{LeviHan} Love is an Experiment! [Modern AU]

{Six}

Levi and his friends gathered in the gym near the grade nine coordinator. The tour was about to begin. The grade sevens and eights had already left on their tour.

Levi saw Hange talking with some other girls and decided to go talk to her. A hand on his shoulder stopped him from going forward and he turned his head. 

Ben shook his head. "Unless you wanna ruin her reputation and social life, don't talk to her when she's around those girls," he said.

"Tryna hit on the pretty girls, eh?" Louis teased.

"They're childhood friends, dipshit," Ben said.

"Oh yeah. Which one?" Airro asked.

"Hange."

"Ain't no way!" Louis gasped. "Hange's like the hottest girl in the school! You guys were friends?!"

Levi nodded.

"Maybe she's the hottest in your eyes, but I've got my eyes set on a different person," Airro said.

"Who's that?" Levi asked.

"Aye, what's up boys!" cheered a girl, slinging her arm over Airro's shoulder.

His cheeks were tinted with red. Levi looked at Ben and Louis, who nodded.

The girl looked at Levi. "Yo, we got a new person in our group? Hell yeah!" She walked over and held her hand out. "I'm Maxie."

"Levi," Levi said, shaking her hand.

"So, you're new to this school, aye?"

"Yeah."

"Welcome aboard the trainwreck to hell!"

"Maxie, shut it!" Airro hissed. "Do you want the teachers to hear you? You'll get in trouble!"

"Ah, whatever. I'll accept whatever punishment they'll give, so long as it's not to hang out with those girls!"

Maxie motioned to the Perfects.

"Careful what you say about them," Ben said. "Levi's friends with one of them."

"How could you be friends with them?! They're so mean and rude and haughty!"

"Hange's not like that!" Levi snapped.

"Oh, you were friends with her... She's not too bad, I guess. Everything about her is fake. She's only like that to fit in."

"Whether or not her personality is fake, she's still insanely hot," Louis said, lipbiting.

"Don't bloody lipbite at Hange while Levi's here, you idiot!" Ben snapped, hitting him on the back of the head.

"Bitch, I bet he does it, too!"

"Ok, you two, that's enough," Airro said, pushing the two apart.

The woman with black hair called out. "The school tour for all grade nines is about to begin!" she shouted. "Let's go, people! I need you all to get into partners!"

"Well, y'all know I'm going with my buddy, Airro," Maxie said.

Ben called out to the grade nine coordinator. "Miss V, can we have groups of three?"

"No, Ben! Only two!"

Levi, Ben and Louis looked at each other.

"You two go together," Levi said. "I'll find someone else."

"Are you sure?" Ben asked.

Levi nodded. 

The teacher called out. "Does anyone not have a partner?"

Levi put his hand up.

"Ok, you, come over here!"

"Later guys," Levi said. He walked over to the grade coordinator.

"You're one of the new kids, right?" the teacher asked.

"Yes," Levi said. "I'm Levi."

"Right, I met you earlier, didn't I?" She smiled and placed a hand on her chest. "My name is Miss Thalia Venecia. Levi, you'll be with Hange."

"Hange?"

"Do you two know each other?"

Levi looked at Hange, waiting for her to answer, not wanting to mess up her relationship with her friends. Hange quickly picked up the signals.

"W-we met this morning," Hange said quickly.

"Ah, I see. Well, I guess we'll get started with the tour then."

Thalia called to the rest of the students. "Alright, guys! Let's go! Stick with your partner, ok? Do not separate, no matter what!"

Thalia began to lead the grade nines out of the gym. Levi and Hange walked awkwardly next to each other in silence, listening as Thalia led the tour. 

"So," Levi began. "I would... like to apologise for earlier. I should've been more considerate and all that, so... yeah. Sorry."

"It's been eight years, Levi," Hange said, looking ahead. "It's completely normal. I think I should apologise. I totally overreacted back there. I was just kinda scared—as I told you before—that my friends would start teasing me and stuff."

"Why are you so concerned about them?"

"Well— they're my friends, of course, haha! Why wouldn't I be concerned about the way they treat me? Look, Levi, I finally have some cool friends. They're popular, pretty, and really cool. I would like it if you didn't judge how I act around them."

"Real friends wouldn't force you to fake your personality."

"Who says I'm faking? You think I'm fake, Levi?"

"What? No— I mean, I—"

"I thought you were better than this," Hange huffed, looking away.

"Hange, I... I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that."

"Oh, whatever. Keep running that stupid trap of yours. The only thing I hear is garbage. Unfortunately, I'm your partner, so I can't leave your side."

Levi looked away. He could feel his heart hurting. It felt like the delicate structure was made of glass, and Hange's harsh words had shattered it. He never realised how much something could really hurt. The Hange he used to know would never say something so hurtful.

They spent the rest of the tour in silence. They soon came back to the gym. Hange was about to say something when she saw Levi's face.

"Oh, Levi... I—"

"It's fine, Hange. I understand. Things change over the years. Relationships break. I don't want to ruin your perfect life." Along with the pain, there was slight resentment in his tone. How could she say such a thing?

Levi walked away to find his other friends. Hange was about to call out for him when she felt her friends drilling holes into the back of her head. She walked over to them.

"Who was that?" one of them demanded.

"Just... a guy. Nobody special."

"Right... Well, we're gonna go find those jockey boys and hang out with them for a bit. Coming?"

Hange remained silent for a few moments before answering, "Alright."