The late afternoon sun cast a golden glow over the schoolyard as Armin carefully cradled a bouquet of bright sunflowers in his arms. The yellow blooms swayed slightly in the breeze, their cheerful faces tilted toward the light. Eren stood beside him, a handful of delicate sunflowers in his hands, his expression a mix of earnestness and bashful energy.

“These sunflowers,” Eren started, his cheeks tinged red, “I think they really suit you, Armin. They’re… delicate, but they look strong, like they survive the winter or something.”

Armin looked at him, his own face warm with a blush as he adjusted the sunflowers. "..Thank you. That’s really sweet of you.” He muttered softly with a fond smile

Behind them, Mikasa stood awkwardly, her face flushed as Sasha placed flowers in her hair, laughing. “See? I told you these would look adorable on you,” Sasha said with a grin. Mikasa groaned quietly but didn’t move to stop her.

Just as Eren opened his mouth to say something else—something clumsy, no doubt—a familiar voice cut through the air.

“Armin!” Hange’s enthusiastic tone rang out, and Armin turned to see a familiar car pulling up to the curb. Erwin was behind the wheel, his calm expression illuminated by the sun. Levi sat in the passenger seat, his usual sharp gaze sweeping the scene, while Hange leaned halfway out the open back window, waving wildly.

Armin’s face lit up. “That’s my ride,” he said, turning back to Eren. “Thanks for the flowers… I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Yeah,” Eren replied quickly, stepping back to let him go. “See you tomorrow!”

Armin jogged to the car, his sunflowers held carefully against his chest. As he climbed into the back seat beside Hange, she immediately poked at the flowers, grinning. “Who gave you those, huh?” she teased. “A special someone?”

Levi glanced back, one eyebrow raised. “Did that Jaeger kid give you those?”

“Hange’s right,” Erwin said smoothly as he began to drive, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. “They do look like something you’d get from someone special.”