Retrieving Footsteps [Levi x Reader]

Crossroad of Fate

I felt a rush of confusion and disbelief. "Five years? But how is that even possible?"

Hana looked at me, confused. "(Y/N), are you okay? You've been talking nonsense since you woke up. Maybe it was just a dream." She clapped her hands. "Well, enough drooling around," she smirked at me.

"I wasn't drooling, you idiot," I rolled my eyes, sitting up and looking around.

I was still in disbelief. Had I actually gone back in time? Either I really traveled back, or this was some sick joke between Hana and Seiji.

Hana's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "Hey, are you just going to stand there daydreaming? We're going to be late!" She grabbed my arms and gestured for me to follow.

I shook my head, trying to make sense of everything.

As we passed by some buildings. I caught a glimpse of myself in one of the reflections of the outside mirror and stopped dead in my tracks. My hair was (h/l), my face somehow younger. I stared, touching my reflection to make sure it was real.

"What's wrong with you?" Hana asked, giving me a puzzled look.

"Hana," I whispered, trying to keep my voice steady, "what year is it?"

She laughed. "You're seriously out of it today. It's 2019. Come on, did you hit your head or something?"

2019, Five years ago. This was real. I didn't know whether to feel excited, terrified, or both.

Hana rolled her eyes, tugging me forward. "Come on, you're going to miss everything if you keep zoning out like that."

As we walked to the company, I tried to act normal, but my mind was racing. If I really had a second chance, what would I change? What did I even want to change?

Seiji, Hana, and I had always been inseparable, but I knew that wasn't always true in the future. Somewhere along the way, things got complicated, and people drifted apart. Maybe... maybe I could stop that from happening. Maybe I could make things right this time.

Hana stopped in her tracks when she heard a loud slap. She turned and saw that I had slapped myself, a visible handprint on my right cheek. "(Y/N), why did you slap yourself?" She grabbed my face, examining the red mark.

I just stared at her in disgust. How dare she grab my face with those filthy hands of hers—those same hands she'd used to seduce my husband and lie to my face.

Forcing a smile, I firmly grasped her hands. "I'm fine, Hana. I just needed to clear my mind."

Hana blinked, clearly taken aback by my strange behavior, but she shrugged it off and let go of my face. "If you say so," she said with a playful roll of her eyes. "But try not to smack yourself again, okay? You're going to scare people."

I gave a small laugh, hoping it sounded genuine, and let her turn away. My mind was racing. The memories of what she'd done were fresh and sharp, as if the betrayal had just happened yesterday. And yet, here she was, completely unaware of the hurt she would eventually cause.

As we walked, Hana chatted away, oblivious to the tension building inside me. I couldn't believe I was back in a time when things still seemed so simple. Part of me wanted to confront her, to demand why she'd done it, but I forced myself to stay quiet. I had to play this carefully. If I was truly back here, I needed a plan.

At the company, we met up with Seiji, just like we used to every morning. Seeing him again sent a pang through my chest. I could hardly believe how much I'd missed him, even though I'd never admit it out loud. His smile was so warm, his laugh so genuine—it was hard to reconcile this Seiji with the man I remembered years later.

"Hey (y/n), you okay?" he asked, looking at me with mild concern. "You look a little off."

I smiled, swallowing back the emotions that were threatening to surface. "Yeah, just... rough night," I replied casually, hoping he'd drop it.

But he didn't. He watched me carefully, and I realized he probably knew me better than I wanted to admit. Hana was busy texting someone, oblivious to our exchange.

"You know you can talk to me if something's wrong," he said quietly, his eyes soft.

I hesitated. There was so much I wanted to tell him, so much I wanted to warn him about. But I simply nodded. "Thanks, Seiji. I appreciate it."

He smiled, giving my shoulder a gentle squeeze. I felt a rush of warmth and regret, knowing where our friendship and relationship would eventually lead. But maybe, just maybe, I could make different choices this time. And maybe—if I was lucky—I could change the ending.

I knew that I truly wanted a different ending for myself, but what path did I want to take? Should I just repeat the cycle and hope the outcome changes? Do I choose the same path but go in a different direction, or should I look for a completely new way? While I was lost in thought, I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings.

Suddenly, I felt myself bump into someone and heard a sharp "Oi!" I snapped back to reality and realized I had just bumped into Levi Ackerman.

I looked up, meeting a pair of piercing gray eyes that seemed to dissect every part of me in an instant. Levi's expression was, as always, unreadable but with a hint of irritation lurking beneath the surface.

"Watch where you're going," he muttered, his voice low and sharp, as if I'd just disrupted some carefully planned operation. He crossed his arms, sizing me up with a look that could make anyone feel two inches tall.

"Sorry," I managed, feeling a bit flustered under his gaze. His eyes narrowed slightly, but then he let out a small sigh, perhaps deciding it wasn't worth the trouble to scold me further.

"Apologies don't fix clumsiness," he said bluntly, glancing away as if dismissing the whole thing. But just as I thought he'd turn and leave, he paused and looked back at me.

"Be more careful next time," he added, his tone softening just a fraction. There was a flicker of something in his eyes, barely there, like a sliver of concern hiding beneath layers of steel.

Without waiting for a response, he turned on his heel and walked away, leaving me standing there, watching his retreating figure. I could still feel the intensity of his gaze lingering, as if he'd left some of his determination and strength behind.