AUTHOR'S POV

"Where everyone does !"

A loud gasp left her mouth after listening Ashy's words , she blinked twice before questioning again.

"You...you are joking right?" She said laughing nervously, while ashy pressed her lips lightly, trying to hold her laughter after seeing yn's nervous State.

Yn waited for an answer and as expected the answer was same .

"No, there is only one , Big bathroom for candidates and other officers also use that one and I'm serious there is not any separate bathroom for girls , that's why I'm telling you go hurry up or else..." She stopped as yn understood her next word.

"O...okay wait here , I'm coming back , don't leave without me " saying that she rushed towards the bathroom while holding her uniform.

★★★

It's been 15 Minutes and still yn didn't came back.

"Where are you yn ?" Ashy whispered shouted while looking at the clock , they are already late .

"I think, I need to check on her " thinking for a while ashy made her way towards the bath area.

her mind racing with irritation.

"What the hell is taking her this long?" she fumed inwardly, oblivious to the stares from the soldiers she passed.

Engrossed in her own thoughts, she failed to notice the figure approaching her from the opposite direction.

"We are definitely going to get lat-ahh" With a loud, jarring thud, she collided with the person, the impact sending her sprawling onto the ground.

Pain shot through her as she landed hard, the shock of the fall momentarily stealing her breath.

"Ouch... are you blind?" she hissed through gritted teeth, clutching her throbbing hip.

She glared up at the man standing before her, expecting an apology or at least an acknowledgment.

But he seemed utterly unbothered, his expression indifferent as he began to walk past her without a word.

Disbelief and fury surged through her. He didn't even care to help her? At the very least, he should have said sorry!

The injustice of it all ignited a fire within her.

"Hey! You just knocked me over, and you don't even care to apologize?" she shouted after him, her voice trembling with a mix of pain and anger.

Standing up slowly, still holding her aching hip, she glared at his retreating back, her eyes blazing with indignation.

The hallway fell silent as the loud gasps can be heard .

Hearing her furious voice he stopped at his pace before turning around only to find her walking towards him with some slow steps as the pain was too much to bear.

The man or we can say the soldier observed her each step as he said .

"Go to the dispensary and take medicine for your pain" after saying that he again started walking while she looked at him disbelief with her mouth hung open.

"Seriously!?" she called out again, her voice a mix of pain and fury.

"Hey!! You can't just walk away after knocking me down!"Her words echoed in the hallway, drawing the attention of more soldiers.

She saw a few of them exchange glances, but none dared to intervene.

Ashy finally caught up to the man, reaching out to grab his arm.

"Stop," she demanded, her grip firm despite her trembling hand.

"You owe me an apology."The man halted, turning slowly to face her.

His expression remained cold and detached, his eyes flicking down to where her hand gripped his arm.

For a moment, they stood locked in a silent standoff, the tension between them palpable.

"I said go to the dispensary and get medicines for the pain " he again said in cold tone.

Ashy refused to back down, meeting his gaze with a fierce determination.

"You can't just walk away from this," she said, her voice low but steady. "Acknowledge what you did."

"What did I do? You were the one walking around with your eyes closed. So, you should be the one apologizing for your mistake, Miss... umm, Ashy?" he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm as he glanced at her name tag.

Ashy stared at him in disbelief, her anger flaring even hotter. "Are you serious? You can't just blame me for your lack of awareness!" she shot back, her voice rising.

The man smirked, clearly unfazed by her outburst. "Perhaps if you paid more attention to where you were going, this wouldn't have happened," he replied coolly, shrugging off her hand.

Ashy's fists clenched at her sides, her frustration boiling over. "Unbelievable," she muttered, shaking her head. "The least you could do is show some decency and apologize."

He raised an eyebrow, a mocking smile playing on his lips. "And the least you could do is watch where you're walking next time."

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Ashy seething with anger and pain. She watched him go, her body trembling with a mixture of rage and humiliation, vowing silently that this wasn't over.

"Agh... what the hell does he think of himself, huh?" Ashy muttered furiously, glancing around. The soldiers who had frozen in place moments ago were now walking away, pretending as if nothing had happened. Their indifference only fueled her frustration.

Stomping her feet, she made her way towards the bath area, her anger propelling her forward despite the pain in her hip. As she neared the entrance, she saw YN walking out, still holding her uniform.

"She didn't take a bath?" Ashy thought, puzzled. She hurried towards YN, her concern momentarily eclipsing her anger.

"YN!" Ashy called out, quickening her pace. "What happened? Why didn't you take a bath?"

YN looked up, startled by Ashy's sudden approach. "Ashy, are you okay?" she asked, noticing ashy's pained expression.

"I'm fine," Ashy replied, waving off the concern. "But why didn't you take a bath? We've been waiting for you."

YN glanced down at her uniform, a troubled look on her face. "Aishh all the cabinets are already occupied and we are running out of time that's why I came back let's go I will come back later when the bath area will be empty."

Ashy's frustration melted into sympathy. "Oh, I see. Well, let's head back. We'll figure something out."

As they walked back together, Ashy couldn't help but glance over her shoulder, her mind still fuming over the encounter with the rude man.

But for now, their first priority was to arrive at the training area.

★★★

Time skip ~

Entering the training area, both YN and Ashy exchanged a quick glance. The area was filled with candidates standing in a queue, all facing the stage where an elder officer was delivering a speech about the rules and discipline they had to maintain.

"We're late," Ashy whispered, worry etched on her face.

"We better hurry," YN responded, matching her urgency.

They both rushed toward the stage, slipping into the line behind the other soldiers as quietly as they could. They hoped to blend in and avoid drawing attention to their tardiness.

"...and as recruits, it is imperative that you uphold the highest standards of discipline and respect at all times," the officer's voice boomed, his eyes scanning the crowd. "Remember, you represent not just yourselves, but our entire unit."

Ashy and YN stood at attention, trying to focus on the officer's words while catching their breath. Ashy's hip still throbbed with pain, but she pushed it aside, knowing this was not the time to show weakness.

"Failure to adhere to these standards will result in immediate disciplinary action," the officer continued, his gaze sharp and unwavering. "Now, fall in and prepare for your first drill."

The tension in the room was palpable as the recruits prepared to move. Ashy and YN exchanged another look, this time one of determination.

"Before we proceed, I would like to invite our commander, Jung, to the stage," the elder officer announced. Ashy and YN exchanged a puzzled glance, eager to see who the commander was. The moment Commander Jung walked towards the mic, Ashy's eyes widened in shock.

"Y-yahh, YN, is that the c-commander?" Ashy stammered, her voice barely a whisper.

"Yes, I saw him last night punishing some candidates on the ground," YN replied, while Ashy cursed her luck. It was the same man from the bath area.

As Commander Jung took the mic, his eyes landed on Ashy, who was standing at the very back of the queue. A smirk appeared on his face as he began to speak.

"Good morning, candidates. From today onwards, I will be responsible for your training," he declared, his gaze briefly lingering on Ashy.

She tried to hide herself behind the tall candidate in front of her, but his words made her eyes widen in horror. Knowing she had to face him every day filled her with dread.

"Shit, no way," she cursed under her breath.

"Yah, why do you look so pale? Is everything alright?" YN whispered, noticing Ashy's distress.

Ashy cursed her whole existence, her mind racing.

"It's him, YN," she muttered, her voice shaking.

"The same guy from the bath area!"

★★★