Chapter 3. An Annoying Guardian

“I’m fine. You don’t need to worry about me.” Sharon phoned Jimmy while sitting in the backseat. “I’m not a kid anymore, you know?”

“Yeah. Our baby is now all grown up.” Jimmy said that in a warm and affectionate voice. He was worried because his younger sister, who had been homeschooled, was now going to college.

“Hey, you’re not making fun of me, right?” Sharon asked.

Jimmy laughed, “Of course not. You know that I love you so much.”

Sharon smiled, hearing what Jimmy said. For her, Jimmy is the only person in the world who always sides with her.

The girl looked out the car window. Soon, she will enter the gates of the most expensive university in Princeton, New Jersey.

By her dad’s wishes, Sharon enrolled at Lubellia University as a new student majoring in Bachelor of Business Administration. Even though this was not her wish, Sharon did not dare go against what her dad said.

“I’m going to end the call,” Sharon said to Jimmy. “I’ll call you later.”

“Promise me you won’t force yourself.”

Sharon snorted in annoyance, “You talk as if I were a girl suffering from a terminal illness. I’m all healthy and sound ... just suck at sports. That’s all.”

“Okay, okay. Have fun in college,” said Jimmy before their connection ended.

Sharon checked all the equipment that new students must bring. She did not want to get punished on the first day she set foot on campus.

“White T-shirt and black training pants. Identification card with blue string. Natural facial makeup.” She mumbled everything while continuing to check. “Pair of clothes, bath tools, flashlight, head pillow, and eye mask.”

The campus environment introduction event for new students will last for two days. They will stay in the building provided by the campus. That was why Sharon brought all the equipment.

“Is everything okay, Young Lady?” asked the driver, who stopped the car right in front of the campus gate.

“Yep. I’m not forgetting a single thing,” replied Sharon. She sounded optimistic about it.

Outside the car, several people wearing the same clothes as Sharon walked past. Everyone seemed to be carrying their things.

“Do you need me to carry all your stuff?”

Sharon opened the car door, “No need for that. I got this.”

She started walking through the gate. At the distance, all the new students had lined up neatly.

Sharon started to breathe hard even though she was not even halfway there.

“Why does the gathering point have to be far from the gate?” Sharon complained because her legs almost gave out. “Is this a campus or a military post?”

She looked at the watch on her left wrist. Gathering time was less than thirty seconds left.

“Gosh! I have to hurry!”

Sharon did not want to get punished. With all her might, she started half-running. The gathering point was still quite far away, and her legs no longer had strength.

In her mind, Sharon was ready to give up. She was exhausted, and her body swayed. “I can’t do this anymore. If I have to get punished, so be it.”

Someone suddenly walked past her. That man crouched right in front of her.

“What are you—”

“We only have fifteen seconds.”

Sharon tried to understand the situation, but the man turned his head slightly. “What are you waiting for? Just get on my back already.”

As if she had just woken up, Sharon climbed onto his back.

“Hold on tight. I won’t come back if you fall along the way.”

“Huh?” She was still clueless.

A second later, Sharon understood why he said that. The man started running fast, even passing several people who were also late.

Everyone stared with amazed expressions. A handsome man with an athletic body ran faster than the others while carrying someone behind his back ... with all that luggage.

“Stop!” shouted a senior wearing a typical campus alma mater jacket. He is one of the committee members responsible for new students.

“For everyone late, get down and prepare to do push-ups!”

Sharon got off from behind the unknown man. She had just wanted to thank him because they managed to arrive on time thanks to him.

But, the senior pointed at the two of them.

“This also applies to both of you.” The senior pointed at Sharon and the stranger man.

“But why? I think we arrived just in time?”

“The order is to line up neatly before the estimated time. You guys haven’t even put your belongings where they should be.”

The senior walked closer to Sharon while showing a scary expression. He looks like a predator ready to hunt his prey, especially with a thick beard that covers his entire chin.

He resembled a lion a lot.

“Are you going to argue with me?”

“I-I’m so—”

The man who was carrying her before stepped forward and stood right between Sharon and the bearded senior. It looked like he was trying to protect Sharon.

Everyone who saw that thought there would be a fight between a senior and a new student. But what happened next was beyond their expectations.

“We’ll do it,” said the man. He gets down and gets into the perfect position to do push-ups.

The senior looked at Sharon, “What are you waiting for? Get down, now!”

The girl was shocked. She hurriedly did what the senior ordered.

“On my marks!” shouted the senior. “One!”

Everyone who got punished started lowering their bodies. Only Sharon’s hands were shaking. She could not bring her body up.

“I-I can’t,” she groaned in a desperate voice. She sucks at exercise.

Sharon glanced at the man who saved her earlier, but he seemed to ignore her. It made Sharon became clueless.

A second ago, he looked like her guardian angel. But now, he ignored her.

“Two!”

Sharon tried as hard as she could, but her body did not have the strength for it. In the end, the punishment finished with her lying down exhausted.

The girl glanced back at the man who had saved her earlier, hoping he would reach out a hand to help her up. But no, he was already lined up neatly with the others.

“Are you going to sleep in the morning like this?!” The senior scolded Sharon again. “Get in line!”

Sharon got up and lined up right behind the mysterious man. She fell silent when she saw his back. The strong muscles of his back that she felt when she was carried earlier were still in her mind.

It was the first time she had physical contact with a stranger.

“Hey,” whispered Sharon, trying not to be heard by the senior. “Thank you. Even though we got punished, you still helped me.”

The man didn’t respond, making Sharon frown.

“Didn’t you hear me?”

Suddenly, he raised his right hand, drawing the seniors’ attention.

“What is it?” asked one of several seniors nearby.

The man turned his head slightly, “Someone is trying to be a pest.”

Hearing that, Sharon opened her mouth wide. She almost screamed. The girl could not believe what he had just said.

Senior directed his gaze toward Sharon, “So, you want to play around?”

“N-no! I-I’m just—”

“It’s okay. I can make you run around the field instead. Ten times.”

Her eyes almost jumped out of her head.

The senior raised his eyebrows and tilted his head with a smile, “Go on. I won’t stop you.”

Sharon looked at him with a look full of anger. In her heart, she would never forget this.

Meanwhile, the man tried to hold back his laughter.

After Sharon started running around the field, he smiled and muttered, “Her angry face is so cute.”

“What did you say?” asked the senior.

“I didn’t say anything.”

The senior looked at him for a second before he finally walked away. The man looked at Sharon, who had run quite far.

For two years, he only watched her from a distance. After seeing her up close, he realized what he should have realized from the start: that Sharon was very attractive. She has her own charms.

“She should start exercising if she doesn’t want to keep getting kidnapped,” he muttered with a little smile.