Today, all of us were told to wake up early, even before sunrise.
I woke up before the given time because I needed to get this foot of mine back in working condition before, well, whatever it was he planned to make us do.
I got dressed and checked my foot one last time, and thankfully, it was perfectly fine now. With nothing else to do, I sat on the bed and waited for the others to wake up.
This waiting is killing me.
When are they going to wake up?
I waited.
And waited.
And, somewhere along the way, I drifted off to sleep again.
Huh?
What's that noise?
I swear, that has to be the worst sound I've ever heard in my life. Please, have mercy on my ears.
My ears genuinely wanted to dig a hole somewhere and bury themselves in it.
I know that this must be the general way of waking his students. This is torture of an extreme level. He's probably holding a big bell and is continuously hitting it with "I don't know what," but then again, I don't even want to know why.
I couldn't take it anymore. I curled myself into a ball to block out that horrible sound and pressed both hands over my ears. I really hate it when someone wakes me up like this, or in any other way for that matter.
Silence.
The sound finally stopped.
Thank goodness.
I couldn't help but feel sorry for everyone else. I felt miserable while being only half-awake, but what about those who had been sleeping soundly? Poor me, but even poorer they were.
I needed to pull myself together.
I sat up on the bed and slowly opened my eyes. My vision was still blurry, and it took a moment for my eyes to adjust. But even before I could see clearly, I could tell someone was standing right in front of me.
I rubbed my eyes and looked again.
Gulp.
Why is he here?
What is he looking at? And what is that look in his eyes?
For one second, I looked directly at him.
Next, I quickly shifted my gaze away.
He left, and I followed him.
Now everybody is awake; well, who wouldn't be after that?
"Get yourself ready. Those who are ready come out."
The second sentence is for me, as I'm the only one ready, and also because he is looking in my direction.
He left, and I followed him out. I know that I should be keeping a great deal of distance from this guy, but it's not my fault that I'm always ending up with him.
He started jogging and gestured to me to do the same. We were both jogging side by side, but then he stopped.
"How's your foot?" he implied, glancing in my direction.
Hello! I'm jogging here. Can't you see that? Once again, a ridiculous question, as always.
"I'm okay."
He again started his jog with me, and here I was getting happy that our conversation ended. BUT...
"You say you're okay, so let's race. Just you and me."
Is he challenging me or what?
"If you win, you can ask anything from me, and if I win, I can ask anything from you." Is that him testing or teasing me?
"Something or anything?"
"Whatever you want."
This is definitely a challenge, and I never run from challenges. He's old, so he's probably slow.
"OK."
"Are you sure you can give me what I would ask for?" He tested me again.
"Are you?" I retorted.
He thinks too highly of himself. A pretty little lesson must be taught here.
"Go along the track, and the first one to reach the end of the track wins." He guided me, flexing his arms on my face.
This is too easy for me. Running is my thing.
"I'll be ready when you are." I have to flex too… By winning.
GRIN. Did he just grin at me? "I'm always ready, or to make it sound more exciting, I was born ready."
This guy really can talk. I imagined this person having a general demeanor, and in that imaginary demeanor, talking less was also included.
"On your mark. Get set. Go."
This is cheating.
He shouted the word "Go" directly into my left ear, making me jerk backward in surprise. I nearly lost my balance before realizing the race had already started.
My poor ear.
First that horrible noise, and now this.
What did my ears ever do to deserve such treatment?
Even this respectable general can cheat. He was never respectable to me, though, so I shouldn't feel bad about being cheated by him.
I ran.
I increased my speed and have already surpassed him.
He's probably regretting agreeing to this challenge with me. He probably didn't expect much from someone who is almost a head shorter than him and, of course, looks rather weak.
Well, I can't blame him. Even I wouldn't have expected me to put up much of a fight.
Wait.
I didn't even decide what I was going to ask him if I won.
I had been so focused on actually winning that I had completely forgotten the most important part. What exactly was I going to ask the general?
The track wasn't even that long. I was only a few inches away from the finish line when he suddenly crossed it before me.
He won.
Unbelievable.
I stared at the finish line, then at him, trying to make sense of what had just happened. He was far behind me. Far behind me. So how did he suddenly appear out of nowhere and beat me?
Do I need to get my eyes checked?
How did I lose to him?
Maybe he cheated.
But... no. There's no way he could have cheated. If he had, wouldn't I have noticed?
I was watching him the entire time.
Wasn't I?
This is embarrassing, and he's also making it seem hilarious. For me, it's none, as after all he's laughing at me.
This is embarrassing, and he's also making it seem hilarious. For me, it's none, as after all he's laughing at me.
"You're being angry. You look cute like this."
"I'm not cute. Guys are not cute; they're handsome."
First, he is making me angry, and then he's telling me that I look cute while I am angry. He really has the guts. If he knew what I can do when someone calls me cute, then this probably will be his first and last time calling me that.
Only my brother has the access to call me cute. No one else. Especially someone whom I should hate because he's my enemy.
I'm panting now because of this stupid race. I got my inhaler out and took deep breaths. Then I looked up at him and actually noticed him. His smile is so breathtaking. Dimples, even him.
My brother has them, and I don't.
Jealous.
The general has them too.
Double jealous.
Now it's my turn.
"General, you look cute when you're smiling. You look like a baby."
This actually did stop him from laughing.
"Thanks."
Startled, "For what?"
"For thinking I'm cute."
Given that he's a grown man, what kind of boy would want to be referred to as cute?
I was still holding my inhaler in my left hand when his composed gaze fell directly to it.
Gulp.
I should probably put this away.
The calmness in his expression had vanished in the blink of an eye. His stare had changed completely, and somehow, that was far more intimidating than his usual cold look.
I quickly slipped the inhaler away.
"What were you inhaling?"
I quickly put it back in my pocket.
"Nothing important." I didn't even look at him.
"I asked you something." He's pestering.
His tone is colder now, but why? This isn't even an important matter to talk about. I hate talking about it anyway. I've always considered it a weakness, something I'd rather keep to myself.
Now he's glaring at me, and that glare is starting to remind me far too much of the ones I usually get from my brother.
I won't be able to go anywhere until I tell him.
Fine. I guess I have no choice but to tell him this supposedly not-so-important thing.
"It helps me to breathe properly."
"You could have told me this before." He looked down at my hands where the inhaler had been.
Oh! Really, what would you have done if you knew about this? You're just being strange on the surface.
"What would have changed even if I had told you, huh?" I asked, slightly irritated.
He's making me lose my patience, and I'm literally not a person who can control it once it's out.
"I wouldn't have asked you to race with me. I could've put your life in danger."
And I think I lost it.
"Look, general, if I don't have anything against it, then what's your problem? Do not pity me."
Wait.
He was being thoughtful. What if something actually had happened to me? Even though this breathing issue of mine isn't that serious, there are times when I feel short of breath, and I usually end up cursing myself for having to deal with it.
But right now, I think I was a little too harsh with him.
He was only concerned about me. He had noticed the inhaler, asked about it, and was making sure I was fine. He wasn't trying to pry into something that didn't concern him.
After all, he is my general. Maybe I should show him a little more respect, especially when he's only trying to make sure I don't collapse during training.
"I'm sorry."
I looked up to see his expression, and it showed that he was okay. *Sigh*
"So I won. You do remember the deal."
"Yeah, I do. What do you want from me?"
What could go wrong? Or so I thought.
"I want a kiss from you."
I think I heard him wrong.
"Come again. I didn't hear you clearly."
"I want a kiss from you."
He repeated the same thing, without the slightest hint of remorse.
There was no change in that shameless sentence of his. Not even a flicker of hesitation. And, to make matters worse, there wasn't a single change in his expression either. He looked as calm as ever, as though he had just asked me for a glass of water.
Okay.
Now I know it wasn't my ears' fault.
The general has simply lost his mind.
What can I possibly say? What could I?
"What? Are you kidding me?"
"I don't kid." He's at it again, without penance.
"But you just did."
I have to say this. It's important.
"I'm not gay, sir."
"Neither am I." I want to wipe that smirk from his face with a punch.
Huh. He is showing signs of being crazy. How in the world did this guy become a general?
"You know what, forget about it. I'll ask something else."
He asked this at first try: what could he possibly ask at his second attempt?
"Can I back out now?" I am slightly scared of what he might ask.
Giving him my most innocent face, as I want him to let go, but in return.
"How can I let you go now, Rosen Nightingale?" The way he said that sounded creepy.
Don't ask too much.
"How about you give me that pendant of yours?"
He crossed the line.
But what can I do? I can't give this to him.
"No. I can't give you this." Why did I sound like a wounded pup?
"A deal is a deal."
My illiterate and big-mouthed self, as always, will never take my side in times of need. As expected from it, but I can't blame it; after all, it is mine.
"I'd rather kiss you than give you this."
I held my pendant in a protective way.
"OK. Keep it. Just kiss me." He didn't back down at all.
How disgusting. No change at all.
"It was kind of like a figure of speech. I guess."
"You still guessed," he reminded.
He was looking at me with the straightest face imaginable. How could he maintain that expression after saying such complete bullshit? Shameless. That must be it.
I needed to think of something else, and quickly, before this man actually decided to take away my first kiss.
"Won't you feel awkward, I mean, being kissed by a boy?" I used this card... It feels strange coming from me when I can use better ways to shut that damn mouth of his with my boot.
"Of course not. It wouldn't matter to anyone. A boy like you... trust me, no one would have any objections."
Gulp. This general is gay.
Everyone else came after changing. I'm saved. What took them so long?
The general changed his expression and his posture so quickly that even I had problems understanding which of them was real. The one who had been asking for a kiss shamelessly.
"Run a lap." He directed his order towards the incoming herd.
I was also getting ready to run a lap with the others when a hand caught me from the collar.
"Except Rosen."
Everyone was leaving one by one and giving me questioning glances.
Deep down, I wanted to tell them, Don't leave me alone with the General.
But even if I said it out loud, what good would it do? In the end, they would all follow his orders.
One by one, everyone ran, and within moments, they were completely out of sight.
Now, who was going to save me?
Before I could even think of a way out, he turned me toward him and caught me off guard.
I struggled against him, trying to pull away, but his grip was far too strong. Every attempt I made to free myself was useless. I hated feeling so helpless, but there was nothing I could do in that moment.
Eventually, I stopped struggling.
A deal was a deal.
The moment he let me go, I barely had time to think. My mind was still trying to catch up with what had just happened when I reacted on instinct.
I kicked him.
Hard.
He clearly hadn't expected it.
For once, I had managed to surprise the general.
After kicking him, I ran along the track so as to get mingled with others. I did not want to turn around at any cost but still did.
I stopped midway and turned towards him, not because I wanted to see him or anything, but because of what he said.
"I know you're not Rosen Nightingale."