1 Chapter 1: The Supporting Character

-Have you ever wondered how it feels to be a supporting character in a movie, a series or even on a book? Maybe it's nice because you will be able to get a shot and be known as the main protagonist's best friend. But have you ever wonder "how about those story where the supporting character fell in love with the protagonist?" will it remain as fun as usual, knowing that  the protagonist and the supporting character will never be in a relationship since the protagonist have his or her own partner on the story?-

It is a very hot afternoon of Saturday, people are supposed to enjoy their weekend, trying to cool off or just stay at home, trying to survive the heat, but three people were waiting on their club's room for someone who is late most of the time. Ritmo is drooling on the table as he fell asleep a while ago since he got bored waiting for their Editor in Chief, Jayce is busy watching some sports event on his phone while trying to listen with Zane's complain.

"Why does he need to be this late this time? Is he really our EIC? You know he is very irresponsible right?"

Zane asked Jayce with an irritated voice while wiping his sweat on his face using his hoodie with long sleeves, long enough to cover all his fingertips.

"Because he is the most knowledgeable and talented when it comes to writing."

Jayce replied, you can see that he is calm even though Zane is dying in anger and irritation due to heat.

"But can you feel it? It is very hot in here, why do we need to get up early on a very hot day just to wait for him if we can do this meeting on our condo unit? It is not like we are living in different places?"

Zane replied while making his hand gestures, a sign that he is very mad.

"Why do you need to wear that hoodie in the first place? You can take it off anyway."

Jayce replied without even looking at Zane since he is too focused on his phone. That statement of Jayce made Zane stop from his complains since he don't have anything to defend himself. He wears the hoodie every time since he is very shy to others except to his very close friends.  Usually he can remove it when he is in the club's room since there are only four members of the club and it is him and his three friends, but right now Henry is late and they don't know if he will bring another girl as a recruit or as girlfriend, Zane don't want to take it off in case they suddenly enter the room without notice. Indeed it is a very irritating situation for Zane, but actually he cannot be mad to the person who he fell in love with for three years.

"Sorry I'm late!"

Henry shouted while trying to catch his breath. Henry's voice is enough to wake Ritmo and cause him to jump off the chair and hit his knees to the table making it shake and cause Jayce to drop his phone, but Jayce just let a deep sigh as he tried to reach his phone under the table. Suddenly the frustration of Zane fade away and his eyes started to twinkle as he turns his head towards Henry. But his excitement didn't last long as he saw someone behind Henry; it is a new girl, AGAIN!

"So the reason why are you late is because you met another girl and fell in love with her?"

Ritmo ask while wiping the remaining saliva on the corner of his lips, he concluded that Henry fell in love again since he knows that since they enter college Henry is struggling to understand the concept of love causing him to embark on many relationships which doesn't last long.

"No I'm not, as§hole! She is my cousin and she is very interested in Journalism, that's why I decided to bring her here and the reason why I'm late."

Henry said, while the girl looks at Henry ready to slap his shoulder for blaming her why he is late. On the other hand, Zane was quite relieved. Zane fell in love with his friend Henry when they were  1st year college students, at least that's how he thinks, but actually it all happened when they are in junior high.

Flashback (When they are in Junior High)

Zane is now facing a window of their classroom; his heart is so heavy, to the point that he cannot keep it inside his chest anymore. He can hear the loud footsteps of the students; running excitedly as they rejoice because the class is already over, he can also see other teenagers outside the window; laughing with glee together with their friends, the reddish ray of sunset started kissing half of his face, it is so beautiful. But despite of the scenery he felt emptiness just like the classroom where he is standing, his eyes already lost their shine as he consider this day as the end of his life. He looks at the window and start to check how high it is. He inhaled a huge amount of air as he gets ready to jump, but the corner of his eyes just caught something, a poem hanging beside the window, he suddenly felt curious about it.

"Maybe I should just treat myself before I die"

He said to himself thinking that he should relieve his curiosity first before he jump. He stares at the framed poem and read it silently.

_________________________________________

"Jeremiah 29:11 "

A dreamer is like a lonely man

Waiting for his lover to come

As his perfume is already gone

The coffee that he ordered was done.

Following the beat as he tap

His eyes were fixed on the door of the shop

Waiting to the girl who took a long nap

His heart is still playing hops

Feeling worried about the time

He felt the sadness that makes him frown

Because the girl so important like a dime

Is still choosing her casual gown

Not knowing what to do

The man keeps on waiting in the shop

Hiding that he's feeling blue

He waits while staring at the table top

At last the girl enter

And now He told to himself

That the uneasiness will wither

If you wait like a book on a shelf

__________________________________________

"Why is it titled like that?"

He said, being confused about the title of the poem, he didn't noticed that he said it out loud, loud enough to be heard by someone behind him.

"Jeremiah 29:11 -For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Henry said with a proud smile.

"That poem is all about hope and faith to God's plan"

He added as he walks towards his desk where he left his book, he grab it and put it in his bag, he's ready to go again but Zane ask a question.

"How can you be so sure about that?"

Henry stopped right before he passed the door and turned around to answer Zane.

"Because I wrote it. I don't like it to be framed and hanged there but our teacher insisted it."

He replied with a smile. Even though Henry is a stranger to Zane, Zane felt the unbound spirit of Henry; he can see through his eyes that the person in front of him is full of hopes and dreams. Zane was left alone, frozen because of astonishment, his heart started to beat again, but this time with positivity.

He felt that he wanted Henry to be his friend but Henry is very famous on their campus not only because he looks like a Korean actor that every teenager girls dreamed off but also he have a lot of achievements in their school. That's why Zane started to learn how to write a poem, at first his work is a trash but after five to six pieces he can finally be considered as a poet. He honed his skills in writing in his senior high days and got discovered by Henry when they are 1st year college. They became friends and Zane started to adore Henry much more than before, maybe because he can see Henry's talent a lot better now. Zane's feelings got bigger and bigger until it became Love.

End of Flashback

"Hello my name is Lean (pronounced as Le-yan)"

The girl introduced herself with a high pitch tone. After that, Ritmo clap like a sea lion on a circus, Jayce stares at her with his poker face and Zane nod showing his interest to Lean, because she is Henry's cousin.

"But I call her Lean (pronounced as the word "Lean")"

Henry said with a whispering gesture, causing him to receive another slap on his shoulder from Lean.

"By the way I am a Photography major and I am seeing that all of you here are quite good looking"

Lean said while she is holding her chin, acting like she is judging the three boy's looks like a professional.

"You have a perfect balance of angelic face and a player look. Are you an Italian?"

Lean said while pointing at Ritmo.

"I'm not but I can be one for you baby."

Ritmo replied with a very deep and manly voice, it so cringey that everyone will notice that he is trying so hard. Jayce slaps Ritmo's nape so hard to make him stop. Henry sighed and introduced Ritmo to Lean.

"His name is Ritmo Third Buenavidez, actually he is a playwright, he works with the theater club too, and I assigned him in feature page of our newspaper because of his talent to narrate using different elements that can entertain our readers"

Henry explained to Lean who tries her best to nod, pretending that she is listening but actually she is judging Jayce's looks.

"You are very manly, a like your physique, you could be a sports model, with your Moreno skin, YOU COULD BE A SPORTS MODEL!"

Lean said while being amazed by Jayce's looks. Henry frowned because he just introduced Ritmo very precisely but Lean didn't pay attention to him.

"Should I introduce him?" 

Henry said while pointing Jayce, his tone is a little bit sarcastic because he knows that even though he put effort in introducing his friends Lean will never listen to him.

"Yes! Yes! Please."

Lean replied with a very excited tone. Because of that Henry cheered up and starts to introduce Jayce like he is a child showing off his toys. 

"So this is Nathaniel Jayce Montemayor, you said he is masculine and it is because he is a varsity of the university. He loves sports and very athletic, plus he is smart, that's why I assigned him on our Sports page, he is smart enough to master literary techniques and he is sporty so he is really the perfect one to be on that work"

Henry once again said, but as usual Lean didn't pay attention because she is very surprised by Zane's look. She never had been silent before, but after a few second she said.

"You... are.... Very..... Cute."

The shortest statement she said. Not because she doesn't like Zane but actually it's the opposite. She really love Zane's look.

"How can you be so cute and pretty and beautiful at the same time? Plus you're a boy!"

She uses the word boy because Zane's look is just like a ten year old boy. Zane is actually embarrassed and in an awkward situation, to the point that he is bowing down towards the table for him to hide his face.

"Hey! You're scaring him!" 

Henry shouted while pulling Lean as she tries to put her face near Zane to examine him as much as possible.

"He is Rolauv Zane Valera; he is a contributor on our literary page. He is very good at poems; every line is very measured and rhymed."

This time Lean listened to Henry's introduction. She keeps on staring at Henry like she is expecting more information from Henry.

"That's it?"

She asked with disappointment.

"And he is my best friend."

Henry said while giving a huge smile. Lean raises one of her eyebrow to show disbelieve to Henry.

"How can you give a short introduction to a person with such a beautiful face?"

Lean shouted to Henry. Henry was actually shocked and confused because Lean is acting very weird and exaggerated because of his introduction to Zane. But after a few second, he snapped out and cleared his throat.

"Enough with this. I Carl Henry Choi, the EIC of the Herald's Club will officially start the meeting"

Henry said with a good posture and pride on his shoulder, trying his best to look formal just because his younger cousin is watching him

"We don't actually start our meeting in such a formal matter"

Ritmo whispered to Lean, informing her that his cousin is trying so hard to look mature at the moment. Lean just let a silent laugh and the meeting started. The meeting is so long and very serious but Zane is actually not paying attention to it, since he is just a contributor to their newspaper, he don't need to be that committed, but because of Henry and his only friends, he decided to act like he is that willing to participate on the club's activity. He stares at Henry in a manner that he looks like he is paying attention but he is actually thinking about something. The thought that he is still enduring the fact that he is in love with his best friend but cannot tell him the truth is hard for him, in addition to that he always act as the side kick of  Henry every time he is in a relationship. Zane thinks that it is very painful to not just watch Henry to fall in love easily and be in many relationships which don't last long but to help him to be on that kind of situation. But he is proud of himself because it's been three years and he still survived countless painful situations every time Henry is in a relationship. He is contented with what he have right now, to be the best friend of the man he loves but at the same time he is worried because he knew for himself that he can never be like this forever.

"Ok so that's the end of our meeting. Don't forget to pass your work on time. Zane I'm expecting you to pass another beautiful poem ok!"

Henry said as he believes that his best friend can do it.

"Ok I will."

Zane replied casually but with hidden thought for himself. All this time Zane expressing his feelings on his poems and Henry always like it, even though he doesn't really understand the meaning of it. For Zane it is the only way to express what he feels and also to avoid exploding because of the feelings that he can't tell to Henry.

"Omg that's so exhausting!"

Lean complained while stretching her arm. Everyone started to stand up and prepare to leave the room. But Henry stopped them because he still has some things to say.

"Since it will be sembreak next week I am hoping that everyone will be productive and will be able to double their work."

Henry hurriedly shouted since all of them didn't stop preparing to leave and afraid that they will already leave without even finishing his statement.

"Yeah sure whatever."

Ritmo replied with no spirit on every word he just said. Everyone is excited since sembreak is coming; they will be able to go home to meet their families and take a break from school works but the most excited about the sembreak is Zane for sure.

"Zane don't forget about are trip in Monday ok?"

Henry yelled at Zane since the three of them are already far away, on their way to their condo unit, Henry needed to be left out since he needs to bring her cousin back to her place.

"Yes I will!"

Zane replied with lot of joyfulness on his voice since he is looking forward to their trip on the first day of sembreak for very long time