Chapter 006

  Good Morning Comrades

  The second day didn't start with a big commotion or a rush; instead, it started with the red glow of a cracked digital clock that read 5:29 AM.

  Yugo was sleeping on his back, his position was wilder than his hair, in the same cleaning cupboard as the previous day, surrounded by the crumpled wrappers of a sandwich he’d scavenged the night before. Mr. Numbers had pushed them to the brink on Day One.

  The second the clock hit 5:30, Yugo’s eyes snapped wide open. Any type of exhaustion wasn’t apparent, unlike his signature grin, which looked ready to face the world. He got on his feet and kicked the cupboard door open. Stepped into the hallway, his voice booming like a cannon.

  "GOOD MORNING, COMRADES!"

  The silence of the dorms was shattered.

  "Keep it quiet, you lunatic!" someone hissed from behind a closed door.

  "What is wrong with you?" another groaned.

  Yugo didn’t mind. After all, this was his second day at the academy.

  He marched toward the communal bathrooms, almost colliding with Jin stepping out of the corridor. Jin looked sleepless and ready. His demeanour screamed danger, and the sharpness of his eyes was unchanged, as if he’d been awake for a long time. He didn't say a word, just shouldered past Yugo, completely ignoring him.

  Yugo didn’t fully understand what he did wrong. Just like the previous day, after they got dismissed, he tried to talk to Jin, but the outcome was silence. Even after dinner, Yugo made his way to the dormitory and knocked at Jin’s door. Silence. That’s how he ended up sleeping in the cupboard again.

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  But this small interaction was enough to ruin Yugo's day; he just put on a big grin and walked right into the bathroom. He splashed cold water on his face, looked into the mirror, and began striking a "Hero of Justice" pose.

  "HAHAHA"

  Clink. Whirrr. Thud.

  A strange ramming noise, accompanied by the clattering sound, echoed from the ceiling just outside the bathroom door. Yugo stopped mid-pose and decided to investigate.

  As Yugo stepped outside, the noise got louder, then it stopped. Yugo heard it again from above. Then silence. As Yugo looked up, with a sudden crack ceiling tile gave in. A blur of blonde hair and green highlights came crashing down, landing directly on top of him.

  It was Rita. She landed in an awkward set of limbs and screwdrivers right on Yugo’s chest. For a second, time stood still. Then, Yugo scrambled from under her, his face steamed with a shade of red as he immediately pressed his forehead against the linoleum floor in a formal apology.

  "My mother did not raise me as a rascal! Please forgive me!" he shouted, facing the floor tiles.

  "I—I should be the one apologizing," she faltered, looking embarrassed. "I was trying to fix the light sensors. I should have been more careful."

  Yugo lifted his head. When he saw she wasn't seriously hurt, red evaporated from his face. Replaced by a grin as he stood up, striking a victorious pose with a flashing thumbs-up toward the ceiling, as if her not hating him was his greatest achievement yet.

  The sight was so ridiculous that Rita’s embarrassment died instantly. She burst into a fit of laughter so violent she could barely catch her breath.

  "HAHAHA! Oh man..." She wiped a tear from her eye, looking at him with a soft, genuine smile. "You’re definitely one of a kind, Yugo."

  She stood up, dusting off her uniform.

  "Just make sure you're not late today. The Captain is in a... 'mood'."

  Yugo looked at her, the grin remaining but his eyes turning serious. He gave a sharp, determined nod. He was ready.

  Grrrr, grrr…

  Their bellies rumbled in unison.

  "But first… We should have breakfast. Hahaha," they said simultaneously.

  — ? —

  After having food with Rita, Yugo arrived at the training grounds in a flash. He looked like a different person today. To start, his father's jacket was nowhere to be seen and for the first time, he was dressed exactly like the others in the crisp PT Academy recruit uniform: a dark tank top, heavy navy trousers and black leather boots shining brighter than the sunrise.

  The change was striking. Without the heavy jacket, his frame looked lean and capable, though his hair remained a defiant mess and his trademark grin was fixed in place.

  — End of Chapter 6 —