"Eren how could you, you disobey me once again! I told you not to kiss him without his consent, and what I saw there wasn't consent. You stole his first kiss, made him faint, and now he ran away again before the photo shoot was over." Jean hears Eren's father yell at his son who obviously was not even paying attention to him. He had to admit it was hilarious to hear the other, however that wasn't the main thing on his mind right now. What was on his mind was how Armin was. He had to admit it wasn't a new thing that Eren kissed someone without consent, but this is the first time one of them didn't like it. How could someone like him really resist the charms of the school's play boy? Not many people could do that, hell even Jean got a taste of it once but that was a long time ago.
But now there was someone who was resistant to Eren, and someone who wouldn't put up wit those false emotions. And boy was it interesting, the more he heard about this masked blond got him more curious by the second. First he gives sass through letter when Eren tried to flit with him, then there was when he was bickering with Eren, and now rejecting the kiss most would kill for. Not only that, but that beautiful aura he was giving off when he was talking pictures just added to Armn's attractiveness Jean thought to himself. Maybe being friends with him wouldn't be such a bad idea. Jean thought to himself still standing in place watching Eren's every move.
"Fine I'll go there an apologize, how was I suppose to know he would react like that?" Eren defensively replies with his hands up in the air.
"You better make this right." Levi demands as he turns around to take some time to himself. Watching as Eren walks in the direction that Armin walked in Jean turned to his friends to find out what they thought about the whole situation.
"I can't believe he would do that to poor Armin. I know if my first kiss was stolen I would be furious." Christa comments to her friends who all nod in agreement.
"Yeah, that is really bad. I mean Armin seems like sensitive guy, so he must really be taking this to heart." Connie adds on.
"I am going to have to give him a stern talking to at home. He fixes one thing and manages to mess up another. He'll never learn that he can't treat Armin like his other flings." Mikasa tells.
"Yeah, to be honest I hope he changes Eren. I'm sick of having people be my friends because I'm Eren's friend. It's annoying, that's why I hang with you guys, you all seem real." Sasha conveys.
"You and me both sister." Ymir replies.
"Oh please the only thing that will change Eren is someone who can beat him at his own game." Jean expressed to the others who took his words into consideration.
"True no one has ever rivaled with Eren. Hell I know some people who gave up on their crushes because Eren was pursuing them." Connie mentions.
"Exactly, and if this kid keeps running away from him how is that gonna help?" Jean points out yet again receiving nods.
"Well at least we can have hope right?" Christa
"Yeah Jean why do you always have to be so negative." Marco steps up with a friendly laugh.
"I'm just saying, got to keep all options open." Jean replies back looking at his best friend.
"Well you know..." Marco was interrupted by Eren's re-entrance.
"I can't find Armin!" Eren yells breathlessly to everyone in the room.
"What!?" Erwin exclaims scaring all of the teens in the room because of his booming voice.
"I-I can't find him. He isn't in his dressing room!" Eren replies knowing now he was in deeper trouble than where he started out.
"How could you lose my son!?" Erwin questions the boy try not to lose his cool, but it was obvious that he couldn't hold back for much longer. The fact his son had disappeared wouldn't sit well with any parent and this Eren knew.
"He ran so fast. Maybe he went somewhere else instead, I don't know. I've been calling his phone but he left it in his dressing room where he isn't!" Eren tried to explain to the angry parent in front of him. With a sigh, Erwin let out his rage slowly pinching the bridge of his nose trying to not blow his top.
"If we're lucky, he s still in the building and went into another room by accident. All of you teenagers, I want you to help too. I'm sorry you have to do this but we will cover more ground this way. We have to check this whole floor, he couldn't have gone that far. When he is unstable he tried to find the first room where no one is in, which is a lot in our case. If you find him, just leave him in there and tell us. I'll go to the room and handle it from there." Erwin instructs the teens who give him a nod and go off on their search.
Jean followed behind the group to pick a direction they didn't go to find the blond. Many of the kid took right and left, but not many took to going straight. Therefore Jean decided to go that way. Walking down the hallway calmly he counted five doors down until he found a door he would check for the blond. Lifting his hand up to the door he gave it three light knocks and waited for a response. When he heard stomps from the other side, he deduced that it was indeed Armin in there. Right as he was about to go tell Erwin, the blond opened the door with fury in his before Jean could say anything, he spoke.
"Eren, I am..." The other began, but stopped his thought as he noticed Jean was not Eren.
"I'm not Eren..." Jean responds awkwardly still in shock from the shout from the other and the sight he had just felt as if were blessed and cursed at the same got the honor to see what was behind that mask the blond religiously wore, but to what price? True he had always been curious about what was behind there, but now that he saw it, he had this desire to see it everyday.
"What are you staring at? Why aren't you saying anything?" Armin asked causing Jean to answer with the first thing on his mind.
"Beautiful..." Jean found himself mutter out without paying much attention to his words.
"Beautiful? " Armin inquired to Jean driving his attention from Jean to behind him not understanding who or what he was calling beautiful. Observing as the other's body began to stiffen, Jean knew something was wrong. Then all of the sudden the door was the other was doing on the other side Jean didn't know. Shrugging it off, he continued to follow his instructions and go back to the his group of friends along with two adults, he knew that they all hadn't found the blond. Walking up to the group, Jean gained their attention by coughing into his hand.
"I know where he is. He went straight down the hall way. He is in another dressing room." Jean explains watching as Erwin walks up to him eyes filled with hope that hsi son isn't panicking again.
"Is he okay?" The parent ask softly.
"Yeah he's I was Eren and was super mad, but when he saw me he started to act weird."
"Acting weird?"
"Yeah, he saw me and then freaked out when he turned around to look for something. After that he shut the door on me like he saw a ghost."
"Wait that doesn't make sense why would he be afraid of you if you aren't Eren?" Sasha point out.
"I don't know, you should have seen the look on his face though. He grew pale, eye brows in a frown shape, and his mouth was open."
"Wait his eye brows!?"Eren pops in now knowing something wasn't right here. No one was able to see the blond's eye brows because they were always hidden behind his bangs and mask.
"Yeah his eye brows. People have those, you of all people should know with how close you get."
"That's not the point. You can't see his eyebrows, they're covered by his mask."
"Well when I saw him he wasn't wearing it."
"HE WHAT!?" Everyone in the room exclaims meanwhile Erwin and Eren's jaws drop at what Jean said.
"HEY DIDN'T HAVE HIS MASK!? HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE HE ALWAYS HAS IT ON! AND WHY THE HELL DID YOU GET TO SEE HIS FACE!?" Eren questions Jean noticeably getting angrier, but what Jean saw was jealousy on the other's face. However nothing seemed to make sense, hadn't Eren seen his fiance's face? And most of all hadn't Erwin seen his son's face what was the big was just a kid who liked wearing mask right?"
"I don't know? But why are you freaking out about this? Haven't you seen his face?"
"Jean, no one, not even Armin's own father has seen Armin's real face for twelve years." Mikasa stepped up to explain to the group who gasp in shock.
"Why did something happen to him?" Christa asked now concerned for the masked teen more than before.
"When he was small, he was bullied because of his looks. I don't know what started it." Erwin states.
"W-What does he look like?" Connie asked nervously asking the question everyone else was too scared to ask.
"He," Jean stopped for a second and he really want to tell everyone of the blond's beauty? Did he really want that play boy of a fiance to have a look at him and use him like the others. "He looks fine." Jean gave a simple reply.
"No like in detail." Connie clarifies.
"He looks like Armin."
"No we don't need to know. If he wants us to know he would show us. Jean was it? You might have caught my son off guard, but can you please leave what his true appearance is to yourself.I don't want anyone to know, I know he wouldn't want anyone to know either." Erwin pleads.
"Alright, fine by me. After all it's just another thing I have over you Jaeger."
"You want to say that again!?" Eren threatens walking closer trying to start another fight as usual.
"Eren no don't start anything you've done enough for today. Levi, I'm sorry to say Armin and I will have to leave. I hope you understand." Erwin tells the two family members who nod in reply.
"Go take care of your kid. I have one to beat some sense into anyways. Okay everyone photo shoot is over!"
For a whole week Armin didn't go to school after the photo shoot. It wasn't that he was sick or anything, it's just he didn't want to have to face his mistakes. For several days he would randomly cry out of no where. When he would walk into his room he would feel that sinking sensation and know it was only seconds until he cried. For a while he had forgotten why he was crying, it seemed like he was crying just to cry, but then be remembered. He remembered the thing that bothered him more than the unwanted kiss, the person who saw his face. It hurt to have the reoccurring memory play in his head teasing him, and forcing him to come to the reality someone had seen him.
How could he have been so careless, and how was he suppose to shake this off.? Usually when something happened to him, he was able to bottle it up and internalize the pain. However as of right now, all he could feel was pain and a spectrum of negative emotions. His heart that would beat normally now felt like it was no longer in him. The soul of his being seemed to be gone with every tear he shed. It wasn't a good feeling, and Armin hated it but hey he was use to it. However no matter how many times he told himself he was use to it, it never made it hurt less. Just to add salt into the wound, Armin also had an act for over thinking. Since he was left alone for the past few days he was stuck with only his thoughts which caused him to think even more things.
"Ah, I need to get this all off of my chest. I can't take it anymore, I can't handle this burden myself! But who would help me." Armin thought aloud to himself in his room only to find out that he did have someone: the school nurse Hanji. It had been so long since he had last seen her and he felt pretty bad about it too. Ever since Eren became more persistent on winning homecoming, he was always trying to avoid the other forgetting about Hanji. It was about time he paid a visit but that would mean he would have to go to school. And there were two people Armin would rather not see.
"No you have to go. It's the right thing to do, this is growing up. You have to talk to others in order to get better Hanji is a friend, she isn't like the others." He convinced himself, and with that he got his school bag and make-up homework ready for school the next day.
-Next Day-
"Kyaaa, I'm so jealous!That kiss scene was just perfect!Ah true love really does break spells! I can't believe Eren would do such a thing for his fiance!It's so romantic, they definitely have my vote." One of the girls from Armin's school squeals aloud as she shows her friends the latest pictures in her magazine. Armin could only infer from their conversation that it was their unfinished engagement to try and ignore their conversation he looks outside the window watching the kids pile into school
"I know right. It hurts because I use to date Eren, but looking at this it seems like they were made for each other." Her friend comments as she drools over the pictures.
"Wait I thought they hated each other?"
"Well yeah for now, but you've dated Eren right? This is probably his way of trying to get him to like him."
"Yeah, but how did he get Armin to pose for this?"
"Probably a deal."
They aren't wrong, but they aren't right either. Armin thought to himself.
"Ah I wish I wouldn't have given into his charms so easily. Maybe if I was harder to get like Armin he would have done something like this for me."
"Hey don't say that, he's right there."
"Who?"
"Armin."
"Oh gosh, I hope he didn't hear." Choosing to intervene, Armin walked towards the girls to give them some advice about Eren. He wanted to protect these girls from his charm again.
"I did, but don't worry I'm not mad. We're not in love, and he will never make me his. He follows a script and reels people in. Don't fall for it. You guys don't need him, he doesn't deserve two wonderful girls like you." Armin tells the two who only blush in response to the compliment that he had given the two that caused their hearts to skip a beat. The mask he wore only added to Armin's more mysteriousness which was a turn on for the two.
"Y-You're right. Thank you, you're a really nice person Armin." The first girl compliments.
"I only speak the truth, besides-..." Armin was interrupted by the sound of yelling that was coming from the ground level of the school outside. Looking over to the window, Armin saw Eren who was running until he stopped a few feet away from the entrance to make eye contact.
"Armin!" Eren yells as he points at the other breathing heavily. All the girls n the class were squealing thinking something out of a drama would happen, but Armin was freaking out. He knew what that look on Eren's face was, and that was pursuit. Oh no the deal and Mikasa!How could I have forgotten!? Armin internally screams as he watched Eren run into the building to get the blond.
"U-Uh, I need to hide." Looking around for a place to hide, the teen spots a metal broom closet. Deciding it was the best place at the moment to hide in the classroom rather than running out and getting a tardy or an unexcused absence. "You didn't see me!" He tells the class as he shuts himself inside holding his breath as loud pounding foot steps came closer to the classroom. The sound of a the sliding door slapping into place confirmed to Armin that Eren had arrived.
"Where is he!?"Eren sounds desperate looking at the crowd who points at the broom closet. Watching from the small slits in the door, Armin cursed as his hopes of being found were put down the drain. It was his fault for believing these kids would not tell his fiance where he was down and hugging his legs, Armin made himself as little as possible and closed his eyes so that the shock of being found.
"Armin!" The brunette exclaims as he opens the door and looks down to see his fiance in a fetal like position. Grabbing his arm, Eren forced the other out and grabs his wrist to lead him somewhere.
"L-Let me go. P-People are watching and class will start I don't want to be late." Armin pleads his case.
"If anyone ask I'm taking him to the nurse's office." Eren orders the others before tugging the blond away with him to the track field.
"W-What's the big idea anyways?" Armin questions as he gains his wrist back by bringing his arm up and down to allow the grip to loosen.
"Where have you been?" The other ask sounding genuinely concerned which caught Armin off guard.
"I-Ive been home."
"Why?"
"You don't need to know."
"Well I kind of have to because one we didn't finish the photo shoot, and two I still don't have a date with Mikasa yet." There it is the real reason. I was a fool to think he actually cared.
"Wow no how are you, or are you okay, or even a sorry?"
"What do you mean?"
"Eren do you really expect me to help you when you are only thinking of yourself?"
"What?"
"I think it's time for a lesson."
"A lesson?You're confusing me now."
"In order to get someone to like you, you have to work on two things: Consent and thinking of others."
"What why?"
"Well let's put it this way. You took me out of class out of class without my permission and took my first kiss without my permission or even telling me. Now after a week of being gone for a week you don't even ask how I am, and you are only thinking of how you couldn't get it with know, I don't mean to be mean but no wonder she hasn't fallen for you by yourself." Armin explains bitterly to Eren who he thought was actually going to show him some other side of him that wasn't the selfish impulse driven play boy he came to hate. Watching as the other's face dropped at Armin harsh words.
"I...I-..." Eren was speechless, he honestly wasn't expecting that kind of reply. What he was expecting was an apology and then a way for asking Mikasa out, not this. Sure the blond had told him off for his actions before hand, but now hearing those words made him think. And little did he know that those words would be the medicine that he needed to eventually make his life right.
"I'm sorry, but Eren you need to work on you before you can have her. I need to see that you have changed before you go on an actual date with her. Because right now you don't deserve her. How you managed to make people fall for you amazes me. You may be able to fool everyone into thinking you love them, but not everyone. It's time for you to mature as a person and think of others. You only hurt people,ask the people you've laid. I'm sure all of them are torn on the inside of our pictures. And that's not a nice feeling. Watch Eren, just like you say one of these days that I will find someone who I love and they love me back, you'll get yours. But yours will come in the form of you loving someone who will be your greatest challenge. Someone who will put you in your place and make you feel things you never felt before." Armin ends their conversation right as the bell starts to ring for class. Leaving Eren to think on what he had just said. In all honesty he thought he was a bit harsh in his words, but he was right.
He was tired of Eren getting away with things because they were always that way. Nevertheless this was a lesson that he had to teach the other. Personality traits are hard to change, and can take lots of time. But after everything Armin had been through he knew that it wasn't looks that would win in the end, it would be personality. Not only that, but love was a very mature thing. Many teens make the mistake of proclaiming love to their current partner t eventually regret it. When you fall in love it has to be an understanding between the two people. The two have to be on the same page on limits and support each other. And as far as Armin could see Eren was not ready for that road. Though he can somewhat tell his feelings for Mikasa came from a genuine place, he could tell Mikasa wanted something real. And right now Eren could not provide that.
-Lunch with Eren-
After his little talk with Armin at the beginning of the school day, Eren has been out of it. The things that Armin said to him no one had dared to tell him, which made him want to laugh at how funny it was. After all when do you find the person who is so ready to point out your flaws when they can only see flaws in the thing that stuck with him the most was Armin saying that he didn't deserve Mikasa. All this time so far Armin had been on board on helping Eren now he was backing out and he didn't like it. They had a deal, and Armin was going back on it. On the other hand Armin also was going with his deal because he was still teaching him lessons. But this was a lesson that he really wished would go fast.
"Earth to Eren, yo are you there?" Connie waved his hands in front of Eren to gain his attention.
"What?" He replies back still not completely focused on his friends.
"You've been spacing out all lunch. What's wrong with you? Is it Armin?"
"Kind of yeah..."
"Did you apologize to him?" Mikasa inquires as she cuts up the lunch she had packed.
"H-He is acting weird..."
"When does he not?" Jean comments.
"Shut up Jean." Connie and Sasha yelled in unison.
"I don't really want to talk about it right now." Eren tells his friends as he plays with his food.
"Eren if something is wrong you can tell me." Mikasa speaks up not liking the change in tone.
"It's fine Mikasa, I just, I kind of feel guilty for what I did...I talked to him, and then he snapped at me. I wasn't expecting it, and now I just feel like I can't win."
"Well he is a challenge, but why the sudden change of heart?"
"I guess seeing and him act hectic about it I kind of felt bad. I mean the dude fainted..." Eren lies through his teeth, hoping that Mikasa would come up with his solution. Though he had to admit this wasn't the kind of conversation that he was hoping to have with Mikasa.
"Glad you're seeing the error of your ways. It's nice to see." Mikasa comments making Eren pay attention more. It's time for you to mature as a person and think of others. The words Armin had told him earlier came back into mind. Maybe Armin was right, maybe changing how he acted was going to actually work. It seems liked Mikasa was actually interested in what he had to say for once. She wasn't giving vague replies, and she even praised him for his "thoughts".
"Y-Yeah, it's just I don't know what to do to make it right."
"Hmm, well I think you should take him out and apologize to him. It can be a great way to talk things out more, and eating helps put the attention off of him."
"But he doesn't like to have people see him eat." Eren remembers.
"How do you know that?"
"There was this one day I was going to hang out with him. He ran away from me and almost got hit by a car. I pushed him out of the way."
"EREN THAT IS SO DANGEROUS!ARE YOU HURT? WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT EVER SINCE THE ACCIDENT! EREN YOU CAN'T KEEP DOING THAT!"
"M-Mikasa he would have died, and I'm fine just got a few cuts and bruises nothing bad."
"Why was he running away from you?"
"It was the day I brought him to the lunch table, he didn't eat at all and wanted to eat before we then that other accident happened, then I took him to our house. I got him some food but he told me he couldn't eat it in front of people because of his social anxiety or something."
"Eren please be more careful. I don't want to lose you, it was scary the first time."
"Don't worry, it's not like cars are always crashing around me."
"Be more careful please."
"Alright, alright I promise, but what about Armin?"
"I suggest taking him out for a drink then. It's technically not eating."
"Alright, then. I guess that could for the help."
-Armin's lunch-
"Long time no see Armin, how is my favorite student?" Hanji ask as she rolls her chair towards Armin who gives her a warm smile.
"How can I be your favorite student if I am never really here?" The blond ask as he walks towards his only friend, sitting on the infirmary bed so that he can talk to her as she had her lunch.
"You don't always have to be here to be my favorite. On our first meeting I knew you would be my favorite. Talk about science and you're my favorite, speaking of which did you come to learn some today or talk. Or we can do both."
"Maybe just talk today, I still haven't figured out I really wanted to learn right now."
"No problemo, I'm here for you Armin."
"That's nice to know."
"Now what can his crazy nurse help you with?"
"It's about feelings."
"Whoa that's an interesting something happen?"
"Well did you see the magazines lately?"
"Of course everyone is talking about it. You look lovely."
"T-Thank you...B-But did you look at the last picture."
"You mean the kiss?"
"Yes."
"What's wrong with it?It's photo shopped right?"
"No, it wasn't...He really did kiss me but he never told me he was."
"Oh my gosh Armin I'm so sorry, was that-.."
"My first kiss yes..."
"I'm sorry to hear that. Are you alright?"
"I'm angry about it, but that's not the thing that has been on my mind lately."
"Then what is?"
"Someone saw...Saw my real face..."
"How did that happen? Did they force you to do it?Who was it?"
"J-Jean one of Eren's friends. No he didn't force me, I was careless and forgot to put it on and he saw."
"Did anything happen after that?Did he say anything to you?"
"H-He said something was beautiful, and then I freaked out and ran away..."
"Well that's a good thing."
"What's a good thing?"
"That he called you beautiful."
"He couldn't have I'm ugly, you saw.I'm anything but beautiful."
"Armin let me explain something to you is that okay?"
"Sure."
"You are right when you say you're may not be beautiful, but here me out. Beauty is a bit of a social construct. Society can say what is beautiful because the majority agree. However, attractiveness is different. Many people are attracted to different things, that's why everyone has these so called types. They don't go with the construct of beauty it's because it's what they think is in a way their version of beautiful instead of society's. So where I'm getting at is that maybe Jean finds you attractive, and that's why he called you beautiful. Maybe he just might find you attractive."
"T-That still can't be right...H-hanji,I'm disgusting even I can't stop hating my face."
"You know it must get boring always hating?"
"N-Not really it's very tedious."
"Armin I may not know why you keep your mask on, but there is one thing I do know. Looks aren't everything, and no one will think less seeing your face."
"B-But the face Jean gave me when I saw it was..."
"When he saw it he may have been shocked,yes,but not disgusted. No one would call someone beautiful is they thought the person disgusted them."
"Y-Yeah, but..."
"Armin you make a lot of excuses, but do you ever just think to accept things the way they are? Things happen for a reason,and instead of regretting that it happened move forward. Though I will also add that your feelings are still valid now. I'm sorry if it sounds like I'm against you, but I want to see you grow and love your face. After all I've seen it, and it wasn't what you described it was amazing. Now tell what you are feeling right now. It feels like there are things to be said that I have prevented you from saying. No matter what you say I'll listen, but why don't we start from where it started so I know how deep this goes in?"
"O-Okay...And before I begin, thanks for listening to my story and not just giving me advice that would make me feel bad."
"No problem, I was a kid once. So I know that you may not take my advice now, but I believe later on you will. Living in the moment is so hard, but it's the future that makes it all worth let's hear your tale shall we?"
"Y-Yes...S-So it all happened when..."
-After School-
By the time Armin had finished his talk with Hanji, he could at least feel like he had gotten what he wanted to say said. Sure the crippling depressing feeling that he felt wasn't gone, but it was sated for now. However he was proud of himself that he made the right decision on talking to Hanji. Since it didn't hurt as much as it did before, he was fine for the time being. Now all that was left was for Armin to cool his head once more, and what better place to do that but his abandoned beach house. Walking towards the direction of the beach, Armin could practically smell the salty air. Smiling, he urged himself to walk faster so that he could be alone quicker.
Within no time, he was in his little house and just as promised there was no one from homecoming in it. Happily he walked up to its second level where there was a balcony that over looked the ocean. Placing his bag n the abandoned bed room, Armin walked out to the balcony and inhaled some of the salty air. Letting out a yell to relieve the stress in his body, He threw his hands up in the air before folding them on the edge of the balcony. Watching at the waves of the sea came and went like they always did, Armin looked towards the horizon.When will I be free from here?I want to travel. Armin thinks to himself, before remembering that he had to brush up on his Korean. Going back into the room, he rushes to grab a children's story book before hurrying to read the story to the ocean. Silly as it may be, Armin thought of the ocean as a friend, it always calmed him down and was a great listener at that.
Walking over to the ledge once more, Armin scans the book's cover reading the words The Transient Apple Sale's Girl:His favorite story. Though the story did not originate in that language, he appreciated that someone had translated it. After all it was a great way to practice, and since Korea was going to be the first place Armin would want to teach English it was important for him to learn to fast. Reading the lines out loud pronouncing each word with caution, Armin practiced as much as he could. And right as he was about to reach the end of the book, he feels a rock come to his his gaze to the floor, Armin closed his book and picked it the rock, he saw that it was an ordinary rock. Throwing it out to the beach, Armin was about to pick up his book until he head an 'ouch' coming from below him.
"You know I don't think Juliette ever did this to Romeo." Eren looks up to the other has he rubs his head to ease the pain.
"What are you doing here Eren?" The masked teen responds as he rest his cheek on his hand.
"I just wanted to..uh...Apologize, yeah that's it!"
"It's not an apology if it sounds forced."
"N-No, wait! I'm not all that much of a bad guy please. I just want to talk."
"I know you're just doing this because you want Mikasa. Please do me a favor a leave me alone."
"Please no! You're the only one I can talk to about this stuff!"
"You make it sound like we're friends."
"We are friends."
"Friends don't kiss each other and friends don't make their friends do things they don't want are not friends, we are just two people who's fates were tied together by accident"
"They only do that when they know that thing they forced them to do is right for them."
"..."
"Please Armin. If learning to be a better person will help me win her I'll do it."
"You keep saying that but I have yet. I can hear that you want her to love you. I can hear your desperation, but I don't see heart. As far as I can see it you haven't paid attention to any of my lessons. I mean look at how many rocks are down there with you in your pile."
"Well yours is worse."
"Depression and anxiety are harder to break, rather than a habit that can be broken."
"Ugh, is there anything I can do? Something I can say to make you forgive me and help me."
"The only way you can do that is if you prove it to me sorry."
"But that's what I'm asking, how do I show you what you're teaching me I'm retaining! And how do I show you that I am serious on changing myself. Your promised me you would help, and right now it sounds like you're backing out."
"I-I'm not...I never said I wouldn't help you. I said there is a lesson you have to learn before you learn how to court her." Armin thinks on it for a second. What can Eren do. What was something that would not be easy for Eren, what would be a could he make Eren do to show him that he was going to change, and if he was changing what things he was changing. Then it hit him, he knew he would come to regret this choice, but with his outrageous demands for authenticity it was probably the only way.
"I know what you can do." Armin speaks up again as the breeze around them picks up.
"Yes, fine, anything what is it!?I'll go through any test to move to the next level."
"Try to make me like you."
"What!?"
"It's obvious you have only been around other people but have never encountered someone like me. And as of right now you're not really my favorite person to be honest. So make me like love is an extravagant challenge, so I'll be your first challenge and she will be your final one."
"What if you fall for me?"
"Don't worry that won't happen. You're not mytype after all, and I believe in myself to not fall in love. This way you can show me an assertion of your passion. When I see you have changed, we can go to the next step. But as of now Mikasa will have to be put on hold, you are not ready yet."
"If do this, you will stop doubting me right?"
"Yes."
"Alright then I'll take it."
"Well good luck to you."
"Thanks, oh and can I ask you a question?"
"Sure."
"Will you go out with me?"
