Chapter 5 "Reunite with an Old Comrade" (1)

After that day, their math teacher, Ian, started to be fond of Ashtria, he started to be talkative towards her, but at the same time, the students of the school started to get jealous of Ashtria.

There will always be a person who will try to trip her, students who will suddenly bump into her and look at her with eyes full of contempt and mockery. Ashtria on the other hand, will only walk past their feet, then sometimes there will be someone who will put her bag in the trash bin.

But of all the things happening in her surroundings, she confirmed something.

It's Jane, yes she is always timid, she's not talkative, unlike Raign, but Ashtria can read her every move, even the move of her eyes.

The two are seatmates, and Jane sits at Ashtria's left. The reason why she's always the second top in the class next to Ashtria is that she's always taking a peek at Ashtria's answers to every test or quiz, meaning she always copies Ashtria's answers.

Ashtria already knows it from the start of the class up until now.

Ashtria deliberately let her, because for Ashtria the person she's deceiving the

most is herself, by taking someone else's answer, acting like the one who answered it is yourself, one day you will be discovered.

If she continues this thing, can she still keep up in the future?

As Ashtria walk alone in the school corridors, again for umpteen times teacher Ian suddenly appeared in front of her.

"Ashtria! Are you going home now?" asked teacher Ian towards Ashtria, she on the other hand only looked at teacher Ian weirdly.

He only laughs at the youth's reaction, "Hey don't look at me like that." he

said, "Sir can you stop following me and please refrain from

appearing in front of me any time anywhere you saw me." Ashtria said

bluntly with a stoic face.

"Why are you so mature despite your young age? Huh? Is this from Famonte's genes as well." he jokes and laughs.

By now Ashtria is starting to get irritated by this antics of him, "Okay okay stop looking at me like that, the reason I approach you this time is about your grandfather." he said.

"Grandpa? What do you want to want from him?"

"Ammm, I happen to tell my grandfather about your grandfather, and he requests to me that he wants to meet your grandfather," he explains.

"Why and how do they know each other?" Ashtria asked, "My grandfather is

your grandfather's past comrade in the military, so he wants to reunite with your grandfather." he explained.

Ashtria observes his expressions, and from what she saw he's not lying.

"I will tell my grandpa then." she said, he suddenly gets excited, "My

Grandpa said to me, just say to your grandfather that Stoned Face

wants to meet him." then he immediately leaves after that.

"..."

"...Stoned Face?....."

...

When Ashtria got home she saw her grandfather in their living room holding his shoes, he's scrubbing them to make them shine, "Grandpa..." her grandfather let out a 'hmm' as a response, "Grandpa, my teacher's grandfather wanted to meet you, he also said to me to say to you that, Stone Face wants to meet you."

Her grandfather froze like a block of ice when he heard it, then he suddenly looked at his granddaughter as if he was seeing a ghost in shock.

Shocked Indeed, because the person who he thought had already died thirty years ago, said to her beloved granddaughter to deliver to him about that cringe alias that he made for himself.

After that, they arrange the date when they will reunite again after so many years of not seeing or hearing from each other. After they set the date, Ashtria noticed something in her grandfather, first day; she saw her grandfather turning upside down all their things at the house searching for something crazily, second day; she

saw her grandfather mumbling something under his breath, and it was a little creepy because he was doing this while holding a knife, cutting the meat on the chopping board as if he was chopping someone using that knife.

That scene made her freeze and get some chills.

And with each passing day, it gets worse, she's already getting cold goosebumps because of this.

And finally, the day comes, they are planning to meet at an old park located in their neighboring town.

Currently, she's waiting outside of their house, well waiting for her grandfather to get done changing, suddenly someone put something on her head. When she saw what it was she wondered where this old helmet came from. She then lifts her head to look for her grandfather.

She was shocked at what she saw.

Her beloved grandfather is currently wearing his old military uniform, from head to toe, even his old military awards are pinned on her grandfather's uniform.

"Little Ashy were are about to go into a war, wear your helmet." her grandfather said to her in a serious tone and expression.

This time she thought that her grandfather had gone crazy.

...

When they arrived at the park, things got a lot crazier.

Standing in front of them is an old man in his seventies, just like her Grandpa, he was wearing an old military uniform. At the left side of the old man is their math teacher, Ian Rometrie with a face so red about to burst out laughing, and all of the veins in his forehead are puffed up as if they are about to burst.

"Alpha Wolf." the old man on the other side calls out.

"Stoned-faced." Ashtria's grandfather responded.

Then the two started to curse each other, all Ashtria can hear is them call each other in incoherent praises that can't sink into her mind because of how fast they speak.

Then suddenly teacher Ian sneaks at her back, he places the helmet on her head, blocking her hearing using it, then laughs hysterically.

After that crazy battle, they head into the center of the park where a cabin is built.

Now that they're done cursing each other they start talking to each other, reminiscing about their dangerous but exciting past as a military soldier. But every once in a while they will still utter some curses at each other, but after that, they will laugh out loud at each other.

Looking at them, look's like they knew each other.

Teacher Ian is only at the side, eating ice cream while watching the two old men talking to each other.

"Who says that elders are boring, look at the two of them, when you hear what they're talking about you will immediately laugh your ass off," he said.

Ashtria only smiled softly in her grandpa's direction, it's been a while since the last time she saw her grandpa being carefree like that.

Teacher Ian looks at her, and he pats Ashtria's head, "There you look like a kid your age when you smile like that." he said, but suddenly she hear a loud 'smack' sound.

Teacher Ian then holds his hand in pain, "Awieee~" "You brat what are you doing to my comrade's granddaughter." the old man snarl at him seems angry.

"Grandfather I'm not doing anything!!!" he complains, the old man then looks towards Ashtria, from a scary angry face he immediately changes his expression into a gentle and doting face.

"What a lovely face, you resemblance your grandmother dear, especially the mole under the side of your left eye."

Ashtria's grandmother, mother, and resemblance each other in different characteristics, but between her mother and Ashtria herself, she resembled her grandmother the most, especially this mole.

Ashtria's Grandfather grinned widely seemingly proud, "Hah don't get ahead of yourself you old man!" he refute back at Ashtria's grandfather when he saw how wide her grandfather's grin was.

"What is your name dear?" asked the old man.

"My name is Ashtria Famonte." she introduced herself,

"What a lovely name, I've been hearing a lot about you from my grandson. I'm your grandfather's sworn brother from the army, Falco Arcken."

"Nice to meet you, Grandpa Falco." Ashtria greeted him politely.

"Ayo! Just call me Grandpa Arc!" he said dotingly.

"Wait this is unfair, why are you doting on her, I am your blood grandson!" Teacher Ian suddenly said.

"This brat!" Grandpa Arcken changes his expression into a scary angry face when he faces his grandson, Ian.

"Hays~ if only I have a beautiful granddaughter like you," Grandpa

Arcken said while looking toward Ashtria gently,

"All of my sons even my grandchild are boys," he added, "Hah! How nice to have a beautiful and intelligent granddaughter." Ashtria's grandfather suddenly brags.

"This old man! Up until now, you're still so full of yourself..." Grandpa

Arcken refutes, he then looks at her and grins.

"Ohoho~ why don't you be my granddaughter-in-law instead." Grandpa Arcken suddenly said.

Hearing that Grandpa Fa's face darkened, "You old man what are you saying?!?!" he suddenly exclaimed.

Then the two proceeded to curse and said incoherent words again to

each other at a fast pace, but this time faster than earlier. Teacher Ian only placed the helmet again on Ashtria's head for the second time today, then laughs like there is no tomorrow.