🌈The Scarlet Cube vol. 1💙💙

Chapter 17

***

The scene of the brutal punishment of the careless student was still fresh in Rika's mind as Arrek pulled him along to the dorm rooms. The guy was talking about something, gesticulating wildly with his free hand, but Rikald wasn't listening at all.

He liked the academy he ended up in less and less. And the people he had encountered in such a short period were causing him serious concerns.

Rika still had no idea what to expect from his new roommate. And the prospect of being alone with him in a closed room made the guy openly anxious. But he wouldn't dare share his worries with the curator because Sadis Eigert scared him even more than Arrek. Because of this, Rikald felt like a cornered animal, with no choice but to snap at any action from those around him.

So, once in the room, which was the size of a closet, he hurried to get as far away from Arrek as possible and stood still, examining the surroundings.

The room was cramped but bright. It barely fit two single beds, a shared desk, two chairs, a built-in closet, and two nightstands for personal belongings. Above one of the beds, soft green walls held several posters of rock bands and a coin collection. They belonged to Arrek, as did the rest of the items scattered in a chaotic mess around the room.

"Well, this is our abode. Not exactly royal chambers, but it'll do."

Arrek grinned broadly and quickly removed his jacket from his roommate's bed. Then he hastily started gathering his other things.

"By the way, don't do that," he warned the guy. "Rooms are supposed to be in exemplary order. It's written in the academy regulations. And breaking this rule is severely punished. The first time might just be a warning, but... it all depends on Sadis's mood."

Rika sighed heavily and said:

"This academy feels like a medieval boarding school."

Arrek chuckled, appreciating the comparison, and showed him where to put his clothes.

The closet had six shelves, three of which were already occupied. Rika noticed that the items on them were arranged in strict order. On the top shelf, Arrek kept towels and bed linens, the middle one held underwear and pajamas, and the bottom one had everyday clothes and a tracksuit. A separate section of the closet held a winter jacket, uniform, and several shirts hanging on hangers. There were also free hangers for Rika's things.

While Arrek was tidying up the room, Rikald unpacked his bag.

He didn't have towels or bed linens, but his roommate said that the academy administration provided those for the students.

After sorting out his clothes, Rika hid his notebook in the free nightstand and sat on the bed, absently staring at the dreary view outside the window.

When he finished organizing, Arrek flopped onto his bed and looked at the newcomer.

Rika looked depressed and exhausted, so to cheer him up a bit, Arrek decided to start a conversation.

"You don't seem like a troubled kid," he said with a smirk. "You seem pretty normal. Your parents must not have any time for you? By the way, who are they? Some extremely busy businesspeople?"

"My mom works as a clerk in a large company that specializes in international trade," Rika replied. "She really doesn't have time for me. But it's not because of her job. And I don't know my father."

"A clerk?" Arrek said, genuinely surprised. "Seriously?"

Rika nodded, not understanding what in his words had caused such surprise on his freckled roommate's face.