บท 9: Ch 9: Don't make promises you cannot keep
"Are you not going to announce that you are back? I thought that you were the one with manners in this house. Oh! I forgot! You are in your rebellious phase, right?"
Now immune to Mark's jabs, Rika felt a mix of resignation and annoyance.
It did feel irritating that he still saw Rika as her 15-year-old rebellious self.
That was when Rika tried to act out to attract her parents' attention. She hoped they would notice her behaviour and talk to her.
But all it had led to was a disappointing counselling session with a therapist who could care less about her and her parents' longer business trips.
Even Mark had started to spend more time with the newly presented Suzie, leaving Rika alone to deal with her emotions and mess.
"The sensors rang the bell when I arrived home. That was more than enough warning for anyone looking forward to my return. Also, I know why you are here. Just give the scene remover, and you can head back."
Rika held her hand out for the bottle in her brother's hand.
His expression went through different ones before settling on angered-irritation as he extended his hand angrily.
"Fuck! Why do I expect you to understand me when you can't smell how much you stink of alpha pheromones? I don't even think this scent blocker will work. Just go and take a bath before coming down."
Mark threw the bottle toward Rika before heading out.
"Brother, what is going on? Is Rika back home-"
"Suzie, head inside now. It is not safe for you to be out here for this long. You might get sick if you meet Rika now."
Mark quickly guided Suzie back inside the living room, leaving Rika alone in front of their house.
In her mind, Rika understood why things had to be this way. But that did not mean her heart understood this as well.
The bottle given by Mark was thrown against the wall as soon as Rika closed her bedroom door. However, since the bottle was made of plastic, it did not break, and they continued looking at Rika mockingly.
"Fuck! I don't care anymore. Should I just leave things be and tell Mark I cannot get this scent out even with a shower?"
If she ever pulled this prank off, Rika could imagine Mark's horrified expression, as it would imply that someone had marked Rika inside out.
'Not that it's going to work. An alpha or an omega can only temporarily mark a beta.'
Rika's neck ached when she thought about it.
She often got this aching sensation in her neck where her pheromone glands were supposed to be, and the doctor assured Rika that this was nothing more than a fragment of her imagination.
Living with Alpha and Betas throughout her life unconsciously changed Rika's body. Beta, who could not feel or smell pheromones, affected her body to a certain degree. However, since no specialist could tell Rika what was happening with her body, it was a lost cause.
Rika spent too long in her room, and she was sure that even her room was beginning to smell like alpha pheromones. She took a bath and threw off her sheets in the cleaner while she was at it.
She also made sure to air out her room of any residual pheromones.
Despite Rika's earlier thought of letting herself stink off these pheromones, her body made decisions and cleared things off.
The water falling on Rika's head felt nice. It was just enough pressure to make Rika forget all her thoughts and relax her body.
She dried herself off before entering her dressing closet and changing into comfortable clothes.
The round-neck T-shirt Rika wore did not belong to her. It was far too big for her frame and rolled down her shoulders. It likely belonged to either Mark or her mother.
'Wait! Isn't Suzie taller than me as well by now? She used to be taller before she presented, and I don't think either she or I grew taller. Am I the midget of our family? How! We have two omegas in our family.'
As soon as that thought came to Rika's mind, she pushed it out.
There was no point in thinking about her height when there were other things to think about….
It was as if Mark was lying down on her bed as if he owned it.
"How long does it take for you to shower? Even Suzie does not take that long to clean herself up. What are you doing in there that is taking you so long?"
Mark complained as he looked at Rika with an upside-down face.
"I am cleaning myself up. Since I cannot smell how much I 'stink,' I must be careful while washing it off. You don't want Suzie to get sick, right?"
Rika asked almost sarcastically, not even looking at her brother. She was looking for a hairbrush and dryer to go through her hair faster.
But Rika could imagine the somewhat guilty look that crossed Mark's face after his remark. It was the same pattern all over again.
At this point, she was unsure why Mark continued to snap at her if it would make him feel this guilty about it.
There was an awkward silence in the room before Mark told Rika the real reason he was there.
"Mother told me…about your university choice, which bewildered me. Were your grades so bad that you did not get a better selection? Then, do you want me to pull some strings for you?"
Mark asked in a teasing voice. But he also sounded serious simultaneously, which meant he was serious about it.
"There is no need for you to do that. I applied for the Maxwell Academy as my first choice because that was where I wanted to go. I do not need you to use our family name or connections to get me a better deal."
Rika was quick to shoot down Mark.
She knew her brother well. If she let Mark do as he wanted, Rika would end up in an academy their family sponsored.
There was no way she would get stuck in the same cycle again.
Mark looked at Rika as if she were an outer entity he could not understand.
"Why would you ever want to attend such a university when you have many better options? That is a place where people like 'us' do not go. You are surrounded by people who are not the same as you and cannot under our needs…."
Mark trailed off while speaking, suddenly realising that his argument was invalid in front of Rika.
Rika had expected this lecture and zoned out for the most part.
She only realised that Mark had stopped speaking when his gaze penetrated Rika's face and gave her that uncomfortable feeling.
"Are you done? I told you that I want to go to this university. Can't you just let me do what I want for once?"
Rika almost begged in a tone that sounded very similar to Suzie's.
Mark looked taken aback since this was not a tone Rika often used. But whenever she used it, Mark ended up doing what she wanted.
That was how much influence Suzie had on their brother.
She could count on her hand the number of times she had begged her brother like this. And that was how he knew that Rika was serious.
"Alright, fine! You are serious about going to this university, right? Then, I will come with you for the registration process. I need to see this place with my eyes once before letting you go."
Rika turned away from Mark so he would not see her rolling her eyes at him.
'Of course! Mark only acts like my brother and then knows it is inconvenient for me. But this is better for me as well. I expected this to happen anyway.'
"I booked my registration for tomorrow. Are you sure you want to come with me?"
Rika asked while turning around. Because her shirt was so oversized, the collar was slipping down, so Rika pulled it back up.
She could not help but notice the way Mark was eying her neck.
'His instinct as an alpha must be rearing his head since he looks at my neck. I wonder why alphas and omegas stare at people's necks that much. Frankly, it's quite creepy.'
Rika smacked her hand down on her neck to hide it, which snapped Mark out of his daze. He blinked a few times, and Rika was unsure if he had heard what she said.
"Looks, if you are busy, then I understand, Mark. I can go and complete the registration process on my own."
Rika assured her older brother, but Mark quickly denied her.
"No! It's fine. I can make time for you. Tell me when you need to leave tomorrow, and I will drive you to the chosen university."
Mark assured Rika, and she did not bother telling him that her chosen university was a few towns over.
"I will!"
Rika lied, knowing fully well that Mark could not make time for her tomorrow.
After all, he needed to take Suzie to her monthly check-ups, which would conflict with Rika's time.
บท 10: Ch 10: A normal experience
"Postpone your visit to Maxwell University for admission. I fear something important has come up, so I cannot accompany you today."
Rika looked up from the breakfast in front of her and at her brother with a deadpan expression.
Her brother did not reciprocate Rika's actions or look away from his food.
Instead, his body language gave Rika all the answers she needed to hear from him.
Ruka had woken up at an ungodly hour to leave for the university before anyone else was up. But Mark had spoilt her plan.
'This spoilt brat! Does he think I can change the scheduled date for my admission interview whenever I want to? Maxwell Academy is not a high-end, expensive academy funded by our family! I cannot ask it to do that….'
Rika could reschedule the interview if she wanted to. All she had to do was stuff some pockets with money from her family and call in a few favours.
That was the last thing Rika wanted to do.
She had scheduled the interview for this dare because she knew her brother would be busy. Rika would have to reschedule it.
'But let's not tell my brother that. I should pretend I understand him and will do as he asks.'
Rika sighed before speaking up.
"Are you busy because of Suzie's monthly check-up date? It slipped my mind that it was today."
It had not slipped Rika's mind. This was one day she knew not to schedule anything important, and it had dictated much of her early schedule.
Mark coughed in his hand to hide his disappointment and to control his expression.
"That is one reason. But there is another work-related reason that I cannot talk to you about. You need to cancel your schedule for the day. Why don't you hang out with your friends today?"
Rika's eyes widened slightly, and she was shocked when she heard these words.
Mark knew that Rika's only friends were Emily and Damian, and he hated them. So, for him to suggest that Rika meet them was a bigger deal than expected.
'Wow! I did not expect Mark to ever suggest this to me. Does he hate me going to my interview alone that much?'
Rika's insides flipped as her emotions juggled around and refused to settle down. She looked up at Mark, only to see him impatiently tapping his finger on the table.
He was waiting for Rika's answer.
"I will see what I can do about rescheduling my interview. As soon as I get confirmation, I will tell you about the new date and time."
Rika would wait to reschedule her interview with such perfect conditions in place. When else would she get such freedom?
But at least Mark looked satisfied at her answer, which meant he would not come and annoy her for the time being.
Mark went to his room, and as soon as he ate, Rika picked up her phone to leave.
She did not need to bring anything else since all her papers could be printed later. Right now, Rika's priority is to leave before anyone catches her.
"Miss, are you leaving now? Please head toward the back. As the Madam ordered, I have prepared a car to take you to your destination."
Rika looked at their family butler. The old man had worked for their family for a long time and was the only beta Rika had regular contact with.
Unlike Rika, the butler came from a regular beta family but was extra sensitive to pheromones. That was why he had been hired as their butler. He was the perfect person to care for Suzie and her omega maid.
As another beta and the only person in this household who could understand Rika, he was someone Rika had looked up to and wanted to get to know.
He also looked uncomfortable whenever Rika talked to him about her condition or anything in general. He often looked at Rika as a specimen he did not understand what to do with.
While growing up, it was hard for Rika to understand why another beta would give her those looks. In the end, she never asked either. She just stopped asking the butler and tried to get close to him.
Even now, she could tell the butler felt uncomfortable talking to her.
"I see! Mother already knew this was going to happen, huh? I guess I better get going on the
Rika quickly left before the butler could say much more. She wanted to spare him the uncomfortable feeling he was having.
The driver looked pissed at having to come and pick Rika up so early in the morning, and she understood the feeling.
After all, the sun was not even out in the sky right now.
Rika got into the car without a word, and the driver entered with an annoyed look.
"Where do you want me to take you, miss?"
The driver asked in a haughty voice as he looked at Rika through the front mirror.
"To the train station. I will travel by the train for the remainder of my journey."
Rika's words made the driver happy. He suddenly realised that his day would not be as bad as he had hoped.
Even Rika had no intention of spending more time with someone who did not like her than necessary.
Since it was still early in the morning, there was no traffic, and they reached the station in record time.
Rika had already purchased the tickets, so it took her only a short time to catch the train.
This was her first experience riding a train, but it was easier than people made it out to be.
It was peaceful in the private train compartment Rika had booked, and she could finally catch her break.
Getting away from all the noise felt much better than Rika anticipated.
The train ride was smooth, and the station finally arrived.
Rika had changed from her high-end clothes to something more natural for an average person.
She had to do much research for 'blending in,' which seemed to work.
As she got closer and closer to the academy, Rika began to see more people, but the usual tension and agitation she was used to seeing was no longer present.
Most of the population on the campus were students who looked exhausted after a long day of work.
It looked troublesome but fun at the same time.
Many near the campus were where Rika could get her papers printed before entering the registration office.
She could see many people around her, and the academy was understaffed and accepting all these applications.
"Miss, can you hurry up and tell me your papers?"
The front-desk lady asked Rika, now waiting to be handed the papers Rika had in her hand.
Rika quickly gave it to the lady in front of her with a flushed face.
"I-I am sorry for getting distracted. Here these are my papers and IDs. Do you need anything else?"
Rika tried not to sound as nervous as she felt at that moment.
She feared the counter lady could tell who she was by looking at her ID. The counter lady's weird look made Rika nervous when she looked at her papers.
"You have lovely grades and test scores. With these, you could have chosen a much better university than this public one, even with money issues. Why would you choose to come to this public mess?"
The lady asked with a concerned face, but it did not sound as if she wanted an answer from Rika.
Her question gave Rika a pause, and she realised that she had not considered an answer to this question.
Or rather, she had not thought that anyone would ask this once the invitations had been sent off.
"Sorry, I asked a rude question. You must have your reasons for wanting to apply to this academy instead of a better university. Your application is processed. Please go check out a dorm room before you have to shift."
Rika blinked at the lady in front of her with a surprised face.
This was the first time anyone had backed away when they had asked Rika a question.
Since Alphas and omegas had their pride, they did not like it when others denied answers.
But it was a different case when it came to betas. They looked like a more easy-going and average bunch…. for the most part.
Rika walked away from the line with a dazed expression. Her feet took her to the dorm building, and the hand on Rika's shoulder finally broke her out of her daze.
"Are you here to check out our dorms? You look like a wealthy kid, so I would advise you not to dorm here. It would be much better to choose a nearby PG or rental to live in. It will be even better if you can afford your apartment."
The dorm lady advised Rika even before she said anything. The warning seemed genuine, but Rika could not see a reason not to live in this dorm.
It did not take her long to realise why the lady had warned her.
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