Full and satisfied, everyone left the restaurant, ready to split up, head home to their families, and continue enjoying their leave.
"Huh? That soldier over there looks like Thomas." Eren pointed at a soldier posting a notice on a distant bulletin board.
"Huh? Thomas? Who's that? Burp..." Sasha asked, picking her nose with a dazed look in her eyes after eating her fill.
"You idiot, Sasha! Thomas was in Eren's squad in the Training Corps!" Connie immediately snapped.
"Oh, right! Now I remember!" Sasha clapped her hands in realization.
"Thomas!" Mina waved happily. She and Thomas had been lucky enough to escape death back then, and were the only survivors of Eren's squad besides Eren himself.
Thomas turned at the sound of her voice. Seeing everyone, his mouth opened in delight, and he limped over on his crutches.
"Mina! Eren! Chen Si! Everyone's here!" Thomas said happily.
"Thomas, are you working for the military now too?" Eren asked, glancing at Thomas's legs.
"Yeah. Since my injuries keep me from fighting alongside you on the front lines, Commander Pixis assigned me to the Recruitment Department. I also handle publicity for the military," Thomas said with a cheerful smile.
"Thomas, your legs..." Armin had also noticed that Thomas still needed crutches after all this time, and understood what that meant.
"Thanks to Commander Pixis, they brought in a very skilled doctor who saved one of my legs. But there was nothing they could do for the other one, and I couldn't bring myself to have it amputated," Thomas said, scratching his head.
"There's no rush, Thomas. There's still hope of curing it," Chen Si added.
"Maybe medicine will be more advanced by the time I'm old. Hahaha." Thomas's laugh was tinged with resignation. He knew he would never return to the front