Celestial Love (Tsutey x OC)

Chapter 4

"This was our school. Now it's just storage". She saw her Aunt pick up a book and flipped through its pages.

Karina recalled seeing pictures of her Aunt's school and how happy she looked when she was surrounded by her students.

Grace had a smile on her face but Karina could see the sadness in her eyes as she reminisced. "The kids were so bright, eager to learn and took English faster than I could teach it".

Karina helped her Aunt put away the books on the shelves. She looked up at the sting bats who must have knocked them down. They hissed at Jake who was playing with the mobile that replicated the Earth's solar system.

"We'll take a couple of these PH monitors, a soil probe and the old microscope—" Grace was instructing Norm what to pack.

While Karina's attention was caught by the book in her hands. 'The Lorax by Dr Seuss'.

She smiled as Tom always loved to quote Lorax when the topic was about Ecology. 'Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not'. He would even put his index finger on top of his lips to copy the Lorax's moustache.

Karina was pulled out of her trance as she felt her Aunt lean over her shoulder. "I loved that one. I keep hoping someone will come back and read them". Grace's smile fell as she gazed at the blackboard that was behind Jake.

Jake followed her line of sight and noticed the bullet holes on the board. "What happened here?". He asked as he poked his finger through one of them curiously.

Grace turned sharply to him and her expression hardened. "Are you gonna help us with this gear? We got a lot to do".

Karina thought it was unfair for her Aunt to snap at Jake. He didn't know what happened but she knew that her Aunt's school was always a topic even she avoided.

She sighed heavily as Jake turned to her. Even when she was low-key mad at him for lying, she couldn't help but empathise when he wore that sad puppy-eyed look.

Handing the book to Jake, she gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder before helping her Aunt and Norm prepare.

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After packing up, the four of them continued towards where there were more variables of fauna.

Grace picked a spot between two tall trees, their roots and vines intertwined. She urged Karina to watch closely as she pierced the probe into one of the roots.

Taking off her pack, Karina set it down on her feet and grabbed the scan's screen.

She and Norm both watched the screen as it automatically glowed and pulsed fast as the signal transduction from each root communicated to the next.

"Oh Wow, that's fast". Norm gushed over how amazing it was and asked if he could take the next sample.

Karina didn't want to take the opportunity away from Norm as he is also a Xenobotanist like her Aunt and encouraged him to go next.

She looked over to Jake and frowned once she saw him walk away.

"Norm you've contaminated the sample with your saliva". Grace reprimanded the scientist beside her.

Glancing at her Aunt who was too busy guiding her mentee to start all over again, Karina decided to quickly get Jake back before Grace would notice.

"Jake". Karina silently followed him and was quick to catch up without making much sound.