After finishing the military training orientation, we were led to the storehouse to collect our training uniforms—standard camouflage gear.
Without hesitation, Li Hua stripped off his shirt and slipped into the uniform on the spot. A wave of high-pitched screams echoed through the storehouse as both girls and boys gathered around him, gasping in admiration at his toned muscles. Clearly enjoying the attention, Li Hua flexed his arms proudly and even let some of them touch his biceps.
Honestly, it annoyed me. I've never liked noisy crowds. Carrying my uniform, I slipped out of the storehouse with Fo.
To my surprise, Fo was among those who admired Li Hua."He is seriously hot! That body is amazing!" he exclaimed.
I frowned and replied, "Our first mission at this school is to study, not to build muscles. Muscles don't pay the bills—grades do."
Looking back now, I realize how wrong I was. Muscles can get you far in ways I never understood back then. I really was just a nerd.
Fo grinned. "I agree we should study hard. But a strong body is also a weapon. It helps us evolve, even academically!"
I nodded, half-convinced by his logic.
"Ding Yi, look at my biceps!" Fo said playfully, flexing his arm. His muscles were just as big as Li Hua's—only fairer in color.
To my embarrassment, I couldn't help but swallow hard. My face flushed with heat.
"Wanna touch? Go ahead," he offered.
Just as I was about to reach out, a stampede of students poured out from the storehouse, sweeping us along toward the school gate.So much for that moment.
We were lined up in two columns at the entrance. We were told we'd be welcoming the instructors from the Active Duty Forces—our trainers for the coming days.
A bus pulled up in front of us, and one by one, the instructors stepped off. They were young—not much older than us—and tanned from training under the sun. Their strong physiques and firm expressions made it obvious they were the real deal.
They shook hands with each of us as they arrived. I was completely captivated by their military uniforms. One of the instructors noticed my fascination. When he shook my hand, he patted my head gently like an older brother, then unexpectedly removed a medal from his chest and slipped it into my pocket.
I hesitated to accept it, but his warm smile melted my resistance. He didn't even wait for a "thank you"—just walked on. I was too stunned by the medal to even process how handsome he actually was.
...
I returned to the dorm, completely absorbed in admiring the medal. Fang called out to me, laughing at something Li Hua had just said—it seemed they'd already hit it off. I responded half-heartedly and lay on my bed, still playing with the medal.
But good moments never last long. I should've known—Li Hua was never one to let me enjoy peace for long.
He suddenly snatched the medal from my hands and gave it to Fang, urging him to run.
"Ever played Eagle Catching Chick?" he shouted. "Go on, catch Fang! He's the chick now. Brave eagle, show us what you've got!"
Furious, I stood up and punched Li Hua square on the nose. Blood started dripping immediately—clearly not what he expected. Shocked, he quickly realized he'd gone too far. He retrieved the medal from Fang, handed it back to me, and apologized over and over.
What surprised me most wasn't the apology itself—it was how genuine it sounded.
I said nothing, leaving the embarrassment to them, and walked out of the dorm.
Later, when I returned, the room was empty. But there was a folded note on my bed. I opened it and immediately recognized the childish handwriting—Li Hua's.
"Sorry I hurt your feelings. I really just wanted to get closer to you. I mean it.If you forgive me, please open my locker~ please, please, please."
Despite suspecting it might be another prank, I walked over and opened his locker.
What I saw inside left me completely speechless.