Aster Veren
Episode 79's

-Sean

"You!" My words loudly called the purple woman beside me. I saw him staring confusedly at me, "you, do you want to sit next to him?" I continued to ask him while pointing at the woman named Nadin in front of me.

"That's ...." His murmur was doubtful with the look in his eyes that kept staring at Nadin and his friend in turn.

"Tell me, you don't have to be afraid, do you, Nadin?" Said someone behind the woman with a sweet smile that I didn't like.

"You want to sit next to me, don't you, Aster?" Nadin asked in a hopeful and confident voice, but there was no answer from the woman. It seemed like he was considering the answer he was going to give.

"Aster?" Ask once again, after a long time the woman named Aster was silent. Wrestling with his own mind.

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

"What?" Tanya Nadin looked very surprised by the answer given by Aster.

"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." Clearly smiling sweetly. Similar to the expression made by the man behind her.

Whatdoes thatmean? Apologizing? My mind wondered at the woman's words.

"Ap–apa? Whatchu mean? Apologizing? Me? I'm I'm sorry? On whom?" Nadin's question represented my current curiosity. I usually never get interested in other people's problems. But why am I interested now?

"My face." Aster replied to me surprised, as well as Nadin.

"Why?" Ask the woman, looking confused.

"Do you want to say in front of everyone?" Aster said as he spread his gaze throughout the room. Even the whispers of some girls are starting to bother me now.

"... 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 I heard, it seemed that I was not the only one who was curious about their friendship. I saw Nadin not struggling in his place with his palm that was clenched tightly beside his body.

"Alright, I won't force it. Let's go Tia." The matter soon passed from before me and Aster. He went to the empty bench behind the class with his friend.

"The expression changed." I muttered when I saw Nadin's expression that looked irritated, but it was not that irritated when arguing with me.

"Hah~" I heard Aster sigh his leg after Nadin left from before him, but contrary to his body that looked trembling, even both hands were already shaking violently.

She freaked? My mind wondered, unable to turn away from him. Especially when he smiled, watching his palms that did not stop shaking on his lap even though they were tightly grasped.

"Hhaha, it turns out I'm still weak huh?" Continue in a small voice, making me flinch.

So he's really freaked out? Why is he afraid of this woman? What exactly did he do to Aster until he was this scared? And again ... I think I've seen it, where did ya?

"You okay Aster?" Ask the man behind her.

"Yes." Yeah." He replied with a sweet smile, in contrast to the previous sweet smile that looked scary.

"I remember!" I remember when I saw that sweet smile.

That night, when my father and I were leaving the Ravindra residence. We met with Mr. Ansel and Mr. Ian, there were even their sons and daughters around Mr. Ian and Mr. Ansel.

If it's not wrong, Aster's daughter, Mr. Ansel, right? I saw that smile as he bidding go to the restroom with the other woman to avoid me and Dad. My mind remembers the flashbacks of our meeting, it seems like he doesn't remember me.

***

"The introduction is over, right? And the class manager has also been determined, then the lesson schedule has been given. So for today enough to get here. You can go back to the dormitory to clean up your things. For serious lessons we will do from tomorrow. See you tomorrow, kids." Our homeroom teacher Mr. Vito said before he left the class.

"You want to go now, Sean?" Ask Hendric, the man sitting behind me.

"Yes." Yeah." I answered along with the noise of everyone walking out of the classroom in a hurry, as well as me.

"... haha, so Teo is one room with Carel?" Aster's voice caught my attention as he walked past me and Hendric. Cut off our steps that will reach the exit in a few more steps.

"I forced him to one room anyway." The man next to her looked close to the woman. He even showed his big smile to return Aster's smile.

"He? Wh why? Didn't Teo always avoid Carel because he was ignorant and annoying?" He asked while looking at the man beside him, making me see his enthusiastic expression from the side.

They dating? My mind wondered as it followed him from behind. Not intentionally following, but because our direction is the same. So I don't want to walk behind them until they get out of the building.

"He's a bitch, but I can't leave him alone and lonely in a dormitory that big. Moreover, he easily bored, if I do not have a room with him, he could often come to my room to disturb. You know he's tired he can be more ignorant than usual."

"Hhaha, you're right."

"What's wrong?" Hendric's voice surprised me.

"Ti–dak exist!" I answered while stroking my chest, trying to calm my heart that had skipped a beat so surprised.

Unknowingly I had eavesdropped on their conversation, unbelievable! I continued inwardly to grieve myself for not behaving as usual while descending the stairs to the ground floor.

Slowly we reached the ground floor and came out of the academy building greeted by a cool breeze with the parents who had scattered around the academy.

"It looks like the student's parent meeting is over huh?" Hendric's words made me nod quickly to his words when he saw that father was gathering between mister Ian and mister Ansel.

"Uncle Justin?" Aster's voice noticed someone near Mr. Ansel.

"Uncle Justin?" Asked the blond man next to him not to be heard. Aster quickly ran towards the man he called Justin's uncle.

"Uncle Justin!" He shouted while splashing into the arms of the black-haired man before him.

"Really?"

"Yes, didn't you meet her when you re-enlisted?"

"No." I answered watching the man who was so happy hugging Aster.

"Your father called." Said Hendric made my eyes fixed what father who had waved his hand for a while.

***

- Esther

"Uncle Justin!" I screamed while splashing into his arms when I saw him being with his father and the others.

I haven't seen Uncle Justin in a long time. When uncle used to play at home to meet me, then mom kicked uncle out and made me cry.

"As–ter?" Dad's voice sounded surprised.

"Hhaha, it's been a while since we met uncle. I miss you so much, uncle." I said while looking up to see Uncle Justin's expression.

I see uncle also looks happy to meet me, can be seen from his gaze and his touch full of longing. Same as me.

"Yes, it's been a long time Aster. How are you doing now? You still have shortness of breath?" Uncle's question made me let go of my embrace as I felt the gazes of everyone around me, not even I was aware of Carel and Kalea coming behind me. They have joined Teo.

"No, I've had treatment in Singapore with papa for a long time." I answered with a big smile.

"You've grown this big, haven't you? Whereas back when I was carrying you, you were so small that I was afraid you would get sick if I couldn't touch you gently." He said with his warm gaze while stroking the top of my head.

"Uncle has always been careful of me, even mother often scolded uncle for treating me with special haha." I couldn't help but laugh when I remembered Uncle Justin being scolded by my mother.

"Dad called? What's up?" Sean's voice surprised me. I saw him standing next to Mr. Albert.

Eh? So he's Mr Albert's son? My mind was too late to notice the face of Sean I had met at the Ravindra residence that night.

Then my eyes saw Carel and Kalea who were busy talking to their father, except for Teo and the man behind Sean.

"Aah!" My mutter just realized the expression of the father that I ignored because it was too happy to meet Uncle Justin, "why did you go so long? I waited for papa but papa didn't come back either." I surprised dad.

"Ah–maaf. Papa talked too long with the hostel mother." He answered while stroking the top of my head and putting on a thin smile with eyes that I did not like.

"Thank God you're together." Uncle Justin said with a warm smile made me nod happily while returning uncle's warm smile.

"Papa has taken good care of me so uncle doesn't have to worry about me anymore." I said while holding my father's hand happily.

"You," my father's voice made me look up, I saw a red tinge on his face. The sad look I didn't like disappeared, now dad looks shy at me. "You have to be polite to Uncle Justin when you're in Aster's academy neighborhood." Continue while reaching for the top of my head with the warm look of his eyes.

"Why?" I asked while tilting my head a little because I was confused by what my father said.

"Because Justin is the principal here. You should respect him like any other student." Dad obviously surprised me.

The principal? Really? So ... thank goodness uncle's dream came true. My mind was relieved when I heard that uncle was the principal.

Though I was worried when Uncle Justin suddenly stopped visiting me without saying anything to me. But the uncle said he wanted to pursue his dream, and he told me. That's how I found out why Uncle Justin disappeared.

"Ma–forgive me uncle. Eh–pak headmaster–" My speech came to a halt as uncle Justin raised his palm with his awkward expression.

"Ti–it's okay Aster. You can call me uncle outside the academy. You don't have to push your daughter like this Ansel." Said uncle with a faint smile.

"Yes if that's what you want." Dad's shortness made me smile amusedly when I saw Dad's cold attitude towards others. Even Justin's uncle looked very surprised by the answer he received.

"Then I'll excuse you, until Aster." Uncle Justin said before resigning.

I saw that Uncle Justin had gone into the academy building after saying goodbye to Ian's uncle, Victor's uncle and Albert's master. Then entered the building after receiving some warm greetings from the students who passed by him.

"I still want to talk to Justin's uncle." I muttered that I was disappointed that uncle left so soon, but we only met again after a long time.

"Do you like Justin?" Dad asked to make me look at him while looking up.

"Yes, Justin's uncle is very kind." I answered with a big smile. After all, Uncle Justin was always there for me when I needed a father figure. Maybe all this time without me noticing, I've thought of him as my father secretly. But I'm not gonna tell dad. It's nothing, it's just that I don't want to see my father flinch and moody when I won't be able to see him in a few months because I have to live in a dorm.

"Is that so,"

"So what are you talking about with the hostel mother?"

"Rather than discussing that, I want to know your first day in class. Hows it? Pleasant? Is something bothering you like before? If there's gonna be a lesson I'm gonna teach you, tell me!" Said Dad looks creepy, somehow dad always overdo it when it comes to me. Though I haven't said anything.

"No, nobody bothers me. Everyone's good to me. So stop putting on such a scary expression, papa." My answer was trying to calm him down.

"This old man's always overreacting, huh?" Carel said as he approached me and dad.

"Who are you calling old man?" Ask dad with emphasis.

Start again, no papa no uncle. Everything always gets out of control when it comes to dealing with Carel. Why does this kid always make other people upset? My mind sighed tiredly.

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thanks for reading...