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

{Twelve}

Hange walked nervously into the cafeteria. She saw the Perfects together, gossiping and looking quite upset. She had to walk past them to get to the other side of the cafeteria.

Oh boy, here we go.

As Hange walked past their table, Eve called her name. Hange stopped and looked at them.

"How could you betray us like that? We made you and you're just gonna chuck all our effort away? You know what will happen when you leave. You'll be left in the dust. No one will like you. We've tried to help you as much as we can, but we can't if you're not with us. Come back, Hange. Or else you're gonna end up living the rest of your life in hell, all alone."

Don't listen to them, Hange. You've always been capable of looking after yourself. Why would you start relying on other people now?

Levi's words flashed in her mind.

"That's not true... You're not alone... because you have me."

Hange took a deep breath and shook her head.

"I don't need you. You need me. And I'm done being manipulated by you! A friend of mine helped me see that."

Lea smiled.

He did it, she thought.

Hange walked off, leaving a surprised group of girls behind. She walked over to the table Levi and his friends were sitting at. The group turned to look at her as she stood there nervously.

"Do you mind if I sit with you guys?" she asked quietly.

"You don't want to sit with your friends, Hange?" Maxie asked.

Hange looked at them, eyes sparkling with determination.

"They're not my friends. The Perfects are a bunch of toxic bitches and I will no longer let them manipulate me. So... you know, if it's not too much trouble..."

Levi stood up so Hange could sit down between him and Louis. Hange beamed at him and sat down, Levi sitting down next to her.

"Welcome, Hange," Ben said.

Hange smiled and looked around the group, who started talking to each other again.

"Are you ok, Louis?" Hange asked, noticing Louis' bright red face.

"Louis, don't you have a girlfriend?" Ben said.

"Well, yeah, but- argh!"

Ben smiled and shook his head.

"Dumbass."

As Hange conversed with Levi and his friends, she felt more at home. They had shown her more love in these past fifteen minutes than the Perfects had for five years, even though she had rejected their friendship when she was younger. Their kindness... it felt real.

Maybe... Maybe I could be friends with these guys...

"Hey, did y'all wanna go to the library for a bit?" Airro asked. "I have a book I need to return before I forget."

"Yeah, sure," Ben said.

Hange watched as the others stood up and started to walk away. Maxie turned and looked at her.

"Well? Are you coming?"

"Oh? Really? But I-"

"Any friend of Levi is a friend of ours," Ben said. "Even if you were a bit mean to us in the past."

"Mm, yeah, sorry about that," Hange said, twisting her hair with her finger.

"Don't worry about it," Louis said. "It's all been forgotten."