“The reason why you all still have to wear uniforms is not just because this is a military academy! Also to avoid comparison, peer pressure and create a level playing field… bla bla bla…”

Original Post: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/51152/tales-of-teleios

The lecturer delivered his speech on the stage, while Clara sat at a corner with the other students who gathered in a large hall for their first day reporting to the college. She was not listening to the speech though, but was tapping on her phone. It was night time back in her home country, where her best friends Amelia and Phoebe were both free during that time.

😣 Clara: [Good God! I swear everyone here acts like Fiona!]

[Are you for real?! Sounds like the worst thing ever!] :Amelia 😱

[I had a bad first day experience, too, but at least I found a couple of new friends.] :Phoebe 😧

😢 Clara: [Forget them, I miss both of you already.]

[Actually, my mom did suggest something similar to Fiona’s idea.] :Amelia 🤔

😳 Clara: [Wait what!? Amelia, that’s insane!]

[C’mon, think about it! College is not all about studying and getting that piece of toilet paper. We are still young and have more important things to do!] :Phoebe 😧

[Dude, you have to plan beyond these 3 or 4 years. That's a lot to throw away for having fun because you're young.] :Amelia 😧

[I don't know, sounds to me like getting a boyfriend on the way to success is the best strategy.] :Phoebe 😟

[Hey, speaking of, I boogled Jayden Yeoh. It’s true that his dad offered that billion dollar dowry to _! (TO WHO lol)] :Amelia 😆

[Hah! If I were you, I'd be hitting on Aron for sure! Can't win the jackpot if you don't punch that ticket!] :Phoebe 😏

😒 Clara: [The hell?! That's not helping anyone at all!]

“The gentlemen have to shave their heads and the ladies have to tie all your hair into a bun! Else shave all of them like the men!” the officer shouted.

Clara immediately dropped her phone and hid it into her pocket. 😨 The students did not respond at all to the officer. Some were still swiping their phones. They all seemed strange to Clara, almost like those problematic students back in her previous school.

‐-----------------

The nervous cold sweat dropping from the officer’s forehead, he was stunned. Clara was expecting his stern military style reply, but he kept quiet.

“We need to follow the rules in the academy.” 😏 Aron intruded with his deep British accent. He was with the other AGP brothers sitting together in the front row.

“Hah! For you of course! Mr Aron! I know what’s hiding underneath your cap! Hahaha” 😂 The student in crop top singlet, Veejay laughed loudly.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

“C’mon man, I can’t change my hairstyle, I have to keep my look as close as my grandpa else I’m gonna get into trouble.” 😣 Gabe pushed his fringe to the back, revealing his forehead. Clara suddenly realised that he looked like someone famous, but she could not recall who.

“Dammit, hairstyle is important for a celebrity like me, okay! How am I gonna do rock and roll without my hair? It’s part of the look!” Penn laid on Aron’s table and gave him his best smoulder face. 🥴 Aron kept his calm and composure and looked away. The other students were mostly against the head shaving requirement. Clara noticed about Mateo, he was not aware of all the things that happened in the hall. He was typing on his handphone like what Clara did.

Handsome guy hired by Aron as a bodyguard huh? Perhaps he would be her suitable target, since he was not part of the elite like most other students. Clara stared at his phone, which was covered with a yellow cartoonish bunny phone protector. 😅 That was strange for her, since she never expected a cool guy could fancy such kind of cute things.

Clara secretly used her handphone, zoomed to him and took a picture. She then sent to her group chat.

😬 Clara: [Hey, how about this guy! He’s hot!]

[OMG! Clara! Take more pictures! I need to gather references for my BL manga!] :Amelia 😆

[Aww! That’s adorable! He likes cute stuff!!] :Phoebe 😚

😬 Clara: [Hehe! Wait, Let me take more photos…]

Clara swiped away the group chat and brought back the camera app, to her surprise, Mateo was gone from his seat.

‘Doo Bee Doo Ba Doo Bee Doo, Doo Bee Doo Da Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (giggles), la la, la la la…’ 🎶🎶🎶

Clara heard tuba music with a high pitch funny sound played like a ring tone. 🤨

“Miss Clara, where’s the carton?”

“The officer took it to the dorm…” 😑 She wondered who asked about her carton of Indomee, only to realize that Mateo was sitting next to her like a bolt out of the blue. She was like a cat on a hot brick, 😱 in anxious she tried to hid her phone, but it slipped though her hands. She immediately smashed it on the table and cover it with both of her arms. She must not let him found out that she had took the photo.

“Here’s the access card of the chapter house. Bring the carton to me tonight.” Mateo placed a card on the table and slid it to Clara. She was nervous and clueless about it. 😵‍💫 Why the carton of Indomee? While the other students were arguing about the rules and the courses. Clara’s mind gone totally blank, as she nearly got caught taking photos of others without permission and that an attractive guy just handed her a key card of the chapter house?! What’s a chapter house?

********************************

After the gathering, Clara headed to her ‘dorm’, which was actually a studio room with a queen size bed. She was expecting a dorm with bunk beds, with all the other fellow peers sleeping in the same dorm like what happened in the classic movie Forrest Gump. The room was spacious and modern with a hint of luxury, but the atmosphere screamed loneliness. 😓

The carton! She walked to her large box of Indomee, wondering why Mateo asked her to bring it to him. 🤔 That was her favourite limited edition noodles. She should keep at least a packet or two for herself. She poked the tape on the carton box and opened it up.

When she removed the styrofoam, to her surprise, the items in the box were not instant noodles.

‘Ring Ring…’ 📱

Clara’s default ringtone sounded, she saw her best friends Amelia and Phoebe were calling her through the internet group chat app.

😦 Clara: “Hello?”

“Clara!!! You gotta watch this!” : Amelia 😖

“That’s not cute!” : Phoebe 😭

Clara clicked on the video they sent to her. It is a cartoon titled ‘Happy Three Friends’, about a pink chipmunk, a purple beaver and a yellow bunny which looked exactly like Mateo’s phone cover. When she clicked the play button, that familiar tuba music played…

‘Doo Bee Doo Ba Doo Bee Doo, Doo Bee Doo Da Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (giggles), la la, la la la…’ 🎶🎶🎶

Followed by an introduction of the characters, so the yellow bunny was Mr Cuddles. It seemed like some cartoon for kids, until the accident happened… 😱 Clara was petrified. She was sick 🤢 and almost thrown up 🤮 with the extreme gore and graphic violence in the cartoon. She dropped the phone and looked at the content of the carton box. Pieces of pen shaped sticks were placed under the styrofoam properly. The stick was like some mechanical device, within it, there was a glass vial with colourless liquid in it. She was sure they were not those leveler rulers. 💉

“I… I should have listened to my dad… never let other people touch my luggage in the airport!” 😱