Shinzou wo Sasageyo Ayanokouji

𝕮23: 𝕽𝕰𝕯

C23: RED

Ayanokouji's POV

The day dawned once again on me as the anxious bodies around me had disappeared and the thing left in front of me was the same house I was previously confined to under tight surveillance. This time though, it seemed that Levi kept his part of the deal as there didn't seem to be any hawks keeping a close eye on me. I looked for my clothes as my bare body was on full display. I grabbed a vest and started changing as someone barged in without thinking. It was none other than bread girl, Sasha. I kept minding my own business as she took a moment to reconsider the position she was in, as her eyes teared off me and slammed the door shut. I could feel the hinges of the door loosen as it creaked loudly enough for the entire house to wake up. I sighed and looked for my coat. Unable to find it I went downstairs adorning a thin vest on this chilly morning.

I gave up on the search and decided to ask about the gathering at the table happened as everyone woke up from the loud noise. With eye bags encircling their faces, a collective sigh could be heard as they looked in my direction. I ignored the mix of passive aggressiveness and pity and I asked Historia, "Did you see my coat?"

"Ahh, Kiyotaka I think Captain Hanji had it, the last time I saw it. But...." She stumbled over her words as sweat dripped down her face. Those eyes went quiet and the air stifled. Sasha in her usual joyful self but with a tinge of embarrassment offered, "Want one of the famous loaves?" I looked at the stone hard loaf as I watched her chow it down.

I walked to the room Hanji was assigned to, more specifically the closest room to the titan area. I saw my red coat in a torn and raggedy state. It seemed Hanji didn't expect my sudden arrival as she took a few steps back shoving the coat behind her back as she joked, "Wow wear some clothes kiddo. Wanting a flock of girls to chase you, as titans do?"

I didn't say anything as I walked up to her and stated, "Can I have my coat back?" Not awaiting a response I pulled it off the back of her. I saw the red coat was not caked in blood, not of titans obviously...not mine either... but of many of my comrades. Some of them graduated with me, while the rest lost their lives trying to protect this place. I sighed, as my previous memorial was now also the memorial of the recent massacre, quite a strange way to intertwine worlds isn't it?

Not just that, there were many rips and tears in it and felt beyond repair. I sighed, as saw the worried eyes of quite a few of my comrades as they murmured among themselves. Eren, without any sort of filter, tried to help, "Hey Kiyotaka, why do you have such an old jacket? We can get you a new and cooler one from the embroidery. Right guys?" Armin seemed to have caught on, "Hey Eren, not the right time. Kiyotaka wore that from the first day we met him. While the rest of us wore regular uniforms. He somehow was allowed to wear this by the higher corporation. Not just that, no matter how inefficient this jacket was, he never once let it be removed from his sight. So, I don't think...the embroidery can sew memories together.....can they Kiyotaka?" My listless eyes stared at him as I felt a bit of nostalgia...for a split second...I tried remembering the details...

'҉C҉a҉n҉ ҉I҉ ҉b҉e҉ ҉t҉h҉e҉ ҉o҉n҉e҉ ҉y҉o҉u҉ ҉c҉o҉u҉l҉d҉ ҉t҉u҉r҉n҉ ҉b҉a҉c҉k҉ ҉t҉o҉?҉'҉

A quote from a blonde-haired girl that I remember vividly strung suddenly in my mind as the familiar pain started coursing through my head. I didn't show any outward response to it as I said, "Memories...hurt...don't they Armin." The room was radio silent as I watched Mikasa clutch her scarf tightly as she said, "Not always, they can hurt but...they give me the strength to keep...protecting." She gave a glance at Eren as she said that.