HI, APPLE!

When life gets hard, don't wish to be easier.

Decide to be stronger.

-Quotes 'nd Notes-

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"Are you sure you will leave her in that house?" Kama entered Drustan's study room, bringing a cup of tea for him, and then sat down on the opposite chair.

Drustan didn't answer him, he kept busy with the book in his hand. Recently, he got addicted to these manuscripts and spent most of his day and night searching for something there.

"Hey, what did she mean by gold dust? How did she know about the gold dust?" Kama ignored the fact that Drustan was ignoring him and kept asking question after question. "Even me, I barely know about the gold dust, since the fact of its existence is almost like a myth."

Since Kama intentionally blew up his identity by staying beside Apple and didn't follow Drustan's order correctly, then Dorian was sent to keep his eyes on her. Although that man had a long way to go before he could be a great magician, but, at least he was a great listener.

Drustan just needed someone to see if there was something peculiar that the girl did and whether the gold dust would appear again on a random occasion.

"But, I pity that girl's life…" Kama paid no attention to Drustan's lack of response and kept doing his monologue. "All of her family treated her badly. I don't even think they are her true family. Especially the cousin of hers, every time I see her ugly face, I have this urge to scratch her with my claws." Kama stretched out his hand, was about to touch one of the manuscripts in front of him. "No wonder she wants to get out of that house."

"Don't touch it," Drustan said languidly, but when Kama ignored that warning because he tended to rebel, Drustan added. "It is full of curses."

Kama's finger was only a few inches away from the manuscript when he stopped and jerked his hand away, his eyes opened wide.

"Why don't you tell me earlier?" He cradled his arm exaggeratedly. "What if something bad happened to me?" he complained and sulked.

Meanwhile, Drustan didn't heed his protest or his other questions until Kama was tired from being ignored and eventually left him alone.

However, ever since Kama informed him in passing, about how Apple's family treated her, Drustan's mind wandered to the girl, and her green eyes that stared at him, pleading for not being left alone, flashed before his eyes, and this irritated Drustan.

Who was this girl? How could she possess the gold dust with her? That kind of thing did not belong to humans.

==============

Apple was beaten badly until she had to skip her school for two days, so her bruises wouldn't scare people away and enhanced the bad rumor about her for being involved with bad people by doing illegal things.

It didn't need the genius to guess from who this rumor started.

Unfortunately, Apple and Cherry were in school, and for her bad luck, they were even in the same class, while Brian, he had graduated two years ago, but still couldn't find a decent job to even feed his own stomach.

Apple even knew that Brian would use the money that Marry gave to him to gamble with a woman. Such a shame to have him as a son.

"So, you finally decided to go to school today?" Cherry approached her in her room when she saw Apple was wearing her hoodie over her head on top of their school uniform. "Good then. You shouldn't skip school since we are in our last year." Cherry shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly while giving her cousin a mocking smile.

Yes, that's right. That was the only reason why Apple didn't take her bag and walk out of this house, or why she didn't fight back when Marry beat her until black and blue when she only slapped Cherry once.

Oh, for god sake. Cherry needed more than a slap to make her useless brain work again.

"But, you will not care if we graduate or not, since you don't have friends to celebrate it with you," Cherry said cheerfully.

The only reason why Apple didn't have a friend was because of Cherry. She made sure the label of 'bad influence' was plastered on her forehead.

BRAK!

Apple closed the cabinet with so much force until the debris fell down from the ceiling and startled Cherry, making her rambunctious laugh die down immediately.

"What? What do you want to do?" Cherry covered both of her cheeks, as she stepped back from the doorsteps. "Do you want to slap me again? I will tell mom if you dare to even touch me!" she threatened her.

On the other hand, Apple fixed her eyes on Cherry but didn't say anything. Even when she slammed her bedroom door closed, she didn't break eye contact.

For two full seconds, Apple just glared at her without words before she walked away and went to school.

"You crazy bitch!!!" Cherry screamed in irritation and picked her bag to go to school as well.

==============

Just like what Apple had expected, there were a lot of whispers when she walked into her class and her peers looked at her bruised face.

However, at this moment, Apple should thank the rumor that surrounded her, because of it those people were scared enough to not say any words toward her or even a question.

Her teachers also could be satisfied by the reason; falling down from the stairs, and then they didn't ask anything anymore, though anyone with the right mind wouldn't believe that.

And when the bell rang, indicating the class was over, Apple pulled her hoodie over her head again as she walked under the rain. She forgot to bring an umbrella, despite knowing it would rain.

This was the same situation as when she met Drustan for the first time and she hoped she could see him again in that alley.

However, it was not Drustan that she met, but Brian instead.

"Hi, Apple," Brian greeted her.