Walefare program - 2

Lian's POV 

I was completely fine, so Ken discharged me from the hospital and personally dropped me in front of the academy.

“That’s all I can help with, buddy. From here, you have to be on your own,” Ken said from inside the car.

I stood outside the car, right in front of the Mian Academy entrance gate, and turned back at his words.

“Thank you for helping me, Ken. Let’s meet again in the future, if it’s possible,” I said, waving my hand.

Ken smiled and drove away. I turned back and looked ahead.

I took a deep breath and went inside through the entrance gate. As I stepped in, I saw a long road where expensive cars and sports bikes were parked. Am I on the right path? I wondered as I kept moving forward.

Just then, I saw the Mian Academy building. It was huge, almost like a castle. Just like the magic schools we see on TV, with tall towers and a grand, castle-like structure. This academy was the same.

It looked incredibly royal.

My steps stopped, and I stood there right in front of Mian Academy because I didn’t know where to go from here or whom to ask about the welfare student program. Ken didn’t know either, since he had never studied at this academy.

This year, all the senior students had graduated, so every batch in the academy consisted of new students who had enrolled this year. I was lost in my thoughts, standing there with my arms folded near my chest.

Just then, someone touched my shoulder from behind. I flinched and glanced back in surprise. A girl was standing there.

She had pink hair. Unlike her, I had blond hair and blue eyes. The girl was beautiful and even shorter than me.

“Hey, are you here to fill out the welfare program form to take the exam?” she asked.

My eyes brightened. “Yes, you’re right. But how did you know I was here for the welfare program?” I asked.

“Oh, because I filled out the form yesterday. I was all alone here, other welfare students weren’t talking to me. I guessed from your clothes that you were also going to apply for the welfare program,” she said.

I looked at her and smiled awkwardly. I could understand why she guessed from my clothes, was it because I was wearing cheap clothes? 

And why weren’t the other welfare students talking to her? I had thought welfare students would at least talk to each other, since they all came from similar backgrounds.

“Hello, my name is Lian. And yours?” I asked, introducing myself.

She smiled. 

“My name is Eva. Pleasure to meet you, Lian. But why are you standing here instead of going in?” she asked.

“Actually, I didn’t know where to go. It’s my first time here,” I explained.

She was so kind, she took me inside with her. As we walked in, I saw many students moving through the hallways, but when their eyes fell on us, disgust flashed across their faces. They whispered to each other while staring at us.

I didn’t have the energy to pay attention to them. I just needed to pass this exam at any cost. So I turned my head ahead. As we moved forward, we reached the teachers’ office.

“Lian, let’s go inside,” Eva said, and we both entered after seeking permission.

Inside, every teacher sat at a separate desk, almost like their own personal office. Eva grabbed my hand and guided me toward Grey Sir’s desk. She smiled at him.

“Oh, Eva! You don’t have an exam today, so what are you doing here?” he asked.

Grey Sir didn’t look very old, probably in his thirties. He had dark hair and dark eyes, sitting at his chair while working in a register book.

“Grey Sir, this is Lian. He also wants to apply for the welfare student program,” Eva explained.

Grey smiled at me while still sitting in his chair, looking up. We both stood near his desk.

“So, Lian, you want to join the welfare program too, right? Can you tell me more about your interests, what you like the most?” he asked.

I had no real answer. I didn’t have anything I liked the most. I just wanted to join the academy because I had nowhere else to go.

But I couldn’t say that; they might not even give me an application form if he found out.

“I… like dance,” I replied. From childhood, the only thing I had ever liked was dancing, especially contemporary dance. 

But my father had never allowed it. He used to beat me and tell me to stop dancing. 

Everyone who saw me dance criticized me, saying I was bad. After that, I never danced in front of anyone, and as I grew up, I forgot about it.

When I got my first shift on my birthday, I really thought I would find my mate, but Josh found me instead. And I didn’t reject him. I probably should have.

But nothing is going to change, no matter how much I regret now. I snapped out of my thoughts and looked at Grey Sir.

 He smiled and handed me the form. I filled it out while standing there, and Eva helped me along the way. When I was done, I handed the form back to Grey Sir.

“Thank you for filling out the form. Your exams are tomorrow, so you can go ahead and rest for now,” Grey Sir said.

I was shocked. Exams are tomorrow? If that’s the case, where will I go today? What will I eat? While I was lost in these thoughts, I felt a touch on my hand. I glanced at Eva, she had grabbed my hand and was leading me out of the office.

“Let’s go to the welfare students’ quarters,” she said.

I didn’t ask any questions and followed her. We walked outside the building, turned to the right, and kept going.

 Soon, we reached a building hidden near the forest. It didn’t look fancy, just average.

 I realized that this is where students who applied for the welfare program stay until the exam.