THE OTHER SIDE. aa

BONUS: in einem anderen leben.

     THE FOREST SCENT of various trees and plants filled your senses, immediately pulling you out of the stress that you've been feeling for the past few days. your boots crunched the fallen leaves and dirt underneath you while you pushed the branches and tall plants out of the way while you head to your destination.

     soon enough, you could see the faint outline of the large moon peaking through the branches. a smile broke out of your face and you deduced that you were near your destination and soon, you picked up your pace.

     no matter how many times you visited the cliff side next to the training camp, you were always amazed by its idyllic beauty. the lake just below glittered with the help of the moon and stars, flowing freely in one direction while the forest and the mountains below emitted something innocent yet dark. you inhaled the air with a smile, eyes closed as the cold breeze made your hair sway to the direction it was going in.

     settling in the cold, you sat down just near the edge and placed the book you held on your lap. you wrapped the green cape around you tightly just as you opened your book, your homemade bookmark coming into view.

     you knew reading without any light would be bad for your eyes but the moon gave enough light for you to use. your eyes also managed to adjust to the darkness and you could make out the words written on the old pages soon enough.

     the silence between you and the world was enough to say that you were too engrossed in your book. if someone or something was to appear in front of you, there was a huge chance you'd fall down the cliff and plummet down below. just thinking about it brought you shivers, thus, you forced yourself to be alert. just in case.

     so when you heard a pair of leaves crunch just behind you, you were quick to turn around. with wide eyes, you stood up stiffly. "who's there?" your voice luckily didn't waver as you spoke, the fear you previously felt was now replaced with a threatening aura.

     the bushes you came from moved for a bit and soon, another figure appeared. your eyebrows furrowed but you soon relaxed upon seeing that the figure was another cadet like you, thanks to the green cape he also wore. your shoulders went lax and you heaved a sigh, "oh, sorry..."

     the male only nodded and flashed a small, awkward smile before stepping forward, "i-it's alright." he breathed out nervously.

     now that the moonlight was shining more on the male, you could properly see his features. smooth blond hair that reached his chin and doe blue eyes that seemed to sparkle with innocence. he was breathtaking and your heart skipped a bear at the thought, though you waved it off. you recalled he's part of eren's friend group, the smart kid that you couldn't recall his name of.

     "uh, i'm y/n, by the way." you said after an awkward moment of silence, sitting back down on your previous spot. "what are you doing here?" you questioned, placing your bookmark between the pages of the chapter you were in.

     the blond stood behind you awkwardly, contemplating whether to sit beside you or do something else. when you turned back to face him, you gave the spot beside you a pat that told him it was alright to sit beside you.

     he followed suit and cleared his throat, "my name's armin... i, uh, i couldn't sleep so i thought i'd visit this place." he mumbled just as he sat down, playing with his fingers.

     you hummed thoughtfully, a small smile on your face. "i see. how did you find this place?"

     "a friend of mine lead us here one night." armin answered, "now i visit this place when i can't sleep or i feel down. it's very peaceful to be alone with your thoughts."

     you nodded your head in agreement and turned to face the view in front of you, your chest almost light and empty as you admired the scenery. "it is. the sight is very pretty too. it's like a gift from heavens." you mumbled.

     from the corner of your eyes, you saw the blond turn his head to face you with curiosity sparking his eyes. "what about you? how did you find this place?"

     you looked down on your lap and ran your fingers through the old cover of the book, "i wanted to find a place to read in silence. the camp was very rowdy and even the dorms aren't quiet enough." you answered sheepishly, "i started to go here to finish some of my books."

     armin's eyes traveled to your lap, where the brown cover of the book quickly caught his attention. his curiosity peaked and he tilted his head before looking up at you with controlled excitement, "i like to read too!" he exclaimed with a beam, "is it alright if you tell me what you're reading about and how it ends?"

     something in your stomach fluttered at this and you gazed at the blond for a few seconds before picking the book up, "of course! i'm kind of glad i'm not the only book nerd here." you chuckled before flipping the book to a random page, "anyways, it's about two families at war with one another. the daughter fell in love with the son of the other family but they know that their relationship wouldn't be accepted from both families. the daughter was supposed to marry another man and the son was kicked out of the city because of his crimes." you started to explain, slight excitement bubbling up inside you. it's been too long since you kept the love you have for the story under the carpet, so telling to another person was enough for you to slightly get ahead of yourself.

     a bit worried of looking stupid for rambling on, one look at armin's sapphire eyes that showed curiosity and amazement was enough for you to continue on. "but the daughter had a plan. she was going to pretend to be dead so that she could escape her arranged marriage and to live with her lover far away. she told a fellow priest to send a message to him about her plan but it was too late. the slman received the news that she was already dead, he didn't receive the true plan of his lover." you gulped and a small smile showed up on your face, "when he visited her, that's when everything went downhill. he drank a poison because he was very sad that she left him. but then she woke up and he was already dead. grieving, she grabbed his knife and killed herself."

     armin's jaw dropped and you couldn't help but giggle at his cute reaction. it was just like yours too when you first read it. his eyes were wide and his eyebrows met together as he digested the words you just vomited in silence, "that sounds amazing!" he exclaimed after, a huge smile on his face as he leaned back.

     "i know!" you said with enthusiasm. you blinked and cleared your throat, your cheeks reddening once you noticed how your voice got too loud, "that's why it's my favorite book! what about yours?"

     armin chuckled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck before facing away from you, "i lost my favorite book during, uhm... yeah. but i can never forget how painful it was." he then shook his head before he could remember it and turned to you, "uhm, if it's alright... can you read the book to me?" he asked softly, a small smile on his face.

     you blinked, your chest somehow tightening up for a second in pain before disappearing soon after. you ignored it and nodded, "of course! it's great to share my favorite story to another person, you know?"

     armin's smile brightened up at your answer, a smile so bright that it could compete with the sun. you felt your insides warm up at the innocence and pure emotions he held, your lips turning to a smile of their own at how contagious it was.

     "okay! i actually have a few books myself. if you like, we can read to each other every week and we can tell each other our opinions." he suggested excitedly, leaning forward with the same bright smile. he swallowed a lump on his throat and leaned back with cheeks turning pink after seeing how close he was, "i-i mean, if it's okay...?"

     you pursed your lips for a few seconds, thinking about his offer. you often prefer to be alone when it comes to reading but something about armin tells you that he was far different from the rowdy people you grew used to in the training camp. he was just as enthusiastic when it comes to reading like you and he seems like someone who would recommend good books based on the personality. he was interesting and you had no idea why, but his innocent eyes was just pulling you in like a vortex. you couldn't help but want to know more about him.

     soon a smile broke out on your face and you sent the blond a nod. "of course!" you grinned, "let's read to each other!"