Chapter 12 - Too Many Obligations

                                        

                                              
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Location: Shiganshina District, Wall Maria
Year: 844
Time: Noon






It was that time of the year, or rather, the designated time to visit Shiganshina and meet up with the Yeagers and by extension Mikasa—meaning it had been two weeks since I had last seen the girl.
Within that time, I had been a bit busy, mentally preparing myself to be potentially blackmailed even further by her into doing something I really didn't want to do. For example, I expected her to bug me on teaching me how to fight or, in a scenario where she was more rational, just walk around the district without any trouble.
That latter would be preferred, but I didn't know her too well, so who knows?
I sighed again.
I've been doing that a lot recently, haven't I?
I took a moment to process my current situation. Who taught her how to blackmail me, of all people? 
Certainly not me.
I even gave her a pie. A good, sweet pie. And that's how she repaid me?
"Is this what betrayal feels like?" I murmured to myself, shaking my head. The thought lingered in my mind as I approached the Yeager household.
The crisp autumn air bit at my skin, and I rubbed my hands together briefly. Once satisfied, I shoved my hands into the pockets of my sweater. The fall winds were coming in strong, meaning business will ground to a halt as people try not to die of frostbite.
Arriving at the door, I gave it three knocks. A moment later, it swung open, and Carla Yeager greeted me with a bright, familiar smile.
"Kiyotaka! Come in, come in! It's getting cold out there."
"Thank you," I replied, stepping inside.
The house was warm and inviting, as expected. My senses immediately tuned to the space around me, noting the absence of other presences. Grisha Yeager, the renowned doctor that he was, was likely attending to some patient. Mikasa and Eren were nowhere to be found, which I supposed wasn't surprising.
"My husband is out," Carla said, confirming my thoughts. She closed the door behind me. "He got called out to Wall Rose for a patient. It's been a busy week for him."
 "Understandable, given his profession."
"Exactly," she said. She gestured toward the living room. "Come, sit for a bit."
As I followed her, Carla glanced back with a warm smile. "The kids have been doing well. Eren and Mikasa started getting along much better after you left. Though I will say, Mikasa's been a little down without seeing you around."
"That's a reasonable reaction," I said, sitting down. "But I can't be here all the time."
Carla chuckled. "Oh, I know. She understands too, I think. But you've certainly made an impression on them. You know, one day, Eren and Mikasa both woke up and decided they were going to act like you for the whole day."
What.
"Act like me?"
"Exactly!" she laughed, shaking her head. "They were so serious about it too. Quiet, calm, using big words—well, big for them—and just staring at things with that blank expression you have on, even now. It wasn't until I got Mikasa to spill the beans that I realized what was going on."