Rookies always aroused distrust in him. Any strangers caused him more questions than answers, and Simon considered it his duty to find out everything he could about them as soon as this person crossed the threshold of the building. Price called him paranoid. Simon said he just loved control.

He wasn't going to ask questions about his captain's choice, no, he trusted Price. Over the years of being on the same team and fighting back to back, he trusted him enough not to ask questions unless they were necessary. However, when you came…

It was different.

Simon wasn't the first to notice this, however, being himself, he dragged it out to the last so as not to reveal the obvious. You were suspicious. Not in the sense that you could be a possible rat, no, Simon checked your file, you were clean. However, the way you presented yourself gave the impression of a strange person.

You were a big, tall man. More muscular than Soap, which caused him to look at you with contempt, but the same height as Gaz, who tried once again not to interact with you. Your gaze made a killing impression on the rest of the soldiers, who immediately sat away from the long table in the cafeteria as soon as you sat down at it.

Bullying? No. More like distrust.

Simon understood that you made an impression on everyone that was hardly worse than himself. A tall, burly man with a look that was subtitled "Got any roblems?" However, he didn't see it as a competition, no. Rather, he was trying to figure out why.

Why are you so closed? Why are you trying so hard to give the impression of being a rude soldier? Why are the others so scared just by your appearance in the common locker room?

And when he finally came up to you after a long workout in the open field, he expected a cheeky response. Something along the lines of "Huh? My face is none of your business." But that's not what Simon got.

"I don't know what is wrong with ya, but try not to be so repulsive..."

"Do I really look like this?"

There was genuine shock in your gaze, and it caused Simon to be surprised. And then there was a stream of sincere apologies, and now it wasn't the mountain man in front of him, but an ordinary guy who apologizes for sneezing too loudly. It's ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous.

But, well, don't judge a book by its cover…