The Silent Siren and Her Affectionate King

Chapter 10

Vivian woke up before her alarm. She checked the time and saw that it was only seven-thirty in the morning. After scrolling through some posts in Flipper, she freshened herself up and went down to the lobby a few minutes past 8.

She approached the lady behind the counter and requested a bike. "How long would you like to rent it for? We offer at least one day and at most a month with no additional charges except for when the bike gets damaged or if you return the bike three days after the deadline," the receptionist said.

Vivian thought for a short while before asking, "Do I need to return it here, or are there other places I return it to?"

"You can return them to the bike stalls located throughout the campus after your reservation is over, but if you want to register for another one, you need to approach the receptionist assigned to your current dorm or any of the receptionists assigned in the different school facilities," she stated. Vivian nodded and said she'd book one for a month. The receptionist prepared and handed her a card that doubled as a key and a permit to ride the bicycle.

The receptionist pointed the way to where the bikes were, and Vivian gave her a short thanks before walking away. Vivian saw her assigned bike's number and tapped her card on the card reader attached to the rail. It made a beeping sound before releasing the bike.

She rode it and started cycling to where the school was. There were only a few people out at this time, with Vivian mostly encountering the staff assigned to maintaining the campus's plants throughout her ride.

The whole ride took her about 10 minutes, and Vivian was slightly perspired by the time she reached the place. She parked her bike somewhere near and entered the giant wooden doors of the academy.

Vivian looked around the interior. The wall and floor tiles were made of marble, making the inside cooler than the outside. The ceilings were high, and she could count at least 7 or 8 floors above her. She could also see the different colors that were painted on each floor. The various colored boards that were fixed to the walls around the lobby also caught her eye.

Having an idea of what it was, she took a detour toward the violet-colored board. There were several pieces of paper pinned to it. The tasks on the paper included doing an hour of collecting trash around the campus, an accumulated 20 hours of tutoring, and plenty more. Below these tasks were a specific amount of points that students could exchange for the campus currency.

Vivian walked away after reading the available tasks, thinking how they would be more of an inconvenience for her. She continued her path to the registrar, falling in line behind a couple of students. When it was finally her turn, she took out a letter handed to her yesterday by George from Mr. Zhou and passed it on to the lady behind the counter.

The lady opened the letter and read its contents before standing up and going inside the room. She returned after a while with an envelope in her hand and slid it to Vivian. "Mr. Zhou has already handled your registration, so you just need to receive your ID, schedule, badge, and student handbook, which are all inside the envelope. Mr. Zhou also deposited a weekly allowance for you, so pick the money up here anytime every Friday starting next week. Your new uniform can also be picked up over there; just show them your ID," the registrar said, pointing to a door in the hallway.

Vivian nodded and asked, "Can lower grade students accept tasks meant for higher grades?" The registrar was surprised because she knew the girl in front of her was a new student; nevertheless, she answered her question.

"The student handbook does not specify anything about gatekeeping tasks to certain grades, but it is uncommon for students to take up on more difficult missions meant for grades higher than their own," she stated. Vivian sighed a relief on the inside and nodded, thanking the lady before walking to the door she pointed to.

Reaching the door, she knocked on it and opened the door a little. "Good morning. I'd like to pick my uniform up, please," Vivian said, entering the room.

The guy looked up from his computer and asked for her ID. She gave it to him and reached out for the closet behind him, opened it, and looked for her uniform.

After a while, he took out three sets of uniforms and the academy's standard tracksuit. He returned her ID and handed over the clothes to her in a bag before she thanked him and exited the room.