A Promise (An Attack on Titan Fanfic: Erwin Smith)

Caught

In the next week and a half, Isanna finally found herself out of the confines of the clinic, once again relishing in the fact that she can finally stand on her own two feet after nearly a month of constraint. 

In the following weeks, their training regimes had become more rigorous, their head instructor often holding simulation exams spanning into several days which she had informed them would be used as basis for their final marks for graduation.

Isanna released a quick grunt as she whizzed through the back of a fake titan cardboard, slicing its makeshift nape along the way with breakneck speed. Pulling her weight forward, she made a flip whilst in the air before shooting out a hook towards the nearest branch, her body snapping forward. Landing on the branch, she straightened herself and examined the cut she had made.

"Impressive as always, Herrmann," instructor Koch praised on a nearby branch as she surveyed the fake titan whose head was now hanging. "that's your ninth cut in 5 minutes alone, at this rate you won't become titan chow and actually get to live longer." She looked at Isanna with rapt. "You're joining the Scouts, aren't you?" 

"Yes ma'am."

"Have any reason why?"

Isanna was mildly taken aback at the query but answered nevertheless after thinking it through, ".. To protect someone, ma'am."

A lone brow on Gricelda's face lifted at her rather peculiar answer. "Are you referring to Smith?"

For a split moment, Isanna was surprised at how she managed to guessed it and couldn't help a light blush dusting her cheeks. She figured denying it wouldn't get her anywhere. ".. Yes, ma'am."

The instructor hummed at her answer. The reason why she herself was closely supervising Isanna this morning was because the cadet had to catch up to the missed tests during her resting period, although Gricelda soon realized there was no need to be so worried since Isanna's skills hadn't become rusty at all despite her long rest.

"That should be enough for today. Go join your friends."

Isanna gave her instructor a formal salute before whipping down the tree line with her 3DM gear. 

::

"Can you believe we're graduating in less than two months?" Adalaide grinned as she took a bite from her sandwich. Together with Chiara and Isanna, the three friends had decided to spend their break inside the mess hall, with a few of their batchmates filling in the other tables.

Chiara nodded with a drink on her grasp, her other arm laying on the wooden surface. "Yeah. Time flies by fast."

Adalaide hummed in agreement. "And Isa and that eyebrows still haven't gotten together."

Isanna choked on her water, hacking up in a cough at her sudden statement. She balled a fist and thumped her chest, and when the coughing finally subsided, shot a frown at the redhead. "Did you forget already?" She hissed through gritted teeth, warily looking around their table in case of eavesdroppers. "Erwin already likes someone, so drop it."

"So what if he likes someone else?" Adalaide argued back. "It doesn't mean you can't sweep him off his feet. GOD! He makes me frustrated - why is he looking for someone else when you're already sticking to him like a leech?!"

"Ada!" Isanna slapped a hand over her friend's mouth, frantic because of her loud volume. God forbid the girl was going to let the whole world know of her little crush on her best friend. She wasn't going to have any of it and drown in embarrassment and rejection should such news reach Erwin's ears. 

"I kind of agree with Ada," Chiara added. "for the smartest cadet in our batch, he sure is dense when it comes to reading your feelings."

Sputtering with a blush, Isanna threw an exasperated look at the brunette. "Would you guys just calm down? You guys aren't the one who's a heart broken single, I am! And frankly, I already told you that he has no time for that." Erwin was too busy with his personal goals to even care about things like feelings, and Isanna had zero plans on interfering with it.