Sorry for not updating for a while. Just have some issues i need to fix. But here is the next chap ^_^
As usual, Shingeki no Kyojin does not belong to me.
Ch 2: Unbreakable Bond
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Year 2008, Autumn
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A week before school starts, Arlert's Coffee begins its business. Though having few customers, who came during their very opening, these people instantly became their regular customers and got easily acquainted with the shop owner's son.
Observing every bit of detail in their shop, Armin ecstatically visits it every day after hearing its completion. After every piano lesson he gets from his grandfather in the morning, he would ask him to drive him to the shop to see its progress. He would stay there and go home with his parents, and most of the time willingly helps around by doing simple tasks a 10 year old boy could do. Because of that, even the employees got fond of him especially the barista, one of the waiters and the main pâtissière.
Days pass and only three days are left till the start of school. Being fascinated with the shop, Armin almost forgot to visit his new school to be toured, as well as his parents, who is currently managing the store. Though he studies with his grandfather, his grandpa is on the same page as them, busy gardening. However since the beginning of school is well known in the marketing industry, its widespread advertisements about sale school supplies became a hint for him, that he quickly remember the tour for school he needs to have. And so, his parents drop him off to his new school and sign him in for a tour for that day.
The school is not as big, but has enough tidy classrooms, including library, music room, gym, field and pool for *grades 4-6. For a regular elementary school, compare to a private school, Armin's school is quite similar except from the fancy atmosphere and very strict teachers. In this school, he feels at ease and quite excited to begin the first day of class.
The teacher that toured Armin, though appears lazy, his constant reminders of the school's regulations and definite explanations of every halls and classrooms to makes sure he won't get lost on his first day makes him believe he is a kind and caring man.
"Are you sure you understand?" the teacher says. "Do you have any questions, Armin?"
Armin moves his head left and right saying, "Nope, not a single question, Hannes-sensei", with an innocent smile.
"Are you sure?" Hannes asks, uncertain of the boy's expression.
Understanding the look he's giving him he replies, "Yes, I'm very sure, Hannes-sensei. I do not want to boast, but I'm a fast learner, and… well…" He looks down for a bit, embarrassed, not used to praising himself. But then, the piano in the music room suddenly pops in his mind. "Um… actually, I have a question."
A boy and a girl hurriedly go room to room in every classroom they been in, searching for a notebook the girl lost. They have been doing the same thing again and again for an hour, and still unsuccessful in their search, the boy is at the peak of quitting.
"Oi, Mikasa!" the boy says after catching up to the girl, and watches her inspect every nook her eyes could reach. "Are you sure you left it here? We've been searching for that notebook of yours for hours! Are you sure you didn't left it at your house or something?"
"Yes and no!" Mikasa relplies. "And that notebook isn't a simple notebook! Its very important to me!" she walks towards him, "It's VERY IMPORTANT! Do you understand? I've had that since my last birthday! I haven't even used half of it!" Then she goes to the room beside the one they are at, the boy following behind.
"If it's important, why did you bring it here?" he says, standing by the door again. "Also, why is it that important that we have to search non-stop? What's written in it anyway?"
The question took Mikasa off guard, she stops for a second then continues her search with a light pout and pink cheeks. "T-t-that's none of your business Eren. The only thing you need to know is that it's very important, and we need to find it."
"Ah!" he says suddenly, remembering something. "Is it that notebook?"
"What notebook?" Mikasa says, getting a bit nervous and suspicious that he might have seen what is inside it.
"You know, the one I gave you on your birthday? The white notebook with cherry blossoms?"
"You-!" Mikasa turns red and quickly points at him. "You looked at it, didn't you?!"
"What?! No! I-"
"Then how did you know?"
"Because you always use everything I give you. Like that scarf you're wearing. Sheesh, it's not even that cold yet. Not to mention, how do you manage to wear that during summer?"
Mikasa keeps biting her lips, while her cheeks turn redder, as she listens to Eren's words. She cannot help but to admit to herself everything he said were true. Eren is really important to her ever since that day. For her, Eren is the only guy she'll like, despite whatever anyone say about him. But right now, she does not think she can tell him about it, she does not even know if she can tell him. They are young, so in her mind she knows she just likes him; she has a crush on him. And she can't tell him yet. Not yet. And so she quickly says, "I'm always cold! You know how I was usually sick before, that's why I always wear the scarf you gave me. Plus, red is my favorite! And, you are my best friend! That's why I always use the things you give me"
"Of course I am your best friend!" he says, in a matter-of-fact tone. "Our parents are friends, so of course it's predicted that we'll best friends. And you're right, you were always sick. That's why I gave that scarf, remember?"
Mikasa shyly nods, her blush still present, though Eren did not notice it and just agrees with her. "A-anyway, I think we should check again the front office. Someone must've brought it there already."
"But Mikasa! We just-"
"Let's hurry, Eren!"
Mikasa swiftly grabs his hands and leads him to the nearest staircase, ignoring his whines. In the end, Eren gives up and quietly let Mikasa drag him like an obedient puppy to their destination. As they exit the staircase, they halt a bit and look at each other with a slight confusion, hearing the sound of a piano playing. Knowing the only place it can come from, they decide to head there first, having their curiosity overlap their goal.
When they reach the music room, both of them bickers on who should enter first. Reasoning its Mikasa's fault why they are still in school, instead of going to either of their house to play or watch tv, Mikasa have no choice but to accept defeat.
Slowly, Mikasa opens the door and peeks, eying who the pianist is. Surprised it's only a child like herself, she watches him play for a while, enchanted by the beautiful tune. On the other hand, Eren, getting impatient, tiptoes behind her and forces her to move or open the door wider in a whisper. Entranced with the music, she ignores him and hushes him. Annoyed with Mikasa hugging the answer to their curiosity all to herself, he shakes her and bugs her to stop being selfish. And so, with his persistence, Mikasa loses focus on the music and begins arguing with him in the same tone he used but ends up getting louder, causing the little pianist to stop and watch their bickering. Amused, the boy sitting in the piano laughs lightly, making the Mikasa and Eren become aware of his forgotten presence.
"If you just moved a little, he wouldn't be laughing at us", Eren says to Mikasa.
"Still, if you remained quiet, he wouldn't stop playing", Mikasa argues, putting her hands on her hips. "Plus, you insisted I open the door", she says with a triumphant smile.
"I said that because we've been here for too long looking for that notebook of yours", he defends and crosses his arms on his chest. "Making you open the door would just make things fair. I really got tired of searching for it. It doesn't even show up."
"Don't say that, Eren!" she says, afraid that his words might come true. "That notebook is really important to me!"
Hearing the word "notebook", the boy remembers the notebook the teacher gave him and told him to give it to a girl named Mikasa, who will be his classmate. Thinking that what their looking for is the one in his possession, he takes it out of his brown messenger bag and shows it to them.
"U-um… is this the one you guys are looking for?" he says shyly, a bit afraid of their heightened emotion.
Upon seeing it, Mikasa's eyes became stars and instantly grab it. She hugs tight, annoyance diminishing and replaced by lots of sunshine, then suddenly hugs the boy with a relieved smile.
"Finally!" Eren says, glad that the search for her friend's treasure is found or else they might not be able to go home at all.
"Thank you, thank you very much!" Mikasa says gratefully with a bow, but suddenly changes and bites her lower lip. "You… you didn't look inside did you?" she says with a light blush.
Realizing what she meant and not wanting to lie, he replies, "Ah-oh-um-Well, I actually did."
"You-!" Mikasa almost shouted at what he said, but Armin quickly interfere saying, "But I didn't really read it! I promise! I just got curious when it fell on my head outside!"
"Fell?" Eren says, confused, and then looks at Mikasa who is also recalling the events hours ago. Seeing her quick change after minutes of thinking, he ends up sighing while Mikasa laughs embarrassingly.
"…ehehehe… gomen", she says, her face light pink. She looks down, pouting, while hugging her notebook and says, "I think it happened when we were upstairs in our new classroom. I placed it on that space in the window, because I was sitting near it… and… I guess I accidentally hit it when I told you(Eren) that your drawing is wrong…"
Eren looks at her dejectedly and says, "To think that we kept going back and forth searching for that. Sigh…"
"I'm really sorry Eren…" she says pleadingly, then quickly turns her attention to the boy who caught it. "You didn't read it isn't it?! Just looked at it to see who it belongs?! Please tell me you didn't! please, please, please, please, please!
"I didn't" the boy says with an assuring smile. "I just looked at a few drawings since they were drawn very nice, even Hannes-sensei think so."
"Hannes-sensei saw it?!" Eren exclaims, and then starts thinking of ways to force him to tell him what's inside that precious notebook of Mikasa, with a snicker.
Mikasa glares at Eren, aware of what he's panning, and then focuses back on the boy with the same glare. "Which ones did you see?"
"Uh-um… well… j-j-j-just a few", the boys hesitantly replies honestly. "I only saw drawings of him(points at Eren) and- mhghjgkdia!" he continues, but before he could finish his sentence, Mikasa abruptly cut him off. She instantly places her treasured notebook on the nearest desk, brings down his hand pointing at Eren, goes behind him, and uses her other hand to cover his mouth, leaving Eren a bit stunned at what just occurred.
"Ehehehehehe, don't mind what he said Eren!" Mikasa says, a bit nervous.
"What he said? You moved too fast before I could even understand", he says, "Plus I was busy making plans for my secret mission. Anyway, stop scaring the boy Mikasa! You should be thankful he found that VERY IMPORTANT notebook of yours, instead of focusing if he read what's in it or not. He might think you're a bully you know."
"Aahahaha… you're right", she says with a smile to Eren. She let go of the boys hand and uncover his mouth, but before she separates herself from him she whispers, "You better not tell Eren what you saw or-"
"Eh? But they're beau-" the boy says, trying to tell her that her drawing are beautiful and would be a waste if she kept it hidden, especially from the person she drew.
"Just don't, please", she says firmly, before he could finish his sentence, while looking directly at his eyes.
Understand the meaning in her eyes; he gives her a light yet solid nod, promising he would not tell him.
Eren who is watching and deliberately planning his quest, feels a bit unwell of the close proximity of their faces, as well as the serious stare their giving each other that he pulls Mikasa away saying, "Okay, you guys are too close, it makes me uncomfortable"
"Ahahahahaha… gomen, gomen", she says, now with a bright expression, though still hides her slight uncertainty. She brings her gem back to her chest, her smile unwavering. "A-anyway, again, thank you very much for returning this to me", she bows, "And… sorry for causing a scene and disturbing you while you were playing the piano."
"Well, it's all your fault to begin with", Eren mumbles earning him a hard step on his left feet from Mikasa. "Oi, Mikasa!"
Armin is not really that surprised with their quick change of moods, instead, he finds them funny and amusing, in a positive way. Again, he laughs lightly at their squabble. "Don't worry it's alright. To tell you guys the truth, both of you are really funny. You guys must be really close friends."
"We are!" Mikasa says cheerfully, grabbing Eren's hands, "We've been best friends since we were little! Oh, and my name is Mikasa. And this", she gently pokes Eren's cheeks, "Is Eren."
"Tch! I told you not to do that anymore!" Eren complains, rubbing his cheeks. "Were not kids anymore!"
"Eh? I thought you guys were the same age as me?" Armin says.
"How old are you anyway? And your name, you haven't introduced yourself yet", Eren says.
"Oh, right, gomen", Armin replies, "My name is Armin and I'm 10 years old."
"All of us are same age, but how did you know?" Mikasa asks.
"Hannes-sensei told me", Armin replies, "He was touring me around the school when your notebook fell on my head, that's why we accidentally looked at it. We didn't saw anyone when we looked up so we thought nobody was there, but when we went to the room and saw the drawings on the board with your names, he gives it to me. He told me to give it to you next week, and that you'll be very happy once you got it back. And he was right."
"Hannes-sensei definitely read this, that's why he knows I'll be happy", Mikasa mumbles, with her cheeks becoming red as she pouts. "I have to make him promise to keep quiet", she says with determination.
"Stop ruining my plans Mikasa", Eren says to her, while Armin smiles at them, and then he faces Armin saying, "I guess you're going to be in the same class with us then."
Armin nods and bashfully says, "Hannes-sensei told me that too… and… that returning the notebook might earn me new friends. Um… I know we just met, but… I hope its okay for me to be friends with the two of you."
After Armin's honest response, Eren and Mikasa stare at him for a second. Eren then looks at Mikasa, as if asking her how to response him, which she replies with a genuine smile to both of them. Mikasa holds both of their hands and cheerfully says, "Of course, Armin! Me, you and Eren can be friends! The three of us will, right Eren?"
Though he is not really used to this kind of situations, inside he feels content with the pleasant atmosphere surrounding him. And so he agrees to them with a nod and a smile, making Mikasa, especially Armin, satisfied.
"Since we'll be friends now, you'll have to teach me how to play the piano like you did", Eren adds.
"I don't think I'm that good yet, but of course, I will", Armin replies humbly.
"And then, Eren will teach me!" Mikasa says lively, followed by giggles while holding unto Eren's arms, which he finds a bit annoying.
After the memorable afternoon, Armin's grandfather picks him up and goes straight to their coffee shop. As he enters the shop, his vibrant aura steadily radiates off him, that the workers and those who knows him easily notices it, and cannot help but to ask him about his wonderful day.
With his infectious visible positive spirit, a girl, who was a constant bystander and observer of the shop's progress, continuously glances at his direction as she eats her slice of cake. Every time she would visit and see the blonde boy, who she remembers as the boy she talked to months ago, she would always be filled with certain curiosity. She would usually examine him from afar, making sure she is unnoticed, wondering why he always has some sort of innocence and merry demeanor in him. She is not envious; she is just very curious and fascinated, aware it's different from the aura she emits.
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*Reminder, Mikasa here is an average girl cause her parents did not die so… yea… ^_^ She is like the person before her parents die in the anime.
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As I said, I will continue this and try my best to update fast, just not quite frequently. :3
next chap is "The Rebel"
please do review and tell me what you guys think. :)
~aLeX :3