"He exists in a world of working adults

so very far from dad..

To me, he represents nothing less than the very secrets of the world"

Shinganshina's rainy season was a peaceful time. Even as many days past, nothing big really happened. It was like that every year, mostly. Shinganshina was not significant in any way.

Though, to Eren, this rainy season had been different. It was exciting even. That strange man was a mystery that the student found fascinating to get to know and solve. It seemed liked every day they talked a bit more.

On Eren's end, he opened up a bit after the sixth day of the rainy season passed.

But the man, he spoke nothing of himself. It seemed like he kept a protective wall around himself. Eren didn't even know his name, and that irritated him a bit. Though, he understood. Maybe it wasn't practical to tell your name to a stranger, Eren definitely didn't get that memo.

But, after seeing each other almost every day since the season started, could they still count as strangers?

On the seventh day, Eren sat on the bench alone, the patter of rain against the leaves and wooden gazebo were the only means of noise. There wasn't the annoyed voice of the man, it was just the rain. Eren really thought the man wouldn't show up. But, after several minutes passed, he heard the faint footsteps of shoes squelching against the wet ground.

The footsteps approached, and the clicking of an umbrella closing soon followed. The student glanced up from his sketchbook and met gazes with the stranger. "I thought you might've gone to work today," There was a hint of relief in his voice, he was glad the man arrived. His time under the wooden structure wouldn't be the same without the stranger. "It's just luck that you haven't been fired yet,"

The man grunted in response then walked around the back of the bench, stopping just behind Eren. His hands gripped the edge of the wooden bench as he leaned over and took a look at the sketchbooks page, which was full of shoe designs, all of the same pair. "Are these the shoes you're designing? Not bad,"

If Eren hadn't been turning red with embarrassment, and quickly scrambling to shut the book, he would have heard the slight amusement in the stranger's voice. "Hey!" His voice wavered with the word, the book shut and his hands gripping it tightly.

"I can't see?" The strangers perfect brow raised as Eren turned his head to glance at him. The student felt trap with how close they were.

"It's not worth seeing," His voice almost sounded defensive, Eren just didn't want anyone seeing his designs before they were done.

"Really?"

"Yeah really..," Eren let out a breath then turned his head away from the man, gesturing to the empty space on the bench beside him. "Just.. come sit," The student's face returned to the normal tanned colour as the stranger walked around and took a seat on the bench, his legs crossing professionally. Though, there really wasn't anything professional about the setting.

The man set down his bag between them, his umbrella right next to Eren's.

The student glanced over once he placed his sketchbook back into his school bag, and noticed something about the man's bag. It seemed less.. full.

Eren noticed that there weren't as many wine bottles and chocolate bars stuffed inside. He didn't comment on it, though. He found it as a good thing, maybe the man was trying to stop his bad eating and drinking habit? He could only guess. "I didn't have time for breakfast today. Wanna share with me?" It was just a container filled with an array of fruits: Strawberries, oranges, blueberries, and blackberries. They were all good and had Eren's stomach just about ready to do tricks for the treat.

What surprised the brunette, though, was when the man reached into his bag and pulled out a square container and set it on his folded legs. "I brought my own lunch today,"

Eyebrows shot up Eren's forehead in shock, but his look eventually relaxed and a soft smile took over his features. "Really? Then I guess we'll have to share," He didn't wait for a response as he took the container off the man's legs and set it on the bench, lifting the lid.

"Hold on, brat, I'm not a damn chef-" The food inside looked mouth watering, so when he popped the piece of sashimi into his mouth, he didn't expect the crunchy and sour taste. He knew his nose scrunched up, and from the disapproving grunt from the man, Eren knew that he had let the peculiar taste show on his face. Though, he swallowed the piece of fish and smiled in amusement. "I told you I wasn't a fucking chef..,"

"No, it's good, sir," And though he was grinning like cheshire cat, Eren meant what he said. It was special in its own way, the taste was quirky, and he liked that.

The man clicked his tongue in annoyance then took the container back and set it on his lap. "Well, you said we're sharing kid," He gestured over to Eren's container full of fruit. "Pass it over,"

"Don't you want some of my lunch? It's a little more appetizing than fruit,"

"Just give me the damn fruit. Do I have to spell it out to you?" Eren rolled his eyes then handed the container of fruit to the man. "You're really demanding, you know,"

"I might be,"

"Are you-"

"- Don't try to guess my job, you shitty brat," Eren sighed, it was worth the try. He was about to reply but decided to drop it as the man took some fruit from Eren's container, grunting softly in what the boy could have taken as approval. Well.. the fruits were fresh.

"You call me a brat a lot," The student commented as he took another piece of the man's sashimi. It was still quite crunchy and held a strong taste of salt. "That's because you are one,"

"Your cooking is a brat,"

"Dammit, you shit," Eren couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle. The man sounded annoyed, but in the depths of those silver eyes, there was amusement. That was not something Eren had seen before inside of that man. It was refreshing. "After how many days.. you're still a fucking brat,"

"Yeah, I am,"

"You are,"

"Turn to page three hundred and ninety-four," Mr. Erwin commanded, his voice booming through the classroom without him putting much effort into it. He had a natural commanding voice, it appeared.

Eren managed to stay focused enough to flip to the correct page, his eyes skimming over the words.

a faint clap of thunder, clouded skies ...

Wait

The student suddenly had his nose practically buried in the literature book, he was intrigued, looking for what could be the other half of that tanka.. what in the hell could it be..

He had been looking for a week, ever since that man had spoken those perfected words to Eren. He needed to know the response, the other part. Somewhere in his brain, he had managed to convince himself that the man really did make it up himself. But with the proof in front of him, that was not true in the slightest. The tanka was printed onto the page before him, all of it; the ending even. And it was as simple as opening his literature textbook.

His eyes scanned over the page as he took in the words before him, memorizing them, his mouth moving as he mouthed the words. Mr. Erwin was still speaking, though Eren knew the blue eyes were on him. Watching to see his reaction to the words the man just so happened to show him.

When Eren glanced up, he met eyes with his principal, the cornflower blue twinkling with knowing.

"Eren?" It was a soft voice from right next to him, one spoken quietly as if he were trying not to get caught. That was probably what Armin was doing. Eren dropped gazes with Mr. Erwin and tilted his head towards his blond friend. "This is what you were looking for, isn't it?"

Without needing to look, Eren knew Armin was gesturing to the tanka on the page. The words that had been in Eren's mind for several days. "Yeah, that's it," There was relief in his words, and for what, he didn't know. Maybe he really was relieved to dim down his curiousness that had been eating away at him. "I can't believe I didn't look in this book..,"

Armin chuckled quietly to himself. "You're hopeless Eren," He then looked back to the front of the room, and Eren followed his gaze. It was time to pay attention in class again, maybe Mr. Erwin was about to explain the words meaning.

Of course, things were never so easy.

The principal never ended up even speaking about the tanka, rather he paid the most attention to a stupid sounding poem instead. Paying attention was just a big waste of time.

When he fell asleep to the sound of rain, Eren would dream about a time long ago, when he was small and didn't appreciate, as much, the people surrounding him.

It was always the same dream, one that was filled of happiness that he just couldn't obtain as he grew past the memory. He was with his family of four, his father didn't have his drinkinging problem, his mother was still around, and Mikasa and himself were happy.

The trees blew around in the warm summer hair, sun illuminating the park they walked through. Everything was peaceful, everyone was happy.

Mikasa ran ahead of everyone, leading the way through the parks clearing. Eren followed, a toothy grin taking over his features as he tried to run with a box in his hands, it was hard for the kid since the box seemed larger than his head. But he was determined.

He ran after Mikasa, never tripping or falling or dropping the box, he kept moving fast with his childish determination; that maybe he'd beat his adoptive sister to the bench. Eren didn't, but he took pride in the fact that he beat his mother and father there. "Sit, mom!" The child cheered and just waited in front of the wooden bench until his mother sat.

Carla cracked a soft smiled as she sat down on the bench, her eyes on the boy standing in front of her knees. "What do you have there, Eren?" Of course, she knew what this was all about, but she pretended for the children.

Eren lifted the box up and placed it upon Carla's lap as gently as he could, his hands finding purchase on his mother's knees when his hands weren't full. "Happy birthday mom," The children spoke almost in unison, though Eren ruined it with his excitement. Carla found it heart warming, though.

"I wonder what you all got me.. hmm..," She tapped her chin and smiled as she stalled.

"Come on mom, open it!" Eren was just too excited for his own good, Carla couldn't just couldn't deny him. She pulled the end of the bow then lifted the lid of the box, peering down to see its contents.

Her lips parted when she saw the beautiful blue shoes.

Grisha had made a great find with those shoes, he knew it when he saw the look in Carla's and even Eren's eyes.

They amazed Eren, his eyes shined with wonder.

It might have been then that Eren decided he wanted to be a shoemaker.

He wanted to create shoes that awed people.

Eren was just slowly waking up, when he heard soft words spoken beside him.

"Do you think it's too late for me….," The words were broken, barely spoken in a hushed whisper, and there were no more after them.

When Eren finally opened his eyes, he realized he slept the tenth day away.