Aster Veren
Episode 98's

- Esther

"What's wrong with her?" Carel's voice made my mood worse.

He was sitting next to me, opposite Kalea and Teo who were sitting at the same table as me.

"Any?" Teo muttered I don't care.

"Why?" Kalea and Carel continued at the same time, while I was busy eating my lunch greedily while thinking about the annoying incident this morning.

Yeah, who wouldn't be upset if your family was slandered with such absurd stories. Though they know that my grandmother was the victim here, but they can still think foolishly by calling all the traps of the Veren family.

They really can't see very well huh? My inner self, piercing the rough cut of beef with a fork in my hand, tried to vanish my frustration at the food before me.

"A–Aster, it is not good to express your annoyance at the food you will eat. Calm yourself ...," Teo's voice made me snort bitterly when I saw his smiling expression that I didn't like.

"I've only seen you for the first time, what's wrong?" Carel asked again as he grabbed the top of my head and gently stroked it.

"I–" My words were cut off by Kalea's question that had stolen Carel and Teo's attention from me.

"Is it possible about last night's gossip? You remember Teo? It happened in the cafeteria last night," he said to confuse me.

"What's? What happened in the cafeteria last night?" I asked not to be heard, they looked so serious about throwing one another's eyes. It was as if he was making a signal to stop discussing it in front of me.

"It's nothing Aster" said Kalea, showing her best smile.

"It's okay, he already knows. And already being able to deal with such a situation as well, you guys don't need to worry about it much anymore." Teo said making me frown confusedly watching the expressions of the three of them.

What are they hiding from me?

"Did this kid know?" Carel asked as he pinched my cheek and made me reflexively brush his hand, making him grimace. "What happened this morning?" So back to the main topic.

"Actually this morning he's already done a very remarkable thing–"

"Don't exaggerate like that" I'm ashamed of myself for what I did this morning. I can just say my thoughts in front of everyone in my class.

"You won't believe it if you don't see it in person. But this morning Aster has grown up to be a brave girl, so I feel proud of her." Teo continued after looking at me for a moment and showed me his ignorant smile which somehow made me feel even more annoyed many times than before.

"What does that mean?" Kalea asked increasingly confused.

"You're too convoluted Teo." Carel continued while looking coldly at his roommate.

"Hhaha, patience. There's no need to show your creepy expression like that, Carel." Teo said trying to melt the atmosphere with the sound of his laughter.

"This morning our class was as noisy as it was in the cafeteria last night. You remember Lea?" It made Kalea nod while I could only gawk at what Teo had just said.

"I don't know if there's such an incident in the cafeteria?" I can't imagine what they're talking about.

"Yes, the difference this morning is you stopped the commotion yourself. You managed to silence their mouths so coolly, moreover, your expression back then was amazing as well. I saw you for the first time like that. You're an adult ...." Clearly, while leaning his body on the back of the chair he was sitting on.

"I didn't hear wrong? Aster who–stops it? How's it?" Carel's question seemed so incredulous at the story she heard.

"I can't imagine it either, how did Aster stop them?" Kalea is as untrustworthy as Carel.

"Hhaha, right? You won't believe it if you don't see it straight away. Anyway, our little sister has now grown into a brave girl." Teo said still with a joyful expression.

"But ... something's troubling my mind." He looked so serious in a very short time, when he had just put on a joyful expression. But his expression changed.

"True, this feels very peaceful," continued Kalea who was already holding her chin while watching her food.

"Yes, right? Isn't there always a new rumor? But I didn't hear any new gossip from the incident this morning, but in class it was very noisy. Maybe they didn't spread the rumor this morning? Though I think this afternoon will be more noisy than usual," explained Teo after sighing tiredly.

"It looks like your words this morning managed to make them shaken." He went back to showing his best smile, in contrast to the smile I didn't like about him.

"What did Aster say?" Tanya Kalea precedes Carel.

"Itu–" I said was cut off by Teo, but I was trying so hard to forget it because this morning's incident was so embarrassing. But Teo instead deliberately revealed it to Kalea and Carel.

"Which fool would want to trap another's family at the expense of one of his own family's lives? And again, is there no more useful talk for you to discuss? Why is it so noisy to talk about other people's family problems? It's nobody, it sucks." Said Teo mimicking my speaking style this morning, plus he also mimicked my expression.

"Isn't that? You said that with an expression like the one I just described, right?" The next one managed to get my face heated up in no time.

"Certainly Aster?" Carel asked who had glanced at me and met me.

"No! I never had that expression," I denied, throwing my face away from Carel, trying to avoid her direct gaze.

"Pft..," Teo's voice made me turn to him, as did Kalea and Carel. "Sorry, I can't help it anymore, Hhaha–hahaha ...." Then he started laughing.

"You ate Teo wrong?" Carel asked after swallowing the food in his mouth, representing my curiosity about Teo's attitude that I had just seen for the first time.

I also had time to think as Carel said, because the blonde boy in front of me never laughed like this in public places. But right now, he was laughing like that. He always tried to keep his charisma.

And for some reason I felt annoyed for no reason when I saw him laughing like that, I felt like this kid was laughing at me, "stop laughing at Teo! You piss me off." My words tried to stop his laughter, but his laughter became even more.

"I never thought you could laugh like that either" Carel said, making Teo's laughter quieter than ever.

"Haha, what do you mean?" Asked Teo when he managed to control his laughter, I saw that he had already wiped the tears in the corner of his eyes with his index finger.

"You're not aware of your surroundings? You can laugh like that." Obviously Carel was resuscitating the green man beside Kalea.

"Ah yes, release .. but good." His words confused me.

"Good?" Kalea asked who was just as confused as me.

"Good because it seems like Aster's annoyance has gone because of my ridicule." It was clear that he was again showing his best smile, more sincere than ever.

Right, I didn't realize that my annoyance was gone. No, it's not so but .. My annoyance changed to Teo's annoying figure. My mind when I realize my feelings.

I saw that Kalea and Carel had shown me their best smile. I don't want to smile with them. I don't know when I started enjoying our time together.

"Aster," the voice of a woman beside Carel surprised me. I don't know where he came from.

"Tia?" I muttered when I realized his figure who was smiling widely at me, revealing a row of white teeth.

"You surprised him!" Ketus Carel is not concerned.

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Thanks for reading...