As it Was | Hange x Reader

Chapter 22: Jeopardy

The day of regionals had arrived. (Y/N) was nervous. Incredibly nervous. This day was going to decide the rest of her life. Would she be able to go to Sina? Would she be able to get out of her household and escape her father? Would she be able to make him proud one last time? (Y/N) inhaled shakily. Her presentation was in ten minutes. She had to maintain her composure before presenting in front of the judges.

Hange was there too. She wasn't sure where they were exactly, but she had seen them that morning. She had wanted to reach out, to call to them. A month ago, she would have been able to. There would have been no reservations, nothing to stop her. Hange had been her other half. The hesitation that she had felt today was foreign. But it would all be fixed soon. She just had to get through this stupid competition, and then she'd have her future and best friend back. All she had to do now was focus on the presentation.

And that had passed by smoothly. She had stood in front of the judges and talked about her project confidently, encouraged by their positive reactions. She thought she had done well. She thought that she had a good, strong chance at winning. All that was left now was the awards ceremony. The part that decided it all.

(Y/N) walked into the huge auditorium. There were hundreds of people present, their loud conversations buzzing through the air. She felt so...alone. Choosing a seat felt so intimidating. There was no one she could sit next to, no one to feel comforted by. She missed Hange. (Y/N) felt her chest constrict, her breaths coming out faster. She had never been great with crowds.

As if her thoughts had been read, a warm hand slipped into her own. (Y/N) looked up surprised to see Hange standing by her side.

"Hey," they said softly.

"Hi," (Y/N) replied, unsure of how to approach this situation. Hange was her friend. Her closest friend. Why was she feeling so awkward?

"Want to go take a seat?" Hange offered. "The ceremony is about to start in a few minutes."

"Yes," (Y/N) swallowed. She squeezed Hange's hand, thankful for their presence. Despite the tense atmosphere between the two, Hange was still able to comfort her. They knew about her anxiousness related to crowds. They knew she must have been feeling panicky as she thought of the future. And despite their hurt and everything else, they had come to help her. To reassure her. To let her know that she was not alone.

The two walked towards the seats in the back, (Y/N)'s hand in Hange's the entire time. Some guy walked onto the stage—she assumed that he was the emcee—and began to talk about this year's regionals. (Y/N) struggled to pay attention. Her entire body thrummed with energy and she clasped Hange's hand harder. They knew how this was important to her.

Yet they still submitted their own name to participate.

She couldn't help the negative thoughts that swirled in her mind. She wanted to shut them up, to focus only on the present—where Hange was next to her. Where the winners would be announced soon.

"And now, for the moment you've all been waiting for, it is time to announce the winner of this year's regional science fair! This year, we almost had a tie between two amazingly crafted projects. Yet one was chosen for its complexity and usefulness. This year's winner is..."

(Y/N) held her breath. She felt Hange stiffen beside her. It was time.

Many years later, (Y/N) would still remember the feeling that coursed through her at that moment. The anticipation. The way she felt scared and terrified. The way she felt excited. Her comfort, the beginning of her hatred. Everything and nothing all at once. Time had felt suspended, everything had melted away.