoped Taufan had already had dinner. The rain was still pouring heavily outside, and Gempa wasn’t sure he could go home right away, considering he only rode a motorbike and didn’t want to get soaked. But if the rain didn’t stop within the next fifteen minutes, Gempa would brave the rain, regardless.

"Why haven’t you gone home, Gempa?" His friend, Yaya, asked as she passed by his desk.

With a smile, Gempa replied, "I’m waiting for the rain to stop."

Yaya looked out the window and frowned, "It doesn’t look like it’s stopping anytime soon."

Gempa already knew that, but he tried to convince himself the rain would ease up soon. Now that Yaya pointed it out, Gempa could only accept it. He really had to brave the heavy rain to get home.

"Come home with me instead. I brought my car."

"What about my motorbike?"

"Just leave it here. The office parking lot is safe! I'll pick you up from your house tomorrow morning."

Gempa weighed the pros and cons of Yaya's offer. He realized there could be more bad outcomes if he accepted, like being teased by their colleagues, rumors spreading that they were in a relationship, and how inappropriate it would seem for a man like him to be alone in a car at night with a woman when they had no relationship at all. What if Yaya had a partner who got jealous or misunderstood and it caused them to argue?

But all those concerns were outweighed by his desire to go home and see his brother. If any issues arose from this, Gempa was ready to explain that he and Yaya had no relationship and that she was simply being kind by offering him a ride home, especially since he looked like a vagrant waiting for the rain to stop.

"So? Want to go home together?"

Gempa's train of thought was interrupted by his friend's voice. He was still hesitant, but when his phone vibrated and lit up with a message notification from Duri, Gempa glanced at the lock screen, which displayed a photo of Taufan from when they visited the Cathedral Church. Ah, Gempa already missed Taufan.

"Yeah, let’s go." And with that, Gempa agreed to ride home with his colleague.

Yaya didn’t talk much during the ride, probably because she wanted to focus on driving, especially since the rain got heavier as they left the office. Gempa also had no intention of starting a conversation, as his mind was elsewhere.

When they arrived at Taufan’s house, Gempa was just about to thank his friend when he noticed another car pulling up in front of Taufan's home.

Gempa recognized that car—it was their father’s, the one they used to go to the beach together. Were their parents visiting? But this late and without prior notice?

Gempa stayed in the car to see who would step out. Yaya didn’t comment on what he was doing; instead, she looked just as curious as Gempa. They both leaned forward as the car door opened, and a pink umbrella with a rose motif unfolded—the one belonging to his mother. But it wasn’t the familiar adult man Gempa had known all his life as his father who stepped out. Instead, it was a young man in a red jacket with a face resembling his own.

"Huh? Is that Tempest? But he looks really different."

"No, that’s my other twin brother, Halilintar."

"Oh. You have a lot of twin brothers, huh?"

Gempa remained silent in the car, watching as Halilintar stopped at the front door, closed his umbrella, and knocked. His hand knocked three times before he waited for someone to open it. But no one came to answer the door.

Gempa assumed Taufan hadn’t heard the knock because of the heavy rain, or maybe he was locked in his room, focused on writing his novel, or perhaps Taufan had already gone to sleep and didn’t hear Halilintar knocking.

Halilintar knocked again, this time much more persistently than before. He also checked the window and knocked once more. Still, as before, no one came to open the door for him.

"Why are we just sitting here? Aren’t you going to get out? Looks like no one’s home."

"No, Taufan is home. Maybe he’s asleep and didn’t hear the knocking."

"Then why are you still here? Your brother’s waiting outside, you know." Gempa wasn’t so sure, but Yaya sounded much sterner than usual.

"I just want to watch for a bit. I’ll go, I’ll go." Gempa said quickly, somehow convinced that if he didn’t get out soon, Yaya might kick him out of her car. Sometimes that woman could be terrifying.

He had just borrowed Yaya’s umbrella and secured his bag when his phone vibrated. Taking it from his pocket, Gempa saw that Halilintar was calling. He glanced at Halilintar, who was standing on the porch holding the pink umbrella in one hand and the phone to his ear with the other. Gempa answered the call before it disconnected, and Halilintar's voice, dampened by the heavy rain, came through.

"Assalamualaikum. Gempa, where are you? No one’s home?"

"Waalaikumsalam. Taufan is home, brother."

"Really?" At that moment, Halilintar knocked on the door again and checked the window.

For some reason, Gempa felt that something wasn’t right. He pushed the feeling aside and opened Yaya’s car door. "Yeah. Wait a moment, brother. I’m coming."

"Hm? Where are you? Will it take long?"

"No, just wait a second."

Gempa didn’t quite catch what Halilintar said after that. He hurriedly opened the umbrella, thanked Yaya quickly, and ran into Taufan’s yard. When Halilintar saw him, he ended the call and waited patiently until Gempa reached the porch. Halilintar didn’t ask where he had come from; he simply remained silent and took Gempa’s belongings to help him retrieve the house key from his pocket.

Gempa fumbled slightly as he inserted the key, but he managed to unlock the door on the first try. He didn’t think about his wet shoes or anything else and rushed into the house.

"Taufan?" Gempa called, but no one responded. He hurried to Taufan’s room, hoping to find him sitting in front of his laptop, typing away furiously. But the room was empty and cold. Gempa rushed to the kitchen, then his own room, the bathroom, and back to Taufan’s room. All were empty. No one was there.

Where had Taufan gone? Maybe he went to the convenience store? But in this weather?

"Gempa, where’s Chióni?"

Halilintar's question snapped him back to reality—Taufan wasn’t the only one missing. Halilintar's white cat, Chióni, was also nowhere to be seen. What was going on? Where had they both gone? Surely, Taufan wouldn’t take the cat with him to the convenience store? Gempa tried to calm himself. He told Halilintar to wait in the living room while he changed clothes.

'It’s fine. Taufan probably got bored and decided to take a walk.' Gempa kept repeating this to himself. He said it while changing his shirt to a red t-shirt he often wore and switching his pants for sweatpants since the temperature had dropped. He repeated it again while making tea for Halilintar and himself. And once more when Halilintar asked about Taufan’s whereabouts.

"Gempa, it’s raining outside. Do you really think Taufan would go out for a walk in this weather?"

Gempa knew what he said didn’t make sense, but he tried to stay positive. Anything concerning Taufan always made him panic and nearly hysterical, clouding his ability to think clearly. But he remembered the advice Yaya and Fang had given him—he shouldn’t overreact. Taufan was an adult and capable of taking care of himself. Gempa tried to come up with any possible explanation for what Taufan might be doing, even though his heart thudded with worry.

He kept trying to stay calm, even though Halilintar was starting to look uneasy. Halilintar began pressing something on his phone, seemingly trying to call someone. The vibration on the table startled them both. Gempa glanced at the stack of books on the table and began moving them one by one. He found Taufan’s phone buried between the books, displaying Halilintar's name as the caller. Halilintar ended the call and quickly stood up. He grabbed the jacket he had taken off earlier and put it back on.

"Where are you going?"

"To look for Taufan. Gempa, it’s been 30 minutes since we entered this house, and Taufan hasn’t come back. Chióni isn’t here either."

Once again, Gempa knew that what Halilintar said was true. Besides, he had felt uneasy when he saw Halilintar standing outside, waiting for a door that was never opened for him. But they didn’t know where Taufan had gone. He could have gone to the convenience store with Chióni and gotten stuck there because of the heavy rain. Unfortunately, that also meant there was another, worse possibility—one that Gempa was reluctant to think about.

Gempa ran to his room and grabbed a plastic raincoat he had bought in a rush during a previous downpour. He handed it to Halilintar while he searched for another raincoat in Taufan’s room. He was sure his brother had one similar to his. When he found it, Halilintar was already standing outside Taufan’s room, wearing the raincoat Gempa had given him.

"I’m going now."

"Alright, be careful. Call me as soon as you find him."

Halilintar replied with just a nod and ran out.

As Gempa was putting on his raincoat, he realized someone had to stay behind in case Taufan returned. He couldn’t call their parents—the distance between their house and Taufan’s was too far, and he didn’t want to make them panic. The only person he could think of was Yaya, the one who had driven him home earlier. He hoped she wouldn’t mind the inconvenience—just thinking about it made his heart feel uneasy.

So, he called Yaya to ask for her help. She hadn’t even finished her greeting before Gempa spoke—he’d apologize later.

"Yaya, I’m sorry, but could you come back here?"

There was a moment of silence before Yaya replied, "Why? Is something wrong?"

"Taufan is missing. Halilintar and I are going to look for him. I need your help to wait at the house in case Taufan comes back while we’re out."

"Hold on, I’ll be there soon."

"Thank you so much, Yaya. I’m sorry for the trouble."

"Not at all."

Gempa smiled in relief, even though Yaya couldn’t see it. Just like before, he ended the call without a proper farewell—he’d apologize for that too later.

It wasn’t long before Yaya’s car was once again parked in front of Taufan’s house. She ran out of the car, covering her head with her hands—of course, her umbrella was still with Gempa. She didn’t ask many questions and immediately urged Gempa to go find Taufan. Gempa truly owed her a lot. Yaya also said she would contact Gempa if Taufan came back home. He had to remember to give her something later as a token of thanks.

Searching for an adult man with a cat at night, in the rain, was far from pleasant. Gempa had gone to every nearby convenience store. He was nearly hit by a speeding motorcycle due to carelessness and slipped on the slick roads. He asked people he passed, showing them a photo of Taufan, but no one gave him any helpful answers.

Gempa didn’t know how long he had been running under the rain, searching for his brother. He was tired, hungry, and cold, but he had no intention of giving up—not even for a second. Taufan could be in a much worse situation than he was. When Gempa finally stopped to rest at a closed stall, he received a phone call from Halilintar. His hands trembled from both anticipation and the cold, and his rain-soaked phone made it hard to answer the call, but thankfully, he managed.

"I found him, Gempa," Halilintar said the moment Gempa picked up.

Hearing those words, Gempa finally felt he could breathe again. He asked Halilintar where they were and was shocked to learn that Taufan was at a cemetery, quite far from his house.

What on earth was his brother doing there?!

Gempa didn’t think much when he said he would head to where the two were. He had to walk because he didn’t have a single penny on him, and he doubted any public transportation would take him that late at night in such heavy rain. Gempa was utterly exhausted by the time he arrived at the location, but all his fatigue vanished when he saw his two brothers sheltering in an old, worn-out wooden hut.

Gempa didn’t even care about his aching legs as he ran toward them. He had to see with his own eyes that Taufan was okay.

There, in front of him, Taufan sat holding a soaked cat, its fur matted with mud. His hair was wet, and his clothes were damp and dirty beneath Halilintar’s red jacket. His lips looked pale, and so did his face—Gempa thought that even a sheet of paper might seem darker in comparison. His fingers were trembling. He must have been freezing. As much as Gempa wanted to offer more warmth, he was cold too, his clothes soaked through from the rain.

"I’ve been trying to book an online taxi, but no one will take it," Halilintar said.

Gempa could only nod. It was indeed difficult to find transportation willing to take them in weather like this. What should they do? It was getting late, and Taufan needed to be treated soon. Halilintar and Gempa also needed to change clothes and rest. But walking back home was impossible. They were already exhausted, and the rain was still pouring heavily.

"I wanted to call Dad, but I took his car earlier. It would take too long if he had to stop by Taufan’s house first before coming here."

Again, Gempa could only nod. He didn’t know what to say—his mind felt like it had stopped working, numbed by exhaustion and the cold gnawing at his skin. Perhaps noticing his lack of response, Halilintar told him to sit and rest for a while, while he tried to figure out how they could get home. Gempa did as Halilintar said, sitting beside Taufan. He reached out his hand to his brother, encouraging him to hold his hand and not just cling to the mud-stained cat. With trembling hands, Taufan took Gempa’s hand and slowly leaned closer to him. They sought warmth in each other in the cold night, while Halilintar paced, trying to find a solution for them to return home.

Watching Halilintar, Gempa could tell that he was just as cold as he and Taufan were. Especially since he had given his jacket to Taufan and was now only wearing a plain black t-shirt. Yet, he ignored all of that just to make sure Gempa and Taufan stayed safe and could get back home soon.

All this time, Gempa had thought there wasn’t much difference between him and Halilintar, considering they were the same age. But now he realized that, despite being the same age, it was Halilintar who carried the weight of being the eldest brother. Seeing Halilintar as such a dependable figure made Gempa feel much calmer, especially now that he was holding Taufan’s hand.

Once Gempa’s thoughts had settled, he realized there was one person who might be able to help them. He quickly pulled out his phone, trying his best to dry his hands, and called Yaya again.

"How is it? Have you found him?" Yaya’s voice was filled with concern, making Gempa feel guilty. What could he possibly do to repay her kindness?

"Yes," he answered.

"Alhamdulillah. Where are you now?"

Gempa bit the inside of his mouth, trying to keep his voice steady despite the biting cold. "We’re at X Cemetery. No public transportation passes by, and we can’t get an online taxi."

"Send me your location. I’ll come and pick you up."

As usual, Yaya was quick to respond. Gempa really needed to think carefully about what gift he could give her as a token of gratitude. But first, he had to send her their location so she could come to pick them up. And later, he must remember to pay for Yaya’s car wash service.

About 15 minutes later, when Gempa’s phone battery was down to 9%, he finally received a message from Yaya. She said she was already in front of the cemetery but couldn’t enter because the road was too narrow for her car. They would have to walk to her. Gempa relayed this to Halilintar, who looked slightly annoyed but quickly composed himself.

Gempa took off his raincoat and gently took the mud-covered cat from Taufan’s arms. He then told Taufan to put on the raincoat.

"Here, wear this with Chióni," Halilintar said, handing Gempa a pink umbrella. Ah, Gempa hadn’t realized his brother had been carrying an umbrella all this time. How foolish of him to have rushed out into the rain without thinking of it.

Gempa had wanted to ask why Halilintar had only given him the umbrella for himself and Chióni, but he chose to stay silent when he saw Halilintar kneel in front of Taufan, offering to carry him on his back. Taufan didn’t say much and did as Halilintar instructed, though Gempa noticed him grimace in pain when standing up. Was Taufan hurt?

As they walked out of the cemetery, Gempa tried his best to cover himself and his two brothers with the umbrella. Chióni, the cat who was usually aggressive toward him, was surprisingly calm. Maybe she was cold, and Gempa’s body offered warmth that the cat couldn’t resist. Relief washed over Gempa when he saw Yaya’s car. He urged Halilintar to hurry. They carefully placed Taufan inside the car and then got in themselves.

"Could you take us to the hospital? I’m worried Taufan might have hypothermia."

"Of course."

Yaya drove them to the nearest hospital. Once they arrived, Gempa helped Halilintar get Taufan out of the car, carrying him on his back again. Chióni remained in Yaya’s arms—she didn’t mind the mud stains on her clothes. She also didn’t mind waiting in the car with Chióni while Gempa and Halilintar handled Taufan’s paperwork. Later, she even accompanied Gempa to an open veterinary clinic to have Chióni checked and took Gempa home.

Gempa was overwhelmed by Yaya’s endless kindness.

"I’m really grateful to you today. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you."

Yaya laughed. "Don’t say that. We’re friends, right? Friends help each other."

The lighthearted way Yaya said it only made Gempa feel even worse for troubling her. "I don’t know how I can ever repay you."

"Just treat me to lunch."

Gempa wasn’t sure if a lunch was enough to repay all that Yaya had done for him. At least he managed to convince her to send him the bill for her car wash and laundry, so he could pay her back—though he knew that still wouldn’t be enough. He also made a mental note to ask his mother what kind of gift would be suitable for a woman Yaya’s age. He wanted to give her something meaningful.

"Text me when you get home. Thank you again, Yaya."

"Sure, no problem. Send my regards to Tempest and your brother."

With that, Yaya finally drove off, leaving Taufan’s house. Gempa let out a deep breath. He was exhausted, and though the heavy rain had slowed to a drizzle, it was still falling. Entering the unlocked house—thankfully, no one had broken in—Gempa hurried to the bathroom for a shower. He needed to be quick so he could return to the hospital and let Halilintar go home and rest too.

At least the doctor had said Taufan’s condition wasn’t too concerning. Although his foot was sprained, he was being kept overnight for observation and would likely be discharged tomorrow.

Ah, the memory of six months ago surfaced—when Taufan was last hospitalized. Gempa silently prayed Halilintar wouldn’t say anything painful again, something that might trigger another seizure like last time.

Chapter Text

Boboiboy Fanfiction

© Boboiboy | Animosta Studio

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When Gempa returned to the hospital, he found Halilintar sitting by Taufan’s bedside, holding Taufan’s hand and gently stroking his hair. The look in his eyes was soft toward the sleeping Taufan—surprising. When he realized Gempa’s presence, Halilintar let go of Taufan’s hand and moved away from the bed as though he’d been caught doing something bad. Gempa didn’t comment on his brother’s behavior; he put the bag containing his clothes and toiletries on the floor near the hospital bed—just in case they ended up staying longer at the hospital like last time.

“You need to go home and rest.”

“I…” Halilintar glanced at Taufan’s bed, then at the floor, as if the floor held the answer he could give Gempa.

Gempa sighed and placed his hand on Halilintar’s shoulder to get his brother’s attention. “You can stay if you want. Use my clothes, you should shower and change if you don’t want to catch a cold.”

Halilintar only nodded, remaining silent as Gempa handed him clothes and soap. He went to the bathroom near Taufan’s room, leaving Gempa to watch over Taufan for the time being. Gempa was exhausted; as soon as he sat in the chair Halilintar had been sitting in, the fatigue he’d been holding back with adrenaline suddenly flooded him. He longed to lie down on his comfortable bed and curl up under a warm blanket, but for now, he had to hold back that desire because he had to watch over Taufan.

Gempa held Taufan’s hand like Halilintar had earlier, stroked his brother’s hair, and smiled faintly at his sleeping face. He loved Taufan dearly and only wished the best for him, but what exactly had his brother been doing at the cemetery with Chióni? Gempa still didn’t know.

“Please don’t scare us like that again, brother,” Gempa whispered.

…

Gempa hadn’t asked why Taufan had been at the cemetery. He stayed quiet even when Taufan woke up the next morning. He also stayed quiet when Taufan kept sneaking glances at him and Halilintar, and he stayed quiet when Taufan nervously twisted a tissue in his fingers.

He waited patiently for Taufan to explain on his own without needing to be asked. If Taufan didn’t want to explain, Gempa wouldn’t ask about it, despite how truly worried and angry he felt when reminded of the night before.

The relationship between Halilintar and Taufan still felt awkward, but at least it seemed to be improving. Perhaps because Halilintar was finally willing to set aside his ego, and Taufan was willing to face his fears.

They were allowed to leave the hospital before noon. The doctor only gave them a prescription to fill at the pharmacy along with a string of lectures about not wandering around in the rain at night. Gempa had observed Taufan long enough to know his brother was only half-listening and preferred to stare at the health posters on the wall of the room. Halilintar, on the other hand, listened carefully to every word the doctor said. He couldn’t stop wringing his hands in anxious movements every time he heard something he thought might be dangerous for Taufan. Ah… it seemed Halilintar was starting to become like him. Gempa chuckled inwardly—how alike they were, weren’t they?

It would actually be quite funny to see his usually indifferent brother suddenly become so attentive to Taufan. But Gempa knew the road to that was still quite a long way off. For now, he would enjoy his time with his two awkward brothers.

When they returned home, Taufan decided that watching TV was much more enjoyable than explaining what had happened to Halilintar and Gempa. Even though Halilintar seemed uneasy about not getting an explanation from Taufan, he didn’t press. Neither did Gempa. It was Taufan’s right to speak, and Gempa knew Taufan wouldn’t say anything even if they forced him. So they could only wait until Taufan was ready to tell them what had really happened. Gempa guessed it might not be long.

“How did you know Taufan was at the cemetery?” Gempa asked, placing a glass of tea in front of Halilintar. The two of them were in the kitchen to discuss the previous night for a moment—they didn’t want to disturb Taufan, who was busy watching TV.

“Actually, I didn’t know. I asked an old woman I met at the flower shop near the cemetery if she’d seen Taufan. She said her eyesight wasn’t good anymore, and she couldn’t recognize people’s faces even when I showed her Taufan’s photo. All the more since it was nighttime and raining. But she did say she saw several people enter the cemetery earlier.”

Halilintar’s explanation left Gempa stunned. Was his brother serious about entering the quiet, possibly dangerous cemetery all by himself just based on instinct? Wasn’t there a chance that Taufan hadn’t been there at all?

“So you went into the cemetery just on instinct?” Gempa asked after processing his surprise.

“You could say that. I also asked a man who was closing his kiosk. He confirmed what the old woman had said—he said six people had gone into the cemetery, but only five came out. I went in just because I felt I had to.”

Gempa was torn between calling Halilintar an idiot for not using logic or praising his instincts for being so strong. People often said that twins had a strong bond that could allow them to find one another, but Gempa had never believed it—even though he had two brothers who were twins. However, after this experience, perhaps he needed to start trusting his instincts.

They sat silently in the kitchen for several minutes, lost in their own thoughts. The sound of the still-playing TV was the background noise. The silence hanging between them was actually quite comfortable; Gempa didn’t want to say anything to break it. He enjoyed sitting, drinking tea with Halilintar while watching Taufan absorbed in the TV.

But apparently Halilintar didn’t feel the same, because a few minutes later, he opened his mouth.

“Gempa… I…”

Gempa turned his gaze to Halilintar, who looked nervous. His brother held his cup of tea quite tightly—Gempa was grateful it was ceramic and thick enough not to break easily. He looked so tense, even though he was only facing Gempa. He hadn’t said anything more and was instead staring at his tea. Gempa worried the tea in his cup would start boiling under Halilintar’s intense stare.

“Um… actually I…”

“Taufan likes sweet things. He likes the strawberry cake Mother always bought on our birthday,” said Gempa, cutting off Halilintar’s halting words. He didn’t know what Halilintar had actually wanted to say, and at the moment, he didn’t have the patience to wait for his brother to finish. He simply guessed what Halilintar might be trying to say—and it seemed he wasn’t too far off, because although Halilintar looked startled at first, he then gave him a grateful smile.

“Taufan is also too kind and forgiving. He’ll forgive you if you ask him, and he loves you just like I love you, brother.”

Halilintar chuckled softly. “I guess your love for Taufan isn’t the same as your love for me?”

Gempa snorted. “Don’t push your luck, brother.”

Halilintar’s laughter now sounded much more relaxed. His eyes softened, and the tension in his shoulders slowly eased.

They were all individuals, each with their own problems and choices. They had made their decisions—some still adrift in them—but Gempa himself had already settled on his. He shifted his gaze to the living room, where Taufan was still watching TV intently. Gempa knew he would choose Taufan over anything else. Yesterday, today, or tomorrow, Gempa would keep choosing Taufan.

“I have to head back now,” Halilintar said, checking his watch.

Ah, right. Halilintar hadn’t gone home since yesterday. Their parents probably thought Halilintar was staying at Taufan’s house—though in reality the three of them had spent their time at the hospital—and he needed rest after that exhausting night. Even Gempa needed rest. Halilintar said he’d pick up Chióni from the clinic where Gempa had left the cat. Gempa also helped Halilintar pack Chióni’s things that had been left at Taufan’s house while Halilintar was away on duty. He hoped Halilintar wouldn’t leave the cat here again. Gempa was tired of being scratched and bitten by her these past three days.

At the very least, he hoped no more trouble would come their way for the rest of the week.

…

Gempa draped a blanket over Taufan’s shoulders and handed him a cup of warm chocolate milk. Taufan accepted it, giving Gempa a smile in thanks. Gempa sat beside Taufan and tilted his head back to look at the night sky filled with stars.

“We should have borrowed Solar’s telescope,” Gempa said to break the silence.

Taufan responded with a murmur as he sipped his milk. He was also looking at the sky just like Gempa. The two of them sat on Taufan’s porch, gazing at the night sky with a cup of warm milk each.

It had all started with Solar’s comment about the meteor shower taking place since yesterday and lasting for two more days. Taufan really wanted to see it. So here they were, sitting outside at two in the morning to watch the meteor shower their youngest brother had told them about. Gempa hoped the clear sky above them meant they could watch the shower without anything blocking the view. After all, they lived in a city polluted with smog, where it was hard to see stars.

“They say it’s visible to the naked eye, so no need to borrow the telescope.”

It was true Solar had said that, and Gempa had also looked up information about the meteor shower. The sources said it could indeed be seen without a telescope. Gempa’s neck was starting to ache from staring upward, though the stars above were comfort enough for his sore neck. If they’d been watching from the beach they’d once visited, Gempa was sure the view would have been stunning.

“I didn’t mean to, that time.”

Gempa quickly turned to Taufan. His brother was still staring at the sky as before, almost as if he hadn’t said anything. But Gempa trusted his hearing—and he didn’t believe in ghosts—so clearly it had been Taufan who spoke.

“What do you mean?”

“That time… when you found me at the cemetery with Chióni. I didn’t mean to trouble you like that.” Taufan’s voice was so calm, though Gempa could hear the regret in it. It was as if he were trying to apologize for what had happened a few weeks ago.

“Then… why were you there?”

“I was careless. I left the door open while waiting for you. I’m sure Chióni took advantage of that to run out when I went to the bathroom. At first, I didn’t realize she’d left the house—I thought she was just scratching at something somewhere. Once I realized Chióni wasn’t inside, I panicked. Especially since it had started raining heavily.”

“So you went out to look for her?”

Taufan nodded. He took another sip of his milk and was silent for a moment, maybe trying to find the words for the rest of his story.

“Yes. I searched everywhere. I don’t know how long I spent looking—even got lost because the streets looked the same. I only went into the cemetery grounds to take shelter for a while.”

Gempa looked at his brother skeptically. Out of all the places to take shelter, Taufan had chosen a cemetery. Such an unusual choice. Noticing Gempa’s look, Taufan turned to him and laughed awkwardly.

“Don’t blame me. I saw a group of people go in and decided to follow them.” Taufan grinned shamelessly at Gempa.

“What were you thinking, following a group of people into a cemetery at night? What if they’d been criminals or up to no good? Or suddenly had bad intentions and attacked you!”

“Uh… I didn’t think that far. But—but! They didn’t do anything!”

Gempa sighed helplessly. There was nothing he could do about it now; he just hoped Taufan wouldn’t do the same thing again. Remembering that night—when he thought he might not find Taufan and feared something bad had happened to his brother—Gempa felt truly terrified.

“Then I heard a cat meowing not far from where I was taking shelter. I thought maybe it was a stray, but it could also be Chióni. After all, Chióni once lived as a stray cat, so she probably often went to cemeteries to find food or shelter.”

Gempa nodded. It was true—Chióni, as a former stray, had surely done such things before. It must have been her instincts that led her there.

“When I checked, I found Chióni trapped in a hole. I pulled her out, but I twisted my ankle afterward. It hurt so much to walk, so I could only wait at that wooden shed. Plus, the umbrella I was carrying had been blown away and broken by the strong wind. I had no money to take public transport, and I’d left my phone behind. I thought I’d spend the night in the cemetery, but then Halilintar came. And then you came too. I was so happy that you both came for me.” Taufan smiled brightly at the end of his sentence. His eyes narrowed and his lips curved upward. It was a beautiful smile—at least that’s what Gempa thought at that moment. He could ignore the stars in the sky or the pretty crescent moon shining above, but he couldn’t look away from his brother’s smiling face.

“Oh! Gempa! It’s starting!” Taufan’s exclamation snapped Gempa out of his thoughts. He tilted his head back up at the sky just in time to see streaks of light decorating the night. Wow… he had never seen a meteor shower this clearly before. Truly an extraordinary sight. Maybe this was why Solar loved stargazing so much. He knew the beauty hidden behind the dark curtain above their heads.

They stayed sitting on the porch watching the meteor shower for several more minutes until Taufan began to sneeze from the cold. Gempa checked the time on his phone—it was nearly four in the morning. They’d better go inside and sleep. Gempa was starting to feel cold himself. Though he looked reluctant, Taufan still went into the house when Gempa told him to. He walked a bit unsteadily, either from sleepiness or exhaustion. Carrying both cups in one hand, Gempa managed to guide Taufan to his bed without bumping into anything. He set the two cups they’d used in the sink and washed them—he didn’t want to leave dirty dishes again like before—then went to his own room and slept.

He dreamed of going into outer space with Taufan and seeing many planets and stars. A strange but happy dream.

...

'Dear Lord,

Will You truly abandon us?
Will You truly turn Your face away?

Do You not hear our cries,
our tears that plead for mercy?

Do You not hear the mourning
rising from within our hearts?

Why now have You deafened Your ears to us?
Why have You forsaken us?

O God,
has everything truly come to an end?'

Gempa was not surprised when he read the ending of Taufan’s novel. From the very beginning, he had followed its progress and already knew the novel would not have a happy ending. It was a fitting conclusion for a sinner like the protagonist. Other readers might rejoice at the bad ending the main character received after committing all sorts of sins. But Gempa felt a twinge of sadness for the protagonist — a poor young man who believed his prayers were never heard by God. He felt that God had abandoned him, even when he tried to draw near to Him. Of course, Gempa did not condone the protagonist’s actions and knew this ending was the result of his own deeds. Still, Gempa couldn’t help but wonder: if God had been willing to show just a glimmer of hope to the young man, would his path have turned out differently?

That young man might only be a fictional character created to play in the world designed for him. But Gempa knew there were many people out there with a similar fate — people who think God has left them, who believe there is no way forward, who have lost their direction and their hope, who have surrendered to their misfortunes.

For people like that, Gempa prayed for the best.

“He cried out to God again at the end of his life after turning to the Devil.”

Taufan grinned at Gempa’s comment, as if he had been waiting for Gempa to say exactly that.

“He never knew God until that woman came into his life. A woman so devout, who appeared like a saint to him, but who treated him as an equal. A woman who brought light into his life. Losing her was the greatest blow; his world collapsed with her death. He believed he loved her, that he would do anything to be with her again, no matter the cost. That’s why he could turn to the Devil so easily — but the longer he followed the Devil, the more he realized that wasn’t what he truly wanted. He wanted God’s hand reaching out to him; he wanted God to hear his prayers like the woman had once told him. In his final moments, he only wanted an answer.”

“He’s a very complex character.”

Taufan nodded. “He is. Very complex.”

Gempa went back to reading the last part of Taufan’s novel. At the line, ‘Has it truly all come to an end?’ for some reason Gempa felt that the protagonist did not want it all to end. He wanted another chance — perhaps for redemption, perhaps for revenge, perhaps to continue what he had started. Gempa didn’t know. Truly a complex character. Gempa clicked his tongue in admiration at Taufan for creating him.

Now the problem was: how could he capture the character’s emotions in his illustration? Although Gempa had a rough idea in mind, he wasn’t sure he could pull it off easily. It looked like he would be staying up late for a few more days. He hoped his seniors and Taufan wouldn’t assign him more work.

After almost two weeks of constant all-nighters and nonstop work, Gempa finally finished the last illustration for Taufan’s novel — he had actually completed it a few days ago, but Taufan hadn’t liked it and made him start all over again. He’d sent the new illustration to his senior; his part was done. Now it was his seniors’ job to compile everything and arrange it properly. Ah… actually, he still needed to show Taufan the edited version of the novel, but Gempa felt he could do that later, after a proper sleep.

He needed sleep.

Dropping himself onto his soft, comfortable mattress, Gempa fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. He didn’t know how long he had slept, but when he opened his eyes, his room was dark except for a faint glow coming from outside. He groped around for his phone, which he remembered leaving on the nightstand. 10:03 p.m. He’d slept almost the entire day. Oh no! Had Taufan eaten?!

Gempa jolted out of bed, nearly collapsing again from the dizziness that hit him. He had to sit still for a moment until the spinning passed, then stood up again. Using the phone’s light, he hurried to switch on the lamp. His eyes squinted against the brightness. He rushed out of the room to look for Taufan and apologize to his brother — but stopped short when he saw Halilintar standing in the kitchen wearing the black apron Gempa usually used for cooking, turning around with a spatula in hand.

“Hali? Why are you here?”

“Ah… Taufan called me. He said he was hungry and you’d been sleeping soundly since the afternoon.”

Gempa wanted to bang his head against the wall, but his focus snagged on Halilintar’s words. Taufan… had called Halilintar because he was hungry? Taufan had called Halilintar? Actually made a phone call to their eldest brother just because he was hungry?! And Halilintar had come over to Taufan’s house from their parents’ home because of that phone call?!

It felt like he was still dreaming.

Yes, surely Gempa was still asleep and all of this was just a dream. He went back to his room, flopped onto his bed, and closed his eyes again. It was strange, sleeping inside a dream. A few seconds later, Gempa opened his eyes and rushed back to the kitchen. Halilintar was still there, still wearing the black apron, but now holding a plate instead of a spatula. He looked at Gempa in confusion but said nothing.

“Why are you here, brother?”

“Huh? I told you already — Taufan called me because he was hungry and you were asleep.”

“Wait! That wasn’t a dream?”

Halilintar’s brows knit together. “Why would you think it was a dream?”

“Because none of this makes sense!” Without realizing it, Gempa’s voice rose. Halilintar flinched at the raised tone, then his expression turned unfriendly. He seemed angry at Gempa for yelling at him. Gempa quickly apologized, and Halilintar forgave him with a mild scolding about not raising his voice to him because it was rude.

“Why did Taufan suddenly call you? He could’ve just ordered food online instead of calling you.”

Gempa still felt it all didn’t make sense! Hadn’t Taufan been living alone for two years? And except for when their mother visited, Taufan had no one to cook for him! Besides, Taufan could cook for himself — though he often didn’t because he was lazy or lost track of time. And with today’s technology, Taufan could easily order food rather than call Halilintar to come cook! And why had Halilintar come over even though it was almost midnight?! Had he really come just to cook for Taufan because Taufan asked? What on earth was going on?

“I don’t know, but he said he was hungry, and you kept sleeping even though he tried to wake you. I figured Taufan just didn’t want to eat fast food. He must already be used to you cooking for him.”

Halilintar’s explanation did nothing to help Gempa answer his own questions. He only gave his older brother a skeptical smile. There was no point asking Halilintar when Halilintar clearly didn’t know the answer either. Gempa let him transfer the food he’d just cooked onto a plate and decided to go look for their second brother, the one responsible for all this confusion.

Gempa found Taufan lying on the sofa, gnawing on an ice cream stick. The TV was on, showing the same boring quiz show Taufan always watched at night. His brother looked perfectly relaxed, without a shred of guilt, even though he was the main cause of the flood of questions plaguing Gempa.

Without a word, Gempa tapped Taufan’s leg so he could sit on the sofa, letting Taufan rest his feet on his lap. Taufan’s eyes stayed fixed on the TV as he kept chewing the ice cream stick.

“Brother,” Gempa called calmly.

“Hm?”

“Don’t you have something you’d like to say to me?”

“Oh! There’s ice cream in the freezer. Hali bought too much earlier, even though I only asked for one.”

The corner of Gempa’s mouth twitched in irritation. He pinched Taufan’s leg lightly, making him yelp in surprise — and maybe in pain. Well, it was a pretty firm pinch; the spot he pinched was already turning red and might bruise by morning.

“What was that for?!” Taufan pulled his legs back and sat up, glaring at Gempa while rubbing the spot where he’d been pinched.

“Brother, do you really not intend to explain why Hali is in the kitchen cooking, instead of at our parents’ house playing with Chióni?”

Taufan shrugged, acting indifferent as if none of this was a big deal. “I was hungry, and you were sleeping like a log. I couldn’t wake you up.”

How was he supposed to respond to that? It was obvious Taufan had no intention of explaining why he’d chosen to call Halilintar to come over and cook for him instead of ordering food online or cooking for himself. Gempa had a hunch this was one of Taufan’s ways of mending his relationship with Halilintar, which had seemed strained. He had seen how Halilintar had been trying — very awkwardly — to get close to Taufan since the incident a few weeks ago, but so far Taufan had only passively accepted Halilintar’s efforts. He hadn’t tried to approach him the way he had with Duri and Solar, or with Gempa when Gempa first tried to get close to him.

Gempa thought it was because Taufan was still afraid of Halilintar — and indeed, he’d always been reluctant to be alone with him, often flinching whenever Halilintar’s voice rose even a little. But tonight, Taufan had actually called Halilintar to come over and cook for him. He’d set aside his fear and invited him into his home. He’d chosen to be alone with Halilintar without Gempa sitting there as a calming presence.

Gempa gave a small smile. “I’m proud of you, brother.”

“Huh?”

The look Taufan gave him was like he’d just grown a second head. Gempa just kept smiling at his brother. His smile widened when Halilintar came into the living room carrying two plates. He handed one to Taufan and the other to Gempa.

“What have you two been talking about all this time?”

Before Gempa could answer Halilintar’s question, Taufan blurted out, “Gempa said anyone would bow before your face.”

“What?”

Even though Gempa had to choke on his food and cough painfully, the shocked and confused expression on Halilintar’s face was enough to make up for all the discomfort.

What followed was Gempa asking about Halilintar’s work, Taufan gleefully answering every question from the quiz show on TV, Halilintar panicking when Taufan choked, and so on. Halilintar stayed the night at Taufan’s house. They fell asleep in the living room after playing several rounds of cards, with Halilintar losing over and over to Taufan and Gempa.

And if in the morning Gempa woke up with a sore body because Taufan had used him as a pillow, he felt it was all worth it for the time spent with his two brothers.

Chapter Text

“Brother…” Gempa said weakly. He felt exhausted just from dealing with his siblings lately. Especially Taufan. Meanwhile, the person in question was happily enjoying the grilled chicken their eldest brother had bought for him. Taufan, who for the umpteenth time had asked Halilintar to buy him food, and Halilintar complied without question! He didn’t even protest when Taufan asked in the middle of the night or on a workday. If he couldn’t deliver it himself, Halilintar would use a delivery service and make sure Taufan got what he wanted.

At first, Gempa might have thought this was Taufan’s way of getting closer to Halilintar, but now it seemed more like Taufan was taking advantage of Halilintar to get anything he wanted. It looked as if Taufan was doing this partly as payback for how poorly Halilintar had treated him before. Gempa wasn’t going to complain about that—really, he wouldn’t even interfere in his brothers’ issues. Taufan had every right to feel angry about how Halilintar had treated him all this time, and if he wanted to retaliate a little like this, then that was his choice. Still, Gempa couldn’t help but feel sorry for their eldest brother.

Halilintar looked like a puppy desperately trying to win his master's affection. Sometimes, he looked so pitiful when Taufan ignored him and chose to play with Solar and Duri instead—Gempa almost felt sorry for him. Halilintar never protested, perhaps because he knew this was Taufan’s small act of revenge, and he always did whatever Taufan asked of him—buying food, coming over to cook for him, or buying puzzles that Taufan liked. Gempa had never expected Taufan to be this cunning.

Gempa would let them do whatever they wanted. As long as no one got hurt, he believed everything would be fine.

No one was getting hurt, but Gempa’s patience was tested every day when he found Halilintar standing in front of Taufan’s door, or the two younger brothers continuously coming over and stealing Gempa’s time with Taufan.

Gempa wasn’t competitive by nature. He didn’t like competing; he preferred peace. He often yielded in many things just to avoid conflict. But this time was different. He would not sit quietly and watch his three brothers try to take Taufan away from him. No. This time, Gempa would not sit still and let them monopolize Taufan! He was the one who had worked hard to become close to Taufan again and repair their relationship.

Of course, Gempa was happy to see his siblings becoming closer and more open with Taufan, but once again, that didn’t mean he wanted them to monopolize him!

Halilintar and Taufan’s relationship was still developing, slowly becoming better. Halilintar was also his weakest competitor because he had work, which limited his time to approach Taufan. Unfortunately, that didn’t mean Halilintar wasn’t dangerous. He used his weekends—Saturday and Sunday—to visit Taufan’s house. Sometimes he brought Chióni with him, which made Taufan choose to stay near him. Even so, Gempa still felt confident he could handle him. Halilintar was awkward and bad at starting conversations. He often hesitated, especially around Taufan, making the atmosphere uncomfortable at times. Meanwhile, Taufan was someone who ignored everything around him whenever he became focused on something.

Gempa’s greatest threat was his two younger brothers: Duri and Solar. They had been trying to get close to Taufan much longer than Halilintar, and each had a different approach. If Halilintar was awkward and hesitant, Duri barged through everything. He was cheerful and funny in a way that made it hard for people to dislike him, even when he crossed boundaries. He liked invading people’s personal space, yet no one could stay mad at him. Duri often did this to Taufan. At first, Taufan looked very uncomfortable when Duri invaded his space—like sitting too close beside him, leaning on his shoulder, or hugging him. But over time, Taufan grew used to Duri’s touch; sometimes he was the one initiating contact simply out of habit.

Meanwhile, Solar shared the same love for books as Taufan. They could discuss things for a long time. Solar was also observant; he noticed that Taufan liked being needed, so he always asked Taufan to help him with his homework. But Gempa knew Solar could handle his homework alone—he was independent and rarely asked his siblings for help.

Besides approaching Taufan individually, sometimes Duri and Solar teamed up. They had become interested in the game Taufan always played on his phone. Whenever Taufan played it, both of them would sit beside him and watch. They also loved playing games with Taufan: cards, chess, UNO, puzzles, or solving riddles. The more games they played, the more time Taufan spent with the two younger brothers.

Unfortunately, Gempa didn’t know how to deal with them. Taufan liked both of them very much. He cherished them—spoiled them, even—and watching him laugh with them often made Gempa choose to step back.

Ah, such a cruel torment.

Two days later, Halilintar came. This time, he was alone; he didn’t bring Duri or Solar like he usually did. He had taken leave from work a few days prior—his annual leave, which he rarely used. Last week, Halilintar had mentioned wanting to go on a vacation with them. He even asked Gempa and Taufan for interesting vacation spots. Taufan said staying at home was far more enjoyable because he could relax—it reminded Gempa of Ice whenever he saw Taufan acting like that. Gempa suggested the beach he once visited with Taufan. Then, out of nowhere, Halilintar said he had managed to get tickets to a newly opened theme park. He said the whole family would go once his leave was approved. And it seemed… today was the day.

“How did you manage to convince Taufan? He avoids crowded places like they’re a plague.” Gempa still couldn’t believe Halilintar had managed to persuade Taufan to come along. Taufan truly hated crowds—he always said he’d get terrible headaches when he was in one.

“I promised to buy him cotton candy and whichever stuffed toy he wants.”

Gempa couldn’t believe it! He knew Taufan liked both, but could that really be enough to make him go to a crowded place he despised? Gempa’s coworkers had once tried to take him to the beach; they even offered him a beach ball and milk pudding to bribe him, but not even that softened him. As Gempa had said, Taufan avoided crowds like the plague. Gempa knew Taufan had his own reasons, just like he had his reasons for agreeing to go to the beach with Gempa. Perhaps it was the same reason he agreed to go to the theme park with them now.

Halilintar had arrived to pick them up so they could leave together with their other siblings. Even though the day before, Gempa had already told him that he and Taufan would just ride their motorcycle there. Ah, Halilintar was just as stubborn as Taufan.

So here they were, at their parents’ house, waiting for their four siblings to finish getting ready. Blaze had been running around everywhere, yelling if anyone had seen his black T-shirt with the flame print. Duri was humming as he made sure all his plants had gotten water. Solar was shouting at Blaze for barging into his room to look for the shirt. The only one who could be considered calm was Ice, sitting across from them and staring at them with sleepy eyes.

Living with Taufan for the past half year has made Gempa used to a quiet environment. Being thrown so suddenly into the loud chaos his siblings always created—Gempa finally understood why Taufan chose to live alone.

Taufan, on the other hand, didn’t seem bothered. Probably because he was reading a book. Gempa couldn’t remember what it was about, but from the cover, it said “1453: The Holy War for Constantinople and the Clash of Islam and Christianity” by Roger Crowley. Gempa wouldn’t disturb him. He continued observing his siblings. Blaze was now arguing with Solar, Duri was loudly cheering Solar on not to lose, while Ice still looked half-asleep. Then Halilintar appeared, telling them to get ready instead of fighting. But no one listened, and Halilintar looked about ready to give up.

It was at that moment Taufan closed the book he’d been reading and stood up.

“Where are you going?” Gempa asked.

Taufan didn’t answer. He only smiled and winked, as if asking Gempa to trust him. Gempa didn’t know what Taufan planned to do, but he always trusted his brother. So he let him go.

Apparently, Taufan walked straight toward Blaze and Solar, who were still arguing. Gempa silently watched, wondering what Taufan would do. He was utterly shocked when he saw Taufan smack both Blaze and Solar on the head with the book in his hand. The book was thick, with a hard cover! Judging by the sound it made, Gempa knew that wasn’t a gentle hit!

Just like Gempa, their other siblings were stunned into silence.

“You two need to get along,” Taufan said, breaking the quiet he himself had created with that hit. The young man smiled; his eyes narrowed pleasantly—he looked so kind and gentle if only he hadn’t just hit Blaze and Solar with a thick book.

“And your noise is disturbing my reading.” The last sentence was spoken much more quietly than the first, but with the silence in the room, even the fall of a needle would be heard. Which only added to the menacing effect of Taufan’s words. Not to mention the cold, unfriendly stare in his eyes. Gempa saw Blaze shudder and take a step back. Solar held his head, looking like he might cry any moment.

“Now, since you’re both calmer, how about getting ready again? This time, quietly.” There was emphasis on that last word. Taufan’s gaze was sharp and chilling when he said it.

Perhaps because of that, Blaze came to his senses. He ran to his room as fast as possible—like Halilintar when he saw a ghost—but not before quickly apologizing to both Taufan and Solar. Solar, still standing in place, still looked like he would burst into tears. Only when Taufan placed a hand on his shoulder and pulled him into a hug did Solar begin to complain. He was shocked that Taufan hit him and upset that Taufan didn’t defend him. Taufan only laughed, patting Solar’s back and letting their youngest brother whine away.

When Taufan looked over at Gempa, he gave him a thumbs-up—as if saying he could handle the issue and all Gempa needed to do was trust him. Gempa could only smile helplessly; his brother was full of surprises.

What became a problem now was Ice, who continued staring at him. Ice’s eyes always looked cold, emotionless, like he was staring at a glacier. Only around Blaze did that ice melt. Maybe that was why they were named that way. Blaze melted Ice, and Ice calmed Blaze. They were made for each other. They existed to balance one another. Gempa never wanted to disturb the unique dynamic between Blaze and Ice. Just like he had his own dynamic with Taufan and Halilintar. But this time, the look Ice gave him held curiosity, confusion, and a need to understand.

As if what had just happened had shaken the quiet balance Ice always maintained between the siblings—except Blaze.

Unable to endure Ice’s stare any longer, Gempa got up. He said he wanted to get some fresh air on the porch. But Ice stood up too. He followed Gempa without speaking. When Gempa turned to the kitchen, Ice followed. When Gempa walked to the porch, Ice followed. When Gempa said he needed to use the bathroom, Ice waited in front of the door. It was so unsettling that it nearly made Gempa lose his patience.

In the end, Gempa knew he had to face his younger brother. So he stopped running, right in front of the door to what used to be his room when he still lived in his parents’ house. The door wasn’t locked, so Gempa stepped inside and motioned for Ice to follow. Whatever Ice wanted to say, this felt private. It wouldn’t be good to have anyone eavesdropping.

“So… Ice, can I know why you’ve been following me around?”

Ice didn’t answer right away. His eyes still looked sleepy as usual, still as cold as ice. He lowered his head, as if trying to figure out what to say. After a painfully awkward silence, Ice finally lifted his head and looked straight at Gempa.

“Taufan has changed.”

“Hm?”

“You’ve changed too.”

“What do you mean?”

“Brighter. Shinier. Like Blaze.” A small smile appeared on Ice’s face as he said it. “I like it.”

Honestly, Gempa still didn’t understand. Who was bright? Who was shining? But he didn’t comment. Ice looked genuinely happy—just like when Blaze gave him a slice of cheesecake or when Blaze bought him a whale plushie with his savings.

“Uh… I’m glad if you’re happy,” though Gempa had no idea what caused it. “You should get ready too. We’re leaving soon.”

“Mm.” Ice nodded. He left Gempa’s room, leaving him alone with a giant question mark in his head. What on earth just happened?

When Gempa returned to the living room, Ice was already there. Sitting on the sofa like before. What caught his attention was Ice, now holding a medium-sized box, pulling out various snacks from inside and handing them to Taufan one by one.

Wh–what was happening?!

Ice?! His younger brother, who was so cold and refused to share any of his snacks, was now showering Taufan with them?!

Taufan looked just as confused as Gempa, but he accepted a few of the snacks Ice handed him and gently told him he could keep the rest. Gempa watched as Ice froze for a moment, as if thinking about Taufan’s words, then quietly put the snacks back into his box.

“Oh? That’s unusual.”

Gempa flinched—thankfully, he didn’t scream—when a sudden voice came from behind him. He turned and saw his mother standing there, observing Taufan and Ice.

“What’s unusual, Mom?”

“Ice. He doesn’t like sharing, and he often fights with Aze over food.”

Gempa knew that very well. He knew his brother—maybe not as well as he knew the others, but enough. He knew Ice didn’t like sharing food with anyone. If he had two ice creams in a room full of siblings, he’d eat both without hesitation. That was the Ice Gempa knew. Sometimes he would share, like when Blaze fell down the stairs and sprained his ankle—Ice shared his chocolate cake to comfort him, though just one spoonful! Or when Duri and Solar were in fifth grade and crying because a dog chased them, Ice generously gave them his ice cream to cheer them up.

Gempa himself had only ever received a snack from Ice once—a pack of chocolate as congratulations for getting his first job.

So what made Ice willingly give his snacks to Taufan? Did it have something to do with what Ice said earlier about Taufan becoming brighter and shinier?

“Looks like Ice has grown fond of Taufan.”

“Um… I think so, too, Mom.”

Gempa smiled warmly at his mother, happy to see how pleased she looked. He had long learned that their parents must have wished deeply for the siblings to get along. They must have been sad when Taufan was kept at a distance by his brothers. They probably blamed themselves for making Taufan lonely. Father and Mother never intended to show favoritism, but they also didn’t know how to divide their affection evenly. Gempa no longer blamed them; he had accepted it and made peace with it.

Maybe they were still blaming themselves, uncertain when they would heal.

Gempa hoped they wouldn’t blame themselves too much.

…

“Blaze! Get back here, or I’ll tie you up!!” Halilintar shouted for what felt like the hundredth time. Gempa felt sorry for his older brother—he had been shouting ever since they arrived at the amusement park. Duri and Blaze just couldn’t stop causing trouble—despite not being children anymore. The two of them ran everywhere while Halilintar tried to hand out money for them to spend and set a meeting point for later.

Gempa chuckled softly as Halilintar shouted again, this time telling Blaze and Duri not to bother the park mascot. Then he glanced at Taufan, who was being flanked by Solar and Ice. For some reason… the two younger brothers looked like they were in a cold war. Solar held Taufan’s right hand, glaring sharply at Ice, who held Taufan’s left.

Meanwhile, Taufan didn’t seem to care that he was pinned between them. His eyes were fixed on a stall selling brightly colored cotton candy. Gempa smiled weakly. Of course, his attention would shift.

“We’ll buy it before we go home. Which ride do you want to try, then?”

Taufan turned quickly toward Gempa—and so did Solar and Ice. The two boys must have only just realized that Taufan had a preference for a ride that they might fear.

“I want to try the roller coaster.”

“Brother!” Solar yelped. He looked both shocked and terrified at the same time. Oh, right—Gempa forgot Solar was afraid of roller coasters. Was it the height? The speed?

Meanwhile, Ice looked unfazed by Taufan’s choice. He nodded as soon as Taufan mentioned the roller coaster.

“Um… I don’t think going on the roller coaster right now is a good idea.” Even though Gempa really wanted to grant Taufan’s wish, he didn’t want to end up throwing up his food because of the ride. They should start with something much gentler before going straight to an extreme one.

Solar looked at Gempa with a grateful expression, maybe relieved that Gempa didn’t agree with Taufan’s suggestion. Gempa could only swallow the guilt forming in his chest because, in the end, he would let Taufan ride that roller coaster.

“So, have you all decided which ride you want to try?”

Halilintar appeared out of nowhere. In his hands, he was holding Duri and Blaze to keep them from running off again. Gempa had no idea how he even managed to catch them.

“Not yet, but Taufan said he wants to go on the roller coaster.”

Halilintar’s expression mirrored Solar’s—except his looked even more terrified. Still, he didn’t protest. He looked like he was preparing himself mentally to ride that thing.

“But maybe it’s better if we try it at the end,” Gempa said quickly, “Going straight to an intense ride the moment we arrive doesn’t sound like a good idea.”

“Ye-yeah! Let’s ride something else! That one looks fun!”

Halilintar pointed at a spinning teacup ride. Taufan didn’t comment on it, remaining focused on the ride Halilintar pointed at before nodding. For some reason, Gempa had a strong feeling that Taufan was still thinking about the cotton candy stand he’d been staring at earlier and didn’t actually care what ride they were getting on first.

Since they had decided on their first ride, Halilintar dragged Duri and Blaze along, while Taufan walked with Ice and Solar holding onto both his hands—still locked in their silent war. Seeing the six of them like that was adorable. Gempa had to take a picture. He could send it to Mom and Dad. What a shame their parents couldn’t come—Dad was still working, and Mom had to meet some friends.

“Gempa! Come on!”

“Yeah, wait for me!”

When was the last time they spent time like this as siblings?

...

The spinning teacup ride—“the dizzy cup,” as Gempa named it—turned out to be quite the stomach-twister. But it was fun, spinning the cup together. Solar screamed nonstop as Ice intentionally spun the cup faster, and Gempa could hear Halilintar yelling at Duri and Blaze not to spin theirs too hard. And Taufan? He laughed—really laughed—free and bright.

After that, they tried many interesting rides. Sometimes just the four of them, sometimes all seven. Thanks to that, Gempa got tons of photos of Taufan and the others. He snapped a picture of Ice giving his cotton candy to Taufan again, Halilintar puking after the glider ride, and Duri and Blaze jumping around like overcharged batteries. And of course, the photos of all of them together, taken by a staff member, Gempa asked for help.

Gempa probably owed Halilintar a thank you for thinking of this outing.

But before that, he had to deal with Halilintar, who still looked sick from the last ride. His brother was apparently very weak against extreme rides. Meanwhile, Taufan had screamed in joy at every one of them—opposite personalities.

“I’ll go buy water for Hali. Can you watch him for a bit?”

Taufan, who had been patting Halilintar’s back, gave Gempa a thumbs-up. Before Gempa left, Blaze asked for permission to play another ride with Ice, and Duri wanted to drag Solar somewhere else. Gempa allowed it as long as they returned to Taufan and Halilintar afterward.

His siblings were really fired up today.

Alright, he needed to get that water now. He was sure he saw a drink stall nearby earlier. It could be a bit farther.

He didn’t mean to take long, but a sudden magic performance caught his eye, and Gempa got distracted watching it. Once he remembered the water, he hurried back. But when he reached the spot, Taufan and Halilintar weren’t there. They must have been tired of waiting. Ah, this was his fault for getting distracted too easily.

“Gempa!”

It was Taufan’s voice—from behind him. Gempa turned around to see Taufan walking toward him with Halilintar. Halilintar was still pale but not as bad as before. What stood out, though, were the medium-sized blue bunny plushie and the bluish-gray elephant plushie in Halilintar’s arms. Huh? Where did those come from?

“Were you waiting for us?”

“No, I just got here. I’m sorry I took so long.”

“No, no. We also went away for a bit because we got bored waiting.”

Gempa glanced at the plushies in Halilintar’s arms, then at the cotton candy in Taufan’s hands. Did Halilintar buy them for Taufan as repayment for wanting to come to the amusement park?

“Where did you get those?”

“Oh! There’s a claw machine near the souvenir shop. Hali is really good at it!”

Taufan looked so happy saying it. He was no longer fearful or awkward around Halilintar—he had changed. Ice was right. Taufan was brighter now, glowing almost.

Half a year ago, Gempa could never have imagined seeing Taufan this full of light and joy. Now, he wanted to keep him that way.

…

And if anyone was wondering—yes, they did ride the roller coaster before going home. Halilintar screamed the entire time because of the speed. Meanwhile, Taufan screamed in excitement. Especially during the big drop.

Halilintar was so sick afterward that he couldn’t drive, so Gempa had to take over. Next time, they needed to visit a safer place so Halilintar could enjoy himself too.

“They fell asleep.”

“They must be exhausted,” Gempa said, glancing at the rearview mirror—Taufan and the four younger ones were all asleep on the way home.

Halilintar sat beside him, looking much better now. His face was still a bit pale, but Gempa knew he was fine. Especially with that warm smile as he watched their sleeping siblings.

“Hey, thanks.”

“For what?”

“Nothing. I just wanted to say it. And… you deserve a thank you.”

Though confused, Halilintar didn’t say anything back.

It had been a wonderful day.

Bonus:

“Gempa! Halilintar has a girlfriend?!”

Gempa absolutely did not expect his day to begin with Fang calling him about that.

“Hah? What do you mean?”

“I’m asking—does Halilintar have a girlfriend?”

Gempa truly had no idea about his eldest brother’s love life. As far as he knew, Halilintar was perfectly content being single and enjoying his youth. He always said he wasn’t ready to financially support a partner yet. Their parents never pressured him to find someone either. Was it possible Halilintar secretly had a lover and didn’t want to tell them?

“I don’t know. Why are you asking all of a sudden?”

“You didn’t see the fanbase post about him?”

Halilintar had a fanbase? Just how famous was his brother?

“Wait, let me send you the link.”

Fang really did send a link. When Gempa tapped it, he was brought to a social media account. Was this a fanbase for Halilintar? He didn’t feel like processing that now. The link Fang sent led to a photo post that looked like it was taken secretly from afar. It was from their trip to the amusement park yesterday. He recognized Halilintar—the black-and-red jacket was unmistakable. Even though the picture was taken from behind, that was his brother’s favorite jacket, custom-made for him. The design had been created by their high school friend, Ying—no one else would have the same one.

Standing beside Halilintar was someone with long hair wearing a knitted blue sweater.

Oh.

Should Gempa laugh?

The person mistaken for Halilintar’s girlfriend… was Taufan! This must’ve been when Gempa went off to buy water and left Taufan alone with Halilintar.

Gempa checked the other photos. All were taken from a distance, none showing Taufan’s full face. There was one that captured Taufan in profile, though. Gempa had to admit—his brother looked incredibly beautiful in that shot. He might have to ask for this photo. Whoever took it managed to capture Taufan’s beauty perfectly.

It was hilarious that no one recognized how similar Halilintar and Taufan looked.

Gempa burst into loud laughter—so much that Yaya, sitting in front of him, gave him a very strange look.