Take Me Away

The hottest days of autumn usually fell in the last week of August and went on until the first week of September. Coincidentally, this was also when the freshmen of D University would begin their military training.

At precisely seven in the morning, the students, dressed in military training uniforms, marched out of their respective dormitory buildings and flocked to the training grounds.

"Wait for me!" Just outside the dormitory for art students, Sophia shouted as she ran. "Fiona! Leona! Wait for me!"

Behind her followed Ella, who was casually taking her time. "Why are you running? We cannot possibly be late!"

Fiona turned to her roommates and said, "Come on! The training program's about to start. The instructors and drillmasters are already there!"

"You heard Fiona!" Sophia told Ella. "Hurry up so we can catch up with her and Leona!"

Leona looked back at Fiona and saw that she had tied up her hair into a little bun and tucked it inside her hat. Only her face was exposed so she looked neat and fresh, like a fairy.

In the open-air stadium, instructors from various schools were directing their students to their designated areas. Among them was the art school instructor, a woman in her thirties named Hilda Han. "Students, listen up! The university president, the school officials, and the general drillmaster of the military training will be presiding over the mobilization meeting. Remember to stand alert and pay attention," she declared. "The military training will start right after the mobilization meeting and will conclude after a month."

"What?"

"Oh my God..."

The students complained loudly as soon as Hilda finished speaking.

"I thought we were only having the mobilization meeting today!" Sophia took off her hat and fanned herself with it.

"Oh, no! I can't believe the actual training starts today!" "But I didn't even put on sunscreen this morning!" Ella ranted. Fiona kept her silence. Looking at their uniforms, she suddenly remembered Spencer.

"Okay, everyone! Stay in your designated areas and don't make any unnecessary noise!" The instructor raised her voice. "The purpose of this military training is to teach all of you discipline. For the coming weeks, it's important that you listen to your drillmasters. You must complete every task that they will give you."

The meeting began with the singing of the national anthem, after which the university president and other school officials took their seats on the stage.

"On behalf of the school officials, I would like to congratulate and welcome our new students. You've done well in the college entrance exam and we couldn't be more proud to have you joining us here today..." More than a thousand students listened to the university president's speech under the scorching hot sun. Nearby, the sound of cicadas was really annoying.

"Why is his speech so long? It's too hot in here!" Sophia complained.

"And so, please help me welcome the general drillmaster, George Ye!"

With those words, all of the students looked up the stage in anticipation.

The man named George Ye casually walked up the stage and took the microphone from the university president. In a deep voice, he addressed the students, "Good morning, everyone. I hope that you will all conduct yourselves well, practice self-discipline, commit to your training, and listen to your drillmasters in the coming month. As for us, you have our word that we will do everything our position requires and provide you the training that you need. Thank you!"

"He's so handsome!"

"Is he going to be our drillmaster too?" The students began whispering among themselves as soon as they saw how young George was.

"Wow! He's definitely my type!" Sophia could barely contain her excitement. She turned to Fiona and said in a low voice, "I like George very much!"

Fiona only gave her a faint smile but didn't say a word. Right then, another person took the microphone to make an announcement. "And that concludes our mobilization meeting. Please proceed to your designated areas so we can proceed with our military training."

"And our nightmare begins!" With a heavy heart, Ella followed her group to the training grounds.

Sophia looked back at the stage and said, "If I get to see George every day, I don't care if they extend training for another month!"

"You saw him once from afar," Leona chimed in. "Don't get carried away."

"This is the power of love! It was love at first sight!" Sophia said with overflowing confidence and determination. "I'll do my best to get close to him in the next month and make him fall in love with me!" Fiona couldn't help but chuckle as she heard them. She knew that Sophia had always been an active and headstrong girl but she was rarely motivated to do anything. With her like this, she thought that military training wouldn't be boring after all.

Fiona's class was in the same group as the girls majoring in interior design. They stood in line waiting for the arrival of their drillmaster.

"Left, right..."

A loud chanting could be heard as a dozen drillmasters in uniforms marched towards the stadium. The students held their breath as they waited for their designated drillmasters.

"They're coming! I'm so nervous!" Sophia placed her hand over her chest. "I wonder if our drillmaster is scary. I mean, actual army officers give us the military training, right?" "The only concern I have about this training is

whether or not our drillmaster is hot!" Ella announced as she stood in front of the line. "It would be so good to train under a handsome drillmaster. Don't you think so, Fiona?"

Fiona only nodded and gave her a polite smile.

Many drillmasters marched in front of them but no one stopped in front of their group.

"Huh? What's happening?" After a few minutes, several students started voicing their confusion. "How come we don't have an drillmaster yet?"

"Where is our drillmaster?"

"Is ours missing?"

"What could've possibly happened?" Sophia pointed at the other groups and said with surprise, "Look! Others have already started. Where's our drillmaster?" "Maybe we're exempted from training?" Ella said happily.

"I don't think so." Leona shook her head.

Even Fiona began looking around at the other groups as she wondered what was going on.

"Sir!" Someone in their group called out to one of the drillmasters passing by. "Do you know where our drillmaster is? Did he forget about us?"

The drillmaster turned around and said, "Yours will be arriving soon!"

Right then, the sound of a car engine announced an approaching vehicle. A loud voice called out from the stadium, "Salute!"

All of the drillmasters stood straight and saluted. They looked at the coming car and greeted loudly in unison.

"How cool!"

"Wow! What a big shot!"

Everyone looked expectantly at the approaching vehicle. Only Fiona frowned as she wondered who the arrogant man in the car could be. She remembered clearly that Article 206 of the school regulations stated that no motor vehicles were allowed to enter the stadium.

"It's coming towards us!"

"The car is coming here!"

The girls in Fiona's group couldn't help but squeal. Sure enough, the vehicle stopped in front of their team.

Click!

The car door swung open and out stepped a pair of legs wearing standard army boots. The slender and well-toned figure of a tall man then appeared in front of them.

Fiona stood on her toes to get a better look from the second row. As soon as she saw who it was, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. She felt as if her heart was about to leap out of her throat. Were her eyes deceiving her?

Spencer? She rubbed her eyes and took a second look. It was really Spencer! 'I'm doomed!' she cried inwardly.