Eren stormed out of the barracks, muttering angrily under his breath. “Armin thinks he’s so smart. Always telling me my plans are reckless. What does he know?!” He kicked a rock, sending it skittering across the dirt.

Levi, leaning against a nearby wall, watched him with his usual unimpressed expression. “Tch. What now, brat?”

Eren threw his hands up. “Armin! He doesn’t trust me! He said my plan was dangerous and stupid!”

Levi sighed. “Maybe because it was dangerous and stupid?”

Eren glared but didn’t argue. “He didn’t have to say it like that…”

Hange appeared, grinning. “Oh, Eren, you know Armin doesn’t mean it like that. The guy would jump into the ocean for you—literally.” They leaned closer, their tone softening. “Remember when he said, ‘I want to entrust everything to Eren. My dream, my life, everything’? Does that sound like someone who doesn’t trust you?”

Eren froze. That memory hit him harder than he wanted to admit. His anger fizzled, replaced by guilt. “I didn’t mean to yell at him,” he muttered, voice low.

Levi shrugged. “Then stop wasting time and go apologize. You know he’ll forgive you.”

Eren nodded and headed back inside, finding Armin sitting quietly by the window. The tension between them was palpable as Eren stood there, awkward and fidgeting. “Uh… hey, pretty boy..?"