The rain continued to fall, washing the quiet street. Under the cold night and the water falling from the roof, two figures stood silently like shadows that accidentally crossed at the crossroads of fate.
Eren blinked, startled.
When his eyelids opened, that girl was standing closer, just a few steps in front of him.
With a calm face, she lowered her head slightly.
"I want to be a scout soldier... voluntarily."
Eren was stunned.
"Huh? What is she talking about!?" his heart thundered with unexpected confusion.
There was a pause,
Rain clouds covered the sky, flashes of light appeared from the lightning that did not fall to the ground, illuminating their faces for a moment.
Eren scratched his head a little hesitantly.
His expression was confused, his eyebrows slightly raised.
"W-Wait a minute..." Eren said softly, his voice a little shaky. " ...why are you suddenly saying that?"
Violet gently lifted her face and body slowly ,
her gaze remaining calm, almost emotionless, they looked at each other again. " I want to know more about this world." Without any doubt in every note.
For a moment, no one said anything.
Eren just stared at her.
His eyes moved slowly over Violet's face, as if trying to read the meaning behind her flat tone.
"THE WORLD ?... "
The words echoed in his heart.
For a moment he remembered a familiar figure crossing his mind.
She loved history books, she often said things Eren had never seen before.
" Eren-eren !, you know the sea?" he said enthusiastically, his eyes sparkling.
" The sea?" Eren repeated, doubtful .
" Out there... they say there is an endless expanse of water, stretching as far as the eye can see."
"That's impossible..." Eren muttered, half in disbelief.
"It's real, Eren." His voice rose, a step closer, as if trying to force his conviction to spread.
Eren took a deep breath. It was hard for him to accept the fact that a girl he had never even met had suddenly expressed her desire to join the Scout Regiment, simply because she wanted to learn more about the world.
His mind was spinning, as if unable to process what had just happened.
He himself had only been a member for a few days, and from there, he began to understand the various reasons: dreams, family, love, guilt, the responsibility to protect others.
And now… this girl standing before him.
Her reason reminded him of Armin, a curiosity to see the world out there . It sounded simple, but the way she said it flatly, firmly, and without a hint of hesitation stunned Eren.
His heart was pounding.
Did the girl really understand what she was getting into?
His reverie was shattered when the end of the cart hit a rock in the road. The cart lurched forward, nearly toppling over with its entire load.
"Oh no-"
Eren immediately grabbed the handle of the cart, his face tensed as he tried to keep it level again.
The sound of wood creaking could be heard, and the weight he was holding suddenly felt lighter. Turning around, he saw the girl had already lifted one of the boxes.
"What are you doing?" Eren asked in surprise, knowing full well how heavy the box was. How could the girl lift it with barely a trace of emotion?
"It's dangerous if this box falls," Violet said briefly, her tone calm. "Although the chances are very small."
Eren was silent for a moment.
"Actually... you don't have to worry about it, my friend once dropped that shell, but nothing happened."
"Oh, I see." Violet lowered her head, her gaze falling on the box she was holding. "I might be exaggerating without really knowing what this thing is."
Violet was still staring at the box, rows of projectiles neatly arranged inside.
"You seem to recognize that thing," Eren muttered softly.
"...You're not wrong, but it may look different in my memory. It's usually slimmer... and the tips have color."
"Is it true? I just joined and didn't pay much attention. But it's pretty impressive that you managed to figure it out."
Eren fell silent again, his eyes following the girl's every movement. There was something he couldn't fathom, as if Violet's knowledge was far more profound than someone outside the military should have.
Violet lifted the box and placed it at the very back of the cart, balancing the load, which had been swaying for a while. As she took a step back, her shoulders began to darken, the fabric of her dress absorbing the increasingly heavy rain. Her golden hair clung to her cheeks, some falling over her eyes. He raised his hand, just to hold back the heavy drops of water on his head, then said to Eren,
"We need to pull over immediately."
Eren blinked, he seemed to flinch a little,
"Y-yeah, you're right. Thank you very much."
He released his grip on the cart handle and followed Violet. Now they stood side by side outside the shop, his gaze fixed straight ahead as Violet stood beside him.
For a moment, only the sound of the rain could be heard. Drizzle from puddles, drops on the roof, and the tips of the canopy slowly dripping. Occasionally, the scent of wet earth crept in, along with the damp scent of the houseplants in front of the window.
Eren rolled up his wet sleeves. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at Violet's arms, and his mind flashed back to the moment when she had lifted the wooden box so easily. He had nearly lost his breath trying to do the same . His face immediately went blank.
I think… Mikasa has a rival. He thought.
The rain poured down non-stop, wetting the body until it felt like it was piercing to the bone. Eren crossed his arms over his chest, trying to hold back the creeping cold.
Violet turned her head first . "Inside, let me prepare some hot tea. You don't have to pay for it."
Eren immediately turned his head quickly. He was about to answer, but his attention was distracted. The girl simply stood there, not looking at all cold. There was no movement to warm herself, no twitching of her shoulders from shivering. As if the cold that night… was nothing to him.
His ego felt a little touched.
"No need! Yes , no need. How about you, aren't you cold?
"Cold?"
Violet lowered her gaze, stared at her palms for a moment, then looked up again.
"Yes, my body feels it too."
Eren's eyebrows raised,
"What?? Is that all?" his heart was between surprise and annoyance.
He took a breath and then said,
"I really don't understand. You are really weird."
Violet flinched slightly, straightening her gaze again.
" I hear that word a lot… Is it a bad thing?"
In an instant, the image of the past flashed through her mind, a voice, sharp yet cold:
"You really can't understand people's feelings, huh?"
That sentence still sticks in my mind. And somehow, what Eren just said felt very similar. He began to remember his actions again.
Her voice remained flat, but now there was a slight tremor.
"Is it because I'm not showing any expression when I speak... or because I'm using too formal words?"
Silence hung between them. Only the sound of rain falling from the roof and the muddy ground around. Then finally Violet said again,
"...Or is it because I want to volunteer to be a soldier?"
Eren fell silent, staring at her slightly lowered eyes. For the first time, there was something different, a thin crack that made the girl look more human than before.
" Are you someone who always thinks about what other people say?"
"I didn't actually mean what I said just now, I think... you're not... as weird as I thought."
Eren scratched the back of his hair as he quickly looked away, feeling the words were too honest. Her hands clutched the sides of her own clothes.
"…But still, you confuse me."
Violet slowly turned her head, her sincere gaze reflecting the dim light from the lantern hanging in front of the building faintly in her eyes.
" I'm sorry if I confused you. There are many things I don't understand here… even about feelings, I'm still learning."
Eren stared at Violet silently. He felt like he was trying to read a book in a language he didn't understand.
For a moment his thoughts drifted to Armin.
"If he were here, he would definitely be able to answer something. Surely you can understand this girl's intentions better than me."
Eren took a deep breath, then said,
"I'm just an ordinary soldier, about you wanting to join... I actually don't know what I should do."
Eren looked up again, their eyes meeting.
"But I promised I would help you."
Violet held her hands out in front of her, her head bowed politely.
"I am very grateful for your kindness—"
Eren snorted,
"Eren... Eren Yeager. Call me Eren." he said a little hurriedly while rubbing the back of his neck.
Violet flinched slightly, her gaze lifting for a moment. It was unusual for him to have someone cut him off while introducing themselves just like that.
Without hesitation, Violet bowed her body while pulling her skirt aside,
"Rose Tavern Waitress, North Rose Wall."
She slowly straightened his body back up as she said,
"Violet Evergarden"
The soft tone came out in time with her graceful body movements. Her hands were again held in front of him, giving a respectful impression.
The rain began to ease, the clouds gradually shifted to reveal the hidden stars, the water droplets on the wall were splashed by the light of the incandescent lamp flowing between them. In the silent night, no one saw them standing side by side as if fate had blessed their meeting with the curtains closed.
The wind hit Eren's frozen body. His eyes widened. His mouth was slightly open, as if he wanted to say something... but no words came out.
After a few moments Eren blinked as if to regain consciousness, he turned his body and leaned against the wall.
"...Violet huh.... Even your name sounds foreign to my ears."
Violet understood it, she just lowered her head slightly,
"Maybe... because I'm not from here."
"That's right, since five years ago everyone moved here, I should have understood better from the start.... So where are you from, Violet?"
There was a pause.
Violet took a deep breath, as if composing a memorized sentence . Her fingers gently pinched the side of her shirt, a small, hard-to-disguise mark.
"I... come from the East, on the outskirts of Wall Maria. Near the Strokirch District. My family..." Her voice dropped, her eyes shifting to the side.
Eren noticed Violet's unusual behavior, without hesitation immediately filling the space hanging in the air.
"I understand. We've all lost a lot."
Huh? Violet muttered to herself, surprised at how her words were accepted so easily, as if the lie had never existed.
Eren's facial expression changed suddenly. His voice was low, even and heavy when he said,
"I used to live in Shinganshina."
Violet fell silent, the name clearly etched in her mind. For a moment, the sound of the rain seemed to fade away.
Eren lowered his voice even lower.
"My family, no. My mother... She was eaten before my very eyes."
The words came out without expression. In front of her, Violet froze for a moment; her eyes wide, her lips motionless. Her breath hitched, and then each breath felt heavy. The story is too tragic to just hear.
Violet's hands were clenched in front of her chest, deep empathy etched across her face. In a slightly hoarse and sincere tone, she said
"I'm sorry. Eren-san"
Eren stared at Violet for a moment still expressionless,
"Thank you Violet."
Eren straightened his gaze again, he sighed, his jaw tightened; his hands clenched tighter. His eyebrows lowered, his eyes turned sharp, empty and yet full of fire .
"Those Titans, I will destroy them until they disappear."
His expression eased, he took a deep breath and then turned back to Violet,
"That's the reason why I became a scout soldier."
"...I understand. Eren-san has a strong reason... The feeling of loss..."
Violet paused for a moment, her gaze falling on the sparkling green brooch that always faithfully rested on her neck. Her fingers rubbed it slowly, as if looking for a grip.
"I've felt it too... though not completely."
he couldn't quite fathom, then his gaze fell on the brooch. He sensed that Violet had a reason beyond simply wanting to understand the world.
Eren took a deep breath, then turned to face Violet. An awkward smile appeared on his face as he extended his hand.
"I will keep my promise, but you better not get your hopes up... because I'm not someone important."
Violet stared at the hand. There was a moment of hesitation because his prosthetic hand had to remain hidden. But before she could react, Eren had already pulled his hand back.
"Ah, I forgot... maybe it's better like this."
With a stiff movement, he placed one palm on his chest, the other behind his back, and then slowly bowed like a nobleman. The movement was clearly incorrect, but he was making a sincere effort.
Violet watched him. Her eyelids lowered slowly, then she pulled the sides of her skirt to the side and bowed gracefully, her blonde hair flowing forward. The movement was reverent, like a dance that had long been ingrained in her.
He opened his eyes again while lifting his body slowly.
"I am very grateful for your kindness, Eren-san."
Eren always remained silent in the same way , he just walked towards his cart, without looking back, without a word.
"Something strange... turns out it can be beautiful too." he muttered softly, barely audible only carried by the wind.