Chapter 48: THE FESTIVAL ENDS (Part 3)

The day had started to grow dark when Ella walked home along the sidewalk that was starting to empty. Streetlights started turning on one by one, illuminating her path with warm yellowish light. In the sky, stars started appearing one by one, and a thin crescent moon hung on the eastern horizon. The night air felt cool and fresh, very different from the scorching heat of the afternoon. The night breeze blew gently, carrying the scent of grass and wet earth from the park in the distance.

Around Ella’s neck, the gold medal she’d won at the sports festival was still displayed proudly. Every time she stepped, the medal swayed, reflecting the streetlight with a golden gleam. CLING! CLING! The sound of ringing metal was heard every time the medal hit her chest. Its smooth surface felt cold on her skin, but that cold felt pleasant—like a reminder that everything that happened today was real.

Small hops Ella hopped happily, unable to contain her joy. Her long black hair was neatly tied at the back of her head, but a few strands had come loose and fluttered in the night breeze. Her shoes made tap... tap... tap... sounds every time they landed on the sidewalk. A smile never left her face. She even laughed softly to herself occasionally, remembering how Mira hopped on the desk, how Rin showed off her medal, and how they all hugged each other in the middle of the field.

"We won," she murmured softly, her hand reaching for the medal around her neck. CLING! The medal felt cold at her fingertips. "We really won."

She kept walking with light steps, passing shops that were starting to close. An old man closing his shop smiled at her, and Ella returned it with a wide smile. Small smile from the old man made her even happier. She passed the now-empty park, where only a few couples sat on the park benches, and passed houses whose lights were starting to turn on. Occasionally she looked at the medal around her neck and smiled.

Tap... tap... tap... Her footsteps grew faster as her house started to come into view at the end of the street. A simple house with slightly faded white paint, an old wooden fence, and a small garden in front planted with simple flowers. The flowers were starting to wilt because of the dry season, but a few were still blooming, red and yellow under the streetlight. The light inside the house was already on, signaling that her mother had come home.

Ella opened the gate. CREAK! The sound of the old creaking gate. She walked through the small garden and opened the front door.

"Mom! I’m home!" Ella called out enthusiastically, her voice echoing in the simple living room.

Tap... tap... tap... She ran toward the kitchen where her mother—Mrs. Tia—was preparing dinner. The aroma of cooking could already be smelled from a distance—the warm, savory aroma of chicken soup, mixed with the scent of sautéed onions and fresh celery.

Mrs. Tia, who was holding a pot of chicken soup, was startled by Ella’s voice. Her eyes widened seeing her daughter running in with a gold medal swaying around her neck. Her calm face turned into deep surprise.

CLANK! The pot in her hands almost fell. The chicken soup inside wobbled, almost spilling. The golden-yellow broth moved inside the pot, almost overflowing onto the floor.

"Ella! You—" Mrs. Tia didn’t have time to finish her sentence.

With quick reflexes, Ella stepped forward and caught the pot with both hands. CLICK! The pot was caught safely. The chicken soup inside remained intact, nothing spilled. The broth was still calm, the carrots and potatoes inside still looked perfect.

"Huff..." Ella sighed in relief, her chest rising and falling quickly. "Safe, Mom."

Mrs. Tia blinked, then laughed softly. Her trembling hands now calmed down. "You startled me, Ella. I almost dropped this soup."

Ella smiled, then placed the pot on the table carefully. Her strong hands held the pot steadily. "Sorry, Mom. I was too excited."

Mrs. Tia looked at her daughter, and her eyes immediately fell on the gold medal swaying around Ella’s neck. CLING! The medal sparkled under the kitchen light, reflecting light onto the slightly dull walls. The medal looked so striking in the middle of their simple kitchen.

"Ella... what is that?" Mrs. Tia asked, her voice full of curiosity. Her eyes didn’t blink, staring at the medal with admiration.

Ella smiled widely, her hand reaching for the medal and lifting it proudly. Her chest puffed out as she showed off the medal. "This is a medal, Mom! I won at the sports festival! Our class became the overall champion!"

HAAAH! Mrs. Tia was surprised, her hand raised to cover her open mouth. Her eyes widened, not believing what she’d just heard. "Really?! You won?!"

"Yes, Mom!" Ella nodded enthusiastically, her black hair swaying. "We competed in volleyball, basketball, relay race, archery, and chess. We won in almost all events! Our total points were 68, Mom! First place!"

Mrs. Tia couldn’t contain her joy. Quickly, she stepped forward and hugged Ella tightly. Ella, still holding the pot, was slightly surprised, but she immediately returned her mother’s hug. Her mother’s warm hug felt so comfortable in the cold night.

"Mom—" Ella laughed softly. "I’m still holding the pot."

"Ah, sorry!" Mrs. Tia released her hug, then took the pot from Ella’s hands. "I was too happy."

Ella laughed, then sat down at the dining table. CREAK! The old wooden chair creaked softly under her weight. Mrs. Tia sat across from her, her eyes still looking at the medal with admiration.

"Tell me about it," Mrs. Tia said, her voice full of enthusiasm. "How did you win?"

Ella started telling everything with full enthusiasm. Her hands moved expressively, imitating the movements of hitting a volleyball and throwing a basketball. She told about the chess match won by Eve—how Eve faced the defending champion calmly and managed to beat her. She told about the archery, which although they lost still made them proud—how Nora and Luna fought until the end even though their arrows broke. She told about the basketball, which fought until the end—how Rin led the team with spirit, how Katrin and Maya gave amazing support. And she told about the volleyball, which was the peak of their victory—how Ella, Liliana, Irene, and Rina worked together perfectly.

"The new teacher... Mr. Kai," Ella said, her eyes sparkling. "He was always there for us. He trained us. He gave us spirit. He taught us not to give up. Without him, we wouldn’t have been like this. He always said ’you can do it’ even when we ourselves doubted."

Mrs. Tia listened carefully, her eyes not blinking. When Ella finished telling her story, she let out a long sigh. "That teacher of yours... he’s a good person, Ella. I’m glad you have a teacher like him."

Ella smiled. "Yes, Mom. He really is good."

"Forgive me, Ella," Mrs. Tia said, her voice soft. "I couldn’t be at that festival. I had to work. I know you must have wanted me to see you compete."

Ella shook her head quickly. "It’s okay, Mom. I understand. You had to work. What matters is I can tell you everything now."

Mrs. Tia smiled, her eyes starting to glisten. "You’ve grown up, Ella. You’ve become strong."

Ella smiled, then looked at the dining table. Her eyes widened when she saw what was already available on the table.

In the middle of the table, there was a large bowl of chicken soup still steaming. The steam swirled in the air, carrying a savory aroma that whetted the appetite. Inside, bright orange carrots, fresh green cabbage, soft yellow potatoes, large juicy pieces of chicken, and fragrant celery could be seen. All the ingredients were perfectly mixed in the clear, shiny broth. The savory and warm aroma spread throughout the room.

GLUK! Ella’s stomach growled loudly. Grrr! The sound was loud enough for Mrs. Tia to hear.

Mrs. Tia laughed, her voice warm. "I know this is your favorite food. So I made it on purpose. I knew you must be tired after competing, so I wanted you to eat food you like."

Ella couldn’t hold back. Quickly, she took a plate and spoon, then filled her plate with the still-hot chicken soup. Hot steam billowed in her face, making it a little foggy, but she didn’t care. Slurp... Slurp... She sipped the broth eagerly. The savory and warm taste spread on her tongue, making her whole body feel comfortable.

"Delicious!" Ella exclaimed with her mouth full. "So delicious, Mom! This is the best soup you’ve ever made!"

Mrs. Tia smiled, her eyes looking at her daughter with affection. Her wrinkled hand touched Ella’s hair gently. "Eat a lot. You must be tired after competing."

Ella nodded, continuing to eat the chicken soup eagerly. The sound of spoons and plates became the only music in the room. Occasionally she lifted her head to smile at her mother, then returned to eating. She finished two plates of chicken soup before finally feeling full.

HAAAH... Ella sighed contentedly, her body leaning back in the chair. "I’m full, Mom. Thank you."

Mrs. Tia smiled. "You’re welcome, dear."

After finishing eating, Ella washed her own dishes in the sink. Warm water flowed over her hands, soap foaming on the surface of the plates. She rinsed them until clean, then placed them on the drying rack. Then, she walked toward her room.

Her room was simple—a single bed with slightly rumpled white sheets, an old wooden study desk full of books, and a small wardrobe in the corner of the room. On the wall, hung a worn-out photo of her father. The photo had yellowed at the edges, but her father’s smile was still clearly visible—the same smile she always remembered.

Ella sat at her study desk, then took out her slightly worn-out phone. The phone screen was cracked on the left corner, and some buttons were starting to be hard to press. But she could still use it to send messages. With her fingers still trembling slightly from happiness, she opened the messaging app and started typing.

"I’m home! My mom was shocked to see the medal! How are you all?"

Not long after, her phone vibrated. BUZZ! The first message came in. From Mira.

"MIRA! My mom even cried! She hugged Mira for a long time! Then she cooked Mira’s favorite food! Fried noodles! So delicious! Mira ate three plates!"

Ella smiled reading Mira’s message. She could imagine Mira hopping around at home, her brown hair swaying, and her smile that never faded.

The next message came in. BUZZ! From Rin.

"My mom was also shocked! She even dropped a glass! But she was really happy. She cooked me rendang! My favorite! I ate two plates! My mom said I’m amazing!"

Ella laughed softly. Rin, who was usually stubborn and quick to anger, also had a sweet side rarely seen. She could imagine Rin smiling shyly when praised by her mother.

The next message came in from Iris. BUZZ!

"Mom was happy. But she can’t cook. So we ordered food. I ordered my favorite fried chicken. Mom was also happy. We ate while watching TV."

Ella nodded. Iris, who was always mysterious, also felt the same happiness.

Then from Luna. BUZZ!

"My mom... cried. I don’t know why. But she cooked me soup. I like soup. I ate until it was gone."

Ella sighed. Luna, who was quiet, who always kept her feelings to herself, also felt the same thing. Her mother’s tears might have been tears of happiness.

A message from Nora. BUZZ!

"My mom was happy. She didn’t say much, but I saw her smile. She cooked me grilled fish. I ate until I was full."

From Eve. BUZZ!

"My parents were also happy. They cooked steak for me. I counted the calories. Very high. But I still ate. It tasted good."

Ella smiled. Eve was still Eve—always calculating, always analyzing. But this time, she enjoyed her food without thinking too much about the numbers.

From Aria. BUZZ!

"I-I... my mom cried. She hugged me for a long time. She cooked me fried rice. I ate until I was full. I told her about Mr. Kai. She said she wants to thank him."

From Fay. BUZZ!

"Mom... smiled. I’m happy."

Ella put her phone down on the table. Her eyes looked at the screen that was starting to dim. One by one, messages from her friends came in, all telling the same thing—their parents were proud, they were served their favorite food, and they felt the same happiness.

HAAAH... Ella let out a long sigh, her body leaning back in the chair.

Her eyes shifted to the gold medal still hanging around her neck. CLING! She touched its cold surface with her fingertips. The medal felt heavy in her hand—not physically heavy, but heavy with meaning. Every scratch on its surface, every gleam of light that reflected, all reminded her of the struggle they had gone through.

"Mr. Kai..." she murmured softly.

Her mind started drifting to that teacher. Kai Arden. The man who came to their class with a wrinkled suit and crooked tie. The man who panicked when he saw Rin cough. The man who defended them when Claus Code insulted them. The man who trained them patiently. The man who was always there for them. The man who made them believe they could.

HAAAH... Ella sighed again.

"Can I trust him?" she whispered softly.

She remembered everything that happened. How Kai was always there for them. How he protected them. How he made them feel valuable. How he smiled when they won. How he clapped from the teachers’ row with sparkling eyes. How he hugged Nora when Nora cried.

But on the other hand, there was something nagging at her heart. Something that still made her doubt. There was a mystery behind Kai—something she didn’t know. The scar on his cheek, the way he moved alertly, the way he talked about the past carefully. All of it showed that Kai was hiding secrets.

"There’s something he’s hiding," Ella murmured, her eyes looking at the medal in her hand. "I know there’s something he’s hiding. But... does it matter?"

She remembered how Kai smiled when they won. How he clapped from the teachers’ row with sparkling eyes. How he hugged Nora when Nora cried. How he was always there for them. How he said "you can do it" even when they themselves didn’t believe.

HIKSS... Ella felt tears starting to well up in her eyes.

"Maybe... maybe I can trust him," she whispered softly. "Maybe he really is different. Maybe he’s not what I thought. Maybe he’s just someone trying to do the right thing."

She placed the medal on the table, beside her worn-out phone. Her eyes looked at the medal, then at her father’s photo on the wall. Her father’s smile was still clearly visible, like he was giving her strength.

"Dad," Ella whispered, her voice soft. "I wish you could see me now. I wish you were proud of me. We won, Dad. We really won."

HIKSS... Tears started falling down her cheeks. PLUK! PLUK! Drops of tears fell on the old wooden table.

But she wiped them quickly. She didn’t want to cry. She’d cried enough. Now, she wanted to smile. She wanted to enjoy this victory. She wanted to feel the happiness she had achieved.

"Tomorrow," Ella said, her voice starting to grow firm. "Tomorrow I’ll ask Mr. Kai. I’ll find out who he really is. But for now..."

She reached for the medal and gripped it tightly. Its cold surface felt warm in her hand.

"...I’ll enjoy tonight. I’ll feel this victory. I’ll be happy."

CLING! The medal sparkled under the bedroom light.

Outside the window, the crescent moon hung in the night sky, illuminating the world with its soft silver light. Stars twinkled in the distance, like they were celebrating their victory. The night breeze blew gently, carrying the sound of rustling leaves.

Ella smiled, holding the medal in her hand, feeling a happiness she’d never felt before. And in her heart, a belief was starting to grow.