Porco harbored a displeasure towards the Scouts.

It wasn't anything too deep, just that he found it difficult separate his past and present; every time he saw a familiar face that belonged to a Scout, he couldn't help the urge to scowl. He was never that skillful when it came to controlling his temper (he'd learned his lesson the hard way before). His brain just automatically associated them as 'Scouts: annoying', and it only worsened when he met with that Ackerman.

Unlike that guy, the brunette with glasses whom he'd come to know as Hange Zoe (Pieck had told him to stay away from her if he valued his sanity) was unreservedly loud. She definitely seemed friendlier, but that didn't mean Porco was willing to be friends in the first place.

And then there was Isanna.

Pieck had already relayed to him all the juicy details of the recent 'conflict' between his former War Chief and the Scouts' former Commander (she liked to gossip like that). When he'd first heard that Isanna, one of his close friends, used to be a Scout before, Porco hadn't known how to react. It definitely changed how he viewed her, but it wasn't in the negative sense—while it came as a surprise at first, Porco realized it actually made sense.

He first met Isanna through Zeke, back when Porco visited Pieck at the countryside during their college years. At the time, Isanna Herrmann came across to him as a woman with amazing patience (the fact she was able to keep up with the antics of his former War Chief was testament to it), and a warm heart (it was most likely that side of her that had drawn Zeke). But then there were moments of subtlety where Porco managed to get a glimpse of something entirely different from her.

Like the time where they were at the downtown side of the rural areas where Zeke and Isanna lived. The four of them had been on the way to their most visited café after school, just for some de-stress. While the countryside certainly had comparatively lesser population density than urban cities, it did not stop your average money-grubbing thieves from pushing their luck. Porco remembered how, the four of them stood, shellshocked when a man whizzed past them with speed like the wind, carrying a bag of jewelry that he'd stolen from a local pawnshop. They had only realized what was happening when the shop owner yelled in frantic, urging someone to stop the thief.

Then, Porco remembered how Isanna had been the first one to move, chucking her bag at Zeke (who efficiently caught it as if it wasn't the first time it happened) and sprinting after the thief with breakneck speed. Till then, Porco had never seen Isanna run that fast. It had taken her roughly thirty seconds to catch up—long story short, the thief was apprehended, and the shop owner had decided to pay them a hefty sum in appreciation for Isanna's help (Porco even remembered how Isanna was asked whether she'd been in a track-and-field club).

Then there was another experience when they were at a bar. Zeke and Isanna had took it upon themselves to visit Pieck and Porco in the city for a nice change. Marcel, his older brother, had also been there. It was supposed to have been a fun hangout, but then Isanna caught an asshole who had sneakily dropped a pill in Pieck's drink (even till now, just thinking about that bastard made Porco's blood boil). Their night ended with Isanna nearly gouging the man's eyes out with a glass shard from a shattered wine glass. They would have contacted the authorities, but then Isanna would have been exposed for having an attempt at murder.

To be fair, had Isanna not been there, Porco was certain that him, Marcel and Zeke would have been the one to do the honors, or maybe even Pieck herself.

Because new life or not—the warrior blood still flowed in their veins; the only things that held them back were the laws of this world.

Another memory, last but not least, was the notorious moment when Isanna had stormed the house of Pieck's ex when she found out he was cheating on her. Porco would never forget that memory.

His respect for Isanna after that night immediately skyrocketed—and he learned to never mess with her.

So in short, while he was at first surprised to know that Isanna Herrmann used to be a Scout, Porco realized a split-second later that it made perfect sense.

Currently, they were gathered at the back of the benches. Eren's game had just finished, with his class emerging as the victor.

The only thing that I'm curious about is that I've never seen her in the past, Porco thought to himself as he watched Isanna converse with a sweaty young Eren Yeager (it took Porco years till he managed to look at the kid without feeling raged), wiping his face with a towel, with Zeke casually hanging at the back, hands in pockets.

I heard about the blond commander in the past, but not about Isanna. Speaking of the commander—

Porco cut his own thoughts and glanced towards where the said blond was, a few meters from them. He was in a conversation with that glasses girl and the Ackerman.

Erwin Smith.

The infamous thirteenth Commander of the Scouts. This would be the first time Porco had ever laid his eyes on him.

He diverted his eyes back towards Isanna. Then towards Zeke.

Then he sighed.

Whatever. Not my business.

It was already lunch time, so Pieck ushered them to fill their stomachs up before the afternoon games start. Eren was about to join them, but then remembered his friends Armin and Mikasa (yet another two names that took Porco years to get used to hearing) and excused himself, saying he was going to 'eat together with his friends' with that childish sparkle in his eyes and heading away with a wave.

Porco will never get over how that kid was the same one that almost destroyed the world in the past, but that's a story for another time.

"Oh? You're joining a game later? Is that allowed?"

Pieck asked, looking over towards Zeke. They were currently at the cafeteria now, enjoying a hearty meal.

"Mm," Zeke answered in the midst of his chewing, so he sounded like he was eating his words. "Da school awofs. Shtrenshens camur'derie bitwin cheechers an' der shtudents."

Isanna elbowed him by the side with a frown, before she sighed and translated, "He says the school allows it. It strengthens camaraderie between the teachers and their students."

Zeke gave a thumbs up and a proud close-eyed smile as if to say 'That's my girl!'

Isanna squinted at him. She grabbed a napkin and roughly slapped it over Zeke's lips. "Don't talk while you eat—you have crumbs here."

Unbothered, Zeke hummed and let her clean him.

Meanwhile, Pieck and Porco exchanged wordless looks.

He's doing it again.

They knew what kind of personality Zeke Yeager harbored underneath that sneaky, almost childish grin of his, but even though he had his cunning and calculating side (he could even get utterly brutal if he wanted to), he always seemed to push it away just so that he can be babied by her. Typical men behavior.

Even then, despite the numerous times Pieck had witnessed this, she still found it difficult to digest that it was the same War Chief she'd been taking orders from before. She never recalled an instance where the past Zeke Yeager showed interest in dating—then again, if you were in the middle of a life-or-death war between nations and where gigantic humanoid monsters were out to eradicate humanity, dating would obviously be the last thing on your mind.

"Good thing Eren didn't take after you," Isanna grumbled, earning yet another smug grin from Zeke.

Speaking of Eren Yeager, Pieck thought towards the young boy that was filled with sunshine and smiles. It was hard to imagine it was essentially the same person from the past—but, the current Eren was just around seven years old; she doubted he already had his memories returned at his age.

Only time will tell.

Heck, she was still stuck in the current dilemma of her best friend—she didn't have the time to worry about someone like else. Pieck never even got the chance to tell Zeke of how.. Isanna died in the past. Of how it was during the Battle at Shiganshina, of how it was because of him.

She didn't like to think of how it could potentially change things between them. Especially since Zeke was particularly fond of Isanna.

In fact, Pieck never knew the details, but Zeke once told her that 'Isanna saved him' at a time where he needed it the most.

She inferred it had something to do with Zeke's background. He grew up in a broken family, divorced parents, and his father—Grisha Yeager who had no recollection of the past—had remarried. Not a very ideal household; it wasn't that much different from his past life, as far as Pieck was concerned. Apparently, the event had opened some hidden trauma in Zeke that had thrown him in a slump in his last year of high school. Pieck had heard how he'd jumped from being the top student to the last spot, began to skip classes, started smoking again—the man was a wreck.

"She was the calm in my stormy life, you could say. As if.. she was fate's compensation for giving me a shitty life before."

"Huh. This whole reincarnation phenomena certainly has made you sappy."

"Gimme a break, Pieck."

So while Pieck may not know the entire relationship between Isanna and Zeke, she knew one thing for sure that they had their own story to tell.

And that, no matter how bad she felt for what happened to Erwin Smith and Isanna in the past, it would never push her to ruin the current, happy relationship Isanna now shared with Zeke.

───

Just as Hange had feared, Erwin was not in the best of moods.

They were at a table in the staff corner in the cafeteria. The air surrounding their meal felt heavy, suffocating, even, and Hange couldn't bear it.

"The food tastes good!" she blurted out in an attempt to lift the heavy mood.

Erwin wordlessly nodded in response. Levi just continued to eat.

"Man, kids these days really run so fast, right? That one kid earlier was amazing!"

Again, Erwin wordlessly nodded in response. Levi continued to eat.

"I'm into girls."

Erwin nodded. Levi continued to eat.

Hange slammed her hands into the table, feigning hurt. "What's with that half-hearted response? I just came out to my friends and that's what you're all gonna say?"

Levi finally looked at her, completely poker-faced. "We already know."

Hange blinked.

"Oh." She leaned back. ".. How?"

"We've known each other for a long time," Erwin spoke up. "Did you think we wouldn't notice?"

Oh. Hange awkwardly bit her lip, before she shrugged. "But still! You guys weren't saying anything. I wanted to talk about the afternoon games. You joining any, Erwin?

Erwin swallowed his food first before answering, "No, I won't be joining."

Levi spoke up, eyes still on his food. "You've never joined anything."

Hange pouted. True, in all the years Erwin worked at the school, he never joined any game, not once. Hange always called him 'stingy' for it, saying he just wanted to protect his cool image at school.

"But I heard your homeroom is competing for later?" Hange added. "What class are you handling again?"

"4-6," Erwin answered. "And yes, they have a game scheduled in the afternoon."

"What game?"

"Relay race."

"Relay?!" Hange leaned forward in anticipation.

In Saint Joseph's, there was a trend for homeroom teachers to run last in Relay races. It was usually the most anticipated as well, because students were always eager to see their favorite (or least favorite) teachers run and compete against each other.

"And you sure you're not joining with your class?"

Erwin said a decisive, "No."

Hange's excitement deflated.

The thought of Erwin Smith running a lap around the field would have been interesting to watch, she thought. Even though she knew he went to the gym regularly, she rarely ever saw Erwin move around so much.

Oh well, there's always next year.

───

By 1 PM, the afternoon games had officially begun. Erwin, together with Hange and Levi went to the field and was greeted by a crowd of students gathering around the bleachers. Homerooms wore color-coded t-shirts to distinguish them from others, and a buzzing excitement swamped the entire field as everyone waited for the games to begin.

"Are you reaaaaally sure you aren't joining?" Hange asked for what was probably the twentieth time.

"If you open your mouth one more time, Four-eyes, it'll be the last."

"I'm not asking you, Levi, I'm ask—Erwin, where're you going?"

Erwin was walking away from the two, heading down towards the field where his class was. "To oversee my students. You two can stay here and watch if you wish."

And so Erwin left them at the bleachers, not seeing the disappointed pout on Hange's face when she realized it was yet another year of failing to get Erwin to compete in a game.

Erwin never understood Hange's enthusiasm in trying to get him to join one. He was better off referring, making sure everything went smoothly, and just overall watching his students have a good time. Erwin couldn't spare time nor effort participating in the games, no matter how fun they all looked, and no, it wasn't because he wanted to keep his image cool and clean, as what Hange had previously accused him for.

It was simply because he couldn't be bothered to participate. Nothing more, nothing less.

When Erwin arrived at the field, he pinpointed the familiar faces of his homeroom students and made his way towards them.

About halfway, however, a certain someone stopped him.

"Well! Doth my eyes deceiveth me? If it ain't my ol' pal Smith!"

Zeke stepped into his view, a casual wave and smile as if they were best buddies.

Note: they were not.

Erwin quickly took note of the red band tied around Zeke Yeager's head, an indicator of his participation in the relay race.

"So you're participating in the race."

Now that Erwin recalled, Zeke was the adviser for class 4-8.

Zeke proudly puffed his chest, nodding. "Mhm. What's a P.E. teacher if he doesn't show off his racing skills in front of his students, amiright?"

He was talking to him like how a friend would. Erwin didn't understand, not that he wanted to; but it was unnerving to have Zeke Yeager willingly walk up to him and initiate a supposed civil conversation. If there was one thing Erwin knew about him, it was that Zeke was a master of hiding his true intentions underneath seemingly-casual 'jokes'.

"I see. Good for you. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get to my students." Erwin was about to sidestep when he heard a student call out to him.

"Mr. Smith!"

Both Erwin and Zeke turned to see the class president of Erwin's homeroom jog to him in a hurry.

Erwin addressed his student and asked what seemed to be the problem.

"One of the boys got injured in a game earlier, so we're short on players for the relay race," the class president said, face full of worry. "I was wondering if you could perhaps fill in as the last slot?"

Erwin knotted his brows together. One of his students got injured, without him knowing? He asked how the said student was, with the class president replying that he was resting well in the infirmary. That made Erwin a little bit relieved to hear.

"Unfortunately, I have to decline," he said in response. "Isn't there anyone in the class available? The relay race is one of the last games for the day, there should be someone free."

The class president sheepishly rubbed the back of his head and said that there weren't any one left.

How inconvenient.

As the homeroom adviser, Erwin was now responsible to look for a way to fill in the head count. Naturally, him filling in himself would solve it immediately, but Erwin didn't want to be hassled. At the same time, he didn't want to seem incompetent either.

Erwin was so lost in his thoughts that he temporarily forgot Zeke was still there.

"Oh, no worries kiddo, he'll definitely join."

Erwin snapped his head towards Zeke with speed that rivalled the wind.

"So run along now," Zeke shooed the student away, "and get some headband for Mr. Smith here to wear, will you?"

"Zeke, I did not—"

"Thank you so much, Mr. Smith!" the class president bowed his head and swiftly turned around, jogging away. He didn't even give Erwin a chance to speak up.

Erwin stared at the student in disbelief as he disappeared with the mass of the other students on the field. When he realized what just happened, he turned to Zeke with annoyance evident on his face.

"Woah, Smith. Watch your face—don't want to ruin the handsomeness, do you?"

Erwin resisted the urge to yank his collar and judo throw him down. Instead, he pinched the bridge of his own nose and squeezed his eyes shut.

Calm down. Calm down. Calm down.

"What exactly do you plan to accomplish?" Zeke was lucky they were in school, in the eyes of students and parents and visitors. Otherwise, Erwin wouldn't have allowed him to fool with him like that.

Zeke shrugged. He casually tilted his head. "Nothing much. Just thought it'd be more fun if you compete as well."

"You did it for 'fun'," Erwin said. "Are you aware you sound incredibly childish right now?"

A rush of wind whistled through in passing.

It was in that moment did the playful glint that had been dancing in Zeke's eyes disappeared. A different look replaced it—one that was much colder—and somehow, the change in his eyes told Erwin that this was a glimpse of who Zeke Yeager really was.

"Childish, you say?" Zeke scoffed, yet that unamused smile never left his lips. "I wonder.. who between us is truly the childish one?"

Something in his words pricked Erwin the wrong way.

Erwin frowned, certain that he was pertaining to something entirely else. Something that wasn't as petty as competing in a relay race.

In that instance, Erwin's gaze swept past Zeke's figure and towards the bleachers, and that was when his eyes landed on her.

He tightened his fist, returning his gaze towards Zeke. The sharpness in Erwin's gaze only hardened further.

"You're doing this on purpose," he said. "Are you so thoughtless that you'd drag someone innocent for something that should only stay between us?"

Zeke scoffed in disbelief, offended.

"If you're insinuating I deliberately injured your student, you're mistaken. I'm not that petty—I am simply capitalizing on an opportunity presented to me," Zeke continued. "C'mon now, Smith. We were both military leaders, you know how strategizing against your opponents work. 'Sides, 's just a little game, wouldn't hurt to play for fun, no?"

Despite being out on the field, surrounded by students in what was supposed to be a casual school event, the air between them had turned tense, Erwin noticed. This wasn't supposed to happen. He wasn't supposed to get so worked up over a little relay race. He was not a kid.

All that pride he'd had as a former commander would just puff into the void should he allow himself to get dragged into Zeke's pace.

And, he doubted Zeke wanted to compete with him for, as what he said, 'fun'.

But, Erwin sent one last glance towards the woman on the bleachers, who was too busy talking to her friend whom Erwin assumed had also been one of the Marleyan warriors in the past, and he arrived to a decision.

How low had he truly fallen?

"Just this once," Erwin started, looking back at Zeke, "just this once, I will humor you. Don't expect me to go along with your games a second time, Marleyan."

Technically, Zeke was inherently Eldian (in the past, anyway, since none of that Eldian blood shit existed in this life), but he decided to leave it at that. He grinned, all smug.

"Of course, Commander."