𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 𝐋𝐄𝐅𝐓 𝐔𝐍𝐒𝐀𝐈𝐃 (𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄 𝐗 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑)

< Chapter 18 >

As you patiently waited by your front door for Hange to arrive, a storm began forming in your stomach. You were scared to face Hange again. The two of you agreed to stay friends, but would you really be able to keep up a friendship with them after they turned you down?

Time slowly ticked by. Many minutes passed but Hange didn't show up. You open your phone to check the time, it was already 7:55. You were upset Hange didn't come pick you up for school, but deep down you were relieved. It meant you wouldn't have to face her.

You rested your head on your desk in your homeroom class. You didn't get much sleep the previous night due to staying up so late sobbing. If Hange came to school late, that meant you'd have to see her during the student council meeting. You sat next to each other, so avoiding her wasn't an option. As the final school bell rang, you dreaded going to the meeting.

    You walked into the student council room to see that Hange had yet to arrive. Their classroom was much closer to the club room than yours was, so it was out of the ordinary for them to show up after you. You took your usual spot at the table.

"Hey Y/n! Seen Hange yet?" Sasha asked.

"Not yet," you replied in a low voice. Sasha raised her eyebrows, her face clearly expressing that she was confused.

"Do you know where they went?" you added. Sasha only grew to become more confused.

"No I don't. I figured if anyone saw them, it would be you." Sasha said. You figured Hange was late to school, but you never considered that she'd miss it completely.

"She's here. I saw her as I was leaving my classroom. Our homerooms are in the same hallway," Levi chimed in. "Not sure why she isn't here yet though" he said.

A few minutes passed by but still no sight of Hange. They've never missed a day of club activities, so it weirded everyone out that they had yet to arrive. "Is she avoiding me?" you asked yourself.

The fact that Levi saw them before leaving his class added more to the confusion. If they were in the same hallway, why did Levi arrive so much earlier than Hange? The rest of the student council members began showing up one by one, but as time went on Hange still didn't show up.

You doubted that Hange would come to the meeting, you assumed they just went home so they wouldn't have to see you. The thought of Hange purposefully missing the student council meeting in order to avoid you saddened you.

Erwin began sorting a few papers that sat in front of him, this was a sign that your meeting was about to begin. You checked your phone to see that you had less than 5 minutes before the start of club activities.

The door slowly creaked open, the bright sun creeping in with every inch that the door was opened. Everyone in the room eyed the door, waiting for whoever it was who was arriving.

Everyone in the student council besides Hange had already arrived, which meant there was only one possible person it could be.

"Sorry I'm so late. Had some business to attend to in the main office," they said. It was Hange. They slowly approached you, but didn't say anything. No words were exchanged as she sat down in the chair beside you. You stared ahead of you, avoiding eye contact with Hange.

The atmosphere was strange, you felt awkward and out of place. Despite having known the members for well over 5 months, it was almost as if it was the first day. You and Hange were the only ones feeling the tension, the others continued on as if nothing happened. You couldn't blame them though, they were completely unaware of the events of last night.

    "Y/n and Hange? Can I ask for a favor?" Erwin said from the head of the table. You immediately straightened your posture and faced Erwin.

"Of course" you and Hange replied simultaneously.

"Could the two of you go around to all the clubs and pass out these forms?" He said as he slid a large stack of papers across the table. "They're forms about club funding, so make sure not to miss any."

    Hange immediately grabbed the stack of papers before rising out of their chair. You nervously followed along behind her. As the two of you walked down the halls of the school building, it was less awkward than you thought it'd be.

You were still on high alert, but Hange didn't seem too different from their usual self. They were still an eccentric student who was quite energetic, but they were also serious and polite. It eased your nerves a little to know that Hange hadn't changed in any way.

After delivering the last few forms, you and Hange returned to the student council room. "Thank you all for your hard work today. That concludes today's meeting, have a nice day." Erwin said, dismissing you along with the rest of the student council. You left the club room and Hange slowly followed behind you.

    The walk on the way home from school was less awkward. Hange told you about their day at school while you listened in closely. You didn't utter many words, you weren't quite sure what to say. You were still upset because of everything that happened the previous night, but you were glad to see that not too much has changed.

"Hey Y/n?" Hange said, calling for your attention. "I'm sorry about yesterday."

    Your eyes widened in fear, you weren't quite ready to talk about it. "It's okay. It's not your fault at all." you muttered.

Hange looked down with a frown on their face. "I just feel bad. I really don't want anything to change between us, you know?" they say. You looked up to make eye contact with her.

"I get it. Nothing will change, I'd hate for that to happen'' you mumbled. It was hard for you to talk about your feelings, but you knew you had to be mature if you wanted to settle things with Hange. "Let's just forget that ever happened, okay?'' you added.

    The rest of the walk home went smoothly. You felt more comfortable after your talk with Hange, so you were able to speak up more. You mostly talked about your days at school and upcoming events. You held a dull expression throughout the entire school day but after spending time with Hange, a slight smile appeared on your face.

It was weird to think that even though it was Hange whose rejection hurt you so badly, she was still the one to brighten up your day. Love was a mystery, but you wanted to play detective.