The next morning, as Craig woke up with a headache and walked to class while yawning, he suddenly felt Poco's arm around his neck.
"What's up, man?" Poco teased with a smile.
"Morning, Craig," Manning and Mark greeted as they walked beside him.
"When did we become friends?!" Craig thought coldly, analyzing them.
"Morning," he replied nonchalantly.
"Now that I think about it, my father hasn't called this morning to ask for an update on my mission," Craig thought as students in the background eyed him, Mark, Manning, and Poco—the group of cool students.
"I haven't made any moves yet, so I'll just keep avoiding it until the end of the semester," he thought.
Just then, they heard the sound of an ambulance siren and noticed the academy police gathered outside near the field.
"That's strange. I didn't harm anyone last night," Craig thought coldly, scanning the scene from afar. "Or is it perhaps something else... or someone?"
As the students filed into the classroom, the door suddenly flung open, and a tall lady with white hair entered. Her name tape read Melia.
"Good morning, Senior Drill Officer!" Everyone stood up immediately, fear evident on their faces.
"Front lean rest position, move!" Drill Officer Melia commanded coldly.
The class quickly dropped into a push-up position.
"Now tell me, was my presence so unnoticed that you two incompetent representatives couldn't see me until I was already a step into the classroom?" Melia scolded, glancing down at Jennifer and Poco.
"My apologies, Senior Drill Officer,"
Jennifer apologized sincerely, her voice trembling with fear.
"And you, wannabe punk?!"
Melia glared menacingly at Poco, the class clown.
"Drill Officer Melia," Poco began as he rose, a mischievous smirk playing on his lips. "The thing is—"
Before he could finish, Melia grabbed his hair and shoved him down. The entire class gasped in shock.
"I think you've forgotten your current position, cadet!" she hissed dangerously.
The room fell even quieter, every student humbled by her authority.
"What's with her, power tripping?"
Craig thought, carefully glancing up at Melia.
"Because of this stunt by your class representative," she continued, directing her words at Poco, who was now on his knees, "you males will hold that position for thirty minutes."
Then, with a dismissive thumb raised, she added, "You females are good—so get up!"
Almost simultaneously, the students obeyed her command.
Just then, Melia noticed a new face among the males—Craig, standing beside Poco. As their eyes met, Craig quickly averted his gaze, realizing he had been caught.
"Her instincts are sharp!" he thought, feeling a surge of apprehension toward her commanding presence and strict demeanor.
"Craig Walker, huh?" Melia mused, glancing at his name tape.
"See me after class, new cadet!" she commanded, turning away from the group of boys.
"Yes, ma'am," Craig responded, his voice betraying a hint of nervousness at the prospect of her scrutiny.
"Today, we'll begin our lesson on the operation and types of various firearms," Melia announced, stepping in front of the classroom board.
As the class proceeded, the boys remained in the front-leaning rest position. Craig felt his legs trembling with fatigue.
"Damn it. Can't keep up with this..." he thought, exaggerating his exhaustion.
"If any one of you drops, you'll start all over again," Melia stated coldly, her gaze sweeping over the class.
"How much longer do we have? I'm at my limit," Craig thought, enduring the strain.
"Anyway, pocket pistols are intended for patrols. Once you advance to the next phase of the academy, you'll have the opportunity to practice with live rounds," she continued, her sharp eyes monitoring the male cadets.
"Even if some of you decide not to pursue a military career after graduation, you'll still be able to participate in all range activities, and..."
Her sentence was abruptly interrupted as the door flung open simultaneously with an announcement summoning all teachers to an emergency meeting.
"Alright, get up!" Melia commanded, hesitating briefly before heading out.
"Students and cadets, remain in your classrooms with the doors closed until the emergency is over," the announcement added.
The classroom erupted into chaos as students surged toward the windows, their curiosity piqued.
" Hey, move! I can't see." one student complained.
Meanwhile Craig, his headache intensifying, rested his head on his desk. " Is this related to what happened this morning?"
"Now that I think about it, what's up with those marks on my back."
He thought closing his eyes trying to take a short nap.