Chapter 10: I Just Want To Coast

Words : 2859 Updated : Sep 24th, 2025

At first light the next day, the recruits fell into their usual routine. After tidying their bunks and wolfing down breakfast, they headed out for morning drills. On the parade ground, Pablo raised his voice. "Starting today, before every morning session, we're adding a three-kilometer run. The goal is simple: build your stamina." Grumbling erupted instantly. "You've got to be kidding. Training is already brutal; why add three more klicks?" "Just shoot me now." "Three kilometers? That's torture." Daniel kept his mouth shut. He knew how things worked. In Yanos, running was at the core of every soldier's life. From generals to grunts, everyone had to run. It was a tradition left over from wartime. No army anywhere could match Yanos' troops for running. He'd suffered plenty growing up. His old man made him run five kilometers every day, rain or shine. So even if this body looked scrawny, running was no problem. He could even outrun a lot of the veterans. Pablo's face hardened. "What's with the whining? Yanos' soldiers run. That's basic fitness. If you can't keep up, how are you going to defend the country? If you can't do that, no point in wearing a uniform. Go home and be a good little boy for your mama." The place went dead quiet. Adriel muttered under his breath, "Run that fast for what, so you can bolt when the enemy shows up? They can tie anything to defending the country." "What did you say?" Pablo's glare pinned him. Adriel straightened and shouted, "Hey, squad leader! I said you're absolutely right!" Pablo snorted and continued, "I said it yesterday. From today on, only first place gets to rest. Everyone else keeps training until you catch up to the leader." "Understood?" "Yes!" The response was weak, and Adriel ground his teeth. "That bastard again. I'll deal with you sooner or later." Daniel's heart sank. A thousand curses pressed against his tongue. What was Pablo getting at? Wasn't he setting Daniel up as the target, putting him at odds with everyone else? He glanced around. Aside from Adriel, who was glaring daggers, nobody else seemed to react much. He relaxed a little. At least he had a decent rapport in the squad; Pablo's bait hadn't landed. Vincent looked at him, worried. "Bro, what do we do? I can't take first. I don't want to get punished." "Easy. I've got a plan." Daniel soothed him like a kid. "Stick with me and do what I say." "Okay." Vincent sniffled and stared at Daniel with open admiration. Daniel nearly rolled his eyes. This wasn't what he'd signed up for. He felt more like a babysitter than a soldier. Pablo barked, "Run starts! All personnel, right turn!" They pivoted at once and trotted toward the track, looking miserable. After they'd covered some ground, Daniel eased back a bit. "Listen up, form up on me. If we all cross the finish at about the same time, the squad leader will have a hard time punishing us." Edison jumped in, "Good idea. If we finish together, then we're all first. No punishment." Vincent clung to him like he'd found a savior. "Bro, you're amazing. If I were a girl, I'd marry you right now." Daniel rolled his eyes internally. "If you were a girl, I'd still pass. You look like a charred garlic bulb with legs." The others nodded. They'd quietly made Daniel their ringleader. Anything was fine as long as it meant dodging punishment. "What are you bunching up for, sharing body heat? Move it!" Pablo's roar cracked out from behind. They picked up the pace. Daniel reminded them, "Stay with my stride. Don't fall back, don't string out…" He hadn't finished when someone shot past with a whoosh, like an arrow from a bow. Daniel squinted, eyes going wide. Damn. It was Adriel, that little punk. "Adriel, get back here..." He shouted after him, trying to pull him back in line. Adriel glanced over his shoulder, defiant. "Why should I listen to you? You're moving at a snail's pace. I'm not waiting; I'm going ahead." Resentment burned in him. "Daniel, you think you're hot stuff because you can fold a blanket and your family wore uniforms? What's there to strut about? I'll show everyone I'm better." Adriel made a face at Daniel, surged ahead, and left them all behind. Watching him disappear, Daniel had steam coming out of his ears. "You little punk. I went to all the trouble to set this up and you wrecked it single-handed." The plan was simple: keep a steady pace and cross the line together. If Pablo wanted to explode, he'd have no reason. We could all coast for once; why make it a grind? Now Adriel had jumped out to spoil it, stretching the gap. When three kilometers were up, he'd take first and bask in praise. Daniel and the rest would be punished, guaranteed, and Daniel would get it the worst. He'd grown up on a military compound; he knew the unwritten rules. If a standout slacked off at a key moment, the hammer fell harder on him than on anyone else. "Adriel, you sly weasel." Daniel cursed his whole family tree. Panic rippled through the group. "What do we do?" "Do we chase him?" "Bro, you decide-do we chase or not? What's the move?" Daniel clenched his jaw. "What else? We can't let him leave us behind. If he gets off easy, we all suffer." "Chase him. Go!" They swore at Adriel in their heads but had no choice. They put their heads down and ran. "Running skill +1!" "Running skill +1!" Two laps in, the chime sounded twice in Daniel's head. His legs felt lighter. On the third lap, he caught up to Adriel. "Aren't you supposed to be the big runner? Run, then." Adriel's eyes nearly popped when Daniel drew even. Back in grade school, he'd been the long-distance king, always taking first at meets. He'd even placed at county races. When it came to running, he figured he was on par with seasoned soldiers. He planned to teach Daniel some humility, show him there's always a higher mountain. He hadn't expected to be caught so fast. "Damn it. I can't let him catch me." He gritted his teeth, threw everything he had into his legs, and pulled ahead again. Daniel saw red. "What's your problem? Why are you sprinting? Can't you wait and run together? We're a squad." "Squad, my ass. The squad leader spelled it out; whoever falls behind gets punished." Adriel shouted back. "And I'm not running with you. I'm proving I'm better." You stubborn mule. Daniel swore inwardly, but he still had to chase. If Adriel took first, he'd be the one in the crosshairs. "Running skill +1!" The chime sounded again. His stride turned feather-light. Without even pushing hard, he closed in on Adriel. To get under his skin, Daniel shadowed him at exactly one stride's distance, close enough to haunt, never close enough to pass. Let him stew. Going toe-to-toe. Under the trees, Pablo watched with a crooked grin. "Well, well, they've locked horns. Now that's the spirit; no point being a soldier if you don't have that competitive fire." He had to admit, Daniel's burst looked sharp. First place seemed a sure thing. He glanced at the rest of First Squad. They lagged way behind Adriel and Daniel, but compared to the other squads, they were noticeably faster. That was already beyond his expectations. His mood brightened. Using Daniel as a pacesetter worked right away. Keep this up, and First Squad's scores would shoot up in no time. A merit citation was practically in the bag. Maybe even a third-class merit. Soon, Daniel broke the tape first. Adriel trailed by just over ten seconds, glared at him, and panted, "Run it again and I won't lose." Daniel rolled his eyes. "Run it ten more times, and you'd still lose." Adriel clenched his fists. His hunger to win only grew. Next time, he'd pass Daniel. Not long after, the others staggered back, collapsing in a heap. Pablo clasped his hands behind his back, stopped in front of Daniel, and patted his shoulder. "You can rest. Everyone else, prepare for one hundred push-ups." Edison grimaced. "Squad leader, we already gave it everything." Vincent lay there like a dead dog, tongue lolling as he gulped air. "Squad leader, can we rest a bit? The military regulations say after intense exercis, we should rest a few minutes, or we could drop dead." "Got the regs memorized, have you?" Pablo glared. "The regulations also say you obey your superiors. What I say goes. One hundred push-ups now. Otherwise, two hundred." Two hundred scared them straight. They scrambled up, planted their hands, and got to it, huffing and puffing. Adriel stared at Daniel, who was resting nearby, and muttered, "Don't get cocky. Next time you won't be so lucky." Daniel rolled his eyes. Was this kid born missing a few circuits? Why so obsessed? You wouldn't follow my lead, so you earned the punishment. Serves you right. The others, though, were the ones paying the price. What did they do wrong? From that day on, Adriel shadowed Daniel like a vengeful ghost. He ate faster than Daniel, held his stance at attention longer, marched sharper-whatever the drill, he made every drill a head-to-head contest. If Daniel eased up even a little, Adriel edged in front. Daniel was speechless. He'd seen fools, but never one this committed. He had no choice; he had to keep his boot on Adriel, or life would be miserable. Worse, the guy only got more hooked. Adriel was like a honey badger; the moment he spotted Daniel, he was after him, leaving Daniel at his wits' end. A month flew by. The recruit assessment arrived on schedule. With his superior military skills, Daniel took first in the recruit company-no surprise-and the whole company announced him as a model recruit. That was even after he'd deliberately held back. He stared at the certificate, almost in tears. "I just wanted to coast, to be a happy slacker. I didn't want to be first." He looked at Adriel sulking beside him and cursed him silently. "You thickheaded little bastard. You forced me into this. You're the reason I keep getting stronger. No. This couldn't go on. If it did, sooner or later, something would give."

Chapter 10: I Just Want To Coast

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