A Cruel, Yet Beautiful World (Eren x Mikasa) AoT AU

Chapter 10

It has been thirteen days since Mikasa relented to the military's demand and joined the Cadet Corps. Now here she was at the training grounds, on line waiting for her uniform and pair of combat boots. 

The raven haired girl was surrounded by her peers on all sides and could not help but feel uncomfortable. Throughout her entire life she was surrounded by people who were all significantly older and mature than her. Even the likes of Levi and Petra both have more than half a decade on her. Not to mention, their experience in the military as well as their time raising Mikasa has also caused them to grow years beyond their teenage ages. Truth be told, the girl find it quite hard to relate to any of these people around her. She had no idea how any of them thought nor did she know what any of them were like. 

The only person that she ever got to know that was the same age as her was Eren Yeager. The two of them had such a strong connection, one that the opal eyed girl still cherishes to this day. Despite the very little time they spent together, the emerald eyed boy had a lasting impact upon her life. He saved Mikasa from a group of kidnappers and gave her light when her life was at its darkest. She had absolutely no intention of ever forgetting him and would always fight to avenge him. Mikasa affectionately touched the red scarf she still wraps around her neck, wondering what her friend would think of her right now. Would he like the person she has become? Would he like how great of a fighter she was? Would he like the way that she looked? Would he still want to be her friend after all of this time? Would he be able to forgive her for not being there for him in Shiganshina?

"Next!" A woman in her mid twenties yelled out, breaking Mikasa out of her thought state. The raven haired girl realized that she was holding up the line and hastily ran up to the instructor behind a counter. The woman looked Mikasa up and down trying to do some mental calculations, before finally saying, "Mmm... you are probably like a medium or something, how many inches is your foot?"

"Um, I think five." Mikasa quietly replied

This caused the woman to leave and go into a back room for a couple of moments. She then returned with a pair of brown boots, white uniform, brown jacket, as well as a pack of crackers. The woman handed these items to the opal eyed girl before saying, "Here is your gear, boots, and rations; you are to change into your uniform now since roll call will be performed by the commandant soon. Also, don't eat your food all at once, that is the only thing you are getting until dinner so don't even think about asking for another pack. Next!"

Mikasa left the counter and saw many of her new comrades introducing themselves to each other on the open training grounds. However the raven haired girl was still felt awkward being around these people and was not comfortable talking to them yet. The girl walked right past the groups of cadets and towards a shady tree on a hill. Mikasa then changed into her new uniform behind the tree before sitting down against it alone staring at the sky above her. It would probably be sometime before roll call would begin, so she had time to kill.

The girl looked down to the the field rations she was given and decided to try them out. She ripped off the wrapper before taking a bite out of them. However, they were much harder than she expected and the girl had to grind on them with her molars before a piece finally broke off. The raven haired girl then chewed it for a while before finally swallowing, cringing as she did so. The food was almost completely flavorless and caused Mikasa's entire mouth to dry up. She did not understand how Levi and Petra could eat this stuff all the time. She already missed the food that the two teenagers used to cook and it has only been one day. If this was what she was going to have to eat in the Survey Corps everyday, she would lose her mind

"'The flavor has been refined so that the taste isn't bad' my ass" Mikasa mumbled as she read the information on the foil before throwing it behind her.