1 Love at first sight

It was 10:30 a.m. The morning sun was beginning to get hotter by the minute. The District Police Academy of Hong Kong had completed the morning routine of the wannabe-police trainees by 10:00 a.m. However, two young men were seen running the tracks of the oval training ground, sweat dripping down their foreheads, seeping into their designated numbered jerseys.

"How many more laps do we have to run?" Cho Subin, trainee number 86, asked his best friend and training partner.

"Five more to go," Wang Yul, trainee number 85 replied monotonously, running in synchronised steps along with Subin.

"Jenjang! We were late by only five minutes. Why did Bai Sir have to make us run 20 laps?!" The half-Korean guy whined. His legs already felt like boulders after running 15 laps.

"Stop complaining and keep running," Yul remained undifferentiated. It was their fault that they didn't stick to the schedule and ended up late for the morning training session.

"My legs are giving out, Yul. Fu¢k, I can't do this anym- oomph!" Subin fell before completing his sentence. Yul stopped running but didn't help him up nor show an ounce of worry as he knew it was nothing serious, only scratches on the elbow and knee, something that they were habitual of. But Subin decided to stay sitting on the ground.

"Clumsy," Yul commented, shaking his head and offered a hand.

The instructor, Bai Sir, came running, "What happened, No. 86? Are you alright?"

"Nothing Sir, he just scra-..."

"Aaaaargghh! I think I sprained my ankle." Subin wore a painful expression on his face and clutched his leg. Except for Yul, nobody could tell that he was faking it.

Believing him, the instructor sighed, "Number 85?"

"Sir!" Yul straightened his posture in attention.

"Take number 86 to the medical camp. The institutional nurses are not available today. The people in the medical camp will be able to help. Dismissed for today."

"Yes Sir," Yul saluted as the training instructor walked away.

"I cannot walk, please carry me," Subin demanded, getting up from the muddy ground dusting himself, his one leg hanging loosely. Yul would have flat out rejected him but as the coach was looking their way, he couldn't do anything but agree. He carried Subin on his back.

"You are such a fu¢king drama queen, Bin," He said as they made their way towards the location pointed by their instructor.

"Well, my drama saved us both from running five more laps," Subin giggled and started humming a melody which was new to Yul's ears. He must have composed it on his own like usual. It made Yul think about Subin's passion for music. How come this immensely talented guy ended up in the Police Academy?

He came out of his thoughts seeing a long line which ended up before the tents.

"Why is there a medical camp in our Academy?" Yul mumbled.

"You forgot, they come here every year to check up the First Years. We also had it in our first year. Remember?" The duo was currently in their second year, the final year of their police training.

Yul now remembered that every year, a crew of medical interns would come here for general medical checkups of the police trainees as a part of mass screening. They also had it in their first year and now their Juniors, the current First Years had formed lines before the tents. The tents and rows were separated for boys and girls, the same as their dorms.

Some junior girls passed by them, chatting amongst themselves.

"Did you see the male doctor in the opposite tent?" One of the girls talked, "I saw him when he arrived on the campus. Gosh! He was really handsome. I was about to ask him his name but we were called for assembly, so couldn't."

Yul rolled his eyes in disbelief. Why would a person like someone just by looking at them for the first time? Like dude, you guys are practically strangers, he mumbled to himself.

He carried Subin, walking along the long row of boys and reached the starting point of the line, near the mouth of the large tent.

"Hi Subin Sir," some Juniors in the front greeted, smiling ear to ear. It was almost a tradition to refer to senior trainees as Sir and Ma'am. And the juniors diligently followed it.

The smiles from their faces faded as their eyes landed on Yul's cold face.

"G-good morning, Yul Sir," they bowed in fright.

The juniors were scared shit of Yul as he always appeared so cold and intimidating. On the other hand, Subin's easygoing and cheery personality had made him the juniors' favourite.

"Omo, no need to be so stiff, kids. He won't eat you. He just looks intimidating but actually isn't." He eased the tension in the air and the juniors relaxed. "Do you guys mind if we go in first?"

"Sure Sir."

"And Sir," another junior came close and whispered, "One of our boys managed to sneak in some bottles. Let's have a blast tonight!"

"Wohoo," Subin squealed. "We will be there."

The juniors told them the room number meanwhile other juniors exited out of the tent. It was their turn now and so they entered.

Two interns were stationed there. One's desk was already occupied and so they went to the second one, who was sorting out some papers. This intern, Yul thought, had a different aura around him; his presence felt like none other. Yul cleared his throat to get his attention.

"Excuse me, my friend here got hurt. Can you help him with the first aid?" He asked politely.

The medical intern looked up from his papers. His bespectacled almond eyes fell on the trainees, "Oh! Please have a seat there." He motioned towards the examination table, getting up to take a first-aid kit.

Yul took a glance at the intern and then helped Subin to sit on the said location. He looked back to see the tall, lanky frame of the intern getting the required box and Yul noticed his every movement with amusement.

The intern came back and started attending to the scratches on Subin's elbow. Yul stood back. He looked at the intern again and soon after immediately averted his eyes.

He didn't know why but he found himself stealing glances at the intern, over and over again.

'What's wrong with me?'

He wasn't a creep. He had no other intentions for looking, definitely not perverted ones. He only wanted to look and keep on looking for a lifetime.

He had never felt like this before. Nobody made him feel like this before!

Oh boy, did he fall in love at first sight?