𝐌𝐘 𝐖𝐀𝐑 | j. kirstein

𝐯 | tomorrow

Iris hears her footsteps getting smaller and smaller until she is finally gone.

A sudden heaviness fills her heart.

She decides to walk away before she drowns in her thoughts, following Annie's steps.

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Third place.

She graduated in third place.

Iris stares at the pin board with wide eyes, so wide she felt that they could fall out and roll on the floor. Her eyes read the words on the paper over and over again, finding it hard to believe she graduated in such a high rank.

"Third place! Ah! I'm so proud of
you, girl!" Sasha squeals, a big smile on her face as she shakes Iris' shoulders excitedly. "I knew you could do it!"

Iris uses her arms to keep herself steady once Sasha releases her. She returns the smile, "Thanks, Sasha. But, hey, you also graduated top twelve! Tenth place is great, you should be proud of yourself, too."

Sasha nods, grinning, "I am! Well, unlike some people."

"What do you mean?" Iris asks.

To that, she rolls her eyes, "Jean got placed below Eren and has been sulking about it all morning. I mean, look at him!"

Iris does as she says and turns her head around. Her gaze falls on him.

Jean was sitting on a table with Connie and Marco, but wasn't engaging in their conversation. His chin was resting on his hand and his eyes in nothing particular, spacing out in his thoughts. He takes Iris takes by surprise when he looks at her.

She suddenly feels like she couldn't breathe nor could she look away from his intense stare. Something about it was alluring her to stay like that, to get lost in them forever.

Jean tilts his head a little, and Iris, even at a far distance, could see the subtle smirk growing in his lips. That small gesture was her wake up call. Her mind telling her to get a grip.

She blinks a couple times, lowers her head, looks back at Jean, believing he had his eyes somewhere else, but they were still glued to her, then she turns around.

"Um," she clears her throat, "I'm gonna go outside for a bit. I'll be back for dinner, all right?"

Sasha frowns but nods, nonetheless, "All right, I'll let the others know. Don't be late, or I will eat your food, and I'm not joking!"

"Yes, ma'am," Iris laughs.

She waves Sasha goodbye and makes her way out of the dinning hall.

Most of the Cadets were gathered inside, celebrating that their hard efforts to make it through the Cadet Corps paid off.

Some were outside, chatting and laughing with their friends on the balconies. Some Iris could see walking around the campus. But they all had the same face, a smile full of happiness and pride.

Sighing, she tugs her beige sweater closer to her body, feeling a shiver run down her spine, as she walks to the barracks. She goes inside and heads to her bed, lifting up the mattress to grab the small box underneath.