Attack on Titan © Isayama Hajime
Signal from abandoned star
"Eren," Armin nudged him. "Don't you think it's strange that she goes with transfer in the middle of semester?"
The aforementioned girl was going to the restroom, giving them a free pass to talk about her.
"I guess, if you say so."
Seeing him appear to be indifferent, Armin went on.
"We are in our third year at university, not some highschool. You don't abruptly do that without risking your credits. She could have waited a few more months and-"
Armin halted his words, seeing Historia coming.
She had a smile that didn't quite reach the eyes. Her eyeliner was a bit smudged, which he probably should tell her later.
"All right." She plopped down on her seat. "I think I should let you two know about what's happening in our hometown."
Then she began to fill them with some news, like who moved out of town, whose sister got married, some new shops that just opened, all things they were familiar with.
He had been calling home from time to time. His mother was always nagging him to come visit. He didn't want to say it on her face, but aside from her, he missed nothing back there. Tonight he couldn't help but to reminisce regardless. Sitting beside his highschool mates might have brought up that nostalgic feeling.
"You still can't cook?" He teased her, remembering how clumsy she had been. "You couldn't even flip an egg to save your life."
"Of course I can!" She answered a bit louder, cheeks a shade darker. "Out of all things about me, why do you only remember that!?"
"Let me tell Armin how I always ended working by myself on Home Economy- Ouch! Historia!"
Despite being small, the girl could really punch.
He caught her wrist on time as she was about to hit him again.
"Eren, come on, let her go," Armin nervously looked back and forth between Historia and him.
He looked down to Historia whose eyes locked on him, then began to remember something.
"Don't harm me, okay? You got something..." Gently, his thumb rubbed a spot below her eye. The eyeliner smudge from before. "Here."
She thanked him quietly, touching the place his finger been.
She's been crying.
Reluctantly he let her wrist go, suddenly feeling out place. The alcohol must have gotten into him.
"I need some fresh air."
With that suddenly said, Historia stood up and walked outside.
It was sort of a code, in which a girl implicitly invites a guy to go somewhere. Both he and Armin went silent, waiting for each other to make a move.
"You should go after her," Armin solemnly suggested. "We couldn't possibly let her to go back alone."
He didn't even insist the other way around.
I'm not him
When he approached her outside, her plaits had disintegrated, leaving long hair down on its place. Her black coat draped across her shoulder, creating contrast to her pale skin. Historia somehow reminded him of a witch.
Checking his watch, he made a gesture for her to follow him. They chatted a bit. Her words were clear, not slurred, a sign of how sober she was.
They were about to reach the main street when he felt her weight on his back, small arms clutching his waist.
A gesture that felt oddly out of place, yet made him crave for more, if he were ever familiar with that sentiment.
With a sigh he began to speak.
"Historia, I'm not him."
That dampness thing on his back had begun to grow. He would hate to see his favorite shirt to be ruined by tears and make up.
"I don't mind."
But more than anything, he knew he would hate himself in the morning.
Jetlag
He pretended to be asleep when she tried to slip out unnoticed. A click sound and he knew it was safe to open his eyes. He languidly made his way to the bathroom, getting ready for his class, but his mind was elsewhere.
There were worse things that could happen. They did none of those things, regardless.
He recalled a very late movie night ended with her nodding off and falling asleep on his lap. During that time he had stopped paying attention to the movie, missing the last quarter of it.
Not having a heart to wake her, he stayed still on that position and endured the numb feeling on his leg.
Remind me to never agree babysitting her again!
But he knew it was a lie.
As impractical as she was, he would try harder not to be his stupid, insensitive younger self.
He was about to doze off when she murmured his name.
Satellites
Funny how universe works. She had purposely tried to distance herself away from him, even resorted to skipping town. And here he was, standing right in front of her.
Before she realized, her legs had already carried her to the opposite direction.
...
He hadn't expected to see her so soon. And under the rain no less. Universe can be so dramatic.
She had been too absorbed on her own head that she had failed to notice him. When she did, she lost her words.
"Oh, Eren, I'm-I'm-"
"Walking down the rain without umbrella?" he asserted in deadpan expression.
She backed down in reflex. There was no humor in his voice.
"You left without saying anything. Now what are you running away from?"