Aster Veren
Episode 122

- Esther

Time has passed quickly since Kalea had a relationship with Teo. And now, it's September, the month I was born into the world.

I breathed fresh air this morning along with the birds chirping around the academy park. Yes, I am currently sitting alone on the academy park bench. Paying attention to the clear sky that looks higher than usual, or just in my view alone? I don't know, but that's what I saw this morning.

"... I heard that Nathan's brother went abroad a while ago, is that really Nadin?"

"See, I didn't get any news from him."

"Hee... So you're still not better? Then you don't know how long Nathan's brother's gonna be gone?"

Nadin's conversation with Tia came back to my head. A few days ago, I accidentally heard their conversation in the lobby of the dormitory.

The shadow of Nadin's face that looks moody is still clearly illustrated in my memory. Doesn't Nathan just make up with Nadin? Nadin has changed, right? my thinking.

"Aster!" Kalea's voice roused me from my daydream, I saw that she had already waved her hand at me. Asking me to come to him.

I quickly got up from my seat to fulfill Kalea's call.

"What's wrong?" I asked when I got near him.

"Sir Justin called you into his room." The answer.

"This early in the morning?" I muttered confusedly.

... What's wrong? Did I make a mistake? I continued in my heart, trying to think about whatever I had done to the point that uncle called me into his room.

"What's wrong?" Kalea asked as she frowned looking at me confusedly.

"That ... Why did uncle call me to his room? Did I make Lea's mistake?" I asked in doubt, "but what mistake have I made?" I went back to thinking about what my mistake was.

"Haah~ I think what's going on," he murmured with a sigh of relief, "just go see Mr. Justin in his room. You'll find out why you were called into his room." Further.

"... right. Then I'll go first." I said after a moment of silence.

"I'll be waiting for you at the pool." Shouted Kalea after I was quite far away from her.

"Yes!" My reply was screaming.

Aye! There is a combined sports schedule today, right? Why can I forget? My inner self recalls the notice from the Tirta pact that said my class would be doing joint sports along with its Kalea class.

Arriving in front of the headmaster's room, I knocked directly on the door in front of me and before long I heard the voice of my uncle allowing me to go inside. I carefully opened the door of the room in front of me and went inside.

"Have you come?" He asked while showing her a warm smile that I hadn't seen in a long time.

"What's uncle—I mean you called me?" My toot.

"You'll know soon enough, sit down first." He answered, allowing me to sit down. I haven't been able to sit, the door behind me has opened again making me reflex to look back.

And how surprised I was when I saw Father in front of me. Without asking much more I immediately rushed into his arms to release my longing feelings for him.

"Papa," I said, hugging him tightly, dipping my face in the chest of his field.

The scent I so longed for, my mind as it inhaled the fragrance of my father's body that permeated through my sense of smell.

"Yes dear." The whisper of father tightened his warm embrace.

"Why didn't you call me if you wanted to come here?"

"That ...,"

***

- Kalea

"I go to the toilet first huh," Tia said as she patted my shoulder softly as I was watching around me to look for the whereabouts of Aster and Nadin.

"Yes." Yeah." I replied along with Tia's departure.

Did Aster not finish talking to the principal yet huh? My mind wonders when it does not find its figure around me. Even Nadin's figure has not been seen, whether to go where the child? A few minutes later, the bell rang.

I never told anyone about those bad memories, but when they came back, it felt like I wanted to run away.

... but, right now I am forced to face it, trying to fight my fear. My inner self along with the cold sweat that began to wet my palms and back.

"Ha–must I skip?" I murmured while clenching both my hands.

"Of course not," Aster's soft voice made me turn to him who was standing next to me wearing a school swimsuit.

"Aster?" My mumble felt a little relieved when I saw her sweet smile, even without realizing my fist was not as tight as before.

"Yes Lea?" He replied still smiling as he turned his head towards me making our eyes meet.

Aye! I can't skip! I should be able to fight my fear of water ... Aster has tried to fight his trauma, right? My mind is trying to strengthen my heart when I remember how Aster told me his trauma when someone touched his neck.

I don't remember when exactly, but that day I actually had a long chat with Aster, then became a listener to his story. And from there I knew that his past was really bad, plus I was always bothering him. It's definitely all that makes things difficult for Aster.

But I really never expected Aster's past to be that bad? Especially when he told me how his uncle was trying to kill him that night.

"Seeing it with such fear alone has already taken me by surprise," I muttered recalling Aster's pale expression as he was startled by Nadin who suddenly held Aster's neck with both hands from behind.

"... Lea?" Aster's voice returned to wake me from my daydream, "if you are afraid, I can accompany you." His next move touched me.

"Itu–"

"It's okay, I'm sure you can do it."

"Ba–good." Nod me while grabbing Aster's palm outstretched at me.

"You've been warming up, haven't you?" The question made me nod quickly. Then Aster slowly led me into the pool in front of us.

I painstakingly adjusted my breath as best I could as those bad memories flowed back inside my head.

It was raining hard that day, and I saw my pet cat fall into the river. I who did not know what to do and asked who to help suddenly saw my friend plunge into the river to save my cat.

"What are you doing?!" My screams could not take my eyes off Ega who was struggling to swim close to my cat.

"Your cat is asking for help! So I have to help her." His cry was unpretentious to the sound of a cat constantly meowing under the torrent of rain.

"You're crazy, huh? The current was that hard but you–" I muttered unable to distract myself from the figure of Ega who kept trying to get close to my pet cat.

That's my cat, but why? My mind stopped wondering when it saw Ega having trouble swimming to the edge with the cat he managed to save.

"He why? Did his legs cramp?" I murmured with anxiety, then without wasting any more time I immediately jumped into the river to help him.

Uh! The current was very swift, I could not get close to Ega .., my mind was trying to shorten my distance with Ega. But what I saw Ega's body sink further made me panic half to death.

"Relax!!" Shouted me before diving to pull his body.

Ughhhh! My feet ... Egaa, my mind when I see Ega's body falling to the bottom along with my view that is getting blackened.

Cold, tight, dark ...,

Nah! I have to save Ega, but why won't my body move?

"Gee!" Aster's faint voice broke down my daydream, making me immediately surface.

Did I lose consciousness while swimming? My mind wondered while looking at Aster who seemed to be worrying about me.

"May the memory appear while I was swimming ..," I murmured while rubbing my face.

"Looks like you're not healthy Lea, would I take you to the UKS?" Ask Aster while grabbing both my hands.

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Thanks for reading...