บท 11: Ch 11: Finding the right place

"These are the bedrooms. These are usually shared between 4-6 people, depending on how lucky or unlucky you are. But the number might increase this year because too many people applied here."

Rika looked at the small bedroom that seemed to be falling apart.

It was barely sufficient for two individuals, let alone accommodating 4, or worse, 6. The walls were marred with mould, and a dubious wet patch adorned the ceiling. Rika couldn't shake off the unsettling feeling that she was better off not knowing what had transpired in this room.

"There are no single rooms available here?"

Rika asked in a slightly desperate voice.

She did not mind sharing a room, but the condition of this room was enough to make her puke.

"Single room? We have those but cannot issue one to a beta like you. Those rooms are specifically reserved for Alphas and omegas because of their 'special' needs. We cannot have them dorm with common people after all."

The dorm lady informed Sui, and Sui almost asked her why alphas and omegas could not have their separate dorms at the university.

She could guess the answer already - the lack of funds this place had.

"Now that we have seen the communal kitchen, let me show you the bathrooms. We have two on each floor, so it is usually a race to see who gets to shower first. But there is warm water and-!"

The dorm lady paused and tensed up.

"It seems that we should not head this way. Let's head back now."

Rika also wanted to see the bathrooms, but asking the form lady to show them to her would have been inappropriate.

She could also hear the dorm lady muttering, 'Stupid alpha-omega couple! Going at it in the middle of the day and public, no less!' and Rika suddenly lost all will to live here.

"Now, would you like to see the communal kitchen? I can show you around-"

"It's fine! I think I've seen more than enough. I will just dorm out of the campus for the time being."

As she stepped back, Rika quickly assured the dorm lady of this. She knew her response had been stronger than expected, but the dorm lady made an understanding face.

"That will be best for you to do. I can point you to a good PG if you want me to."

Rika accepted the offer and took it out of the university dorms. She had no intention of ever living there.

'It's such a relief that I ended up coming today. Mark would have thrown a fit if he had seen this place. I can never let him find out about this dorm.'

Thankfully, the place that the dorm lady introduced Rika to looked like a decent place.

Rika could have lived alone in her family's nearby apartment complex. However, the people who won places there worked for her family or were acquaintances.

Staying there would send a red signal to people, and there was also a chance of others recognising her.

Her mother had some conditions regarding renting other apartments, which were as bad as living in her family's apartment complex.

So, Rika's best bet was a communal house, and the one she had been pointed to looked satisfactory.

Rika knocked at the door, and the kind-looking lady open

"Ah, welcome to our communal dorm. I heard from my friend that you would be coming to check this place out. Before I give you a tour, I must inform you that this place is a bit expensive compared to others. Would that be a problem for you?"

The communal house lady looked nervous when she told Rika that. Money was an issue for many people.

'It makes sense. Anyone who chooses Maxwell Academy must not be rich enough to attend a fancy college or pay for it. There is no way they could afford an expensive Communal dorm.'

But Rika had a lot of money she did not care about. If this place suited her, then she would live here.

"I don't have a problem living here. I heard from the dorm lady that this was a beta-only place. Is that true?"

Rika asked excitedly, and the landlady looked taken aback by Rika's question. But understanding passed her eyes when she looked at Rika, and her gaze softened.

"That is right! This place is strictly reserved for betas only. So, I take it that money is not an issue for you. Would you like to tour the house now?"

The lady asked, and Rika nodded.

The communal house was a three-story apartment, and Rika was led to the top floor.

Unlike the other two floors, this one had a common hall leading to two separate rooms with twin beds.

There was also a terrace garden that covered the rest of the floor, and it looked beautiful.

"You will have to share this room with someone else, but it should not be a problem for you, right? Also, you are in luck. Your roommate is here right now, and you can meet her to see if living together would work."

The Landlady looked nervously at Rika's reaction but showed no apparent discomfort.

It seemed like a good sign for the Land Lady, so she knocked at the other room's door, and a familiar face opened.

'Oh wow! I did hear that the world can feel like a small place at times, but I never expected to experience it myself. What are the chances I will run into one of Mark's ex-girlfriends like this?'

There had been a time when Mark had constantly dated one person after another, and there had been quite a few betas in the mix.

Rika remembered Charron because she had lasted a whole week despite being a beta. She remembered Mark saying that Charron was extremely sensitive despite being a beta, which was why he dated her.

In the end, Rika only meets Charron once or twice before Mark moves on from her to another lady.

'Charron must have dyed her hair blond, but her face looks the same as it did a few years ago. Does she recognise me as well? If so, then I cannot live here.'

Rika was about to say something when Charron spoke first.

"You! I have seen you before. Let me think…I think I saw you around Mark Goodwill when I visited his house. You must be the daughter of one of Goodwill's servants. It's nice to meet you again."

Charron smiled at Rika, not realising how offending her words sounded.

Despite being offended, Rika was glad she had not been recognised. It assured her she could get by without being associated with her family.

But in honesty, it also made Rika's heart hurt.

'It makes sense why Charron does not recognise me. I am sure that Mark only introduced Suzie when he brought people home. Our relationship had already started to sour at that point. It's no wonder that I got mistaken as a servant.'

Rika tried to maintain her smile, but even she realised it was slightly strained.

"So, would you like to live here? Knowing each other beforehand will make you feel more comfortable together."

The landlady asked anxiously. She seemed desperate to get Sui to accept this place and live there.

"Look, I understand why you feel uncomfortable living with me, but I promise I will not hold your past and connections against you. It must have been a nightmare living and serving in the Goodwill household."

"I dated Mark and visited a few times, so I understand your struggles. Betas have different needs than Alphas and Omegas, but no one in that household seemed to understand this."

For the first time in forever…. Rika felt understood.

Charron's words gave Rika hope that she had never felt before.

Even if Charron was one of Mark's ex-girlfriends and had somewhat recognised Rika, she seemed to understand and take Rika's side.

That thought alone made Rika's eyes moist.

"I will take the offer for this place. I think I will like living there."

Rika felt calm outside, but her heart was jumping for joy inside.

The landlady also looked relieved and gave Charron a grateful look for getting Rika to accept.

Completing the formalities took no time, and Rika even paid the advance deposit to live in the dorms.

By the time she finished, it was late, and the landlady looked worried when Rika said she should get going.

"Are you sure you want to go back home? It is rather late, and I do not feel comfortable sending you back alone. How about you stay here for the night and head back tomorrow?"

The landlady asked in a concerned voice, and it touched Rika.

People usually ordered her into her home, and Rika felt powerless to argue back. But the landlady was friendly and calm.

The dorm atmosphere was also calm, and no one expected Rika to read their pheromones to know how they felt.

'I guess it will be found if I spend a night here. It is not like someone is waiting for me to return home.'

So, Rika accepted the offer to spend the night at the communal dorm.

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บท 12: Ch 12: Night out

"Here, I will leave you some clothes to change into once you are done with your shower…. don't you need to pick it up? Your phone has been going off for some time now."

Charon had an uncomfortable look while she looked at Rika's buzzing phone.

It had been ringing nonstop for the past 10 minutes, and Rika debated whether she should turn it off for the time being.

She already knew that Mark was calling her because Rika had not told him about spending a night out.

Thankfully, she had saved his name as 'Brother' so no one would know who the caller was.

"It's fine! You can ignore that call. I do it all the time."

Rika assured Charon, but the older female still looked doubtful about Rika's assurance.

"Alright! I will… go back for now. Dinner will be ready in half an hour, so you can come down once you are done."

Charon finally left, but that uncomfortable look on her face remained.

When Rika was finally left alone, she picked up the phone to talk to her brother. It would be a tough call, so Rika wanted to finish it before her shower.

"Hell-"

"Where the hell are you? Mother told me that you went for your academy tour and application. Didn't we agree that you would postpone it?"

Mark was eerily calm right now. His low voice and subdued attitude could mean one of two things - he was either pissed off enough to erupt, or Suzie was sleeping nearby, and he did not want to interrupt her sleep.

Rika felt a stab of annoyance as soon as she heard his voice.

"I cannot cancel my joining date whenever I want to. There are rules and regulations in place, and I want to abide by them. Besides, I can take care of myself just fine. It would be best if you focused on Suzie. How was her doctor's visit?"

"Rika, stop trying to change the subject here. This is not about Suzie-!"

"And it is not about me, either. I am an adult and can stay out if I want to. I already talked with my mother about this, so I do not need your permission."

She might be getting too emotional, but Rika felt like venting her heart to Mark.

Rika could tell that her words were making Mark angry, but she could not help but speak up.

Being in this beta-only dorm gave Rika some courage to speak up.

"Fuck! It is not safe out there for you. Where are you staying right now? A hotel? Which one? Tell me, and I will come and get you right now-!"

"I just wanted to let you know I don't need your concern. I am at a safe place for tonight; that is all you need to know. I will return tomorrow, and then we can talk…maybe."

For the first time in forever, Rika cut the call first. She did not want to extend this call and risk Mark coming after her.

When Rika finished her call, she called her mother to mitigate the damage.

Her mother picked up the call in a single ring, and she did not seem surprised to see Rika calling her.

"I take it you are not coming back home tonight. Are you in a safe place?"

Rika relaxed as soon as she heard her mother's calming voice. All the tension left her body, and she felt much better.

"You found out about it already? Did Mark come to complain to you already?"

No matter what anyone said, Mark was Rika's family member, and she knew him well. That was why she was sure Mark must be causing a problem by yelling and flying everywhere.

Her mother chuckled at Rika's concerned voice.

"Mark has not reached my room to complain yet, but I can hear him heading here and cursing. He must be quite angry to be making such a scene."

Rika sighed in relief at her mother's calm and airy tone.

It meant that she was not concerned about Mark's wellbeing.

"I must have wounded his alpha pride when I refused to tell him where I was. I hope you will handle him for me, Mother. I must go now. Dinner is about to start."

"Rika, you…. never mind. Just have a good time outside."

There was a pause before her mother replied to her words. There was hesitation, and Rika felt her mother biting her words to avoid saying anything unnecessary.

But in the end, she did say what she wanted to, and Rika was left hanging.

She stared at her phone, not realising what she was doing until the water hit her feet due to the bucket overflowing.

'Ah, I was going to bathe before I decided to call home. I should finish what I started.'

It turned out to be a much shorter bath than Rika expected. She felt refreshed once she exited the bathroom and toward the dining hall.

Rika paused before heading inside, her feet not moving an inch. Her stiffening was habitual at this point.

Since Rika could not smell pheromones, she often could not get rid of them properly after her shower.

As a result, she made the others around her uncomfortable and made her mother and Mark snap at her for making her father and Suzie uncomfortable.

Even if this was not her home, that habit was too deeply rooted in Rika to be rid of.

She stood at the door, waiting to be noticed and let inside the dining room by someone.

Luckily, Charon noticed her standing in the doorway and sighed frustratedly.

"So, how was the bath? Do you feel better than before? And would you like to stand there? Hurry up! Food will get cold."

Charon's annoyance was an act that could be easily looked past.

It made Rika feel lighter, and she was thankful for the distraction. It made breathing easier for Rika.

The food was mediocre, but the atmosphere more than made up for it. It was easier for Rika to adapt to these people who did not know her.

It was safe to say that Rika got the best sleep that day compared to the past few years of her life.

She did not want to get up even when the sun was bright in the sky, or someone entered the room.

But years of being polite and following a schedule caused Rika to wake up and not be able to fall asleep.

Charon was asleep on the other side of the room, and she looked pretty comfy, buried under all her pillows and blankets.

It was not cold enough to be warped in all those layers, but the older female did not seem to mind. She looked pretty cosy and comfortable.

Looking at her being warped in all that fluff made Rika want to do the same.

'It looks fluffy! But isn't that something omegas prefer? Mark made fun of me when I told him I wanted fluffy blankets since Suzie was also buying some. And neither Damian nor Emily has any interest in these things either.'

Maybe it had not been such a big deal for Rika to want fluffy things, but her experience with Mark had scared her.

"Ughhhh, do you want to get into bed with me? I don't mind, but be careful not to stain anything. I spent a hefty amount of money on these blankets."

Charon suddenly called out to Rika, and it caused Rika to take a quick step back in shock.

She had not realised that she was looking at Charon (or that she had zoned out), which caused Rika to slip. She had to flail around to catch her balance.

*thud*

The fall made a loud noise, and Rika felt more embarrassed than she was hurt because of it.

At least the noise instantly awakened Charon, and she looked at Rika worriedly.

"Hey, are you alright? Would you please let me know if it's anything else? That was a nasty fall. Is your back alright?"

Charon asked in a concerned voice as she looked at Rika.

It made Rika want to look away from that concerned look. People hardly ever looked at her that way.

Rika tried to avoid embarrassment, but standing was challenging. When she put pressure on her calf, a spike of pain went up.

"I am fine! That fall was nothing…I will adapt to it soon."

Rika assured the older female. But Charon's concerned look made Rika immediately look away from her gaze.

"Alright, maybe I am not fine right now, but I will recover quickly. I often get hurt like this when I fight with my alpha brother. This much is nothing."

Rika spoke these words hoping to lighten the mood, but they caused Charon to look worried when she looked at Rika.

"Hey, be serious with me, but you are not being abused at home, right? This could be a serious issue if you don't find courage and speak now."

Those words caused Rika to choke on her saliva and give Charon a startled expression.

But Charon's serious expression told Rika that she had not heard wrong.

_______

I'll reupload it in Cupid Quill on the 1st, so please support me there as well. Until then, I will continue to upload it here every day. I hope you will keep reading as well.

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