Aster Veren
Episode 38's

- Esther

"Where are we going?" I asked as Carel pulled my hand and took me out of the library.

"I'm bored, we just play outside." He answered while looking at me who was following him from behind.

"Hee... whereas I still want to read book–" My whine stopped when I saw Carel's eye glare.

"Your eyes can be broken if you keep reading books." He said while grunting annoyed still holding my hand.

"Could it be? Kan I read it not in the dark place–" Tanyaku again stopped along with the footsteps of Carel who stopped stepping made me stop walking as well.

"You here, when are you going to read those damn books and ignore me?!" He said after turning around to face me and immediately pinched my cheek with his anxiety.

"He–ee.... swakit Carel," my whine tried to take her hand off my face.

So Carel's pissed 'cause I'm a bitch? My mind remembered Carel's face that kept bending and constantly grunting while I was focusing on reading the book.

"You know I've been out of school for almost a week, I've had a lot to study for the next grade." I continued after successfully removing Carel's hand from my face.

"Reason! Study time for a class-raise exam read his book adventure novel?" Carel said back to pinch my cheek with his anxiety.

"That .. swakit Carel, sorry ...." My whine could no longer let go of the pinch, and Carel's words were correct. I was busy reading the adventure novel in the library earlier and forgot about Carel's presence next to me.

I was tired of constantly resting in my room, so I lied about studying in the library with Carel.

But I wasn't completely lying, before reading the adventure novel I had time to learn some physics formulas.

"What's this?" Hana's voice caught my attention and Carel was still standing at the library door.

"Sir Hana ...." My whine immediately hugged Hana's leg after Carel removed her pinch from my cheek.

"Carel naughty nyubit Aster's cheek." I continued while releasing my arms from Hana's feet and immediately snorted at my cheeks with both palms of my hands, trying to relieve the pain that still remained.

"If you don't mengeselin I won't pinch your cheeks either!" Carel said defending himself while folding both his hands over his chest.

"It looks like den Carel really likes to pinch miss ya's cheek." Sis Hana said while smiling amusedly made me a little upset because my words were not taken seriously by sister Hana.

"But why did den Carel pinch the lady's cheek?" Further asked.

"Aster Nyuekin Carel was too focused on reading books." I answered while turning my face away in no direction to avoid Carel's frightening glare.

"Hhaha...so den Carel was angry because she was harassed miss?" Said sister Hana could not help but laugh, "nona really likes to read books yes .. I have often been asked by miss if she was told to nemenin miss in the library by Mr. Arsel." He continued explaining while wiping away his tears that were almost dripping from laughing.

"really right? The books are more interesting to him. Though he said he wanted to study for the next class exam, but instead cool reading adventure novels." Gerrutu Carel still looked annoyed.

"Hhehe. end of Aster already remember all the material, if learning again even bored." I said while chuckling.

"Basic!" Carel said again snorted in annoyance and again pinched me, this time he pinched my nose with his right hand.

"I can't breathe Carel!" I said while removing her hand from my nose, while sister Hana instead laughed at me silently as Carel pinched my nose in an agitation.

***

"It." Carel said as he gave the guava to my hand and immediately sat down the empty seat in front of me blocked by the round table.

We were sitting on the bench of the garden near the rose garden, where uncle and father were sitting while enjoying their rest.

"Why? Don't like it?" He asked after biting the guava in his hand and made me shake my head quickly.

"Where did Carel get it? Isn't there a red uncle's house with no guava trees?" I still watch the guava in my hand.

"So, the tree is in the backyard. You don't know?" Answer surprised me.

"Hee. I just found out there's a guava tree in the backyard." I muttered before biting the guava in my hand.

Though I have long lived in the uncle's house, if remembered again I have not been around the house anyway. I only know a few rooms in the house, for places outside. My mind while looking at the rose not far from my seat.

"Uncle Ansel?" Carel muttered to make me look back, and I found the figure of the father who walked up to us.

"What's wrong with his face? Why is it so tangled?" Carel continued before biting back the guava in his hand.

Right ... Dad's face looks tangled, no! it even looks pale. Did you sleep less? My mind wondered not to be able to turn away from the approaching father.

"You here? I looked everywhere for you, Arsel said you were in the library. But I didn't find you there." Said dad immediately grabbed the top of my head making me surprised by the touch.

"Ca–carel ngajak Aster here ...." Obviously I stopped when I saw the warm eyes Dad showed me.

"It looks like your ears are fine now .. sorry, I just got to see you." Dad continued with his soft voice made me unable to grin for a few seconds.

Huh what is this? Why do my eyes feel hot? My mind tries to control myself when it feels something in my heart.

"My stomach hurts!" Carel's voice surprised me, I saw he was grimacing in pain.

"What's Carel?" I was worried when I saw him in such pain.

"I–my stomach hurts, I'm going to the toilet first!" He just ran away leaving me.

"Eh?" I murmured incomprehensibly with the blink of his eyes as he turned to look at me before dashing about towards the door of the house.

"You eat guava?" Ask the father who was sitting in the empty seat in front of me.

"Carel gave it to her." I answered while watching the guava I had bitten in my hand.

Is dad sick? his face was completely pale, my mind turned my gaze to the father who was massaging his forehead along with the afternoon breeze that greeted us.

Ah, I want to call him dad. Would you be happy if I called him dad? I continued in my heart to remember the day my uncle slapped me, when I called my father papa. Even once, it felt like I was so happy that my father did not forbid me to call him papa.

"A–anu ... it–what is uncle sick? wa– uncle's face is very pale." I asked after gathering all my courage, even though I spoke in shock.

"Uncle?" He asked as he looked at me questioningly, "why not call me papa like before?" Continue while stopping the massage.

"Me–can you?" I try to hold back my tears that have been welling my eyes now.

"You're my daughter, you should call me dad or papa, right?" Obviously I managed to make my tears spill.

"Pa–pa Hiks ... Pops ...." My words immediately plunged into my father's arms after getting off my seat. And I felt my father's hand gently stroking my hair, even I could feel his kiss at the top of my head.

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Thanks for reading...