"Have you given a thought about your future plans?"
Eren Yeager, currently a third year student at M private high school, couldn't reply to the question and swallowed thickly. In front of him was Mr. Rivaille, a math teacher who had also doubled as his home room. As a third year, the end was quite literally, nigh. With the national exam practically months away, followed by the university entrance exams, it was quite understandable why everyone was on edge lately – the teachers were also no exception. Due to some rather unfortunate circumstances – namely sheer cluelessness – Eren was the only student in his class who had not submitted his form for the future study course.
"Hange buggered the hell out of me for your form, and I prefer to get it done and over with quick."
Ms. Hange, just like Mr. Rivaille was a home room teacher for the neighboring class 3-B, where Armin and Mikasa were stationed. Unlike him, Armin was the top of his grade and unsurprisingly, applied for T University straight after high school. Mikasa on the other hand, came close behind and superior by a wide margin, in the field of sports and music. Mikasa also hadn't submitted her form yet. Mikasa was attached to him, sometimes overly so. Eren could already see where this conversation was headed.
Mikasa was the sole survivor of the break-in incident at her house nine years ago, which had killed both of her parents. A few days after that, Eren's father, a friend of the family, finally took her under his care. Ever since that, he and Mikasa were "siblings." Perhaps by both being an only child, their relationship was off on a rocky start due to mutual awkwardness, but they quickly warmed up to each other. A major part of it was undoubtedly thanks to Armin, who brought them together. Armin was a kid who lived with his grandfather next door. Studious, quiet, and earnest to a fault, Armin made a perfect target for the bullies. Eren had lost count of the amount of times that he and Mikasa had found Armin in such circumstances and promptly made a clean work of them. The curious thing was, the bullies seemed to be horribly afraid of Mikasa, who usually stayed out at most of the fights. He sometimes wondered about it.
What was more puzzling, however, was Mikasa's attachment to him. He would go and do one thing, for example, and he would find her right behind him doing the exact same thing every time he turned his back. Sometimes…most of the times. Well, back to the present. Even after his mother's death and father's abrupt disappearance, he and Mikasa were still as close as ever. Uncle Hannes, their foster parent, treated them well and Eren loved him just like he would to his real father. The same applied to Mikasa, hidden beneath her mask of stoicism, he could plainly see the kind gaze she always threw at his direction. The days he spent with them were shining brightly like a precious treasure. He was happy, and hoped that it would continue on forever. How nice would it be if he could repay Uncle Hannes in some form or another after he graduated…
"I am going to look for a job…I think," he replied with a bit of uncertainty to his tone. It didn't escape Rivaille who arched his eyebrow and asked, "At what field…?" Depending on your answer, I might have to do something quite possibly unpleasant…were the words that were left unsaid, though heavily implied.
"…I don't know," Eren didn't dare to look at Mr. Rivaille's eyes and drooped his head low. He was serious when he said that he wanted to look for a job right out of high school to repay Uncle Hannes, but even then, he couldn't deny that any thought concerning his future plans had progressed no further than that. Confronted with such reply, Rivaille let out a sigh and brought his hand to his forehead, his eyebrows knitting even tighter than usual. "Brat, think about your future seriously. Tell that to Ackerman too."
"Yes, Sir."
As expected from the Corporal, he didn't mince words. Despite his popularity with the female portion of the school, what truly set him apart from other teachers was Mr. Rivaille's reputation for discipline and strictness. Hence, the nick name. Even now, legends were still being told about the brief episode in his life when he single-handedly defeated a copious amount of delinquent gangs occupying the surrounded area. The incident was said to happen 15 years ago, but some swore, by everything good and holy, that Mr. Rivaille couldn't possibly be older than 25 and thus, there existed a fatal flaw of logic in the legend. Among them, there were also a small group of people who thought that the Corporal was an Undying, and then, an even fewer minorities who claimed that the Corporal was an ageless demon accidentally summoned by the occult club's mishap with pop corns. Perhaps the true legend worth of a title of "the seven wonders of M high school," actually laid with Mr. Rivaille's actual age (pun intended). Now that he thought about it, Eren wondered what kind of a student Mr. Rivaille was when he was about his age. Steeling himself, Eren then asked, "Mr. Rivaille, why did you decide to become a teacher?"
Responding to his sudden question, Rivaille then paused and lowered his gaze, seeming to be lost in nostalgia. "I was once a problem student…got into a lot of fights. A teacher was kind to me. Helped me to patch things up and gave me cough drops," he replied in halted sentences.
"…cough drops?" When Mr. Rivaille said that he became a teacher because he was inspired by one during his student days, Eren had expected something more along the lines of an old high school drama. About an over bearing teacher's quest to reform his/her wayward students to the "right" path…and they would all ran together while chasing after the sunset. Oh, and crying is optional, though occurred most often. How touching. As if it would clear things up, Rivaille then replied, "I had a sore throat that day."
"...okay."
A pregnant pause then fell over the class room. It was cloudy today, with the darkened sky promising a rain-filled after noon. Not long after the day's cleaning duty was finished and students were spilling out of the classroom, Eren – to the collective horrors of Mikasa and Armin – was suddenly dragged away by Mr. Rivaille. Words like "brat" and "future study course" could be heard during the total silence that engulfed the whole corridor. Their destination, unsurprisingly, was the homeroom with two chairs facing each other at the center. And that, happened more or less an hour and half ago, acting as the back story behind his current predicament…now what?
"Well, then." Rivaille was the first to break it, standing upright with one hand in his pocket. "…just give it some serious thought," he said while making his way to the exit. His right hand finally out of the pocket, tightly grabbing a small wrapper…and promptly smacked Eren square on the head.
"Oww!" he exclaimed, clutching the sore spot on his head. Just when he last saw the Corporal's retreating back, Eren felt something falling – a Hall's strawberry drop. "…for me?"
It is surprisingly cute.
If Eren felt a warm bubbly feeling on his chest, he wouldn't deny it.
Three years had passed since then. Rivaille was nominated for the position of the vice principal, and Hange got engaged to a foreigner named Sawney Bean couple of months ago. It was funny how things could change while staying perfectly the same. The lingering feeling he once felt, was now faded as if washed away by the rain. In the end, being in love was just like a fever. Gave it some time and it would subside sooner or later. That day, while hiding his reddening ears, he socked the presumed target of affection – though he would dismiss it soon after – with more force than necessary and sprinted off to the faculty office. Not to miss any opportunity, Hange then proceeded to tease the hell out him for it and last time he had checked, the joke was still going around, told between whispers. Damn it, I am too old for this shit.
"Is he even still alive…?"
"Rivaille, here is a new student teacher that will be assigned to work under you!" exclaimed Hange with a slightly shorter man in tow. Interrupted from his reprieve, Rivaille then opened up his eyes with a jolt, now facing the afore mentioned man. Average build, short hair, center parting, and green eyes. This is not a God damn shoujo manga, he couldn't possibly be –
"My name is Eren Yaeger, pleased to meet you!"