Chapter Text
The crowd was cheering as the head captain of the football team dribbled the ball, dodging every opponent and scoring the basket. People around the arena roared in excitement as Team Eldians made a headway scoring the goal surpassing team Marley. A loud whistle was released that reverberated throughout the entire arena declaring the end of the match as Team Eldians bagged the crowning victory.
Levi.. Levi...Levi…
Sweat glistened on his face, beads of it rolling down, highlighting his lean ripped body under his jersey. His raven hair plastered to his face and his sharp steel grey orbs emotionally void, not even a trace of pride.
He was huddled, as his team lauded him for the victory, tapping his back and hailing his name while launching him in the air. He was a hotshot in the basketball game with every player looking up to him while his rivals envied his skill.
But he was eye candy amongst the girls with every woman gawking at him and trying to gain his attention. Cat fights were not far from a rare occurrence as all the belles of the college fought over Levi being their partner. He was always swamped with love letters and souvenirs or extreme, with inviting gestures, be it stroking his legs, arms or his face. The suggestive gestures sometimes would become too intense as once Levi 09was left nauseated as one woman came up to him thrusting her breasts forward, deliberately showing off her haunches. But he gave a damn, not even batting an eye.
Near the arena, the cheerleaders were going frenzy, as most of them were calling out his name while shrieking with laughter and giggles. Hearing the commotion he threw a glance at them that followed the crowd going berserk with flushed faces, loud squeals and giggles. He earned a handful of winks
Back in the dressing room, the excitement ballooned up as everyone was singing praises for the head caption glorious victory. The whispering came to an abrupt halt as Petra, the head captain of the cheerleader team entered the green room, her eyes glistening with arrogance and vanity.
‘’Common girls, stop slacking, we need to put on our perfect moves. Levi has led the team towards a big win and I won’t take any lagging from you all.’’ Her authoritative tone gained enraged looks from everyone but she ignored it.
Can’t lose this chance to impress Levi.
A blonde girl came forward and in a spiteful tone she remarked, ‘’Just say it, You are just trying to impress Levi so you can date him.’’
Throwing her a glare, Petra retaliated, ‘’So what if I am. I know Levi likes me and anytime he will be proposing to me going down on his knees. I have seen him eyeing me and anytime I will be in his arms. After the match, he will be asking me out.’’
‘’Wait and Watch,’’ she smirked with a tinge of haughtiness.
In the corner, a brunette stood with a disheveled appearance, glasses perched crookedly on her face as she meekly glanced at the scene unfolding in front of her. She was a third-year science faculty-student, pursuing her career in the field of medicine.
Overhearing Petra’s declaration, Hanji felt a pang in her chest that twisted her into knots. She always considered Levi as her best friend, a person whom she can rely on and be herself without the fear of being judged. She knew she was a bit eccentric, her loud nature throwing people over the edge but she always tried her best to make friends. She only had a handful of friends, scratch that, she had only two people whom she could rely on, Nanaba and Moblit. Erwin was her classmate, being always kind to her and aiding her in all the extracurricular activities. He had encouraged her to volunteer as a medical attendant in the inter-college basketball tournament as she was pursuing medicine, specializing in BPT (Bachelor of Physiotherapy).
‘Hanji’, one of the cheerleaders, cried out gaining her attention, ‘’What are you doing here amongst the beauties?'’ She passed a snarky comment, ‘’You don't seem fine enough to blend in this crowd. Why you here, Did you ran out of your idiotic experiments or your poor roommate Nanaba turned her back on you’’, she laughed.
Or are you thinking that you have a chance with Levi ? another blonde butted in.
She smirked, ‘’Only because he talks to you out of pity or rather tolerates your monologuing, you have misconstrued that he likes your company or considers you as a friend.”
‘’Are you so naive that you think you have a shot with him or least become his friend? Ahh, you claim to be so smart so why don't you get the hang of it that Levi, the college hunk will ever consider a nerd like you’’.
Mocking her, they dissolved into laughter, the other cheerleader remarking, ‘’Guess common sense is not common’’, leaving Hanji to dwell in her gut-wrenching thoughts.
Discarding all the negative thoughts plaguing her mind, their snarky comments that pierced her heart like million tiny needles, she maneuvered her way towards men’s greenroom to wish Levi for his big win. She knew they were bullshitting and gained immense happiness while playing with her emotions, she knew Levi considered her as a good friend, as she regarded him as a confidant, her alter ego, a person who was so dear to her that she refused to voice out her emotions. She loved him & wanted to wish him his success.
They had met last year, their encounter was remarkable just like her eccentric character. She was running late on that fateful day as she had to submit her name under the medic volunteers section in the basketball team. The department of campus recreation services was on the third floor and Hanji was heaving and panting to make it on time. As she dashed towards the office, she spotted a raven-haired man sitting with a stoic face with documents in hand. Thanks to her hyper-excited brain, she strolled towards him and handed her documents, oblivious to the fact that he was the department of sports fraternities, a notable basketball player. Babbling her way, she mentioned a string of apologies for being late and appealed to consider her application, not allowing him to mouth any word, leaving Levi baffled.
Later that day, she was dumbstruck, tongue-tied as she witnessed Levi heading the basketball team and scoring goal after goal with his agile, sexy moves. Sexy, where that word came from, she chuckled. His acrobatic and twinkle-toed moves, chiseled body and handsome features had entranced the audience, including a nerd like her. She had a weakness for his fiery bluish-grey orbs that penetrated the depths of her heart, stirring foreign emotions.
After realising her blunder, she felt the need to offer an apology for her foolishness. After the tiring game, she approached him in a pleasantly subdued manner and apologised to him for her misunderstanding. Firstly, he has tsked and then had given her a curt nod, implying that her apology was accepted. From that day onwards, their friendship kicked off though at a snail pace, she used to offer him help regarding some notes, would blabber excessively about her studies, her enthusiasm for science, especially the anatomy of the human body. She knew she was chewing his ears off but he had never complained and always would lend his ear to her nonsense. Her love for him grew steadily.
She crossed the arena and headed towards the green room, walking down the aisle, indistinct mutterings growing louder as she came within the earshot, blurred noises forming into worded expressions.
''Tch, I am not interested in her. It's really tiresome to keep up with her antics''.
She heard Levi mouthing these words and was curious to eavesdrop to learn whom he was referring to. Part of her was very scared, fear mounting as she felt her heart throbbing.
''I am fed up enduring her odd behaviour, her oh-so-smart conduct''.
Her russet eyes brimming with glaze, a tear trickled down her cheeks as she was unable to comprehend Levi vocalizing such cruel words for her. Those girls were right, every bit of their heartless words were actually speaking the truth. She laughed at her foolishness, her belief that Levi truly considered her as a friend, her ignorance that she had entertained the idea of romancing Levi. She felt low, inferior, cheated as if she didn't belong here.
She heard faint mutterings from one of his teammates that she couldn't make out. However, she clearly heard Levi’s remark that left her shattered, dejected, heavy-hearted and inconsolable.
''I cannot stand her, She reeks, she is excessively greasy and her unduly sweet behaviour smothers me. There is a vast difference between me being considerate out of chivalry and me loving her''.
Tears streaming uncontrollably, her snotty face bespoke her shattered feelings for Levi. Taking huge gulps to control her emotions, she drifted back to those moments wherein Levi had time and again mentioned her to maintain basic cleanliness and chastised her for not bathing regularly. At that time, she used to fawn over him for his concern towards her. She had thoroughly misread it.
Suppressing her emotions, she wiped her face and decided to say one last goodbye to Levi, wish him success for his future endeavours and will leave, never to bother him again. However, today was meant to be the worst day.
As she stepped inside to congratulate him, keeping a smiley face, she noticed he had by then turned his back on her and hurriedly hid behind the screen, gesturing to his teammates to tell the unwanted guest that he was not here.
Swallowing the huge lump and controlling her tears that threatened to fall, she backed off. However, maybe the oh so divine power refused to showcase any mercy as she witnessed another horrific scene.
Olou, one of Levi's teammates barged in, hollering and whopping. He walked towards Levi, tapping his shoulders and mouthed those traumatizing words.
‘’Caption, it's your big day. So happy you are going on a date with Petra’’.
That was the last straw. She felt miserable as if someone had rubbed salt on her open wounds.