I Became the Villain of Attack on Titan

The classroom was filled with the scratching of chalk against the board as the instructor wrote, and the trainees diligently copied it down.

It was a familiar sight. Almost nostalgic enough to remind me of my old high school days.

Not that it was a pleasant memory.

Theory classes weren't my thing, back then or now.

Most of the other trainees felt the same.

Of course, there were the rare exceptions—guys like Armin and Marco, the studious types who actually enjoyed this.

But they were the minority.

"Now, understanding the motor mechanism of the Omni-Directional Mobility Gear is essential."

The instructor started sketching the ODM gear on the board while explaining its functions.

Sweat dripped down his forehead, but the quality of the drawing was surprisingly high.

Was he secretly an artist or something?

I lost interest quickly and glanced away.

…Wait, she hasn't looked at the board even once.

I stole a glance at Annie, sitting beside me.

Like always, she was staring out the window, looking like she'd rather be anywhere else.

She'd been like this since our time in the Warrior Unit.

If staring out the window was a skill, she had mastered it.

I suddenly wondered—what was she thinking about during all these lessons?

Curious, I tapped her shoulder and slipped her a note.

—What are you thinking about?

She stared at the note for a while before scribbling a reply.

—Nothing.

…Nothing?

That was unexpected.

I wrote back.

—Aren't you bored?

Her response came quickly this time.

—I'm bored.

So, even Annie found this boring.

Well, if even a warrior from Marley thought so, then it wasn't just me.

I thought for a moment and came up with a fun idea.

—Turn your head again like before.

She looked at my note with a puzzled expression, as if wondering what I meant.

—I'm good at drawing.

Annie frowned, clearly unimpressed.

I mouthed, "Hurry up," urging her.

Eventually, she turned her head toward the window, almost as if being pushed into it.

Unlike before, she seemed oddly aware that I was drawing her.

I smirked and started sketching.

Honestly, portraits weren't that hard.

As long as you exaggerated certain features, you could create a decent caricature.

I focused on Annie's defining traits—her large, round eyes, slightly hooked nose, and her always-messy hair.

As I continued sketching, refining the details…

'Huh… wait, what?'

Before I knew it, a witch had appeared on my paper.

Sure, my drawing skills weren't perfect, but…

I had only emphasized her features, yet somehow, it turned out like this.

Would Annie appreciate this abstract art?

I hesitated for a moment, wondering if I should really show her.

'Well, I did put in the effort, so…'

I handed her the drawing.

The moment Annie saw it, her eyes twitched.

She looked at me, clearly in shock.

I grinned mischievously.

"Looks just like you."

"…Not even close."

She let out a low growl, clearly displeased.

"It's a gift, so keep it."

I slipped the drawing into her notebook.

Annie let out a deep sigh before shaking her head as if to say, "Do whatever you want."

While I was goofing around with Annie, I suddenly felt an odd itch at the back of my head.

I turned around, and as soon as my eyes met Bertolt's, he quickly lowered his head.

Reiner, who was sitting next to him, had been resting his chin on his hand, staring blankly at the blackboard. When he saw me, he winked with his left eye.

It felt like I had seen something I shouldn't have.

I reluctantly turned back to the front.

*************

"Ugh, I thought I was going to die from boredom."

Reiner stretched his arms and complained.

The boring theory class had dragged on for a long four hours.

Two hours of class with a ten-minute break... this was even more brutal than university lectures.

"I never get theory."

A voice came from behind Reiner. It was Eren.

His forehead was bright red, probably from resting his head on it during the class.

"Did you even listen to the class?"

Reiner asked, slightly irritated.

"Well, it's fine. I can just look at Armin's notes."

Eren shrugged.

After all, as long as you don't fail the theory part, it doesn't really matter.

Since it didn't take up much of the overall score, there was no real motivation to study hard for it.

Plus, I could always borrow Armin's notebook the night before the exam.

"By the way, what's the next class, Armin?"

"Umm, I think it was hand-to-hand combat."

"…That sounds like it could be fun. Probably better than rolling around in the scorching sun."

Both theory class and the heat of the sun were tough, but rolling around in the sun seemed less exhausting.

Just then, amidst the playful chatter of the boys, I noticed a familiar face that was all too familiar to Shiniro.