Aster Veren
Episode 78's

- Ansel

After putting all Aster's belongings in his room and saying goodbye to the hostel mother there. I rushed out of the dormitory to meet Aster who was waiting for me in front of the academy gate. Yeah, I asked him to wait there.

"I talked to the hostel for too long, I hope Aster is still waiting for me there." I muttered considering my conversation with the hostel mother.

I asked her for help to look after my daughter because she has a problem with her lungs. Yes even though he has not been short of breath for a long time, and has been undergoing treatment as well. But I still couldn't stop worrying about her, let alone in a long time she would stay in the dorm without my supervision, so I was a little worried about her.

"Looks like you're really worried about your daughter's health, aren't you?" Victor's voice surprised me, "yo! Good morning." Good morning." He continued in a show of teeth as I turned towards him who had walked beside me after patting my shoulder with his left hand.

"You eavesdropping?" I asked him to shake him quickly.

"No, not intentionally!" He answered with a stiff smile on his face. Looking suspicious, "i heard your conversation at the end .. Then, thank you for asking the housewife to put Kalea with Aster in the same room." Continue with his harrowing look.

"It's no problem, after all, their relationship has improved."

"I'm really grateful to you for loving Kalea even though she did bad things to your daughter." He returned to grinning.

"Aster was also getting better at Kalea, when he used to be bullied by her. He even looked after Kalea as Albert looked at her cynically, had I been by her side. I may have beaten that guy!" The next thing is getting chatty.

"But you can know that much? That night you weren't there."

"Lea told me everything" she replied with a smile, "you know? My heart aches when I see Claretta treating her daughter as a stranger. I can't even imagine how devastated he was then. Even today, I still often wonder. Is he happy living with me? Or is he happier when he's living with Claretta? Maybe his little heart always wants the completeness of his family. But she couldn't say it, and sometimes I felt guilty for making that mistake until she was born with this fate. Maybe my daughter won't be born into a family like this." He continued at length while watching the blue sky this morning with his teary eyes.

I can't even comfort her. If asked why? Maybe because I'm just as stupid as Victor. I also have regrets in my life, and so much guilt for Helen and my daughter. So I can't give her any kind words of comfort.

"By the way, I've found–" he said cut off as Ian blocked our move right in front of the academy's gate.

"Aster? She ...." I muttered when I realized my daughter wasn't there.

"She's been in with Kalea, Carel and Teo." Ian replied after sighing heavily.

"What's wrong with your face? It's a mess ...." Victor's question drew my attention to Ian's expression, as Victor had said. His face is very wrinkled.

"She's been looking for you lately, you've been so busy, haven't you?" He answered, pointing at someone behind him.

Then I saw Albert standing behind Ian with a faint smile as he looked at me.

"Albert?" I muttered along with Victor.

"Why did you bring him here?" Victor didn't understand, neither did I.

"I met him in the parking lot. He came to take his son." Ian Obviously.

"So why is he looking for me?" I don't want to talk much anymore.

***

- Esther

The welcoming ceremony of the new students had been completed, in an orderly manner everyone came out from within the hall and went to their respective classes, as well as the new students. We are guided by members of the iss to our classes.

Since Kalea majored differently than me, I went alone with students I didn't know. Carel also went to another row that matched the majors he took.

Arriving in front of the class, the two upperclassmen who were guiding us left immediately after giving us a little direction regarding today's schedule.

"They are so cool, yes" said someone in front of me watching the departure of the two upperclassmen.

Then slowly my legs began to step following the people who had entered the classroom in an orderly manner.

Said the upperclassman earlier, we are free to choose our seats right? My mind began to walk to the very side of the class to choose my own seat.

"Aster!" Nadin's voice surprised me, especially as his hand grabbed my right palm with vigor.

"Nadin?" I muttered feeling confused by his presence, I thought he was not a class with me because I did not see him in the line earlier.

"One bench yuk." He said while showing teeth.

"Hee... You said you wanted a bench with me? Is that a lie?" Said someone behind him.

I saw that he had cut his lips with a teary look. His posture also looks high with his shoulder-length black hair neatly arranged with his long bangs that are overtaken to the back of his ears.

... beautiful, like a model. My mind was fascinated by the figure of that woman.

"Did I ever say that?" Tanya Nadin looked to remember.

"You said it a few seconds ago." The woman replied, increasingly whining.

"Yes? Hhaha, I seem to have forgotten. Sorry about Tia." Clearly laughing amusedly watched the expression of the woman he called Tia.

"Anu Nadin–" I wanted to let go of her hand, but she held it tightly.

"Yes?" Ask with a thin smile.

"Your hand, can you take it off?" I try to speak as best I can.

"Ah, yes. Sorry hehe .. You want to sit there? Then I'll sit here" he said, letting go of my hand as he looked back as I sat on my lap. But his words were immediately interrupted when he saw a man who had filled the bench beside me, "He–hey you! Why sit there? I'm the first–" The next looks upset.

"First? No, I was sitting here before you ran up to him." She replied pointing to me after I sat down at my place, "right?" He asked the person behind him.

"Yes, Sean sat down before you ran to your friend." The man's reply confirmed the words of the man named Sean.

"You just need to find another seat, why so much noise?" Teo's voice made me look behind me, and I saw that he was already smiling warmly at me when our gazes met.

"Theo? Are you here too?" I asked to return her warm smile. I don't know why I feel a little calm now because there are people I know. Before, I was scared.

"No, I want to be close to Aster. You just move to the back. Men have to give in to women, right?" Ocehnya would not give up.

"I will give in if that woman is my sister or my lover. But you're nothing to me. So why should I give up on you?" Sean replied with his cynical eyes.

"You!" Nadin was more upset than ever.

"Already Nadin, we fill the empty bench in the back." Persuade Tia while reaching for Nadin's hand, but she quickly brushed Tia's hand away.

Nadin was rude, right? I guess her body changes also happen with her nature changes. Apparently not yes? My mind doesn't want to remember my past anymore, especially when Nadin pushes me and hurts me.

"Carel invited us to lunch together after class. You want to go?" Tanya Teo tried to distract me from the commotion beside me.

"really?" I asked immediately to get a quick nod from Teo, "when I want to go around first." I continued muttering as I held my chin, imagining how wide this academy was and what things I could find in the academy while walking around later. I was very curious about the library.

I hope the library is very broad and my Inner– cannot continue my guess when I realize Teo's gaze is bothering me.

"Why?" I was sweating coldly when I saw her thin smile.

"You,"

"Yes?"

"You're going around looking for a library, right?" The next surprised me when he managed to guess the contents of my mind.

"Ba–how did you know?" I can't control my surprised expression.

"You're a nerd, and I used to see you in the school library. You always sit in tight, invisible places, like deliberately hiding yourself from–" Teo explained cut off as Sean's voice called out to me out loud.

Whahuh? My mind wondered as it looked at Sean, Tia and Nadin looked at me seriously.

"You, do you want to sit next to him?" He asked while pointing at Nadin.

"That's ...." My murmur could not take my eyes off the expectant Nadin, while Tia had a conflicted expression even though her eyes still looked teary. Looks like Tia really wants to sit next to Nadin.

"Tell me, you don't have to be afraid, do you, Nadin?" Teo's words made me glance at her who was watching Nadin with her sweet smile that I hadn't seen in a long time. The smile that Carel always hated and I always avoided because it was so horrible.

Is he threatening you with his smile? His expression was like that he always showed when he was upset. Is he upset that his chatter with me was cut? Inner wondering.

"You want to sit next to me, don't you, Aster?" Nadin asked ignoring Teo's question.

They are horrible, aren't they? Not giving up on each other. At a time like this why Kalea is not near me, I have no reason to reject Nadin right? My mind while smiling faintly at Nadin.

No, I have to be firm! I should be able to say no. If this continues, nothing will change for me. Before parting ways with Kalea, she told me to be assertive and dare to say no if I didn't want to do something I didn't want to do. I–have to be able to be firm with myself. If Kalea can change, I. I don't want to be kept protected by Carel and Teo. I also don't want Nadin to constantly bother Kalea. Me, I also want to protect Kalea. I continue in my heart.

"Aster?" Nadin's voice roused me from my long daydream.

"... don't want to." I answered after a long breath.

"What?" Nadin asked looking very surprised at the answer I gave.

"Sorry Nadin. I don't want to sit next to someone who hasn't apologized to me for what he's done to me in the past." Obviously I felt the corner of my lips tugged up, and subconsciously I was already smiling sweetly at him. Imitating the expression Teo often shows when he's upset.

"Ap–apa? Whatchu mean? Apologizing? Me? I'm I'm sorry? On whom?" He asked with a pretended expression.

"My face."

"Why?"

"Do you want to say in front of everyone?" I asked as I circulated my gaze throughout the room. Even the whispers of some girls began to fill the room now.

"Why? What's their problem?"

"The one standing up was Nadin right? And that black hair Aster?"

"Yes, I think they're good friends. But it looks like Aster doesn't like Nadin."

"So she said she didn't want to sit near Nadin because she never apologized to him, did she?"

"Yes, why would Nadin apologize? What did he do to Aster?"

Such was the whisper of the people who sounded by me, I saw Nadin not wrinkled in his place with a palm that had been clenched beside his body.

"Alright, I won't force it. Let's go Tia." His words immediately passed from before me and went towards the empty bench behind the classroom together with Tia.

"Hah~" I muttered with a sigh of relief, even both my hands were already shaking violently in fear. Though I was acting very brave, why now even trembling like this? Continue in my heart while smiling.

"Hhaha, it turns out I'm still weak huh?" I continued muttering to laugh at myself as weak as this when faced with the person I feared in the past.

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Thanks for reading...