The Girl They Ignored Returned as the Woman Seven Men Would Die For novel Chapter 53

Mika stopped in her tracks. When she turned back to Leona, tears were still shimmering in her eyes.

Leona stepped out of the garden, wiping her hands on her apron, and couldn't help but ask.

"What's your budget, then?"

Mika bit her lower lip, looking too embarrassed to speak. "It's probably way too low..."

Seeing her like this, Leona deduced the girl's family wasn't well-off, which only made her feel more sympathetic.

Leona herself had come from a farming family, fighting tooth and nail to test into college. She had stayed on to teach, eventually retiring honorably as a professor. Because of her own roots, she had a natural soft spot for underprivileged students.

"Then tell me, why are you moving out of a dorm that barely costs a hundred bucks a year to find your own place?"

This was a critical question.

If Mika just said she had a fight with her roommates, it would make her seem sensitive, petty, and unpopular. Otherwise, why would she be the one getting pushed out?

Mika hesitated for a moment before answering awkwardly. "I'm... I'm preparing for grad school. I want to get into the Sports Medicine program at Hudson."

Her voice dropped lower as her fingers absently twisted the strap of her canvas tote.

"The dorm lights go out at eleven, but I have so much literature to read. I often have to study until the early hours of the morning. I bought a rechargeable desk lamp, but my roommates complained the light kept them awake... we had a few unpleasant arguments about it."

She paused, pulled a worn notebook from her bag, and opened it to show Leona.

Leona looked down and took it. The pages were densely packed with neat handwriting and meticulous annotations.

Different sections were conveniently marked with colored tabs, and some pages had sticky notes attached. It was undoubtedly the notebook of a highly dedicated student, not something hastily forged.

She was moving out because she didn't want her studying to disturb her roommates' sleep. She was ambitious, yet considerate of others.

Leona pondered for a moment before speaking. "I actually have a spare room in my house. It used to be my daughter's. If you want it, I'll rent it to you for three hundred a month.

But you can't just bring friends over whenever you want, and you have to respect an old woman's daily routine.

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