Aster Veren
Episode 113

-Teo

I stopped my steps towards the cafeteria when I saw Carel following his grandfather to the back garden of the academy.

Their expressions looked so serious and awkward. Even the troublemaker's son looked unhappy and reluctant to meet his grandfather. His steps also look very forced to follow the figure of a man in front of him.

My hunch is not good, my mind when I remember Aster's words before the break bell rings. The boy said something I didn't want to hear, and now his words are true.

"What are they talking about? I can't hear it." My murmured who was standing behind a tree not far from where they were standing.

I had no intention of eavesdropping on their conversation, but upon seeing the strange reaction from Carel, I felt that there was something she was hiding from me. So inevitably I had to find it myself, because I knew that if I asked Carel, he wouldn't tell me.

"What's looking for me? Isn't the meeting coming any minute? Why waste your time meeting me?" Carel's voice sounded cold.

"I just want to make sure you study properly and don't troublemaker–"

"Grandfather doesn't have to worry about me, without being commemorated I've learned well."

"It's good that you understand. So your father didn't in vain have convinced me to agree to the decision you took to enter medical science–"

"So you're finally sure of me because of dad, huh? No problem, I'll make you acknowledge my own abilities." He said with defiant eyes complete with a sarcastic smile. Looks shitty.

"I'll look forward to it! But remember one thing, never let me down with your troublemaking behavior!" He replied to Carel's sarcastic smile, "because I don't want to hear the good name of Alterio's family back polluted and humiliated because of your stupid actions." It gave me goosebumps as I felt the intense pressure in their air.

... I'm curious, since when is their relationship not good like this? Were they not okay? My mind wondered with their aura of hostility.

"I've never shamed the Alterio family's good name!" Carel said with great emphasis.

"You kidding? Because of you I had to bow my head to all the parents that your son beat up all that day, I even spent a lot of money on the children's medical expenses. What do you think it's all?!"

Ha's? What ...,., what is ...,

"I never asked you to bow your head to them, I beat up those kids because they deserve it!"

"You!!"

"Here you go, I'm tired of arguing with you, my break time can be over if you keep hearing your scolding. The problem is over, isn't it? Don't bring it back." Carel said as he walked away from his grandfather, but only three steps he walked, the former leader of the Alterio family stopped his steps with a firm voice. But the next second, the boy resumed his steps and did not care about his grandfather who continued to call his name with emotion.

"Carels!"

***

"That day?" I muttered while following Carel's steps towards the canteen.

For some reason I was so bothered by the talk of Carel and her grandfather, it felt like something was stuck in my heart. My mind says I'm forgetting something so important, something that may have triggered the hostility of Carel and her grandfather.

... But what did I forget? My mind while stopping my steps when I saw the sister-level fight with her underclassmen on the edge of the sports field. The color of the tie they wear is not the same.

Then my eyes fell on a man who was walking fast with his sharp gaze approaching the two people who were fighting. And without warning, that person immediately threw his fist at the level brother who had already beaten his friend? The color of the tie is the same as the battered person there! My mind watched the man who was already sitting on the ground, grimacing in pain holding his stomach.

"I told you to stop bothering my friends!" Exclaimed the newly arrived man with his upset voice.

"How dare you hit me in the face!!" The furious elder brother had intended to beat up the underclassman before him, but he nimbly managed to avoid the blow of the upperclassman who was eyeing his face.

"You deserve it!" Said the man to the upperclassman in front of him while fending off the kick that the man was throwing in front of him.

"Why didn't anyone break them?" My mutter noticed some people who were also paying attention to the fights of the three elder sisters of that level.

"FEEL THIS!!" Shouted the man who managed to raise his fist to the face of the eldest level elder before him, and before long he got a reply from that level elder, he got a crushing blow at the top of his heart.

"Don't yell at me!" His speech sounded filled with emphasis, while the person who was hit instead groaned in pain. Of course it hurts, because being hit is a vital part of it right?

The deg!

Suddenly my heart was pounding uncharacteristically at the sight of the elder brother's sharp gaze, he stared so intently at his underclassman as if he was preparing to pounce on the hunted animal before him.

For some reason, I think I've seen that shitty look! My mind squeezed both my palms when I saw the fight in front of me.

Shortly thereafter, Mr. Vito came with two men in the same tie as the battered man. And the three of them were led away to the teacher's room by Mr. Vito.

"I remember now!" I muttered as I managed to find the last piece of the puzzle in my head.

The events of that day! What happens when I'm unconscious? My last memory .. I saw Carel running up to me with his sobbing expression, my mind trying to remember the terrible events I experienced last year when I was being gang-raped by children in the narrow streets.

"... did he beat up those kids?" I murmured considering the words of his grandfather Carel just a moment ago. Obviously he said that he spent a lot of money on the treatment of the children who were beaten up by Carel.

"I didn't hear wrong!" I immediately ran to the cafeteria to catch up with Carel and wanted to ask her about the day.

***

- Carel

"Rul?" Teo's voice made me look at her while waiting in line for my lunch.

"What's with your face?" I asked to be surprised by the expression he showed, but usually he always expressed flat like a wall.

"There's something I want to ask," she answered making me frown in confusion, and somehow I felt goosebumps myself when I saw her serious gaze.

"I won't answer!"

"A–what? I haven't even asked!" His words looked so surprised by the answer I gave, the next second I could only chuckle at his face which gave off various expressions, ranging from a confused expression to his snobbed expression.

What was he willing to ask until such an expression? My mind wondered while taking a tray that was already filled with one plate of rice and one bowl of soup with a glass of water.

Then I took my foot to the Aster table followed by Teo who was still grumbling, but my steps stopped when I saw the figure of Nadin and Tia who joined Aster and Kalea.

"Why stop?" Tanya Teo surprised me.

"Look!" I said while pointing at the table that Aster and Kalea occupied.

"Hee... It looks like they've made up?" Teo muttered as he saw Kalea wipe away Nadin's tears with a tissue in her hand. Even Aster and Tia were confused by Nadin's cry that had stolen the attention of everyone because of his voice was quite tight.

"Where are you going?" Tanya Teo stopped my first move to look for another empty table. "Will not join them?" This makes me breathe deeply.

"You want to destroy their togetherness?" Ask me to go back to my step towards the last table in the cafeteria, "then, isn't there anything you want to ask me?" I made him follow me right away.

... It seems like what I saw in the park earlier, this guy is right! Apparently he eavesdropped on my conversation with grandpa huh? My mind remembers Teo's shadow hiding behind a tree.

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Thanks for reading...