THAT DAY I BECAME A STAR

"I did well surviving?"

"Yeah."

Cordel and the others are all looking at me like I am some kind of resurrected guy. Was it that bad?

"Right. And so, what are you all doing here?" I don't know what is the meaning of the fist he is showing to me but let's just leave it at that.

"You are as irritating as ever though."

"Yeah, he is just like you when you haven't eaten anything."

"You really want to taste my fist today, huh?" Peter and Esteressa start again.

Keltia and the omega students being here is something I can probably understand.. But you, Lanuvel. What are you doing here?

I look at her as skeptically as possible but she just blushes and looks away. Don't play all innocent with me, girl. You would have been trying to 'bust my ass' by now if not for what happen…Wait, which day is it?

"How long did I sleep?"

"Five full days. The Saintess said it would take seven days at least for you to wake up but you are a really tough nut to crack, I guess."

"One hard nut for sure."

"Shut up, Esteressa."

"You shut up, makeup freak."

"What?!!" Esteressa and Keltia start fighting verbally all of sudden. If it is not Peter, it's Keltia. Does this girl not know restraint. How did Cordel even manage to tame such a wild girl? The only solution I can imagine would be that he is at least as crazy as her. Which means that he is just putting up a facade.

"Guys, we said not here."

"She started it!!"

Cordel goes and restrains Esteressa while she tries to kick Keltia. The atmosphere relaxes after that but still not enough for everyone to laugh.

"Is there a problem? You all look gloomy."

"Well." Finally, Farner turns to face me. She advances to my bed and looks into my eyes. "There is something I must know first. Do you recall anything you said during the last five days?"

"Of course not, I was asleep."

"I-I see."

"Seriously, what is the matter?"

"You see…"

Maybe because Farner couldn't find the right word to say it, Roxcia comes forth and start talking.

"The Saintess said you will be judged by the high council as soon as you wake up."

"Huh…Okay."

"It's not because of u…wait, what?" Farner opens her eyes wide after I answer. 

"I said okay."

"No, wait, wait, wait. You won't even ask why you will be judged?"

"Nope. It doesn't matter much anyway."

And I have a pretty rough idea of the reason anyway. It must be because I refused to be healed by her. Now more than ever, I am convinced of it. No matter the reason, my parents didn't love me. They didn't care enough for their own son to the point of abandoning him to save their lives. 

"You are one of hell of a carefree guy. I can't believe it."

"Was that all?" Then why did Farner looked so gloomy?

"Pretty much. We were worried because we thought you would be angry that we didn't defend you. You did save Farner after all."

"There is no need to be angry. My problems are my own. And my path is-"

"No!! It is not!!"

Farner catches my mouth before I can say anything else.

"Stop thinking like that! If you need help, say so! If you want to be angry, be angry!! You don't have to be alone!"

"Hmmm…."

I lightly tap her hand which is squeezing my mouth like an orange. She was squeezing with such strength I couldn't even move my lower jaw. She releases me but her hand is trembling. Her face is red as well. Now that I think about it, we have something to talk about, you and I. That 'I love you' is still firmly engraved in my mind. 

"Okay, okay. I will be angry from now on. When will they come?"

"Tomorrow since you woke up today."

"Okay. So I suppose today will be my last day with you guys then."

When I say that, Farner reaches her hands again and tries to hold my head. But this time, I catch them and look at her.

"I was just asking. I did mean it as a fact." I don't really care about the others but being separated from you now that I know what that feeling I have is would be almost impossible to me.

"That's not something to ask. It's like you don't even want to be with us." You are not entirely wrong here. The others don't really matter.

"No, it's not like that."

"I hope so."

The atmosphere has turned sour again and everyone is calm with their head lowered. Cordel then silently waves his hand then all start leaving one by one. Leaving me with Farner and Lanuvel one again.

***

"You guys are not leaving as well?"

"No. We will stay with you today as well."

"Even you?"

I look at Lanuvel who shudders a bit. She really looks shy and…cute? Well, she does look cute when she is embarrassed but that's irrelevant right now.

"I…"

"You?"

She grovels to the floor until even her forehead touches it.

"I, Lanuvel NIKITIS, thank you from the bottom of my being for saving my mother, ROSE NIKITIS. I swear on MEETIA's name that this debt shall be repaid in full."

My heart flutters as Lanuvel finishes speaking. My body feels lighter, my mind, my heart...My very being feels different. This is the first time…I mean, Anriette thanked me as well before but it didn't feel…I didn't feel anything from it. But this time, when I see Lanuvel kneeling in front of me and her trembling voice as she says thanks. My heart feels at peace.

Do I deserve to receive her thanks? Am I not even more of a monster to receive such words of a person when the blood of her father is on my hands.

"Then simply tell her the truth. Why torture yourself?"

"We both know I can't, Cissa." 

"And we both know you will regret it if you leave it like that."

"Even so, I cannot. Not now."