Maria Rose Shina High School.

Three friends were seated at the back by the window. A guy and a girl pulled their chairs towards the table of their guy friend who was busy listening to some music in his mobile phone. The blonde guy who had pulled his chair, was busy explaining the mathematical equation that was on their math assignment, but it seems the dark-haired guy was nowhere listening. The blonde was too engrossed with his explanation as he was looking at his notes that he did not notice his friend.

"Eren," the girl with black short hair calmly called her friend's attention in that gentle voice of hers. "Eren."

Armin, the blonde guy, stopped explaining. Eren took off an earbud from his right ear and looked at Mikasa, the girl who called him. He had raised his eyebrows and asked, "Hm?"

"You weren't listening to Armin," Mikasa told him.

And Armin told his friend, "Gee, Eren, you should do well this time. I have heard that Levi-sempai is not very patient when it comes to Math remedial classes."

"I am listening! Besides, I have the two of you," Eren rationalized.

Armin replied, "Yeah, we can teach you, but the teachers always turn their students over to Sempai for Math."

"Was that even in the students' handbook? I bet it isn't there, is it?" Eren scoffed. "I can skip his remedial classes and have you teach me—"

But he wasn't able to finish because Mikasa stood up and pinched Eren's nose very hard.

"Itai! What was that for?" he shouted at his girl friend.

Mikasa looked at him with her blank gaze, "Eren, are you even listening to yourself? Are you not ashamed? Uncle Hannes will surely not give you allowance anymore if you laze again with your studies."

The mention of Uncle Hannes' name provoked some emotions inside Eren. Mikasa had been an orphan since nine after her parents were murdered in front of her. And Eren saved her from the day, and giving his red scarf to her when she felt cold. But a year later, in their humble village, there was a huge ruckus when armed men (they say, some mafia), harassed the village while finding people in their list who owe money to their boss. Carla Jaeger, who was hanging wet clothes along the clothesline, was shot without mercy. The men were just doing their rampage with gusto even though they had a list of people who they were looking for. And Eren and Mikasa saw it with their own eyes. Old Hannes, who was not drunk at that time, came running in and saw the dead Carla. He pulled the kids inside the house and hid them there. And when everything was done, Hannes prepared for Carla's funeral.

Despite all that, Eren's dad, Grisha Jaeger, was nowhere to be found. No one could tell his whereabouts.

And it came to pass that Hannes took the children under his care. Hannes was a very rich old man who could just trade stocks for fun anytime he likes, while investing in real estate in other places in Japan. He was a heavy drinker, and Mikasa once told Eren not to be like him. Despite being a drunkard, Hannes was very kind to the kids, and even gave them their own condominium unit in his condo building when they entered middle school. Hannes did not tell the kids to go get some after school jobs to pay for their living. He was going to provide for them until university. His only stipulation was that they do well with their studies so when they find a job, they can pay their own expenses, as well as pay for their condo unit with their own money. He said, they can leave after college, but he was always free to accept them should they come back. His stipulation was simple, but it seems that growing up as a teenager, Eren had a hard time keeping that promise.

He could not afford to lose his allowance too, for it was Mikasa who was holding their lunch money. The thought of not having his allowance was one thing he could not accept. So, he has to study.

"All right, I'll make good with this," Eren said in resignation.

He turned off his playlist and listened attentively to Armin. Mikasa eyed Eren silently and reached for his hand to hold. Both guys turned to her with curious eyes. Eren's eyebrows knitted, and he removed his hand, and he retorted at her, "What's the matter with you again, Mikasa? Are you guilty that you talked to me with that almighty air of yours? Are you even sorry that you pinched my nose?"

"Eren...I..."

Mikasa only meant well. She did not raise her voice. She just pinched his nose and talked some sense. But no matter what she does, Eren always gets angry at her.

"Stop nagging at me as if I am your child or your baby brother!" Eren told her brusquely.

Armin looked at the two with amusement. It was extensively obvious that Mikasa wore her heart up her sleeves, but Eren could not even see that. And Eren was being childish again. Was he just angry because Mikasa made him study?

"Ah... guys, please don't fight," Armin said. "Eren, Mikasa is only concerned with you and your grades. So, don't pick a fight, huh?"

Eren fidgeted as he looked at Mikasa, who turned her gaze away in pain.

"Hey... I'm sorry, Mikasa," he softly told her. "I'm sorry for getting angry."

Mikasa turned to him, held his hand, and squeezed it tenderly. "Daijoubu... Let's continue to study, okay?"

Armin smiled as he watched the sweetness in front of him. He just watched Eren nodding nonchalantly before turning back to the notes. How come this guy is just so dense? Even Sasha could tell even though she had her heart on her snacks. Even Connie could tell.

Their other classmates did not take some fancy on the little argument at the back. Jean was arguing with Ymir again after Ymir tried to show off the fanciful nail art that Krista had done on her own fingernails. Connie was getting in between the two because Ymir would not back out with a nice boxing match with Jean. Reiner and Bertholdt were being punished by Sasha, who received the packs of snacks from them. And as usual, the other class punk, Annie, was nowhere to be seen.

Some of the students were discussing rumors about a sempai's scientific breakthrough which could bring honor and pride to the school. Hange Zoe was not the typical girl that you know in school, for she is rather eccentric, like her godfather, Dot Pixis, who was also one of the members of the school board.

"Hange-sempai is gonna make her own type of biofuel, so I've heard," one said.

"Hontou?" another said.

Just then, the world stopped when the door slid open. Everybody turned around to see an older woman who was panting like a tired elephant.

"I need someone for my experiment," Hange announced.

"Eh?"

"Someone who can produce fart," the sempai continued.

Seeing this as a chance to avenge themselves, Reiner and Bertholdt pointed at Sasha.

"Oh! Finally, a volunteer!"

"Eh?" Sasha gasped in horror.

"She farts a lot!" Reiner the bully sneered.

Hange stepped inside the classroom like a maniac. Sasha backed to the wall in fear, but Hange smiled at her as her glasses glistened.

"Your fart is the most needed for my biofuel experiment!" the sempai said while pulling the kouhai along.

"Help!" Sasha cried as she dropped her snacks. "Hey! My potato chips!"

But no one dared help her because humanity's future was more important than Sasha's potato chips, and humanity could very well make use of biofuel.

"Fart, huh?" one said. "Sasha's gonna be a fart factory, after all."

The three friends, meanwhile, were also distracted from the sudden commotion. Armin smiled at his friends and told them that they need to continue with the math assignment.