A tranquil morning was interrupted by a verbal scuffle in the chow hall between Yoshida and three male cadets from the Charlie squad. Yoshida was overheard hurling insults at a portly cadet named Drafus. A group of amused onlookers surrounded them. The senior staff rarely interfered with non-violent shenanigans among the cadets. With no one to intervene, Yoshida to brazenly took jabs at Drafus.

“Now look, Drafus, I take what I said back. It’s not so much that you’re fat, but from what I’ve seen, you always are the first in line for chow and the last to leave. Even during the field exercises, you pack twice as many MREs than the rest of us. I doubt there’s a meal that you’ve ever missed,” he jested.

The crowd went wild at Yoshida’s dig. Drafus stood, infused with wrath, unable to conjure an equally devastating joke. His squad mates were also at a loss for how to recover from such a blow.

Yoshida felt emboldened by his audience’s amusement, so he continued to taunt Drafus.

“I actually would like to congratulate you on your dedication to service. If your commitment out in the field is anything like your devotion to food, the dueling houses will have no chance against such a powerful opponent.”

By then, Drafus was fed up. He pounded his fist on a table and said,

“Damn you, ruffian! Pull out the regulations book. You’ll see that I’m well within the standards. My BMI has always passed the test.”

“Ha!” Yoshida scoffed. “How many hours did it take to assess your body fat?” He looked at the crowd, then back at Drafus. “I’ll tell you. It took well over two hours and three senior officers to declare you fit. That’s hardly a flex to boast about.”

Snickers and jeers from the other cadets sent the chow hall into an electrified frenzy. Drafus grabbed a blue plastic food tray from the nearby rack and held it up in the air. The crowd suddenly hushed in anticipation of his next move. Yoshida did not flinch. He was uncertain if Drafus was angry enough to hit him with the tray, but there was no way he would shy away from an opponent. With crossed arms, Yoshida waited for what seemed like an eternity. Still, nothing happened.

Yoshida had grown weary of the situation.

 “Hurry and make your move, Drafus. I have duty at the armory in six minutes,” he sighed.

Drafus did not budge. He worried he was in over his head, and did not know what would happen if Yoshida took the hit well. Yet, he also pondered if he had enough strength to take his antagonist with one strike.

Yoshida yawned loudly, then said, “Look, if you swing at me right now, I guarantee we can be finished with this asinine spar in less than two minutes. The clock is ticking.”

Drafus froze in place. Many rumors about Yoshida drifted through the academy. The rumor everyone knew to be true was about his affiliation with the Gokudō crime syndicate. The large Komodo dragon tattooed on Yoshida’s back was hard to miss whenever they were at the shower rack. Which meant Yoshida was no stranger to violence. Drafus knew it would be extremely hard to beat Yoshida, even with the help of his two squad mates. His train of thought was abruptly interrupted when the crowd chanted.

“Make your move!” 

Yoshida opted to walk away from Drafus without so much as another word. He had not intended to get into a clash with anyone that morning. Fortunately, he had witnesses who could testify that Drafus was the initial agitator when an unapologetic collision in the chow line went unchecked. Anticipated would backlash would follow, but for the time being he was content to leave things as they were. Besides, Drafus and his squad members knew better than to attempt an assault in one of the busiest buildings on campus. They would have to wait for a more opportune time to finish what had been started.

Yoshida confidently made his way to the armory, where he had been promoted to fill in for Staff Sergeant Marsden, who had recently been placed on medical leave after his ill-fated deployment to Nerou. The armorer’s main duties were to issue weapons for the range, oversee weapon maintenance, and log damaged inventory. Yoshida’s extensive knowledge of knowledge of weapons made him an asset for the academy. 

At 1700 hours, his shift was over. All the weapons had been returned from the range, were cleaned, and accounted for. Yoshida dismissed the junior cadets and locked the armory for the evening. As he made his way towards the barracks, he noticed Drafus standing a few feet away and two other cadets in his peripherals. He quicksteped down a flight of stairs, past the auxiliary building. Before long, three more cadets had joined the ranks. Yoshida was exhausted and in no mood to pick up where he left off with Drafus that morning.

The group trailed close behind, so he took bigger strides and eventually began a light jog. Savoi spotted him as she departed from the library. She eagerly sprinted to catch up to him, and said,

“Haru! I thought Emmett gave us a rest day from running?”

Yoshida cackled.

“Oh, hello Thomasa. No, this is not a training session. I’m actually in the middle of something.” He patted her on the top of her head. “You best be on your way and enjoy your rest. I will chat with you later.”

She abruptly grabbed his hand and led him through the motor pool complex. Charlie squad was still in hot pursuit of Yoshida, and now Savoi. The pair ran inside an office building, up to the fourth floor, where there was a balcony area. The brisk air in the night sky was refreshing after such a long haul.

Savoi hoisted herself up on the stone balcony and wrapped her legs around Yoshida’s waist to clinch him in an embrace. Her muscular thighs made it nearly impossible for him to break free. The disgruntled Charlies arrived shortly after. Both they and Yoshida were surprised by Savoi’s behavior. She unbuttoned his uniform jacket, leisurely caressed his chest, and kissed his neck.

“Thomasa, this really isn’t a good time,” Yoshida gasped.

She chuckled, then whispered.

“Normally I see you with a gang of fangirls, but I say nothing because it isn’t my business.” She slowly grazed his ear with her mouth, then said, “Tonight there are six gnarly looking boys behind you who look pissed. I don’t know what kind of foolishness you’ve gotten into, but I know our team would be at a loss if you were to be expelled for fighting them.” She looked him in the eyes, and continue. “I would be at a loss without you. So, for mercy’s sake, play along and follow my lead.”

Yoshida was speechless. Before he could respond, she stroked the back of his hair, then on to the nape of his neck. Without warning, her lips seized his. They fiercely groped each other with total abandonment. The Charlie squad was completely flabbergasted, but could not turn away from gawking at the seductive pair. Lost in thought, Yoshida felt pangs of lust. Their tongues glided together so easily that he had all but forgotten it was merely a ruse.

Suddenly, Savoi ended the make-out session and eased herself off the balcony. She took Yoshida’s hand and exited through another walkway. This time, they ran all the way to the science complex to the laboratory. She unlocked the sliding doors with her access badge, but quickly punched in a code which left the doors slightly ajar.

The Charlie squad followed them through the lab to a lecture hall. They watched as Savoi prompted Yoshida to lie down on a worktop table. Once he was in position, she straddled and grinded herself on his pelvic area. Soon kissing and groping continued, as before. Drafus and his squad mates murmured among each other. They were impressed, but could not believe Savoi would seduce Yoshida right in front of them.

Yoshida himself was completely at a loss for words. Savoi’s intentions to save him from being expelled had taken a turn he never imagined. His thoughts were dulled, but his body was heightened with excitement. This could not be helped. Savoi took matters up a notch when she unbuttoned and removed her blouse. They could feel the eyes of Drafus and his cronies peering at them like vultures. She reached behind to unbutton her bra, then stopped.

Suddenly, she trembled, and her eyes teared. Yoshida, though aroused, woke from his dream-like state. With wide-eyes, the realization that she could go no further hit him. He gently pulled her on to his chest. Moments later, the voice of Lt. Co. Adame was overheard in the distance. He addressed the six members of the Charlie squad.

“What are you doing here? You have no authorization to be in this building. Come with me at once!”

Lt. Co. Adame dragged the cadets away to his office, as Savoi laid half naked on top of Yoshida.

~The Waring Robins~