Chapter 26: Stella Lorien
During my childhood, there were very few people I truly cared about.
Looking back now, it almost feels inevitable.
Most of the students in my school didn't like . So disliked openly, others kept their distance, whispering behind my back.
It wasn't entirely their fault—my personality made it difficult from the very beginning. I wasn't loud. I wasn't friendly. I wasn't approachable.
In my first days, I was the kind of kid who barely spoke to anyone. I answered questions with nods or single words.
I avoided eye contact.
Even the teachers struggled to hold a normal conversation with , often exchanging awkward glances when their attempts failed.
Soon enough, so students started naming .
The quiet kid.
The weird kid.
The one who never smiled.
So avoided entirely—not only because of my silence, but also due to the scars on my body.
They peeked out from under my sleeves, faint lines across my arms, my neck, and sotis my back during physical training.
That made look more dangerous to them.
So, I confronted my father and mother about it.
Whenever I asked, my parents told they were from an accident.
And because I was just a child, I accepted it… never asking further.
Back then, I was unaware of the darker truth behind those marks.
With no one talking to , no one sitting beside , no one calling my na, I probably would've turned into so edgy, self-destructive emo kid eventually.
If not for a girl.
Stella Lorien.
She was everything I wasn't.
The most popular girl in school, perfect at everything she did, and easily the most beautiful among all the students.
She even had a fan club dedicated to her—crazy to believe, but she really did.
And she noticed .
I still rember that day clearly. She walked up to my desk, smiled, and tried to talk to as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
The reaction was imdiate.
Many students stopped her.
Warned her.
Told her to stay away from .
They told her about the scars, even so rumours about bringing bad luck to those near .
Stupid 10-year-old kids.
She listened.
And then ignored all of them.
She still approached .
At first, I didn't respond.
When she tried to hold my hand once, I flinched violently, pulling away before I could even think.
I thought that would've been enough.
I thought she'd get uncomfortable, embarrassed, and leave alone like everyone else.
Instead… she did the exact opposite.
From the next day on, she stuck to like a loyal dog's tail.
Sitting beside . Walking with .
Talking to —even when I didn't answer.
Every single day.
Naturally, a lot of students didn't like that, especially the boys.
So confronted , others threatened .
One idiot even tried to beat up.
Keyword: tried.
I broke his nose before he could even land a hit.
After that, no one dared to touch again.
Rumours started spreading that I was so unhinged psycho.
Sigh.
And then ca the rumours about Stella and .
As a result, her popularity dropped.
Yet she didn't change.
Not even a little.
She kept chasing after —everywhere I went, every single day.
Eventually…
I gave in.
How could I ignore that cuteness of her for that long?
I talked to her.
And slowly, our bond grew.
Without realising it, my behaviour shifted.
I wasn't that gloomy, lonely kid anymore. I laughed sotis. I spoke more. I even looked forward to school—just a little.
She beca like a sun in my dim world—bright, warm, impossible to ignore.
So I started calling her Star.
The star of my life.
You might think it as cringe, but… fuck you.
Anyways.
Just like I said in the beginning… there are very few people I care about. Very few whom I love.
And she was one of them.
Until—
She left the school.
No warning.
No goodbye.
Just like that, she vanished.
The teachers said that she had transferred sowhere else, and they didn't even know where.
I had no way to reach her.
I never saw her again.
…until now.
***
(Back to the present)
"Are you done?"
It had been five minutes.
Five long minutes, and she was still hugging him like she was afraid he'd vanish the mont she let go.
People around them stared openly now; so whispered, others shalessly raised their phones.
"I missed you," she said, her voice trembling.
Sothing warm soaked into his shirt.
She was crying.
Lucian sighed softly and patted her head.
"I missed you too," he said honestly.
"Though I am angry at you for vanishing without any notice."
Stella trembled more and looked at him hastily.
"I didn't an to! I really didn't! I didn't know that my father would transfer to another school. And…"
Lucian's brows furrowed.
"And?" he asked, concern slipping into his voice.
He realised that he knew next to nothing about her family, other than the fact that they were insanely rich.
"The school was a special one," she continued quietly.
"I had to stay there until I turned eighteen. Even during holidays… my father didn't allow to go out."
"Oh."
That was all he could say.
Should he be happy that she hadn't forgotten him, or be sad at the fact that she had to live like that?
"It must have been hard, living like that," he said, patting her head.
She blinked, then shrugged.
"It was boring."
***
They sat together in a nearby park.
Because of Stella's injured ankle, she'd called soone to pick her up later.
"I tried to find you after I ca back," Stella said softly.
"But I couldn't."
They were both sitting on a bench, their shoulders brushing.
"I knew your address, so I went there, but found out that your family had moved out. They told that your parents died in an accident."
Her tone grew sad. She had t them a few tis. They'd been kind to her.
She held his hands tightly, as if trying to pass her warmth to him.
'This girl… She is too kind. Just like before'
"It's fine," Lucian smiled.
She stared at him for a long mont—then abruptly changed the topic.
"I even went to your school," she said.
Lucian raised his eyebrows.
"But they told that you dropped out of there."
Her brows furrowed.
"Why?"
"Just… sothing happened, and I couldn't continue."
"If you don't tell , then I won't talk to you."
She narrowed her eyes and puffed her cheeks, hearing his vague answer.
"Really?"
Seeing his sad face, Stella hesitated.
"Hmph, in the past, you said that you would be honest."
Lucian hesitated.
He didn't want sympathy. Not from her or from anyone.
But lying?
No.
He was already lying to his mother by hiding his identity. He wouldn't do it again.
"I… I was paralysed."
Stella's eyes widened.
User Comments
0 comments from readers