𝐈𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬 (English)

Chapter 31

Jaune felt Blake pull back the chair beside him and settle into it. It was evening in Beacon and the library was quiet; the "homework legions" had departed, finally cranking out their last-minute coursework and going back to playing games. The only ones that remained were what Jaune labelled the "reading club", which was actually a scattering of individuals in nooks and corners reading fiction. They might have looked lonely to the casual observer, and yet if one looked closely enough they would notice rapt attention on the books and tiny smiles on their faces. It was a calming atmosphere where booklovers lounged for an hour or two before bed, enjoying the simple sounds of pages turning and the smell of leather-bound books and old, musty pages.

"I tried to apologise to Weiss," said Blake.

"Tried? What went wrong?"

"I don't know that anything did but... it doesn't feel like it's enough." Blake cracked her book open, but he knew she wasn't reading. "Weiss said there was nothing to apologise for, and that she wasn't that angry. That we were just having an argument. We agreed to try and talk things out more peacefully but..."

"But it's not just the argument."

Blake sighed and closed her eyes. "It's not just the argument. When did you get so wise?"

"It's almost like I've been reaching psychology books every single afternoon."

"And yet you're still not smart enough to detect a rhetorical question when you hear it." Blake's knee bumped against his to let him know she was joking. "But you're right. It wasn't just about that. The argument is... Weiss is right; it was just us getting heated and butting heads. I think Ruby appreciated my apology more than Weiss did there. I hear she slept in your bed."

"Not with me."

"I know that." Blake rolled her eyes. "Ruby was spluttering it out when Yang teased her about trying to steal her man. It wasn't an issue sleeping with Ren?"

"Our bromance remains strong."

"Idiot," she chuffed, bumping her knee against his again. "How do you do it?" she asked.

"Mm? Seduce Ren? I think it's my natural—"

"Keep your team so even," she interrupted, this time stamping on his foot. "Team JNPR never has any problems and is always peaceful. Meanwhile, we switch up our drama more often than the cafeteria does meals."

"I think you overestimate us to be honest." Jaune set his own book down, folding the page to mark his progress on a study into narrative psychology. "Just because our team's drama isn't as explosive or obvious as yours doesn't mean we don't have any."

"Oh? Like what?"

"Like how Pyrrha is in love with me and her heart is breaking every day she sees me with Yang."

It wasn't revealing anything Blake didn't know. Pyrrha's feelings had been obvious to everyone but him, but as much as they probably thought him an idiot, he felt he had a good defence in the fact that Pyrrha obviously hid it when he was looking. It wasn't hard for other people to tell, but whenever he turned to face her she'd looked perfectly serene and happy. Because she was putting that face on for him.

"Ah." Blake glanced away. "You know, then."

"I know now. I didn't before. And it's not just Pyrrha. You know Nora has feelings for Ren."

"I think the whole school knows that."

"Well, Ren might not have the same feelings for her. Or for anyone. I can't tell if he's just not interested in her, doesn't want to ruin what they have, or if he's asexual or aromantic. Whatever the case, Nora has no chance with him, and he has no chance with anyone else because he will never bring himself to hurt Nora's feelings like that."