Retrieving Footsteps [Levi x Reader]

Web of Lies

N/A enjoy this very lengthy chapter my beautiful darlings, and highly recommend to listen to "let me down slowly - Alec Benjamin" while reading

I don't know what to think anymore. Am I really just insecure about Hana's beauty? Am I just imagining things, or is there more to what I'm sensing? I bit my lower lip, bracing myself for the answer. I don't want to believe this—I don't want to jump to conclusions yet. Today was supposed to be a day I'd feel happy and proud, knowing I succeeded in getting Levi interested in my project.

I smiled softly to myself, gazing at the folder in my hands titled "The Crystal Project." I'm just happy that I've come this far, that someone like Levi sees the potential in my ideas. But even with this small victory, a strange unease still lingers. Maybe it's the pressure to live up to his expectations, or maybe it's just my own doubts creeping in.

Taking a deep breath, I push those thoughts aside. This project is my vision, my hard work, and I owe it to myself to see it through.

I opened the folder, thumbing through the carefully organized pages. Each diagram, note, and sketch represented months of late nights and endless revisions. "The Crystal Project" was more than just an assignment—it was my chance to prove myself. I had poured everything into it, hoping that someday it might change lives or, at the very least, show everyone what I was capable of.

Before I could continue working, I heard soft laughter from down the hall. Curious, I stood up and left my office, following the sound until I reached the lounge area. There, I saw a group of my peers smiling and chatting, and at the center of it all sat Hana, her face lit up with an effortless grace that seemed to draw everyone in.

She looked up, catching my gaze for just a moment, her eyes sparkling with an ease that contrasted with the tension I'd been feeling all day. My heart sank a little. She was captivating, and seeing her surrounded by so much warmth made me wonder—was I truly just imagining the gap between us? Or was it something more?

Shaking off that thought, I turned and headed back to my office, when suddenly I heard my name being called. I turned to see Hana running toward me, a worried expression on her face.

"(Y/n), are you okay? You seemed down. Did something happen? You know you can tell me anything."

Hearing her voice reminded me of how she'd been by my side through thick and thin these past years. I'd told her everything; she was more than a friend—she was like a sister. I didn't want to ruin our friendship over something that might be a misunderstanding.

I smiled softly at her. "I'm okay, I just have a lot to think about," I replied, hoping to reassure her.

She studied my face for a moment, her expression softening as if she could sense the weight I'd been carrying. "Well, you don't have to carry it alone," she said, giving my shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Whatever it is, I'm here."