Aster Veren
Episode 219's

- Kalea

"Aster, the doctor's waiting for you." Dad said then, making Aster sigh long before getting up from his seat.

"I'm sorry I had to leave you guys." He said while showing his thin smile that looks forced.

"It's okay, go and check your body condition. It'd be better if you recover quickly." Teo returned Aster's smile.

"really. Don't think of us and focus on your treatment." Typhoon Carel leaned his body against the back of the chair he was sitting on.

"See you later brother."

"Then I'll excuse you, until later Khael." His words were followed by the footsteps of the father, then followed by Hans who had been waiting for him at the door since.

"Now tell me. What the hell is going on? Why do they look so weird?" I asked then, unable to hold back my curiosity any longer. I couldn't even say anything when Aster said goodbye.

"Any?" Khael's murmuring made me glance at him who was already looking at me confusedly.

"Ah it—"

"You wanna play with me, Khael? I got something for you, let's go see it." Cut Teo made me even more confused by this absurd situation. Why is he trying to keep Khael away from me?

"Come on!" The exclamation immediately got down from his chair and ran out of the greenhouse in a hurry, "hurry up Teo." He then turned around at a glance and ran back to leave Teo first. Then inevitably Teo followed him and glanced at me at a glance, I who saw his serious gaze could only frown in confusion.

"Not be confused like that." Ceplos Carel made me look at him sharply.

"How can I not be confused if you guys just don't explain the situation properly to me? Judging from Teo's reaction, it seems like he already knew the thing that confused me first right?" I can't control my angry tone.

"really. You must be confused why your father forbade you to come here, right? And why did Teo have to secretly bring you here?" He returned my gaze sharply.

I swallowed my saliva as I felt an unusual atmosphere, it felt as Carel looked at me with that sharp gaze, the atmosphere around me suddenly turned cold. Does the temperature decrease around it?

"... I don't actually want to tell you this. But I think you should hear it."

"What's? What's he talking about?" I was wondering what I heard.

***

I squeezed my clothes as hard as I could, trying to control my feelings. It felt really painful after hearing the reason why I was forbidden to visit the Veren residence.

Why didn't you just tell me? Why should I hear this from someone else? My mind while biting my lower lip with anxiety, trying to suppress the puddles of tears that were piling up.

"... To make amends and regret Aster, Mr. Ansel decides to mend their relationship. One of them by being strict with an outsider like you, it seems that after the incident that day he realized something. If the loss of the person he loves is more painful than anything, on the other hand he has also realized Aster's jealousy towards you. You get here, right?" Carel's voice came back in my head.

At least I understand why you wouldn't let me call you dad again. I, too, seemed to be so foolish and blinded by the affection of my father that I was unaware of Aster's feelings. If I were him, I wouldn't want my father to be considered a father by anyone else.

"But ... Why did he hold her all this time? Why didn't he tell me directly? Why should I realize it first? Though he could speak to me directly and forbid me to call Mr. Ansel as father. You idiot!" I muttered with tears that escaped my eyes.

I feel so stupid now, quietly crying alone in the greenhouse after being abandoned by Carel. Then Teo didn't come back to pick me up either.

"Does this mean I won't get as close to Aster?" I remember being with him in the dorm.

It hurts a lot, especially if I don't know anything about it. Because Aster is so secretive and never relies on anyone when he is in trouble. Is it because he is used to it himself?

Ah right! From the beginning he was like that .., my mind recalls my childhood when I bulldozed him on the bench in elementary school.

"I completely forgot my one sin."

"What are you talking about?" Aster's voice surprised me, my reflexes turned towards his arrival after wiping away my tears in a hurry.

"Aster?"

"You crying?" He looked so surprised, "why? What's up?" The next one really pisses me off.

"Stop being nice like that!" I shook off his hand, intending to grab my face.

"What?"

"I've heard everything from Carel. You, you're jealous of me because of my closeness to father—, I don't mean Mr. Ansel, that's why Mr. Ansel forbade me to meet you, right? Me ... Why didn't you tell me directly? Though you can ban me, but why—"

"I never said that." His cut jolted me, "i was jealous of your closeness with dad. Especially when she was so worried about you that day tap—"

"Then tell me not to call Mr. Ansel father again! And please don't ask me to stay away from you. I, I will do anything to make amends for my past mistakes, I will improve myself, so let me remain your friend. I don't want our relationship to end ...," Cut me up while rising from my sitting position, returning Aster's gaze with my tears spilling back.

"Hah~ listen to me first." He said after a long sigh, leaving me shocked as he held onto the injured part of his chest.

"A—Aster? You're okay, right?"

"I don't know why you're not calling him dad anymore. But I never bothered with it—or maybe ever. But what I do know is that when you call my dad, I feel like we're brothers. Especially when you're trying to stop my behavior and snatch the dagger in my hand that day." His speech left me speechless for a while, my hearing stopped at the word "brother" Aster spoke.

I don't know, I don't think I can understand. But there was a little relief there because in the end Aster didn't hate me as much as I thought. But still, I feel really bad now that Aster didn't yell at me in the slightest.

At least .. Be angry with me once. It's up to you to be angry about what I did in the past or about anything else that's happened to you. I don't care what I want you to release that one of your emotions on me. That way, maybe my guilt will decrease a little. My mind clenched my hands tightly as my tears continued to fall.

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Thanks for reading...