A Blooming Love Story (Erehisu)

Chapter 22.5- A Deal Sealed With a Kiss

Connie: "Thank fucking god the winter break is over! It feels like I was gone from university for almost a year!"

Jean: "Why are you so eager to come back to school? Vacation was too boring for you?"

Connie: "I love my family. Trust me, I do but man, I need some space from them! My mom was breathing down my neck the whole time!"

Bertholdt: "I think I can understand that. I was stuck with my family on a cruise ship. There's only so many ways you can find a way to get away from them."

Jean: "I wish my break lasted longer."

Connie: "Why? Is it because you are avoiding Mikasa?"

Jean: "No, I'm not! I just know that when we see each other, we're gonna have to talk and you know.....break up."

A sob breaks out and Jean jumps. He looks towards Bertholdt.

Bertholdt: "I'-I'm sorry. It's-you know Annie and I.....I-" He covers his face.

Marco quickly consoles Bertholdt. "It's okay, it happens to the best of us."

Bertholdt: "But I still love Annie!"

Marco: "I know, I know."

Jean glances at Connie who mirrors his expression.

Connie mutters. "I think it's Bertholdt's parents who really wanted to run away from him. Ouch! Marco! What was that for?"

Jean: "Read a room, jackass."

Connie: "My bad."

Marco: "So is that it? You two decided that would be best, Jean?"

Jean: "I don't know! Shit, we're at a dead end."

Marco: "Maybe you guys can work it out together? You shouldn't avoid her."

Jean: "I'm not avoiding her. I want to work it out with her but I still feel like she's not being honest with me. We agreed to meet later to exchange late Christmas gifts."

Connie: "Aww, how sweet."

Jean throws Connie a middle finger. "I gotta go."

Marco: "You can-"

Jean: "Sorry, I told Armin that.....we'll hang out."

Connie: "That's a lie!"

Bertholdt: "It's okay, Jean. No one wants to hang out with me."

Connie groans, Marco keeps reassuring Bertholdt, and Jean walks away.

Jean bites his cheek in a nervous fashion. He's worried that he'll end up like Bertholdt but then again, he hasn't known and loved Mikasa for as long and deeply as Bertholdt did with Annie. Still, Jean knows prolonging the inevitable is pointless.

Jean's anxiety only escalated when he met with Mikasa at a nearby cafe outside of their university the next day.

Mikasa: "Hi."

Jean: "Hey." He gives her a present. "Merry belated Christmas."

Mikasa takes it. "Thank you." She gives him a present. "Merry belated Christmas to you too."

Jean takes the gift. "Thank you. You should open your gift first."

Mikasa nods her head. She opens and reveals her gift was a journal and a book. "Jean."

Jean: "You said you wanted to try journaling so I thought you should try it and you like reading. I heard that the readers who enjoy Kirkland's work love this book. I thought you would like it."