Hanji's POV

I ordered a drink as I waited in the bar. The victim was here last, and I hope I could get some information here. Considering the status of this bar, claiming to be a detective would not work here. I wouldn't get any information, so I decided to disguise myself as someone looking for a good time. And if I'm honest, I needed it. What Levi did to me... I'm ashamed.

"Here for a date or destressing?" A man put his drink down as he sits next to me. I turn to him, and he looked charming. That made him a bit more dangerous. "I'm a regular and I haven't seen you around here."

"Is there a third option?" I smirked, taking a sip from my drink. "I just moved to the area, and I'm looking for places to spend my night from time to time."

The man chuckles, "Well, this place is a great place to drink. I'm Zackery. But... you can call me Zack."

"Leslie," I reply, smiling. "So... a regular? Is there anything I should keep an eye out for?"

"Well, tonight is karaoke night. They hand out small prizes for people who sing exceptionally well. Sometimes, people just like to sing."

"Well, I'm not that good of a singer-."

"Oh, don't say that, Leslie," he says, "I think you can improve your singing skills if you come here and practice more often."

"Oh... I'm not too sure about singing."

"It'll be alright," he brushes against me, smirking with a creepy smirk. "I can help build your confidence."

"I-I'm alright, don't worry."

"Come on, it's okay."

I continued to deny his advances before his drink fell onto my lap. Getting up in surprise, I excused myself to the bathroom to clean up the mess. Though I couldn't do much, I cleaned up as much as I could. If I didn't know any better, he could've spiked my drink... I needed water to cool down a bit. 

Walking out of the bathroom, I didn't see Zack again. Only the bartender.

"Scared him off for ya, Missy," the bartender says to me. "Creeps, am I right?"

"I don't think I'll come back to this bar," I replied, taking out my wallet. "Thank you for scaring him off."

"Have a good day."

"You too."

Walking out of the bar, I was immediately blinded by the sun. I winced at the brightness as I blinked rapidly to get used to it. As I was adjusting, I heard Zack's voice again. "Hey there, Leslie."

"Enough-."

I couldn't react when he grabbed me by the wrists and stared at me with dreadful eyes. Eyes of someone that would murder me. I know I couldn't have drank that much alcohol, but it still scared the crap out of me. I couldn't move at all.

"You are going to listen to me. No knight in shining armor is here to save you."

Someone grabs him from behind and throws him against the wall. "Hands off of her." Levi's familiar voice comes through as I see him pinning Zack. "Touch her again, and I will make you regret it. Do you understand?" Levi tossed him against the wall again, "Do you understand? Answer me!"

"I-I understand!"

"Show your face around here one more time and I'll make you pay!" Levi lets him go, and he scrambled off. Levi turns back to me with those piercing silver eyes. "I told you to stay away from this."

"I'm working the case."

"And working the case got you into this situation. Stop digging-."

"Levi, I can't stop working on the case. No matter what. I'll do whatever I can to solve this. With or without you."

"Let me work the case, Hanji. I can do all of this."

"I can't. You don't trust me, so what makes you trustable to be back on this case? Do you understand where I'm coming from? And what happened last night... how am I supposed to trust you? I can't trust you to do anything anymore." I confessed, shaking my head. "I don't know what's going on with you... not anymore."

"This is for your protection."

"Levi, I'm not some damsel in distress. I can handle myself."

"Like you handled the guy from earlier? I don't think so. Let me back on the case. Let me work on this case."

I shake my head, "No. I need the entire truth. Nothing less. I'll decide if you'll be on the case. And I will not tolerate anything else. Not after what happened last night. And don't you dare give me that excuse that it's for my protection? I'm not here to sit in my office and play with cases. I like to get my hands dirty by investigating on my own. I know my life is on the line, but if it's not mine, it would be someone else's. I will not stand that. I need the truth. That is my condition."

Levi sighed, "Fine... but you need to go back to the office."

"Fine."

"Or at least change. You stink of alcohol."