Academy of the Artists

Side Story 2

Recently, I've noticed a pest. It seems to show up out of nowhere, and I don't know how to get rid of it without taking extreme measures. Should I set a trap? Light the building on fire? Light it on fire? Every single time I'm about to make a move on Marco, it shows up to ruin my day. I don't know what I've done wrong to have this pest test my patience like this, but I'm about to snap. 

"Eren Jaeger, if you say something stupid again, I'm going to hit you." I said with my teeth gritted, just loud enough for him to hear. Marco wasn't far away, but he was busy talking with the others. Eren gave me a look that made me all the more irritable. 

"Hey guys, I'm going to get my toenail pierced this weekend, anyone wanna come?" he asked loudly, making everyone look at him strangely. Had we been in a manga, the red anger symbols would have covered my whole body. "You know what, my teeth kinda itch. Anyone have some hemorrhoid cream?" Don't react, he's just being a nuisance. "Can vegetarians eat animal crackers?" 

"Alright, that's it. I'm going to knock the stupid right out of you." I said before I engaged in a brawl with that fucker. It went on for a while before we finally gave it up. I then realized that I made a huge mistake. Marco is right there! He surely seen me acting so not cool, and it's all because of this pest named Eren Jaeger. 

"Um, should we head out now? I don't want to interrupt you guys, but we don't have long until the movie starts." Marco said, his face screaming that he was uncomfortable and unimpressed. I felt strangely dejected because of that, and I no longer felt like going to a movie. 

"You know what, I just remembered that I was supposed to do some workouts with the boys tonight. I'll have to pass tonight; you can call someone else up for my ticket. See you guys later!" I said before turning and walking away. I waited until I was far away enough so that they couldn't see me before I stopped and leaned against the wall and sighed loudly. "You're an idiot, Jean Kirstein." I mumbled to myself. Oh well, I guess I can take this opportunity to get in some extra reps. 

From then on, I made the excuse that I had workouts every time anyone made a comment about doing something. It wasn't like I wanted to not go, I'd never pass up the chance to hang out with Marco, but I couldn't risk looking like an ass in front of Marco. He was just so cute and nice that I wanted to be a good person in his eyes too. I think I wound up in the gym nearly every night because some people were busybodies and just had to do everything under the sun whenever they were bored. 

"Jean!" I jumped at my name, since I was in my own world while I was lifting weights. 

"Yes sir?" I asked as my coach came over to me. He stared at me intently, like he was looking in my soul. I set the weights down and waited for him to speak. 

"You've been in this gym almost every morning and night, like all you do is go to school, work out, and sleep. I commend your dedication, but our bodies need rest too! So, for the next week, you are banned from coming in here! No exceptions! Get out!" His voice was always loud, whether he wanted it to be or not. I sighed dejectedly before grabbing my bag and leaving. It's no big deal, I can just hang out in the room while they're gone. I can just tell Marco I got done early. Maybe bust a nut or something, it's been a while after all. I opened the door to our room and nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw Marco sitting on his bed staring at the floor. 

"Fuck, what are you doing here?! I thought you guys were doing some kind of arcade thing?" I asked as I sat my stuff down and began to change clothes. 

"I decided not to go tonight. I wasn't really feeling well." He said quietly. I glanced back at him for a moment before continuing. "I haven't seen you around much. Are you doing alright?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. Just been working out with the guys." I said with a nervous laugh. God, he's so fucken adorable. 

"Really? I asked some of the other athletes and they said that you guys only do workouts in the mornings and have practice in the afternoon. They don't have evening workouts like you, so you must be working hard." he said, and I gulped. "Or are you perhaps, avoiding me?" he asked, his eyes looking everywhere but me. I scratched the back of my head and sat down on my bed across from him. 

"I'm not avoiding you. I just don't get along with Eren all that much, so I've been keeping my distance for a while. He drives me insane haha." I said. He looked at me as if he were reading my every move.

"But the rest of the group said that it was normal for you guys to argue like that, and that you were typically a standoffish guy in general. It seems that you act like yourself with everyone but me, Jean." I stared at him in shock for a moment before I finally sighed really loudly. 

"To be honest, I think you're really cute, and I really like you." I said quickly, blushing like a mad man. This was the first time in my life I had ever told anyone, let alone another man, that I liked them. Ah, my hearts about to beat out of my chest. It was a long period of silence, to me anyway, before I heard a light chuckle from him, making my head snap up. 

"I know. I'm glad you finally told me. But I like you much better as you are. You don't need to change how you act for me." He said with a cute smile, a small blush appearing on his face under his freckles. He's so fucken cute.

"Wait, d-do you.... l-like me?" I asked, making him giggle again.

"I don't-"

"HEY GUYS GUESS WHAT!" Eren burst through our door with Armin right behind him with a petrified (lol) look on his face. "Sasha got into a fight with some other girl at the arcade because she got the last bag of chips-"

"Eren, run." 

"What? Why?" 

"Because, if I catch you, you're dead." I said through gritted teeth. I didn't even have a shirt on, but I still chased that little shit without a care in a world. 

How dare you get in the way of my love story, you bastard?!?!?