Chapter 4: Roommates

The last roommate was a tall Alpha.

The buttons on his shirt were fastened all the way to the top, and his straight posture was perfectly framed by his immaculate uniform.

He had dazzling blond hair, delicate features, a high nose bridge, and thin lips. A small, well-shaped cupid's bow completed the picture.

His expression was indifferent.

His black eyes were deep and unfathomable.

Restrained.

Cold.

"Brother Mu, you're back," Shu Dian greeted him.

"Mm."

The blond Alpha replied flatly before turning and heading into the bathroom.

"That's Mu Qianling. We all call him Brother Mu," Shu Dian explained to Song Qiu.

"Brother Mu is a double S-rank Alpha, the strongest student in our entire year."

He lowered his voice.

"But he absolutely hates physical contact. You need to be careful. Don't touch him under any circumstances."

"Got it."

Song Qiu nodded seriously and committed it to memory.

Do not touch Mu Qianling.

"You think I'm joking?"

Shu Dian leaned closer.

"A few days ago, an Omega tried to throw himself at Brother Mu on purpose. Before he even made contact, Brother Mu's mental power blasted him away."

"That guy is still in the hospital."

"Our District One only has one double S-rank student. He's a protected asset. That Omega's life is basically over."

What Shu Dian didn't mention was that the Omega had actually been a spy sent from District Three to gather intelligence.

Naturally, he was headed for prison.

"That serious?"

Song Qiu immediately looked alarmed.

From then on, whenever he did anything in the dorm, he deliberately kept his distance from Mu Qianling.

Seeing his serious attitude, Shu Dian nodded in satisfaction.

Excellent.

Another day spent maintaining dormitory harmony.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

The roommates all had very regular schedules.

As soon as the 11 p.m. lights-out time arrived, everyone went to bed.

Nobody stayed up playing games.

Song Qiu's bed was directly opposite Mu Qianling's.

The two slept with their feet facing each other.

Remembering Shu Dian's warning, Song Qiu quietly scooted upward on the mattress and curled up his legs.

Better to stay farther away.

What if he accidentally stretched out his feet during sleep and touched Mu Qianling?

That would be terrible.

As for the fact that he wasn't even tall enough to fill the length of the bed...

That possibility never crossed his mind.

He slept dreamlessly.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

The next morning, Song Qiu woke up early.

From hunger.

Rubbing his stomach, he climbed down from bed and quietly washed up.

It wasn't even nine o'clock yet.

His roommates were still asleep.

Mu Qianling's bed, however, was already empty.

The blanket was folded perfectly.

Not a single wrinkle could be seen.

After changing into the school uniform, Song Qiu slipped out of the dormitory.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

On the athletic field, two female Alphas were walking together.

"Look! That Beta!"

One of them suddenly exclaimed.

"What's so special about a Beta? He's not an Omega. Games are more interesting."

Her friend didn't even look up from her terminal.

She was currently playing a popular dating game called Omega Love Story, whose beautifully designed characters had become wildly popular among Alphas.

"He really is good-looking! Seriously!"

The first girl tugged on her friend's arm.

"No way. I don't believe—"

She glanced up impatiently.

Then froze.

A slender Beta walked past them.

The slight upward curve of his lips carried an indescribable charm.

He was beautiful, almost like an exquisitely crafted porcelain doll.

The girl looked at the animated character on her terminal.

Then at Song Qiu.

"Oh my god!"

"The 2D character came to life!"

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

They weren't the only ones.

Throughout campus, people were discussing Song Qiu.

Some even secretly took photos.

The First Military Academy forum exploded.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

"Holy crap, everyone! Since when did our school have a Beta this gorgeous? His looks are almost on the same level as God Mu's." [Attached Image]

"He's really that good-looking. I've seen him in person. No exaggeration. Never saw him before, so he must be a freshman."

"Freshman Beta with an absolutely insane side profile. Skip this post and you'll regret it." [Attached Image]

"Stop exaggerating. How good-looking can a Beta be? Those photos are obviously edited. Cute Omegas are still better."

The comments section quickly divided into camps.

╰┈➤"We're military academy students. I don't get what's so great about someone who looks this delicate. I could knock him over with one finger."

╰┈➤"First there was the abstinent Alpha God Mu. Now there's a beauty Beta. Everyone, ten minutes. I want all his information."

╰┈➤"What the hell? He doesn't even look 170 centimeters tall."

╰┈➤"Found him. Freshman Song Qiu. Apparently from outside the districts. Enrolled yesterday."

╰┈➤"Oh, so he's a poor slum kid. No wonder he looks so shabby."

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

As the thread went viral, some people even ran downstairs just to see him in person.

Song Qiu had already noticed all the strange looks.

He chose to ignore them.

The academy was full of towering Alphas.

Even the occasional Beta was usually over 180 centimeters tall and heavily built.

A 170-centimeter guy like him was practically a rare species.

They were probably all talking about his height.

Honestly, he wished he were taller too.

Song Qiu sighed dramatically inside his mind.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

The First Military Academy campus was enormous.

Most students rented shared transportation vehicles.

But they cost ten coins per ride.

Far too expensive for Song Qiu.

Just think of it as exercise, he comforted himself.

There were nutrient-solution vending machines all over campus.

The cheapest kind cost only eight Star Coins.

He bought two tubes.

Lately, for some reason, he felt constantly hungry.

Even nutrient solution barely helped.

At this rate, he'd go bankrupt just from eating.

Outside the campus was a bustling city.

People filled the European-style streets.

Food stalls could be found everywhere.

The stalls sold meat from mutated animals he had never seen before.

Yet everything smelled unbelievably delicious.

His mouth watered instantly.

Song Qiu's tears nearly flowed from the corner of his lips.

Standing in the aroma of roasted meat, he desperately gulped down some nutrient solution.

Then he carefully sealed the remaining half tube and stored it away.

No wasting food.

He had to ration it.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

The academy's recruitment period lasted a week.

Today was the fifth day.

Classes would begin in three days.

His goal for today:

Find a part-time job.

He wandered from place to place.

There were plenty of hiring signs.

Unfortunately, most jobs required heavy physical labor.

Mecha maintenance assistant.

Heavy cargo mover.

Construction helper.

The moment employers saw his skinny frame, they rejected him.

None even gave him a chance to try.

Then a tiny shop on a corner caught his attention.

It was a milk tea shop.

Warm decorative lights lined the walls, illuminating beautiful painted patterns and creating a cozy atmosphere.

There wasn't a single customer inside.

A hiring notice hung on the front door.

Clearly, it was a newly opened business.

Jingle—

The handmade wind chimes above the entrance rang crisply as Song Qiu stepped inside.

The moment he entered, all outside sounds seemed to disappear.

The shop was eerily quiet.

Everything inside—from the floor and tables to the walls—had been built from the trunks and vines of mutated plants.

Some were dried and dead.

Others still appeared alive.

Touching them produced a soft indentation, as though they might awaken at any moment.

"Oh?"

A lazy, pleasant female voice suddenly came from behind a tangle of branches.

"A customer?"