Meeting the Higher-ups

Chapter 16 ~ Explanation

It's been a couple of days since mine and Levi's date. The cast and I had just finished breakfast and were sitting in the living room all together.

"Hey guys, I have to go to work. Will you be alright by yourselves?" I asked.

"Of course we will!" Hanji said.

"Okay, well I'll see you guys later." I said and stood up to grab my stuff.

"I'll walk you out." Levi said.

"Okay." I smiled.

We walked out to my car and exchanged a quick kiss. "Have a good day at work." He said.

"Thanks. You guys behave." I said teasingly.

"Tch." He replied. I giggled.

"I love you~" I cooed.

"I love you, too." He slightly smiled. And with that, I drove off to work.

Time skip

I got to work a little early but I figured I'd go ahead and go in and maybe talk to Rachel. I was about to walk in when I heard someone call out to me.

"Hey..." I heard a voice softly say. I turned around and saw a man dressed in all black, with a hood up where I could barely see his face. My heart skipped a beat out of fear. I turned back to the door and tried to walk in quickly but he talked again.

"You're Emma right? I need to talk to you." He said.

"What do you want with me?" I asked cautiously but curtly.

"I have explanations for you." He replied.

"What 'explanations'?" I asked.

"I mean, explanations on how the Attack on Titan cast got to your house." This made my breath hitch. He knows...? But how? Who is he?

"Who are you?" I asked, letting go of the door and facing him fully.

"That is not important. I just want to help you and the cast." He said. I deemed it safe and stepped closer to him.

"Go on." I urged him.

"Come with me." He said and we walked to a park right near my workplace.

"How do you know about the cast being at my house?" I asked.

"That is not important, either. But I do know how they got there." He said and I nodded for him to continue. "First of all, do you remember a well?"

"A well...? Umm... maybe." I said, thinking back. Then it hit me.

Flashback

"Jake! Look at that!" I exclaimed, pointing out what looked like an old, run-down well. We were in the forest outside my house taking cosplay pictures when I guess we wandered a little too deep and came across this well. This was about a week before school ended and the cast appeared.

"A well?" Jake asked. "I've never seen it here before."

"Yeah, me either." I said. "Hey! Do you think it'll grant wishes?"

"You sound like a little kid." Jake joked.

"Well excuse me for having an imagination." I sarcastically joked. "Let's at least try it."

We leaned over the well and made a wish. I thought about my wish. I know it's impossible, but still... maybe it would work.

"Soo, what did you wish for?" I asked Jake after we made our wishes and leaned back to normal.

"None of your business." He poked my forehead and smiled. I giggled and smacked his hand away.

"Well what did you wish for?" He asked me. "I bet you asked for Levi Heichou to appear, didn't you?"

I giggled again. "More or less. Let's get going, it's getting late."

Flashback ended

"Yeah, I remember." I said.

"Good." He replied. "Do you remember anything specific about that day?"

"Umm... it was about a week before school ended and the cast appeared."

"Right. But anything else?" He asked. I thought again, but nothing came to mind.

"No, I don't." I said.

"It was the day of a full moon."

"So?"

"So, that's the way they get back. You only have until summer ends to get them back to their own world. Either this month or next month, on the day of the full moon, you must go to the well and make a wish for them to get back." The man explained and I instantly felt sad. I didn't want them to leave. I didn't want HIM to leave. Why...?

"Okay. I understand. Thank you." I said, standing up and holding in tears.

"No problem. Good luck." He said and walked away. I walked back to work and continued thinking about what the man had just said. They really have to leave now...

"Hey, Emma." Rachel said cheerfully.

"Hey..." I replied softly, looking down.

"Are you okay? You look kind of pale." She pointed out.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine." I lied. "What's on the schedule for today?"

Time skip

I managed to get through the workday, but just barely. I couldn't stop thinking about what the man had said or how I felt. I walked back out to my car and immediately called Jake.

"Emma? What's up?" His voice came through the other side of the line.

"Hey, Jake. I'm leaving work right now, but I need you to head over to my house. I need to talk to you about something." I told him.

"Is everything okay?" He asked and I could hear the concern in his voice.

"Yeah, I just need to talk to you. I'll explain everything when I get home."

"Okay, I'm leaving now. I'll see you soon." He said and I could hear his keys jingling on the other side of the line.

"Okay, see you soon." I hung up and headed home, thinking about how I'd have to eventually tell the cast. How I'd eventually have to tell Levi.