Levi was extremely angry, desperate.

Petra let him borrow her hair dryer, and Levi was confused why she brought one to school. Petra told him she always had that in her locker. Anyway, he washed his pants and dried them, with Petra preventing some guys from entering. He heard some guys asking her why she was blocking, and he scoffed at Petra's lame attempt at driving the guys away. The restroom was not damaged, he thought. It's just, he was washing his pants and drying them.

After some good fifteen minutes, his pants were dry, so he slipped them on. He dashed out of the restroom and saw Petra still standing by the door. He handed her back the dryer and thanked her with his usual sullen mood before heading up to Erwin's office.

But Erwin was no good either. The student council president was blank as a piece of paper while listening to Levi's complaint.

"Oi, Erwin, are you listening to me?" he demanded.

But Erwin shook his head, called Nanaba and Mike over, and continued playing Clash of Clans with him with their mobile phones.

"Sorry Levi, but we have a clan war today," Erwin said to him. "Please come back tomorrow."

"Nandayo?!" Levi screamed in Erwin's face.

"Sorry Levi, if you can't provide me a dragon, then please get out," Mike said roughly before taking a seat in front of Erwin.

"Dragon... Nani?" Levi asked in confusion before being dragged away by Nanaba out of the door. "Hey!"

But after Nanaba brought him out, she shut the door in front of him. Levi seethed in anger, cursing Erwin and his damn clan. He strutted out in anger and decided to go home.

But his footsteps took him a little too far, and Petra, who was following him around, could not even catch up with him.

"L...Levi-kun, chotto matte..." she whispered.

~~.

Levi passed by Hana Cafe because it was his way to his house. He was near the door when the door suddenly flung open.

"Oh, s***!" he screamed when he was almost hit by the person who exited the door.

To his surprise, it was Mikasa Ackerman, the student who was talking to some teachers this lunch break regarding some out-of-school activities. She left the premises in haste, red scarf covering her cheeks again. But Levi could see some tears falling from her eyes.

"Oi, Ackerman!" Levi called out, without feeling any awkwardness towards calling out someone with the same surname.

Mikasa stopped and turned around, and brought the scarf higher until only her eyes were seen.

"Daijoubu?" he asked with his usual sullen mood.

Mikasa lied and nodded. She did not want anyone to see through her emotions. And Levi rolled his eyeballs.

"Everybody knows you are the Little Miss Perfect who does not smile, but seeing you like that, I guess it has something to do with that Jaeger brat," Levi bluntly told her.

Mikasa did not reply, nor did she give any confirmation. She just stood there, staring at him. She knew that Levi knew Eren for the fact that the latter had been caught hanging out at the rooftop a couple of times, and Mikasa had also been caught with him. And it was mostly forbidden to hang out at the rooftop because there were precious materials in the storage room upstairs. Also, Levi, who frequent the student council's office to rant out at Erwin, oftentimes see the two first year students being reprimanded by Nanaba.

"Am I right or am I wrong?" Levi asked her again.

"Iie..." she finally replied.

Levi walked towards the glass window and peeped inside. Truth to be told, Eren was currently singing another song, whatever it was, and Annie was at the back, flipping her drum sticks before banging the cymbals.

"That Leonhart brat is in it too?" Levi tartly remarked. "I didn't know she could play the drums."

Mikasa just started back at him.

"I just thought her talent is sleeping," Levi remarked again nonchalantly. Pointing a finger at her, he bluntly informed her, "You know, if you care so much for Jaeger, give him some space to develop. You trust him, do you?"

Mikasa nodded.

"If you trust Jaeger, you trust his decisions. You trust that he can make them. He's all grown up, and you know very well that you can't be there for him all the time. Get used to it."

Mikasa turned around and looked past the glass window. Indeed, Eren was having a blast belting out more Eld Jinn hits.

"Does that mean that he doesn't need me anymore?" she asked the sempai. Her vision never left Eren.

"Of course, that silly brat still f***ing needs you," Levi taught her. "It's just that, you should stop acting like you are his guardian."

Mikasa did not reply.

"That brat's got pride too, you know. Guys always do. And it will hurt his pride if you assist him like he's imbecile and all that," Levi told her. "You want some coffee?"

Mikasa turned her attention to her sempai, "But I don't have money for coffee."

"Who says you will pay for your caffeinated s***?" Levi asked bluntly. "It'll be on me. I promise."

Levi confidently got inside the coffee shop, like the sophisticated guy that he was, and Mikasa followed him. There were some empty spaces at the mezzanine, so the two of them ascended the stairs. One waiter came to them and asked for their order. Levi asked for black tea and green tea latte.

"And oh, could we have two slices of blueberry cheesecake, please?" Levi politely instructed the waiter in his straight face.

"Hai," the waiter said with a bow before going away.

~~.

Eren did not notice Mikasa and Levi enter the premises, as he was busy entertaining the people. It was only a little later when he turned his head to the mezzanine when he saw a girl with jet-black hair, stoic face, and red scarf. And across her was a sempai at school.

"Mikasa?" he asked himself. "What is she doing with Sempai?"

A bitter feeling stirred inside of him.