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“I think we’re gonna be dead,” Eren whispers in the dark.
“Shut up, you’re gonna wake him up,” Mikasa hisses and adds hastily, “Don’t tell me it’s not worth it.”
Eren nods, he knows she is right.
They both carefully apply ODM polish cream on the head of sleeping Shadis. It’s hard to suppress giggles when they think of tomorrow’s show, but they manage.
And goodness, it’s totally worth it. The next day Shadis yells at everyone as usual but soon he realizes something is off. None of the cadets can look him in the eyes, they squint and it seems they are trying not to laugh.
It takes several hours for him to realize his bald head reflects sunlight like ODM blade.
Cadets are punished by digging holes under the scorching sun until they reveal the culprit. No one even thinks of ratting Armin and his friends out, so Shadis has to give up.
Yes, the mastermind behind this was Armin.
Armin was often bullied when he was a kid. He was too pretty for a boy, small-framed and with a girly haircut. That alone pushed every bully’s button. But there was more to it.
Armin enjoyed playing pranks and would pull them on anyone within his reach. The difference between getting into trouble for looking weak and for pulling pranks was that in the latter scenario, Armin would really run for his life.