For the One I Love || Hanji x Female Reader

Chapter One: The Buddy System

It wasn't easy training with two of the fittest cadets I know. Absolutely not.

I've been trying to cope with Mikasa and Eren running through Trost District for quite some time now, with Armin breathing heavily beside me as well. Physical shape is important, they said. But it is definitely not fun.

"[Y/N], are you still doing alright?" Armin asked, momentarily stopping on his tracks to check on me.

"No, I'm not doing well, and I can't feel my legs," I answered with a wry smile on my face as I leaned back against a wall.

People have been walking past us, minding their own business, but of course, even they turned to glance or stare at me. After all, it is unusual to see a cadet slumped on the ground.

"There's no helping it, those two have always been physically active since day one," he said, offering a drink from his satchel.

I quickly thanked him as I took it.

"Why are we here again? In Trost, I mean," I asked as I handed him back his almost empty water container.

"Because some of us are going to be under new commanders. With the loss that they suffered from the recent expedition with the Female titan, Captain Levi said that regrouping was necessary," Armin replied as we resumed running once more.

I focused on running, thinking about how I was only a new recruit, so I haven't been outside the walls - not even once. During my training, I've experienced a lot of things - I've been yelled at, playfully teased, gotten injured several times, the likes of those things. I've been taught how to maneuver in my 3DM gear, and had the same inability to balance as Eren when he first started, apparently. There was even a rumor that Captain Levi had given up on me.

But being the determined idiot that I am, I constantly trained every night so that I wouldn't be a burden to anyone else during expeditions. Some of the cadets helped me practice - Mikasa helped me master the 3DM gear, Armin helped me with strategies and gave me tips I could use during the actual experience, Eren motivated me whenever I thought of giving up, and then there was Commander Hanji. I've always been watching them from afar. I'll never forget my first day, when I stood in front of Captain Levi, practically begging him to let me join the ranks as I've only recently lost everyone that I loved. He had stared at me for quite a long time with his cold eyes, until Squad Leader Hanji said "Why not, Levi? We definitely need the help, and she seems like someone who could brighten things up around here!"

Until now, I still didn't know what Squad Leader Hanji meant by 'someone who could brighten things up around here.'

"[Y/N]?" Eren waved a hand in front of my face.

"Eren? Oh, we're already here?" I asked, taking in the fact that we have, indeed, arrived at the headquarters. I hadn't noticed at all. It was one of my infamous weaknesses - getting easily distracted. Captain Levi once mentioned that it was a weakness that could get me killed.

It had killed my parents, not long ago.

"Sorry, I didn't notice," I cheekily said as Mikasa merely shook her head with a small smile on her face.

"Thinking of a certain someone?" she teased, and I blushed almost immediately. I had absolutely no idea about how Mikasa knew. I never told anyone, and I haven't even talked to Squad Leader Hanji apart from my first day. It was only a crush, after all. And as everyone knows, loving someone in a cruel world such as ours would never work out.

"What's the noise all about?" a stern voice called out.

Everyone immediately shut up and did a salute as Captain Levi, Commander Erwin, and Squad Leader Hanji walked inside the room and stopped in front of us.