The Infected - Hanji Zoe

Chapter 3

Once you finally manage to get close enough, Erwin replaces you and picks Hanji's body up, throwing her over his shoulder as he carries her into the room. You and the remaining two boys exchange looks before following him.

She tries to fight him off but with little to no success. Eventually she gives up and accepts her fate, sitting by your side with a pout on her face.

Loud voices fill the class as more students arrive, awaiting for the professor. You look around rapidly, analyzing the faces you've grown to know over the past 6 months.

You call your friend group closer, making sure they will be able to hear your whispers, "Those three look like absolute shit." You say while gesturing towards three students who sit slumped over in their desks with saliva dripping down their mouths.

Surprisingly, Levi is the one to look at them and disgust takes over his features. "Ugh, they have vomit on the corner of their mouths and clothes. Pathetic."

"Probably hungover." Moblit whispers back, "I heard there was a big party yesterday celebrating the end of classes."

"Yet, we are trapped here for 2 more hours until freedom." Hanji complains and you simply roll your eyes, already done with her little tantrum.

Once the professor enters the room, all voices quiet down and the students who once sat on their tables now find their correct seats.

Time feels like it's moving backwards and you force yourself to remain awake, listening to the professor as he rumbles about shitty grades and lazy students, the usual speech before handing exams out.

Levi fidgets with a pencil while Erwin follows his lead, doing the exact same thing. Moblit quietly draws on the last page of his notebook, not bothering anyone but also not bothered enough to pay attention to the man before him.

Hanji's head rests on the palm of her hand. She gave into the laziness not five minutes into the lesson so now she simply sleeps by your side and you try and make sure she won't snore in class again.

You rip a small piece of paper off of your notebook and write a message on it before passing it to Moblit. "Are you ok?"

He giggles and looks at you as he mouths the words: What are you? 12? And you laugh in response.

Hanji, who is now barely awake, shoots you a look, letting you know she's a little bit jealous so you lay your head on her shoulder while waiting for a response.

The paper makes its way back to you with the reply, "Yeah, I just fucked up my back."

As you begin writing another message, the three sick students fall to the ground in perfect synchrony as if they had planned the entire thing. In response, the class bursts into laughter and the sound fully awakes Hanji.

You can see the rage in the professor's eyes as he looks at them, he places the exams he was about to return back on the table and crosses his arms. "Haha, real funny. Get the fuck back up."

But the students don't respond. They lie down on the floor perfectly still and you ask yourself if they are even breathing.

A minute passes and the professor walks closer to them, making his voice a bit louder this time. "Oi, I said get up!"

He takes one step closer, placing his hand on the boy's shoulder to help him up, "Are you alright?"

Not even a second passes before the boy closest to him grabs his neck and takes an enormous bite out of it, blood and flesh now dripping onto the floor as screams fill the room. You look to the other side of the room and realize another one of them has done the same thing to one of your classmates.