Chapter 3: Instructor V
YOUMIN
My eyes open hazily from someone lifting me up.
"Yes?"
"Yeah, hyung. I found him."
I can't feel my body. The only thing I can move are my eyes, and even that's hard to do.
Someone's arm tightens around my waist.
"He needs medical attention. Get the team set up. I'll be back in five minutes."
I know that voice.
There's a soft click. My head just hangs limply off Instructor V's shoulder, and I don't even have the strength to feel embarrassed anymore.
Then the voice comes again.
"I know you're awake, Park Jimin."
My eyes go wide.
He sighs, but his tone is sharp. "The moment I saw you, I knew you couldn't handle this. I'm putting you down for dismissal the moment we get back."
"Understand?"
My heart starts to race.
No.
I shake my head against his shoulder, heart starting to race. My voice is a tiny rasp, all torn from exhaustion.
"I— I don't want to."
He suddenly stops.
I wince when he just drops me to the ground, my hands scrabbling to find balance. My back slams into a tree, but I'm glad it's there.
Without it I couldn't even keep myself sitting upright.
"You don't want to."
He repeats, getting down to my eye level. His dark eyes are burning, like fire.
"Trainee. Do you think this is a joke?"
He slams a hand against my shoulder. I suck in a thin gasp, but still force myself to stare back at him.
His fingers twist.
"You can't even complete a run. This place isn't for weaklings like you, Jimin."
"Give up."
I nearly do, right there. But what about my younger brother? How could I pay his hospital fees if I gave up now?
"No." I hiss, voice a bit stronger. I shake his grip away, scrambling back up to my feet.
I can feel him watching me as I try to climb my way back up the slope I'd fallen down.
But it's so steep.
My feet slip, but I just force myself back up every time I end up on the bottom again. It's so pathetic, but I couldn't get dismissed. I just couldn't.
Darkness starts to crowd my eyes again.
No, no, no.
If I fainted now, I was done for.
Taking in a ragged breath, I pull my body up. I couldn't even believe how far I'd fallen— it was a miracle I hadn't snapped my neck.
When I reach for the tree again, a hand wraps around my arm and tugs me back.
I meet black eyes.
"That's enough."
"No. I'm getting— getting up there, and then you have to promise..." My voice fades away, with pieces of my mind.
"Not to dis...miss...."
I don't even get to finish my sentence before collapsing into him.
_______________________
I wake up to a white ceiling.
"There you are." A cheery voice comes from my side, and I turn my head to see a smiling man in a long white coat. "I brought you back to life."
I flash up.
"Am I dismissed?" I shout, taking him aback. But I don't care, throwing the blankets to the side and climbing off the bed.
He pushes me right back down.
"No, you're not." He sighs, patting his heart. "You scared the crap out of me, for heaven's sakes. Don't do that again. Please."
I stare.
"I'm not dismissed?"
He shakes his head, before giving me a look of admiration.
"You've been out for the past three days, and the first thing you ask is that. What a true soldier."
Then the blood drains completely from my cheeks when I realize my clothes have been changed.
I'm afraid to look up at this doctor.
"Yes, I know about your little secret." He says, breathing out. "Don't worry. You don't have to look like your pet turtle just died."
"I won't tell anyone."
My mouth drops open.
"You're not?"
He shakes his head again. "I'm not. Now that I know how much you want to stay— besides, you got more soldier mind than half the people here."
I don't know what to say.
"Thank...you."
"You're welcome." He beams, offering me a hand. "I'm Hoseok, by the way. The medic here."
"And I'm sorry I changed your clothes. I didn't realize you were... not male."
"It's okay. It's fine." I say too quickly, so relieved that he wouldn't tell anyone else that I was a girl. I'd thought everything was over just now.
"Thank you." I repeat, grateful.
"Thank the person who brought you in here." Hoseok shrugs, passing me a water bottle.
"I had to treat his hands for cuts. It was bleeding, too."
I look up in surprise. The harsh slope suddenly comes into mind, and I tug on my lip with my teeth.
There was no way someone could get down there without ruining their hands.
"You, too." He frowns, motioning at several bandages around my body. "Take care of yourself."
"I don't want to see you in here again, okay?"
I blink.
"I mean," He says quickly. "Just don't get hurt to the point where I have to treat you."
_______________________
"Hyung!"
Shian crashes into me like a truck.
"Sorry, sorry!" He yelps when I double over coughing. "I just, I missed you so much. Haein hyung wouldn't stop bothering me."
"And I like you so much better than him."
"Hey!"
A pillow comes flying, and I laugh weakly when it crashes straight into the side of Shian's head.
He quickly hurls it right back.
"So are you okay now?" He says, glaring at Haein when he sees him aiming. "We were really worried. Hyung was too, even if he's not showing."
"He kept asking where you were."
I'm about to laugh back when the door swings open.
Instructor Namhan is there.
And I just get more shocked when he points at me, motioning to step outside.
Did I do something wrong?
Does he know I—
"You'll be training separately with V starting tomorrow."
At first I don't believe him.
Because why would he— I'd thought he'd hate me after with all that had happened.
"This is the first time." He says, his eyes scanning me top to bottom. "He's done something like this."
He was probably wondering why one of the top graduate instructors were willing to teach someone like me.
I was wondering that too.
"So from tomorrow, you'll be working with him for the first half of the day. Then you'll participate with your group for the second half."
"Group competitions start soon, so be prepared for that."
And that's all he says before leaving.
V?
The Instructor V? The one who looked like he wanted me out of here as soon as possible?
I don't understand.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone