9

At first no one noticed or even glanced at Venus and the baby boy, but as the other children became aware of their purpose, whispers began to creep in annoyance. The baby boy's face turned pink, but it seemed that it actually made him increase his confidence. He walked with an arrogant look while slipping a hand into his pants pocket, while Venus just rolled her eyes inexorably.

Venus walked while looking back at the children who mostly came from the seniors. She passed a small girl who looked at her with a frowned worry. Like Venus will die.

Suddenly, the girl grabbed Venus's arm and whispered loudly, “They are dangerous! Better you and your friends find another seat!”

Venus made a shocked expression. Too bad, she focused wrong on that girl's zit.

“Really? If so, pray for our safety, okay?” The view of Venus switches to the mouth of another stove. “Well, stop gossiping as if we were going to be killed instead of joining those beautiful sisters! You are good kids, so don't act like idiots!”

“Don't make trouble, New Girl!” The pimply girl bluffed Venus with changed eyes.

Venus jerked the hand of the Pimply Girl, then took the baby boy. Venus dragged him while glaring at anyone who was still staring openly at them.

“So who are our hostile sisters?” Venus asked lightly while stamping her buttocks, completely forgetting her fate, which was now in the middle of nowhere.

“You may too, Sis,” said the girl next to Venus. Her hair was dyed the color of fire and ponytailed. Her wide eyes highlighted amusement.

“Nobody can ruin a Venus's curiosities,” Venus smirked arrogantly.

“Curiosity?!” The baby boy suddenly poked in annoyance. “That's because you just invited people to our dislike!”

“Ah never mind. It's okay,” said Venus waving her hand under the nose of the baby boy, suddenly imitating him by changing his non-standard "no" with more politeness. “People shouldn't just think badly! It's not my fault that I don't accept and get angry at them. Besides, you were seen enjoying it. So, why be a hypocrite?”

The baby boy's face turned red.

The other girl cleared her throat. Her curly hair is brown and loose. Actually she is sweet, if her expression were not that strict.

“You touched me,” she said with a short smile. “However, it's true what your friend said. You can't be careless, even if your instincts say that. Who knows if we were that bad?”

Venus looked at her annoyed.

“Never mind, Ris.” interrupted the girl with red hair. “She has been kind enough to trust us!”

The girl looked back at Venus and the baby boy, then said, “I'm Lou, and the one next to me is Ris. And please, just call our names without mentioning Sister. And you two?”

“Venus.” The girl looked at the baby boy. “But, I don't know what his name is yet.”

“So far, and you guys haven't even been acquainted?!” Lou giggled. “What is this?”

Venus threw a grin at the baby boy.

“Ah, I guess Venus forgot to get acquainted because of being too focused on her new world,” said the baby boy with a smile. “By the way, I'm Virzash.”

Venus nodded. Come to think of it, the look of this little baby boy was quite good (oh, Venus still calls him the baby boy!). So far, Venus concluded Virzash always tried to look cool, only at the same time his face turned red. As if being cool will always make him embarrassed and proud at the same time. See, like a child, right? So cute.

“Ahem!”

Shocked, Venus turned around and saw a burly boy standing beside Virzash. The stranger's face was quite childish, but Venus didn't consider him like a baby at all. His skin is a little dark. Her slightly brown hair was cut in such a way, with a middle part and bangs. As far as Venus is concerned, it was the style of Korean idols on the First Earth. There was a suspicious red stain on the front of his plain white shirt.

In essence, that guy already looks cool without having to try. If Virzash the baby boy was jealous, Venus wouldn't be surprised.

“I'm sitting here, okay?” The visitor asked. His voice sounded nosy.

“Even if you stand up we don't care,” Lou said curtly.

The guy laughed and sat in the only available chair.

“You dare, huh, to sit here,” said the boy, grinning at the two new juniors.

“You missed the latest gossip, huh, Shad?” Ris said triumphantly. “You should have seen the action of Venus earlier!”

The guy named Shad chuckled in annoyance.

“I've seen it before,” he said arrogantly, removing Ris's smile by only half. Shad turned to Venus. “So, your name is Venus, huh? Spraying the faces of those damn kids? Really great!”

It was like there were invisible hot spots gushing down Venus' neck and face. She tried to show a smile, and the result was even like a brash grin.

“So.” Venus cleared her throat. She glared at Virzash who was holding back laughter. “So, they also hostile to you?”

“Maybe,” said Shad amused. “Besides, it doesn't matter if I'm made an enemy, as long as they keep admiring me!”

Ris and Lou compactly snorted. Venus looked at Shad closely, while he just laughed. Even the laughter invited the attention of several senior girls. There were also many junior girls who seemed rather fascinated with him. Because of that, Shad became more confident in spreading charm.

“You narcissistic guy,” Venus grunted openly. “Debris that is clearly useless.”

Ris almost choked, and Lou's laughter spontaneously exploded. While the one being mocked just grinned like an idiot.

Uh.

A loud hiss suddenly filled the air, silencing the entire room. Many new kids who look panicked, thinking there's something like a leaking gas pipe, maybe. At first Venus thought so too, until she saw the attitude of the seniors who seemed mediocre. Venus looked at Lou with a questioning look. Lou just shrugs her chin in one direction.

Venus turned around and realized that there were single tables with large chairs lined up at the opposite end, opposite the front door. The door at the end of the row of tables slid open, and dozens of adults dressed in white flocked into the hall. One by one they began to take their seats. Venus guessed they were the krona here, because Mr. Rokuga was among them too. A man who appeared to be the youngest of the others, sitting in the middle chair that was at once the largest. The man has white hair and ...

“ ... is my eyesight wrong, or is that person's eyes really white?”

“You mean the white-haired one?” Shad replied to Venus. “Take it easy, your eyes are still okay. The boy's eyes are indeed white.”

Venus looked at Shad (again).

“The boy?”

Shad shrugged his shoulders and then crossed his arms. “He is still 17 years old. One year older than me.”

“As young as that?!” Virzash exclaimed muffled, shocked. “Don't tell me that he is the principal here! As far as I know VoltaKron Zaloya is not that young.”

“Who is VoltaKron Zaloya” Venus asked.

“VoltaKron means the principal,” Virzash answered, then looked at the three seniors in front of him doubtfully. “Isn't he? I mean, about VoltaKron Zaloya.”

Ris nodded.

“Mr. Zaloya is of course still VoltaKron here,” she said. “But, at this time Mr. Zaloya is on business, and for the time being his presence is represented on his son, Pasirr. I mean, that guy.”

Venus looked at Pasirr (sand in Indonesian?) doubtfully.

“Are you saying that he's a genius?” Somehow Venus thought so.

Lou grinned. “He's just a jerk who isn't genius at all. He was there because it was very likely that VoltaKron just wanted to teach the child something, so that his head was getting bigger.”

Venus and Virzash laughed.

“That's what you say!” Shad retorted, not satisfied. “As far as I know, Pasirr isn't that genius, but the reason you are saying isn't true either! You're just annoyed of him, period.”

Lou started arguing and fighting with Shad. What Venus could catch from their rant was just who was annoyed by whom. Totally useless.

“ATTENTION!”

The call mediated between Lou and Shad's quarrel, as well as other children's chats. The one who cried out was a big woman with high hair in a bun. She looks like a donut, round and speckled. The woman first sat on the right side of Pasirr, then walked out to the round podium at the table of the kronas.

“Welcome, juniors, and good night to everyone.” The woman began while stretching out her arms for a moment. “Introduce, New Children, I'm Mrs. Mana! We will start the Talent Selection session first before the dinner—” Venus's stomach reads, “—and sleep afterwards. In this session, students are called upon to come up and stand here.”

Mrs. Mana then came down from the podium that wasn't that high and took a tablet computer from the table. Venus was quite surprised by the presence of the tablet. Instead of what, she just thought this world didn't need technology. You know, like in the novel. However, come to think of it, technology is definitely needed in this kind of Volta Juana school. To save data and identities of students ... wait.

Venus looked at Mrs. Mana with mixed feelings. Her stomach suddenly felt heartburn.

Venus isn't sure her father still cares about the status of Venus crossbreed. While she knew her biological mother had died. Then, how can Volta Juana know who Venus's identity is? So, who will pay for her school and life here?

Venus bit her lip, waiting for the name Venus Samudera that will never be called.