hopeless | jean kirstein

2 | first day

"You! Who the hell are you?!"

Instructor Keith Shadis loomed over her, glaring at Taryn with piercing eyes. Immediately after arriving, the trainees were ushered into an empty hall where they were given uniforms. They were then instructed to go outside after changing to proceed into a formation for the initiation. Which, she concluded, was whatever this was all about.

The instructor had been at it for a while now, yelling at her fellow trainees over and over again until they were cowering in fear. She gulped, nervously punching a fist over her chest to do a formidable salute.

"Taryn Freire from Trost, sir!" She shouted back at him, mentally hoping that her voice had been loud enough for him to be pleased.

"Why are you here?" He questioned, raising an intimidating brow at her.

She didn't know whether to be honest with him or not, so she just decided to go with the safe option. "To make my parents proud and bring honor to my family, sir!"

"Pathetic!" The instructor roared. Panicking, she tried her best not to break eye contact and to maintain her posture, even though she was afraid of what was about to happen. "Why would anybody be proud of a sorry piece of shit? Say it!"

"I am a sorry piece of shit, sir!"

"You are lesser than cattle! Your parents would never be proud of you!"

"Yes sir! I am lesser than cattle, my parents would never be proud of me!"

"Hmph." Fortunately, the instructor seemed to be satisfied with her responses. He had moved on to the person beside her, who was none other than Jean. She could see him sweating furiously while he tried to stand straight as the older man approached him.

"Who the hell are you?!"

"Jean Kirstein, from Trost!"

"What are you doing here?"

His eyes widened, and Taryn knew he was also debating whether or not to tell a lie. But unlike her, he chose to tell the truth.

She watched as his lips curved into a nervous smile and she quietly laughed at his feeble attempt to charm the instructor. "To get into the Military Police Brigade...and live in the interior, sir."

Shadis smirked. "I see. You want to go to the interior, do you?"

"Yes sir!"

She knew that Jean was unnervingly honest, and that annoying trait of his would always force him into unpleasant circumstances. Just like now, when Instructor Shadis bumped his head against the boy, the latter letting out a yelp of pain. She could only imagine how much that hurt.

"Hey! Who gave you the permission to sit down!" He roared at Jean who was rubbing his head from below. "You think someone who folds here is gonna be allowed into the Military Police? Toughen up, boy!"

To Taryn and Jean's relief, Shadis marched off and went on to torment the next one in line, whose name they learned was Marco Bodt. The poor boy had also been subject to the instructor's ruthless remarks, but at least he didn't get knocked down to the ground like Jean did.

Taryn secretly inched closer to him, who was still sprawled out on the ground. She bent down and offered him a hand, intending to help him up on his feet.