Rowen was pretty sure their very first impression is ruined. No, it is ruined.
'I mean, is there no other worst first impression other than waking up and finding some strange people touching your arms with contentment in their faces?'
Rowen, who was seduced by the guide's power, contemplated in silence. Calix, sitting beside him, was staring at his beautiful nails, feigning nonchalance but very alert about the expression of the omega sitting opposite him.
Jay looked at Zed, sitting beside him in silence, eyes staring at the grey walls.
'Well...how can I start talking when even our pack alpha isn't?' Jay decided that he is too lazy to open up a conversation and leaned in the sofa comfortably. He will let them do the talking.
Now, in the comfort of one of the sofas in the living room, Yanah found herself staring opposite at her quiet dorm mates for quite a long time.
Yanah then lowered her glaring eyes after observing their silence. 'Just what the hell is happening here? Why am I dormmates with Alphas??? I'm an omega for fucksake.'
Though alpha pheromones didn't affect Yanah as much as the other omegas, it still has an effect, much more that the scents wafting around the five people around here smells so good.
'I want to get close.' Yanah's omega dazedly whispered.
'Stop!' Yanah screamed at the silly omega who was easily swayed by good pheromones.
'Get a grip. They're just good-smelling alphas! Nothing more!'
'They do have good faces, but that's all!'
"Uh, well. I know we ruined our first impression, but I hope you won't blame us too much. We can explain." A voice, warm and inviting, with a gentle timbre that put everyone at ease sounded from the person Yanah first saw when she woke up.
His voice carried a natural friendliness, like a soft breeze on a sunny day, full of warmth and reassurance.
Yanah, who happens to have a special interest on good voices, had her ears perked up on attention when he spoke. She savored how his voice sounded, keeping it like a record on her mind.
'Strong and good-smelling pheromones, good looks, and good voice...' Yanah decided to tone down her scolding of her omega.
With lowered vigilance, as well as being put into a good mood because of being bathe by beauty and a good voice, Yanah's voice softened when she replied.
"Explain then. Why, I, who was napping on this sofa, suddenly appeared upstairs on someone else's bed and surrounded by alphas who's touching my arms with weird expressions." Yanah didn't mean to sound scathing, but her straightforward eyes conveyed suspicion.
If the alphas opposite her did not give her the answers she wanted, then she won't hesitate to move out this dorm.
And perhaps being able to sense what she means, the alphas glanced at each other before looking at the man who spoke.
Quinn, who received the stares of accusation and urging, pouted and opened his mouth.
"Well... That might had been my fault. No, it is my fault." Quinn changed his words upon seeing Zed's narrowed eyes.
Quinn then confessed how he cleared a crack near the training room building, exerting his powers and therefore, when he returned to the dorm with a powerful guide just laying around in the living room, peacefully napping, he decided not to wake up the guide and just hug her to sleep.
"Why did you hug me to sleep? It's not like I'm guiding you actively." Yanah tilted her head, a little puzzled. She did not know much about Awakeners but she did know one needs to control it to release it. 'Is there a reason they keep touching my arms?'
The man sitting like he was contemplating, with the most vivid green eyes she has ever seen, spoke.
"Newly awakened individuals tend to release their powers uncontrollably, Espers and Guides alike. Then, they were either sent to the academy or the other guilds to learn how to control it." Rowen spoke when the opportunity was given and he was relieved that the girl's eyes aren't as glaring when she was looking at him.
"Quinn was attracted by the power you were subconsciously emitting. If you were just an ordinary B or A-level guide, he wouldn't have been tempted. But you are the first SSS-class Guide. Two classes ahead of him. He was tired and haven't been guided for a month, so he took a shot and used your powers." Rowen continued, his voice flowing more smoothly.
Yanah gave a little nod, commenting on the man's good voice inside her mind
She turned to looked at Quinn at her peripheral vision before turning to pointedly stare at the other four men sitting on the sofas.
"I understand his reason. So, what about the four of you?"
This time, it wasn't the green-eyed beauty who answered but a man who looks like he was blessed by an angel, a cherub to be exact. He sure checked all the boxes when it came to angelic beauty.
"I am sure you didn't know much about us Espers. The higher our level, the more violent the energy we handle to use our powers, and the more we use our powers, the more burden accumulates on our body. When those burden increased over what our bodies could hold, the threshold, that is when we rampage,"
"All of us are on the verge of exceeding our threshold and you... appeared. So, we kind of took advantage your nap to soothe our violent energies." Whenever he and the girl stared at each other's eyes, Calix made sure to look extra innocent, basically wanting his sincerity to break through the girl's suspicions.
And as it worked, Yanah's eyes became placid, accepting the reason with a nod.
'The world of the awakened sure is different. Though Espers enjoyed the privileges their powers give them, in exchange, they slowly lose their sanity and be reduce to a state of a violent beast. Coupled with the fact that they are alphas who can easily lose their tempers, it was no wonder they wanted a guide's soothing power.'
Yanah knew why her uncle, a personnel at a guild, keep talking about how she should avoid Espers at all cost if she ever met one, especially since she was a civilian.
But now that she is a Guide, she could understand more why civilians need to be wary of Espers. 'It was because of that.'
'As they say, great powers came with great responsibilities.'
While Yanah was musing, she heard someone clear their throat and her eyes inevitably met with golden ones.
She felt enrtraped in his eyes for a moment before she snapped awake at his god-given baritone voice.
"As the pack alpha of the five of us, I ought to give you a proper apology for our behavior. I'm sorry that our first meeting was...weird like that. I hope you will forgive us for this transgression." Zed stared at Yanah's black eyes with apology.
If a voice could be describe as a food, then Yanah would describe this man's voice as dark chocolate.
His baritone voice was rich and smooth, deep with a subtle bitterness that lingered, wrapping around each word with a velvety resonance.
It was a voice that commanded attention, leaving an impression as lasting as the taste of fine cocoa, both strong and intoxicating.
Yanah blankly nodded, accepting the man's apology in a daze.
Jay's left eye twitch at the sight. 'Zed is apologizing so sincerely? I bet he was doing it for a good impression.' Jay grumbled internally before displaying a smile of apology of his own.