"
Hmm, quite unfortunate
Pyrrha mused to herself as she left the classroom where Professor Port had begun his private discussion with the transfer student. A light sparring session would have been a welcome change of pace. Beacon boasted more training rooms than classrooms, after all, and with Combat Class still six hours away, she wouldn't even have to worry about aura depletion.
Luck—or perhaps fate—had her anticipating a dull lecture today, so she'd brought Miló and Akoúō along to tinker with them using her semblance while the professor rambled.
Alas, it seemed that opportunity wouldn't present itself after all.
Still, she was in good spirits. Breakfast had been satisfying, the prospect of a new friend was intriguing, and Jaune seemed happier than she'd seen him in days... ever since—
"Yo, Arc! Come hang with us!"
Cardin's grating voice rang out in the hallway, more a command than an invitation, as he and his team stormed down the hallway.
Pyrrha's frown deepened.
Of course I jinxed it
Miló creaked under her grip, the metal groaning faintly as her aura-enhanced strength betrayed her frustration. Pyrrha barely noticed, her focus squarely on her team leader. She silently prayed that Jaune would ignore the bastard.
Racist. Bully. Coward. Her mind spat the words as she glared at Cardin's retreating back. Pyrrha prided herself on being a good person, on giving others the benefit of the doubt, but when a book reeked to high heaven, it was hard to believe it wasn't filled with rot.
Her hopes were dashed.
"Ahaha... sure, I'm coming."
Jaune's voice carried none of his usual warmth. It was subdued, almost lifeless, as he turned toward her, Nora, and Ren. He didn't meet any of their eyes, instead staring down at the floor as though it might swallow him up.
Why do you do this, Jaune...?
"Jaune, you shouldn't..." She started, the words tumbling out clumsily, her tone tinged with sadness. She didn't know what more to say—what more could she say? They'd already had this conversation more times than she cared to count in the past two days. Ever since he'd started spending more time with Team CRDL than his own.
"I'm fine, Pyrrha," he mumbled, the lie as transparent as glass. "I'll see you in the next class, alright?"
Before she could respond, he turned and walked away, shoulders hunched as though he carried the weight of the world. He didn't look back—not at her, not at Nora or Ren. He didn't even hesitate.
Memories flashed through Pyrrha's mind as she watched Jaune's retreating figure.
Jaune, her first friend, her first ally at Beacon. Every step of the way, he was by her side, always ready to throw in a funny quip or to cheer her on. The pancake dinners the group shared after study sessions wouldn't be the same without Jaune helping her to wash the dishes, throwing soap bubbles at her while she tried to wake Nora from her food-induced comas. The hangouts with Team RWBY were made all the more lively due to Jaune and Ruby's friendship, slowly bridging the gap between the two teams.
But that itself was the problem. No matter how much he tried to hide it, Pyrrha could tell- Jaune was floundering amidst the other freshman. He wasn't as prepared in combat, wasn't as well-versed in history, wasn't as accustomed to reciting the Huntsman Code of Conduct and other peace charters. He just didn't know how to be at a combat school, and Pyrrha just couldn't understand why. She had heard of how good his transcript had been- why weren't those skills transferring to his performance here?
However, when she tried to offer her notes or help him out in any way at all, the answer was always the same. "I'm fine, Pyrrha," Jaune would scoff, brushing off her concern and changing the subject before she could say anything.
And every time, she shut down a little, not knowing how to respond.
But you do need help, she wanted to scream, can't you see that? I just want to make it easier for you.
Her hands clenched into fists at her sides.
Was he mad at them? At her? For what? Trying to help? Did he want so badly to distance himself from his team that he'd rather spend time with Cardin?
The thought made her stomach churn.
Maybe I'm wrong, she thought, or rather prayed.
Please, Brothers, let me be wrong. Let it all be in my head.
But she didn't know.
And that terrified her.
She turned to her teammates, searching for some kind of response, and she almost regretted it as what she saw made her feel even worse.
Nora's usual spark was gone, her ever-present smile replaced by a quiet frown. Even Ren, whose calm demeanor rarely wavered, had a shadow of concern etched across his face.
Pyrrha's chest tightened as questions swirled in her mind.
Was this truly my fault?
She couldn't help but think that if she'd known, she could've stopped it—fixed it somehow. But what? What had she missed? What could she do differently?
A gentle hand on her shoulder pulled her from the spiral.
"It's okay, Pyrrha. You did nothing wrong," Nora said softly, her words kind and steady, though her expression remained subdued.
Pyrrha managed a weak smile in return, but it felt hollow. The furrow in her brow refused to smooth out, the worry burrowing deeper as Jaune disappeared around the corner without so much as a glance back.
"Yes, Jaune will come to his senses," Ren said in his usual calm manner. "I'm sure he'll tell us what's going on eventually. For now, we can only remind him that we're here for him—whatever he needs—and trust that he'll trust us in turn."
His steady voice eased some of the tension coiled in Pyrrha's chest, just enough to let her slip the old, familiar mask back onto her face. The creases in her forehead lingered, but the relaxed smile that settled on her lips felt...natural enough. At least, that's what her mother used to say whenever Pyrrha wore this same expression: good enough for the press.
It would have to be good enough for now.
"Come on! Let's go get some pancakes!" Nora declared with finality, her voice light and determined.
Pyrrha felt a small, genuine flicker of warmth at the suggestion. She wasn't particularly fond of unhealthy food, but pancakes somehow sounded good at this moment.
Ren let out a resigned sigh, though the corners of his mouth betrayed a small, amused smile.
"We'll probably be late for Oobleck's class…" he muttered, but the lack of conviction in his tone made it clear he wasn't going to argue.
Pyrrha followed Nora's example, pretending she hadn't heard him, just as she pretended to not hear the ugly thoughts still swirling in her mind.