Perennial Rose | {Levi x OC} | Shingeki no Kyojin |

Chapter 48: Candlelight

Within Wall Rose, Survey Corps Headquarters

As we near the conference room in which today's meeting will be held, I suck in my stomach, take a swift step over the threshold, and release a hefty sigh.

The central table is large, rectangular, and fairly long. Several chairs are positioned around it on all sides, ensuring that all members have a proper view of the people who will gather here eventually.

One can obviously identify that the chair with the highest head is the one in which Erwin will be seated. It stands proudly among the line of seats that stretches along the side of the table.

The team leaders have already settled down and are conversing casually with one another. Squad Leader Hanji and Mike sit together at the very end.

Hanji's high ponytail and bangs have an appreciable amount of knots in them, giving her hair the odd ability to float about her face. Mike---as always---has his eyes covered by a curtain of ashy blond hair. Perhaps to hide his drowsy eyes.

When she catches sight of me, she immediately waves her arm exaggeratingly. Mike's body twitches in response to the unanticipated boom in her voice. "Leviiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii~ Renataaaaaaaaa~ Over here~" she beckons to us desperately.

I smile and slowly wave back.

Once she receives my lesser rambunctious gesture, her flailing arms relax and return to her side.

"I see that you've returned to being your cheerful self, Hanji," I remark as I draw closer to her. "I understand that you've been preoccupied with some of your studies lately."

"Oh yeah," she laughs as she starts to balance her chair on its rear legs, "After reviewing some of my past experiments, I discovered something that I hadn't noticed at the time."

I carefully watch her swaying chair in fear of it tipping over.

She gently knocks on her head with her knuckles and adds, "Silly me!"

To my relief, she brings the front of her chair back down to the leveled floor and explains, "So yeah...I've been putting all my energy and focus on that."

I place my hands on the head of the second chair to her left, leaving the seat between us empty. "I would love to hear about it sometime. Maybe we could-"

Levi grabs the chair that I had chosen-the one that I technically already had my claim on- and gloomily takes his seat.

I stare at him for a while, puzzled at his intention for doing so, then decide to sit in the chair right next to Hanji.

She brings her one leg over the other and pats my back. With force.

"Hey, I'm sorry if I've been a bit cold to you, Renata," she says, "I sometimes tend to give people the cold shoulder when I'm extremely busy." She shrugs her shoulders. "Either that or I just wreak havoc on everyone I see."

"You also reek of horse shit when you're busy," Levi adds without hesitation.

As per usual, we ignore his impulsive commentary regarding her hygienic habits.

"You don't need to apologize," I start, "I shouldn't have bothered you with my project anyways."

She shakes her head. "No, no, no. I welcome challenges as they come. And yours was a formidable one indeed."

As Hanji ends our conversation to tell Mike something that had come to mind at the spur of the moment, I notice more officials filing into the room.

Erwin subsequently makes an entrance and closes the door behind him. He scans the room for any absentees and makes his way to his side of the table. His perfectly groomed hair is as lustrous as it always is.