"A single bag? This is all you brought with you? Is that even enough to last you for a month? Did something happen at home? You decided to shift to the dorms rather quickly. You can talk to me about anything you are going through. I am willing to listen."
Charon looked concerned with the amount of stuff Rika had brought with her.
But Rika did not share the same concerns as Charon had.
"I am sure that this will be more than satisfactory. The dorm has most of the stuff I will need regularly. And I can return home and get what I do not have."
Rika assured Charon, not directly answering her question but not dismissing it either.
Her avoidance made Charon even more confident that something was going on at Rika's home that she wanted to avoid.
"Oh well! I can take a hint. I will not ask you what happened to you, but I hope you will rely on me for things. It is a harsh world for betas out there, especially if you are female and insensitive."
"But don't worry! If you have any problems, please feel free to come to me. I will take care of it for you."
Charon made a show of throwing her fist into her hand to show how tough she was.
It reminded Rika that Charon was also a part of the underworld and had trained since she was young.
Her brother might be a scum when it came to treating his partners right, but he chose them well.
Everyone he chose was part of the mafia and could care for themselves, and Charon was no different in that regard.
"I will let you know if I ever need your help. But I am sure it will be fine. And it may not look like it, but I am quite strong."
Rika assured Charon while also striking a pose. But her thin body made Rika's joke fall flat and useless.
There was a three-week wait until the classes started, and there was much Rika needed to do.
But first, she wanted to become independent and earn her own money. That way, she would not feel so bad about spending her money on useless things.
It took Rika a few hours to settle down in her room and then another hour to unpack and arrange things.
Her side of the room felt underwhelming since she only had a little stuff.
But this was how Rika liked it - subdued and not bothersome.
"I know I complained about your stuff not being enough, but now I am truly beginning to wonder if you will be fine. You did not even bring a family photo to decorate your walls."
Charon looked at the barren walls of Rika's side with a disapproving glance.
"Do I need a family photo? I can call my family if I ever feel lonely. And also, isn't it too much to frame a family photo in your shared dorm room?"
Rika asked, and Charon looked struck.
"Oh no! I made a mistake. You are one of 'those' people. Rika, could we fix you right now? Being depressed is not a good thing. Talk to me. Tell me your feelings."
Charon shook Rika around, but Rika was not sure what correlation there was between her not having a family photo and being depressed.
"I am not depressed, Charon! I promise I am fine. I can give you my medical reports from last month if you want me to."
Rika promised, which was the only way she could make Charon back down.
"Tsk, I am still not convinced that you are not depressed, Rika. Often, depression is not something that can be caught by normal means. No matter how good your doctor is, you can never be sure he is 100% right."
Charon reminded Rika, and her words seemed to ring in Rika's mind.
Rika felt a little off hearing someone else call her depressed when she also sometimes felt signs of it.
But as quickly as those thoughts crept into her mind, Rika dismissed them.
"I am not depressed, Charon. Everyone has weird and depressing thoughts in their mind from time to time. It is just human nature to feel like that. But if we start considering all such occurrences as depression, then 100% of the population is depressed."
Rika laughed at her world, trying to make light of the situation. The atmosphere had turned far too grim for her liking.
But the more Rika tried to lighten up the situation, the more she felt like her words were trapping her.
Moreover, it did not seem as if Charon believed her either. But she did not question Rika's motives and beliefs.
"Alright! That's taken care of, at least. What else do you want to do?"
Since Charon was willing to drop the case and act normal in front of Rika, she also wanted to do the same.
"Well, I would like to get a part-time job to start things off. Do you think there is anything you recommend for me? I am a beginner, but I learn quickly."
Rika assured Charon, and the older beta had the brightest grin on her face.
"Well, won't you know it? I have the best job possible for you. This old lady is asking me to recommend someone to help you out. What do you say? Are you interested in working in a flower shop?"
"The smell of flowers will mask most pheromones in the air, and you will not have to reveal that you are insensitive to pheromones in front of anyone. Besides, it will be funny to see people mistaking you for an omega because of the scent of flowers. You already look like one anyway, and now you will also smell like one."
Rika ignored Charon's last few teasing words. They felt like jabs to her, but she knew Charon did not say them to make Rika mad.
The offer sounded decent, so Rika decided to take it. The shop was just a short distance from the dorm and the academy.
If Rika could spot one problem, it would be that the shop was right at the entrance of the mafia territory, increasing the chance of her being found out by someone.
"I know what you are thinking. Since you are related to the Goodwill family, I am sure that you know that the shop is in mafia territory. Unfortunately, any part-time job you get will be in that sector."
"Luckily, the mafia does not hurt ordinary people; you are also at the edge. This is the perfect job you can ask for."
Rike knew that Charon had a point. So, she decided to take this job.
Charon followed Rika but paused as soon as she entered the territory and neared the flower shop.
"Is something wrong, Charon? You feel a lot tenser than before."
Rika had only seen Charon relaxed and unbothered until now. So, it was a little weird to see her all tense up.
"Fuck! You cannot smell all this shit? I know you said that you were a beta and the most insensitive kind as well, but not smelling anything is unnatural. At a minimum, you should feel a general discomfort because of all these pheromones saturating the air."
Charon explained to Rika, and this was the first time Rika had heard about such a thing.
She knew that betas could feel pheromones and even get affected by them, but Rika had thought that was a rare occurrence.
However, Charon said Rika was weird because she could not feel anything.
"Is my situation rare? I thought betas were insensitive to pheromones."
Rika asked in a confused voice, and Charon quickly clarified her misunderstanding.
"We are not generally affected by pheromones but are also part of the dynamics. We feel it when the saturation of these things reaches too high. We do not react the same way an alpha or omega would."
"But you? Your situation is unnatural. It's almost as if your senses are blocked because of underdevelopment. It might be better for you to schedule a meeting with a specialist. I know a good one-"
Charon had not finished speaking when someone pushed Rika to hold her hostage.
Arms warped around her face and her arm, and Rika was pulled into a hostage situation.
"D-Don't come near me, or this civilian dies! I am warning you about this! I will kill her if you make any sudden move. S-Stay away!"
The man continued to yell loudly, hoping to get what he wanted by threatening the masses.
Unfortunately, he chose the wrong target. Rika realised how clumsily she was being held at the moment, and she could break this hold on her any time she wanted to.
'Should I wait for help to arrive? But I might be dead by the time that happens. Or worse! I get hurt, and this gets back to my mother and Mark. I cannot risk that happening.'