Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

          Already messy files almost end up scattered on the floor, yet you manage to salvage them right on time. Your hands and legs shake just as fast as your heart beats; even breathing is a challenge with how stressed your mind is. Being around a large number of people wasn't the norm in your home; you'd been used to being a close family of six since you were born, and nothing more. Spending time with others beyond relatives was a rarity, as was the idea and agreement of having you study your final year in Cherryton -- far outside the safety of your home. Now that you're eighteen and near to graduating, your family's given you three simple rules to follow: never step out of campus at night, never join acting, and never show daintiness. All three of them emphasize the word 'never'; not a single space for protest or bargain is left in those rules. You knew the consequences of going out at night, as well as the risks of calling forth unwanted attention by choosing not to dress how you were told and letting any sort of bubbly nature out. Being forbidden to join acting was by far the only thing they hadn't explained to you by full.

          "Your dorm is through here," Jack says, pointing with his eyes and snout over to a busy hallway.

           While the person giving you the tour isn't exactly the type you were warned of before being admitted into this school, he isn't exactly of your type either, but more of a happy medium between the two: a dog. Not quite a carnivore and not quite a herbivore, he's what you learned to be an omnivore -- a kind you were taught to be wary of just as much as a wolf or a lion. Even then, his presence is about as warm and welcoming as sun rays on a cold, winter day, and you find it hard not to smile when he continues to show you around the place. He only ever stops when he sees he's left you far behind, a product of you losing yourself in your thoughts and the new world around you. 

         His excitement is one you wish you could manifest just as much as him, though the reminder of how you had to behave at this school leads you to brush and bury those ideas away and hold yourself back.

         "Are you okay?"

         Jack's question paired up with his careful tone help pull you out of your daydreaming. How concerned he looks makes you take note of the expression you're carrying. Oftentimes, you scrunched up your snout and furrowed your brow -- whenever you became lost in thought, mostly. To any outsider like him, it would seem as if though you're bothered by something, so you hurry in your reply, words leaving you in a rush, "I'm okay." Your smile returns as you meet his eyes. "I just… I got caught up with something else."

         "Nervous about staying here?"

         "About everything, honestly."

         He lets out a laugh at that, and his gaze brightens as he motions for you to follow him once more.

         Your next destination is what appears to be the rooms you were informed of at the beginning of your visit -- judging by the rows of doors laid around, along with one of them left open, displaying a bunk bed in the background. There's a student by the dresser, combing her fur without so much as bothering to look at you or Jack. She's far too focused on her brushing to acknowledge she's left the room visible to those wandering outside, though -- with her being a wolf -- you assume she's confident in herself. Or you believe so, at the very least, as based on the rumours your parents and every other family member taught you.

         You halt when you notice Jack stops right by that door and see him gesture over with his head for you to step inside. 

         "Is this allowed?" you blurt out, rushing to cover up not a minute after that question leaves your mouth. "O- Oh gosh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean it like that."

         "It's alright," he says, chuckling. "I know you're homeschooled, so if you have any questions about how things work here, feel free to ask me!" He stops for a moment and seems to recall something along the way. "And you can come over to my place, too, if you need more help with showing you around."

         "How bold of you to invite a girl into the boys' dorm, Jack." 

         A feminine voice comes from behind him, and -- soon after -- the wolf from earlier appears next to the dog. She directs a cheeky grin at him, then a friendlier smile at you. "You're my roommate, aren't you?" she says, nodding her head in the direction of your dorm. "What are you standing there for? I want to get to know you!" She sounds about twice as cheerful as Jack acts. "I was told about your arrival almost three whole months ago, so the wait has been long enough."

         "...You're Juno?" you ask, making memory of the list handed over to you just a few hours ago. 

         She nods, eyes softening. "(Y/N), right? It's... nice to have a herbivore who won't look for a change of dorms the second she sees me."

         Already feeling guilty, you can only hope she hadn't heard you earlier ago. It was a known fact you tended to speak without thinking sometimes (if not, most of the time), so you make a mental note out of it and set up a goal to improve on that throughout the rest of the year. You thank Jack and say your goodbyes before following her into the room.

         At the sound of the door closing, you breathe a sigh of relief with the knowledge you've made it this far without screwing up too badly. The next thing in mind is to try sparking up some conversation, but only when you make enough mental preparation for it -- aware your thoughts might run haywire and tactless again. "But... Why would they do that? Isn't it normal at this school?"

         Juno shows you around the room and stops next to one of the beds, bottom one being the only one out of all the others around to have some of her possessions settled down on it. "It's allowed," she replies and continues with, "And though it's not too uncommon for both carnivores and herbivores to be placed together... Things got a lot more tense after a student's passing." Her ears droop along with her tail, and a hint of gloom clashes with her friendly demeanor. "That's why you're the only other woman in this room, and why I…" Her body shudders as she lets out a breath. "Why I try not to walk alone in the halls anymore." She takes another breath and lets it out with a huff. A hushed swoon then seems to take her over, replacing her sadness about as quickly as her ears go back up. "Although... I guess I wouldn't have met someone wonderful, if some students hadn't cornered me for being a carnivore not long after I arrived here."

         The wolf sighs, then faces you with droopy eyelids and a softer smile. "Tell me, (Y/N)... Have you ever fallen in love? It's the most incredible feeling I can describe!" She sits down on the bottom bed, though she scoots aside, leaving you some space next to her. "They say your last year at school's the last chance you have for experiencing an emotion so strong, but I like to believe it will carry on as long as your love is powerful enough for it!"

         While you're a bit lost as to what point she's trying to make, you smile and nod along as you wait for her to continue speaking. 

         After all, having two friends at the beginning of your final school year didn't sound like a bad idea. Hopefully, your lonely days would start to change; your conversation with Jack and your current one with Juno have been -- without much exaggeration -- the most interaction you've had during all your eighteen years of living. Knowing you were finally free to meet as many people as you'd want as well as study over brand-new things and the relationships between both kinds made your worries and doubts more than worthwhile. No matter how often your family and distant acquaintances warned you otherwise, you needed to grow, learn, explore, and see more outside what was taught to you at home. 

         You hear Juno out until she asks if you have a special someone yourself; the question turns out to be a bit of a difficult one to answer with how little people you knew to this day. So far, the only experience you remember similar to that of having a crush on someone was by reading stories of adventure and challenge when you were younger. All of these were confiscated by your family whenever you gained too many ideas, fell for a character, or whenever a book so much as mentioned the word carnivore between its pages -- in a light aside from that of hostile and negative.

         Although it feels like nothing short of wishful thinking, you hope your current circumstances change soon with the new path being offered out to you; in that, you carry a strong and unshakable desire over.

         And, who knows? 

         Maybe one day you'd be able to sneak out and watch the night sky, too -- and with a friend or two by your side, preferably.

         "I don't, but…" You trail off to consider her question; overwhelmed by the changes and influenced by her energetic self, you find it hard not to follow along with her. "I wouldn't mind having one -- if that opportunity ever came around!"

Chapter Text

          "What are you standing there alone for, (Y/N)? Come sit with me!"

          While you expect Juno would rather have lunch with people she already knows well, you see her stand up from her seat and approach your side when she spots you nearby. She holds the tray firm in one hand and waves with the other. In response, you smile and grab your own tray tight before following her, all while ignoring the ever-growing feeling of everyone's eyes on you, regardless of almost all the students around being too busy eating, talking, and walking to notice your presence. So far, and -- close to what you expected -- you've only talked with the wolf and the dog; the latter you hadn't even come across with since yesterday afternoon. Truth be told, you want to take up his offer and knock at the door of his dorm, but more than one reason restrains you from doing it.

          First, you'd only known him for a day, and even if you really did only need to ask him more about the school, you couldn't gather sufficient courage to do it. Second, you didn't want to risk making your parents worry by telling them the very first thing you'd done was run off to the boys' dorm without a care in the world. Third and most important of all right now, you didn't know how to keep up a normal conversation with Juno without worrying about your word choice every few seconds, so merely thinking of doing the same with Jack made you retreat on the idea without thinking it twice. Having to share a room with someone else and the impending need to form small talk and prevent yourself from seeming rude or awkward was already draining enough -- mentally, most of all. You're aware you're far from prepared to tackle any other, larger issues without having an internal meltdown over them, so it's best to set some limits for the moment being; perhaps eventually, you could handle a bigger crowd, but today's not that day.

          Being homeschooled weights more as a con the more hours you spend at this school. Not only do you have a hard time being social and getting adjusted to such a large campus, but you barely have any knowledge of the relationship between carnivores, herbivores, and those in-between. If you didn't wish to be classified as ignorant or naïve, you would soon need to ask either Juno or Jack to tell you where the library is. Starting off with some basic research is about the least you can do to break out of that shell -- once and for all.

          "...Earth to lamb?"

          You flinch and almost topple the juice box on your tray. 

          It takes you a second to process that you've already made it to a table, and a few more to acknowledge Juno's now sitting down --  and with an empty chair waiting across from her, too.

          "Sorry," you say, mouth and ears drooping just as much as your courage. Your head spins as you rush to sit down and shrink away in your seat, avoiding eye contact with her by all means possible. Then, you take your drink, open it, and sip some of it, hoping to ease the tension out of you. "I keep... spacing out lately."

          Juno smiles and tilts her head to the side, while her ears perk and her gaze lights up. Her eyes are intent on you, and these carry the same brightness as when she talked with you about love. "Someone on your mind?" She looks behind her -- as if expecting to see your source of interest from close by; her smile remains intact as she goes back to looking at you. "Is it Jack?" she asks, winking. "You looked like you were getting along pretty well with him yesterday."

          You smile back, though you still end up shaking your head to let her know otherwise. Having a crush on someone so quick and suddenly was unlikely for you, but the reminder of how passionate she seemed about this particular subject yesterday makes you believe she's the type to fall fast and love lavishly. You fork some of the salad on your tray and toy with it for a moment, mind yet to return from its journey as you consider her words and just how different your view on love is when compared to hers. "I was thinking of him, but not like that." You take in some air and brace yourself for any incoming questions. "I was actually wondering if… if you knew where the library is? I know he offered to help, but-"

          "So there is something going on with you!" The wolf interrupts you with her excitement and stands up from her seat. Her gaze is now as wide as the smile on her face, and her energy almost rubs off on you. She places her hands on the table, leans in, and suspends herself over it. "Was it love at first sight? Don't skim on the details, (Y/N)!"

          You scratch your throat and prepare yourself with a deep breath, at a dire need to tell her the truth. 

          "Ah, n- no." You set the fork down and look up to meet with her eyes. The desire to clear things up grows stronger, and you can't ignore it for much longer. "I just want to make friends, but I'm not sure I'll be too successful in that, considering how… who I am."

          Juno's excitement falls. Her gaze knits as she sits back down, and a frown replaces her smile, overpowering her previous attitude entirely. "What do you mean?"

          You gather wit to be blunt, not wanting to sugarcoat how you feel about yourself and this recent change. "Frankly, I'm…" Your words trail off and you hesitate with a deep breath in, along with one out. "I feel I'm too... ignorant to understand how to get along better with others at this school." Hunger stays absent -- even when you stare down at your plate and breathe in its scent. Your confidence from yesterday proves to be little and outright superficial with how different you feel today, reaching towards a level of self-consciousness you haven't experienced since your early teens. "I only ever went to kindergarten, and the rest of my years were taught at home." You grab the juice box and drink from it in an attempt at finding your appetite again. When you gulp, it feels worse than before. Nausea arrives with how much you dwell over a single topic. "To be honest, It… It surprised me when I noticed I'd be staying in the same dorm as you. Jack heard me say something… rude about it, though I'm not sure if you heard me, too."

          "Oh, I heard you," Juno replies, a laugh leaving her mouth. She takes a bite from her food before continuing with, "But I pretended not to." 

          "Why would you do that?" you ask, now your turn to frown. "You were so close by when I yelled that…" Your face turns hot the longer you think about that memory. "It was rude of me. A terrible first impression, that's for sure!"

          A grin forms on her face, though she doesn't say anything yet. Rather, she takes another bite off her meal, almost emptying the plate in the process. How fast she eats prompts you to start eating from your tray, against wasting any food and risking the chances of feeling hungry by your next class. "Maybe it was, but I wanted to see if you would bring it up someday." She sets the cutlery down and glances behind you, grin growing. "And you did," she adds, words as confident as you wish you could be. "Much earlier than I thought you would." Juno gazes behind you again; her tail wags and her eyes spark with what looks to be mischief. "Look behind you!"

          You do as suggested and almost end up falling from your seat when you come face-to-face with Jack, his knees currently bent to match with your sitting height. His snout is nearly close enough to brush with yours, and that same excitement and joy from yesterday remains in his stance. "How's your first day going?" he asks, tail wagging at a similar pace to Juno's, although his smile proves to be more genuine rather than teasing. "It's nice to see you making friends already!" His eyes shift towards the wolf and turn back to you once more. Then, a slip of paper is offered out to you, this one folded neat and compact for you to carry. "Here's my number, in case you ever want to hang out."

          "Being bold again, aren't you, Jack?"

          His hold on the paper stays even as you take it; a hint of embarrassment shows up on his cheeks when he looks at Juno. Her comment -- slowly, but surely -- dawns on him and leads to him staying frozen in that same spot for a while. "It's not like that!" Jack exclaims, snapping out of it. He finally lets go of it to stand up straight and meet the wolf with a flustered gaze.

          Juno, on the other hand, laughs it out with just as much glee as the first time "Sure, it's not," she replies, giggling. Her teasing nature returns in an instant, hardly giving him a chance to recover from the previous blow. "First, you invite her to your place, and then you give her your number, too? I'm the person you can least hide these things from."

          That's enough for her to shut his mouth.

          Jack's forced to find a distraction by facing you again, with a less confident look now present in his eyes. "Think we could talk later? I'm meeting up with some friends today." He stops for a second; fluster falls from his face as a cheery expression makes its return. "And maybe I can introduce you to some of them, too. I'm sure they'd like to meet someone new!" He takes a final glance at the paper before leaving the table, an act done while avoiding Juno's gaze from all angles. 

          "Y- You can still keep that, by the way."

          With that last, stuttered sentence, he runs off -- but not before waving goodbye. 

          You wave back and watch as he disappears from your sight, leaving you alone with Juno once more, who smiles in response.

          "So... Friends, huh?" she jokes, letting out a laugh.

          Your tray almost ends up on the floor when she says that, hands shaking to the point where you can't bring much control over them anymore. 

          While you're aware she's not being serious and that it's all done in good fun, you can't help dwelling too much on whether you're supposed to be here, and if someone like you would only cause more trouble to the school and all its people.  

          "I'll take your word for it, (Y/N)."

Chapter Text

          "I knew I'd find you here!"

          At the sound of that voice -- familiar and friendly -- you look up from your book and form a smile when you recognize the person behind it. 

          "Are you busy right now?" Jack asks, sitting in the empty chair next to yours. "I'd like you to meet someone, if you're not too busy!"

          You bookmark where you're at, glance up to face his eyes, and catch a glimpse of excitement behind them. Him looking so cheerful as he waits for your response makes it almost impossible not to be persuaded into agreeing right off the bat. Still, you give the offer some thought and take your school schedule into account, against letting your responsibilities pile up right from the beginning.

          "Sure," you reply, setting the book aside. "I'm just doing some self-study, at the moment." You furrow your gaze and add, "Who am I meeting, by the way?" While having time was one thing, taking into consideration who you would befriend was another. You look around and frown when you see there's no one present nearby, not only from the risk of you being all alone at a school like this one, but at the curiosity over getting to meet another student -- and potential, eventual friend, hopefully.

          Jack calls the person over as a response. 

          The one mentioned doesn't take too long to appear, as he shows up by the door frame in less than it takes for you to organize the pile of books on the table; he even manages a sheepish wave when he catches you staring at him, yet he keeps quiet and still after that, in spite of neither of you knowing each other's names.

          It's another wolf, though he's nowhere similar to Juno. The only remotely close aspect you can find between them is his height, but even then, it's not the same. If Jack had to crouch a bit to talk to you, the wolf would no doubt have to do that, too -- if not more than that. Jack introduces him as Legoshi, a name you'd often heard slip from Juno's mouth since the past week spent as her roommate. You reciprocate his wave from earlier and direct a quick smile at him, one he returns with a reserved, almost hesitant nature -- completely different from your expectations, given his species.

          At the thought of him being the one Juno often rambled on about, you bite back a grin and introduce yourself in return. The image she'd painted you of the wolf is barely needed when you take notice of just how cautious and awkward he is in greeting you. It's like he's not so sure as to how to approach you, and each movement he makes is just as wary as the next. 

          When you shake hands with him, you see his gaze wander over to the book and a pile of them left on the table.

          His face lights up in recognition, and it doesn't take long before he asks, "Are you the homeschool student from last week?"

          You chuckle, let go of his hand, and walk off back to the table to pick up the book, smile growing when you read the title again. "Is it that obvious?" You hold it up in your hands and bite back another laugh. "I'm, well... I'm trying to be less… ignorant -- now that I'm going to be studying at a place like this! Homeschool didn't really teach me stuff beyond math, science, and languages, so I need to make up for that as much as I can." 'Of Wolves and Sheep: A Fundamental Guide to Carnivores, Herbivores, and those in between', reads the book's cover; the sheer irony of your meeting deems you incapable of wiping away your smile. "But, this is probably basic knowledge to everyone here though, huh?"

          His eyes glance over the book once more, while his gaze softens as he shakes his head, returning your playful nature. "Not really," he replies, sitting down across from you and Jack when you offer him to. "I'm still learning, too," he adds. "Maybe it looks like everyone here knows about that topic, but... If you know about what happened to one of the students, you'd think differently." A somber expression reaches his face as he huffs and passes a hand against the back of his neck; a more mournful look then glints in his visage -- almost a second after, yet it's shaken off when he continues with, "In the end, it feels more like everyone's just trying their best to understand each other despite everything going on."

          You toy with the book in your possession and stay quiet as your mind debates whether or not it would be okay to ask more about the incident. So far, you'd only heard rumours about it, these hard to hold on to with how frail and inconsistent their sources and information were. When you see sadness return to the wolf's gaze, you fight against it. Whatever went on at the drama club with one of its students was clearly still affecting him to this day, so you try not to make him feel worse by adding any unneeded comments to the mix. Whether he knew the person didn't matter; asking anything else would kill the mood entirely.

          "I thought you'd wait for me, Legoshi. How rude of you!"

          Hearing another voice blend into the calm of the library, you glance back towards the door to see a peafowl standing by it, a smile on his face despite the accusation in his words. He has his arms firmly crossed, faking anger through an equally firm glare. "Were you that desperate to meet the new girl? You disappeared the second we left the drama club!" While part of your questions are fulfilled with the person's entrance, you still don't dare ask Legoshi about the incident. Rather, you keep quiet and greet the peafowl with a wave and a smile -- just like you'd done with the wolf next to you. "You all look so cute together! Should I take a picture?"

          You tense up and observe those around you. Embarrassment falls on you when you notice just how popular you seem to be currently, being surrounded by two canines and an avian. Your first few days as a new student appear gone now, and -- to any outsider -- it would come off as if you're the center of attention, with all gazes on you. "It… It's fine!" you reply, words almost stuttered. On instinct, you hide behind your book and try to control the shake of your hands. As kind as the offer is, you're far too jittery to even consider the idea of having your picture taken -- and even less with other people.

          Still, you're against being rude, so you add a 'thank you, though' after your words.

          "A shy one, aren't you?" he comments, covering a giggle with his hand. "You must be (Y/N), right? Juno wouldn't stop talking about the new girl, and when I heard Legoshi was meeting you today, I just had to join!" He stands by the only empty chair left at your table and extends a hand out to you before sitting down. "My name's Dom. It's nice to meet you!"

          Safe to say, his energy is infectious.

          You take his hand, palm feeling just as warm as his voice and smile. "Nice to meet you, too." 

          Then, you let go and move your gaze back to your book. The pile at the center of the table is the next thing to be the source of attention when Dom comments over it, mischief replacing his previous, friendly tone. He reaches out for the pile, drags it over to his side, and picks the odd one out -- one you'd tried to hide by slipping it in the very middle of the rest. "It seems our new girl already has her eyes on someone here, huh? And here I thought Juno was only teasing you about it!"

          To be blunt, he's holding a romance book -- its cover risqué. The image features a forbidden love between a carnivore and a herbivore, and while the publishing year dates back to almost a century ago, it retains plenty of relevance today. At a time when tension between the two sides was still fresh and bleeding, books like these existed, though you didn't exactly want to be found out with it currently. "Is it this guy, perhaps?" Dom asks, pointing at Jack, who straightens his posture as fast as the accusation comes. A hint of red shows on his face, but he tries to hide it by looking elsewhere. "You sure act quick, (Y/N)! I'm impressed."

          Not wanting for further assumptions to be made, you suspend yourself over the table, focus on your target, and try to reach out for the book. Too easy to be true, you almost fall over when Dom pulls back, hiding it behind him. "It- It's not like that, really!" you exclaim, words coming out about as flustered as your face likely is now. "I'm just curious about the book -- It reminds me of a fairytale I read when I was little!"

          At that, Dom stops evading your attempts at grabbing the book back from him. Interest crosses his gaze and a moment of silence takes over the room, one you're not feeling too confident about. "Oh, really?" he asks, cooing. "Hopeless romantic? Or curious about what your parents never told you?"

          You sit back down on your seat and look at your lap, face burning. "A... A bit of both, actually."

          The peafowl laughs, a sound honest and bright. When you stare back at him, he's holding out the book, waiting for you to take it. "Lend it to me when you're finished, alright?" he says, winking. "I'm a bit curious myself."

          You allow yourself a few minutes for your face to cool down some more and huff out a long, deep breath when you're done. Truth be told, it nearly seems as if you've spent all the energy left in you by agreeing to meet new people, yet you don't exactly dislike the experience. Rather, you smile again when you recover and find your cheeks and chest hurt from how happy you are right now.

          Nodding, you take the book and place it under your current read.

          Your shoulders tense when you feel everyone's eyes on you, though you push through with an 'alright'.

Chapter Text

          "Oh gosh, I'm so sorry!"

          Leave it to you to carry on making awful first impressions and potentially ruining new relationships before they can even start.

          Having your head in the clouds while walking is a bad habit you'll need to learn how to control if you want to make it out of here in one piece.

          One thing's being unintentionally rude to Juno on your first day, and a whole other's bumping into someone and spilling a drink all over them.

          "Let me help you."

          You rush off toward the victim's side: a fluffy white rabbit sporting the most pissed off expression known to man. Then, you kneel in front of her, both arms outstretched as your hands hesitate over how to approach the situation without making it worse. The glare she gives you at first vanishes when she gets a good look at who you are, laughter bursting from her not long after she's done observing you. She stands up, dusting off her uniform's skirt and facing down at you. She's biting back what you assume is another laugh, judging by how her body shakes and the muffled sound that leaves her lips. Her calm arrives as quickly as her anger formed, and now, there's an amused glint clear in her gaze, paired up with mirth in her mouth.

          "Sorry about glaring at you," she says, offering a hand out to you. "...I thought you were someone else."

          You neither reject nor accept her warm attempt at helping you back to your feet, still shaken from the experience. 

          Your hand trembles as it reaches out for hers, the stain on her shirt hardly cooperating with the situation. 

          "Wh- What are you apologizing for?" you ask, a deep frown accompanying your question. " I'm the one who spilled juice all over you!"

          Remembering what's in your pockets, you pull your hand back, huff, and search around, retrieving some wet wipes and a handkerchief. The rabbit lifts a brow at that, though she doesn't comment anything about it. Only when you stand up all by yourself and insist on cleaning her shirt on your own is that you realize just what that implies. When you lean in toward her and try to wipe the fabric clean, your face is far too close for comfort. And when you attempt to push forward by actually doing what you're supposed to be doing if you want to help her out, it's just as uncomfortable – being prompted to touch her all willy-nilly, like she's not someone you've only met just now. Dreaded silence and a painfully long wait follow your sudden surge of bravery, a similar scenario to when Jack greeted you at the cafeteria making an abrupt return. Not quite courageous enough to back away, nor go through with your original plan, you offer the wipes to her, apologizing once more.

          "I didn't see where I was going," you state, frowning. "I… I have a trick to get those stains off if they don't fade, so just… Just let me know, and I'll do it for you!"

          She lets out a laugh.

          "Calm down for a moment, will you?" she replies, again holding back a smile. "I already said I confused you with someone else, so I'm not angry at you. Just surprised." Instead of cleaning her shirt, she sets the wipes aside, using her free hand to offer it over to you once more, a smile finally showing. "You're one of the new students, aren't you? Legoshi told me about you." Although you take her hand this time, you still let go as soon as the handshake ends. "I'm Haru," she adds, her smile growing by the sides. "You must be (Y/N), right?"

          You nod, returning her smile. "Yes. I, um, well…" You give up with a sigh and laugh it all off, facing her eyes before looking away. "That really wasn't a great first impression, huh?"

          Surprisingly, she cracks up at that, and shakes her head when she's settled back to her previous self.

          "I've had worse ones, believe me."

          You both start walking without a particular destination in mind, only stopping when you reach a place less overcome by other students: a corner of the campus, mostly ignored with how sunlight has conquered it, and how there's a leak in that particular area of the roof, causing a small puddle to form, mud streaking across an otherwise clean path.

          She rests her back against a wall – all while avoiding the spot where the leak is – making you do the same. 

          "...You were homeschooled, weren't you?" the rabbit asks, looking toward you. "What was it like?"

          "Oh, gosh! Does everyone here know about that?" you ask back, a joking tone and a goofy smile letting known over the playfulness of your own question. You breathe in, place a hand over your chest, and let that breath out, then fold your hands over your lap and face down as you huff and think her question through. "I'm not sure how to explain it, but, um…" Your shoulders tense, mind uncertain over how to approach the topic. "It was alright. My mother was a great teacher, and dad was, too, yet they…" You breathe in and out again, thoughts conflicted as you clutch your skirt, remembering the day they locked away all books depicting even a trace of rebellion or revolution. "I don't want to sound selfish, but I guess, now that I'm here… It feels like there's a lot to the world I don't know."

          From the corner of your eye, you catch the sight of her ears perking up. 

          You face her directly, seeing interest present in her gaze. 

          At that sight, you breathe in deep and prepare yourself to continue, motivated by her expression to keep going with what's on your mind.

          "While I can pretty much consider myself independent in terms of housework, studying, and all… I believe if I were to come across a moment of high-tension, I wouldn't know how to deal with it." You break your gaze away, looking down again as you close your eyes, growing tense once more. "I… I get scared easily, and I'm sure if it came to that, I wouldn't know how to defend myself." Finally – and with a second breath in – you open your eyes, being greeted by hers, still facing you. "N- Not only that, but it feels like I'm too, well… stiff, weird, and just awkward around others who're…" You trail off and eye her over, gaining the missing word for your thoughts. "...who're different from us. When I saw a wolf would be my roommate, I… I panicked for a second, and I- I couldn't think straight, or… Or even breathe without feeling as if I were d- drowning and sinking. But, then… I remembered what the school's attempting to achieve, and… And I felt more at ease."

          You stop yourself when you realize just how many things you've said in one go, barely allowing space for the rabbit to intervene – if she even wanted to. 

          Nervous, you face her again despite the knot in your heart, welcomed by a gentle stare and a faint smile, both growing prominent when she notices you're staring at her. 

          "Sorry about that," you say, sighing. "I got too carried away, didn't I? It… happens too much, I'll admit."

          "A little," Haru confesses, giggling. "But I get where you're coming from." She takes a wipe from the packet and begins to rub at the stain, one hand keeping the shirt firm in place while the other scrubs the fabric roughly yet steady. The marks gradually begin to fade, yet it's still clear something has been spilled, the uniform's bright white colour contrasting with the subtle pink of the juice. "I think experiences like that apply to many like us." She keeps the used wipe in her fist and offers the rest of the packet back to you. In response, you decline, telling her to keep them for herself. "Want to hang out at lunch? We could talk more soon." Again, amusement returns to her face, augmented when she stares down at her shirt. "A certain someone spilled juice all over me, so… I'll have to go get changed now. See you later, (Y/N)."

          "See you later, Haru."

          You wave goodbye before she can turn and leave, and though she returns it despite how tense you believe your every movement is, you're still flustered, and you feel the need to hide in the safety of your dorm for the rest of the day.

          Knowing you'd made that bad of a first impression and that you'd then proceeded to run your mouth over a single question makes your face burn bright with embarrassment. 

          Your hands clutch your skirt once more, seeking support. 

          "Are you sure you still want to talk more later?" you call out, before she can step away.

          She stops and turns back around, then smiles and nods.

           "Of course," she replies, patting her shirt free from the wrinkles left over by the wipe. "I'm only teasing you!" She narrows her eyes at you, a more playful smile tugging her lips upwards. "But if these stains really don't fade… You're going to have to teach me how to remove them. Deal?"

          You nod back, a freer grin showing on your face. 

          "Deal!"

Chapter Text

          "How's it going?" the bunny asks, peeking over your shoulder. "Is it out yet?"

          You lift the shirt off the soapy water and wring it dry, doing it twice just to be certain. 

          She watches the entire process, more curious than you would expect someone to be over something as mundane as cleaning. 

          "It's…" Your words trail off, eyes scanning the fabric to make sure it's completely gone. "It's out!" you exclaim, pride showing through and through when you stand up. You turn to her and show her the results of your work, the juice's stain now nowhere to be seen. "It just needs to dry out!"

          The smile in her eyes fades, as does the one in her mouth, and – for a frightful moment – you believe she's not satisfied with the results. It's only when you see she's not looking at the shirt that you let out a quiet sigh, though you're then prompted to see what exactly's bothering her. You look in the direction of her gaze, seeing rain pouring outside. 

          While you assume she's bummed out over not being able to dry the shirt outside, her actual words take you by surprise.

           "I need to go check on the flowers," she says. "Think you could hang that shirt over the fan?"

          "Sure." 

          You set the shirt to dry, then frown and hold Haru back when you see she plans to leave without an umbrella. 

          Her eyes point down at the sleeve of her shirt, that simple action making you pull back, flustered. 

          "Could we go together? I have an umbrella with me."

          She nods, warmth returning to her face. 

          "Sounds good." Her gaze moves on toward the fan, now set on high and with her shirt hung over it, fluttering fabric mixing with the melody of the rain. "Are you still trying to make up for last time, or do you really mean it?"

          "Wh- Why do you ask?" you sputter, finding cover by taking your umbrella and holding it against you. 

          "You showed up at my door the second I told you the stain wouldn't come off." Her smile grows, ears twitching with what you can assume is either amusement or excitement – perhaps, both. "And even when you clearly had trouble trying to remove it at first, you still kept at it until it was gone." She boops your snout and meets with your eyes, a teasing glint resting behind hers. "Are you making up for last time? Or do you just want to be friends?"

          Thunder crashes from afar just as you're about to answer, causing you to bleat and sending the umbrella to the floor. 

          You make haste to pick it up, though the bunny beats you to it and holds it out for you. 

          "I, um…" You hesitate, yet try to regain calm and take the umbrella from her hand before carrying on, "If you want to, then… I'd like that."

          Haru keeps her hold on the umbrella even as you grab it. 

          Curious, you face her again to see a stern expression, brow furrowed as she frowns. 

          "Are you still nervous about being here?" she asks, holding it tighter and tugging you closer with it for emphasis. "I don't blame you, if you are." She pauses and lets go, though she still keeps her gaze on yours. "I've been studying here for longer than you have, and it's still hard not to be on-edge. Even more with what's… happened recently."

          Her eyes move on back toward the window, rain still present, but having lessened its strength compared to last time. 

          "Let's go outside first," she says, breathing in. "We can talk better around the flowers. They make for good company."

          You nod, though you still keep the presence of thunder in mind. 

          And soon enough, you walk out with her alongside you, opening the umbrella right before stepping out. Puddles are already forming on the ground, and the scent of wet earth's prominent in the air. The wind blows strong, stinging your arms and legs, and sending a shudder down your body with the change in temperature. 

          "Let's stay away from the trees for now," Haru suggests, locking her arm with yours and using her free hand to point at a flower bed nearby. "That looks like a good spot."

          She stops when a figure shows up in the rain, silhouetted by it and how far the person stands by, still a solid distance away from Haru and yourself. Her gaze narrows as she glances in that direction, moving toward your arm afterward. She holds you stronger, tugging for you to continue.

          "Are you… feeling okay?" you ask, voice muffled by the sound of drops falling against the umbrella. "Should we turn back, Haru?"

          The bunny shakes her head, facing up at you with a smile. 

          "Just thought I saw an old friend," she replies, winking at you. "No need to worry, (Y/N). I'm with decent company right now."           

          She highlights her point by pulling you along with her again, keeping her hold on you as you both fight your way through the rain.

          Meanwhile, a few distant thunders make you both take caution not to walk too near the trees.

          When you reach the flowers, these are already overcome by water. Haru takes action in an instant, letting go of you to kneel in front of them. Then, she picks up the bucket and shovel beside the bed, beginning her work. You crouch next to her side and hold the umbrella up at an angle to shield the both of you from the rain. Her ears perk when you step closer, signaling over her being far more alert than her exterior lets on.

          "It's okay," you whisper, looking back to the place the figure once stood at. "...There's no one there anymore."

          Her ears fall as she nods, another smile showing through. "Thank you."

          You return her nod and stay silent, watching the bunny work with the garden. She takes care not to hurt the flowers as she scoops excess water away from the beds, throwing it in a bucket and emptying it every few minutes. Though busy, she appears to appreciate the quiet, body relaxing as she continues working. 

          At one point, you look for another way to hold the umbrella, wanting to help her out more. 

          When she sees you fumble with it, she lets out a laugh and swats your hand away when you try to join in.

          "Just cover up for me while I'm done, okay?" she says, giggling. "I'm not asking you to do anything else, so there's no need to get so worried about this."

          You let out a sigh, holding the umbrella tighter as you stare down at the puddles. 

          "I'm just... used to it," you reply, words faint.

          Her smile fades, and she stops what she's doing to frown, worry showing in her brow and further concerns sparking in her eyes.

          "You acted the same way with the stain." 

          Her remark makes you grow rigid. 

          Truth be told, you dedicated a good thirty minutes of your time just to get that stain off. 

          How much difficult it was to remove without the materials you had at home had led you to improvise and work harder than normal for it. 

          "Old habits die hard, huh?" she adds.

          You hum, smiling when she looks up at you. 

          "...At my home," you begin, taking in a soft breath, "your worth is measured by how much you can do and provide."

Chapter Text

          As has become customary since you first met her, you're sitting with Juno at a lunch table – the quietest spot available by the time you both got here.

          Your tray's almost entirely empty by now, while the wolf's is barely halfway there. You don't want to be rude, so you try your best to slow down, however difficult it proves to be. Routines have always been your thing, meaning it's not much of a surprise for you to be looking forward to meeting with Jack and his friends at the library a second time. It had been one full week since that day, and he'd brought up the suggestion to make that a more regular occurrence through a phone call. Add in your daily, nightly chats with Juno in your dorm and the fact that Haru seemed okay with your company, and you finally feel like you've gained a steady routine to hold on to for the rest of the school year.

          "Is there something on your mind?" your roommate asks, grinning at you when you meet with her eyes. "You're spacing out again."

          You try not to grow too flustered when she gives you a knowing look, clearly still misinterpreting your true intentions with the friends you've made so far. Dom and Jack were pretty welcoming and comfortable to be around with, and even the male wolf – while more reserved – didn't seem to mind getting along with you. Haru's a different story, mainly due to your awful first impression, but also for how spunky and straightforward she appears to be.

          "I'm just going to the library later today," you reply, managing a faint smile. "I, um… I- I'm meeting with Jack, Dom, and Legoshi there after I'm done studying."

          At the mention of that last name, Juno's eyes brighten and her tail shakes. 

          It's clear she tries to hide her affection for the owner of that name, yet she fails the second she opens her mouth, her excitement almost overflowing from it, "You didn't tell me you've met that many people already!" She takes a bite from her meal, continuing when she's done with: "When did you meet those other two? Did Jack introduce you to them?"

          You nod and continue with your own meal, reminding yourself to eat slower when you bring the next scoop to your mouth. 

          "I was studying, then Jack came around and introduced me to them." Embarrassment makes its return when you look back on that day and how Dom had called you out on one of your choices. While a good seventy percent of the books you were working with were academic, the other thirty had been simply for entertainment. It was unfortunate the peafowl had discovered one of the steamier reads amongst the bunch. "Everything went pretty well, but… Dom... H- He found me out with something kind of… embarrassing, to put it that way." 

          Hearing your stutter, Juno's grin grows, and she emphasizes her curiosity by leaning closer over the table. "Care to tell me what is that 'something'?" Mischief glints in her gaze, intensified when she winks. "Did he tease you like I've been doing?" she taunts, giggling. "Your face right now looks just like the one you make when I joke around with you!"

          It's near impossible for you not to smile at how warm her words sound. 

          She's enjoying herself, no doubt, though – based on how she treats you – it's noticeable she means well. 

          "He, u- uh…" You breathe in and face down at your tray, needing a distraction. "He found this book hidden with the other ones I had."

          You excuse yourself for a moment to pick up the books left aside on the floor, a bag holding them all in one place. Meekness overcomes you as you consider the risk of taking the book out in front of so many people, yet one look of encouragement from the wolf and another at how few students there are nearby allows you to find the needed courage for bringing it out. So, you act swiftly, handing it to Juno as quickly as you retrieve it.

          ""Old Friend, Old Soul'," she reads, analyzing the cover. It doesn't take long for her to bare her teeth into another grin, a laugh leaving her when her gaze lowers. "'A thrilling romance?'" she asks, in between giggles. "You're so silly, (Y/N)! From what you were telling me, I was expecting a steamy romance, not an adventurous one!"

          "Th- There's a difference?" you blurt out, face burning. 

          That only makes it worse, seeing as her eyes light up more than before. 

          "Did you really pick this one out, mistaking it to be that instead?" Juno suspends herself over the table, using her free hand to give your shoulder a nudge. "You sneaky sheep! And yet here I was, thinking you were all oblivious to this kind of stuff!"

          "Juno," you whisper, shushing her. "People will hear us!"

          Worries over having attention brought upon you fade away when you see her dissolve into uncontrollable laughter. How sincere she's being right now makes you smile in return and let your tension go. Though still a bit tense, you fold your hands over your lap and wait, calm loosening your shoulders.

          And that peace lasts shortly, smile fading when she looks at you with a more serious gaze, "Be honest with me," she says, composing herself to stare back at you. "Were you expecting this book to be more… risky?"

          You nod once, quickly and hoping it will be sufficient for her not to notice how nervous you are. 

          Regardless, she does, and she covers up another laugh. 

          "Even though I've never been in a relationship before, I… I still know some of the basics, but not enough with how much my parents censored everything that had to do with romance or anything similar to it."

          "Homeschool troubles rise yet again, huh?" the wolf questions, eyes half-lidded as she rests her chin over her hands. "Want to practice with me, then?"

          Your eyes turn round, the bluntness of her question making you take it literally. 

          By the time you think over her offer twice and see how she's looking at you, you're able to brush that off as her simply wanting to help you out. 

          "Could you?" you ask, feeling your voice close to shaking. "How... How would we, though?"

          "Easily enough!" With that exclamation, she stands up from her seat. "Later tonight… We'll practice flirting at our dorm." She's serious now, eyes narrowed as her lips turn firm. She means business, her apparent expertise over the topic manifesting itself over her body. "I'll be acting as whatever person you're interested in, and you'll be trying to flirt with me." The wolf takes a pause, her tail's fervent shaking lessening when she breathes in and out. "Then, when that part's out of the way, I'll be flirting with you – to see how you respond!"

          Suddenly, a hand's offered out to you, in wait for yours. 

          "What do you say, (Y/N)? Sounds like a plan?" She finally breaks into a smile again, stern expression vanishing from her visage. "But you have to promise me you'll put those skills to proper use. I'm not training you for nothing!"

          You stare at her hand, analyzing your options. Nervous, you gulp away your worries and make space for valiance in your mind. Then, you nod once, a more confident smile showing through. 

          "Sounds… Sounds good," you say, shaking her hand. "I'll do it, Juno!"

          She's beaming more than the sun itself.

          "Good answer!" she replies, returning your smile.

Chapter Text

          Your hopes of maintaining a routine are put to the test the moment after you're done studying for the day. 

          You've been locked inside the library, and the door refuses to budge – no matter how much force you apply into it.

          With the others having parted ways with you more than an hour ago, you're on your own, with no other choice but to look out the window to see the hallways, these scarce of illumination and with not a single person around as far as your line-of-sight goes.

          Fearing you'll be stuck here until tomorrow, you try to open the door again, though you stop yourself at the sound of laughter, heard from outside. 

          "...A month," the voice says, chuckling. "That's all it took for you to become the 'next one'."

          You step away from the door, remaining cautious regardless of not seeing the person anywhere around. 

          "I'm positive the paper's headline will be enough to make everyone remember this isn't over yet. You've grown far too comfortable already, (Y/N)."

          Fear pushes you to rummage through your bag, mind desperate to find any source of safety from its contents. You soon retrieve a pocket knife, then verify everything's set in place to avoid being delayed – if the event of defending yourself truly came to it. Wherever the person is, they're outside, and whoever they are, they clearly intended to toy around with you before throwing any sort of attack. 

          "First a wolf and a rabbit, and now a wolf and a sheep?" Another laugh's let out, this one far louder than the last. "I can understand why many still refer to you as a lamb, rather than a sheep." A deep pause follows, sending a shiver down your body. "Sheep are supposed to be more grown and experienced, something you're not, Little Lamb."

          Thunk.

          Your gaze snaps toward the noise, sounding near the voice, although there's nothing or nobody around by the time you look there.

          Swallowing your tension, you hold on to the strap of your bag tighter than before and clutch the knife closer to you. The rule of never going out at night seems useless with your current situation, it still being five in the evening and your location the school library. What makes the halls dark and brings your life into peril is having no lights turned on and being left alone to fend off whoever the owner behind the voice is. Had you known something like this would've been so close to happening, you would've instantly followed Jack and the others, not one second after they all gathered to leave.

          ‘Never go out at night.’

          What sense did that warning have now?

          You're inside a library, and it's still evening!

          That question stays on your mind as the thumps grow louder, sending your thoughts into a word scramble as you try to make sense of what's happening. While you're still inside, you're alone. And you're still getting accustomed to how big the school is. If anything, the rule you've been taught could use a little more wording now. Perhaps: 'have common sense; don't be dumb or negligent or both, and remember not to walk alone in unknown places', sounds better than simply isolating yourself from the world as soon as the sun falls and the clock strikes seven. 

          Thunk!

          As a figure emerges into the library, your instincts kick in, and you bleat out your fear, a sound you cover with a hand over your mouth while you search for a place to hide in. You go under the nearest table and blink away through blurry vision, tears unknowingly making their way out. Your breathing's shallow, yet you try to compose yourself to see who the person is. 

          Rather than figuring out their identity, – something near impossible to do with you tearing up and having fear eat up your vision – you hear laughter; it's muffled giggles, specifically. 

          "I- I'm sorry," Juno mutters, sounding genuinely apologetic despite her amused tone. When you blink a few more times, you can see her clutching onto her stomach and her tail wagging. She has tears in her eyes, too, yet for an entirely different reason compared to you. "I thought I'd go look for you since it was so late already, but I didn't exactly consider our situation here." She wipes her tears away and looks across the room, snout twitching as she sniffs around for you. "And I'm ashamed to say this at a time like this, but… That bleat was the cutest thing I've heard all day!" You tense and brace yourself when she nears your hiding spot – involuntarily. "Hiding was good thinking, though, (Y/N)."

          A few more sniffs, and she finally crouches to your level. 

          Her eyes soften the second she sees you, a hand offered to you. 

          "Can you stand?" she asks, still waiting. "I didn't mean to scare you."

          Still shaken, you stare at her palm for a moment and bring your breathing back to a calmer pace. 

          You wipe yours against your skirt, leftover fear still making you perspire. 

          She waits all the while, even after you take her hand and nod in response.

           "I'm... I'm okay," you reply, huffing. "It was my fault." 

          Your voice is stern. The risk you'd set yourself to is one you remind yourself could've been easily avoided, had you been a bit more conscious of the dangers that are still around. Common sense would've most likely implied you not being alone for longer than necessary and having chosen to follow Jack to your dorm. 

          "...I should've known it would be risky to be all alone like this." You can't bring yourself to tell her about the voice, wanting nothing more than to be out of this place and explain things to her after you regained some sense of clarity back into your thoughts. "I really should've been more careful."

          You let her hand go and fix your clothes, skirt having stained itself in the process of your hiding. Your throat hurts, though it's to be expected, considering how long it's been since you last strained your voice that way. Last time, you were only eight, and it was for you having sneaked out and met up with the neighbouring tiger family a few blocks across. Back then, you were more fearless, and the only reason for your fright had been due to you being caught while making it back home.

          "Still," Juno speaks up, bringing you out of those thoughts. "I forgot how careful we have to be now." She frowns, her entire body drooping as she meets with your eyes. "I… almost forgot what we both are, until I heard your cry and noticed it was let out of fear – not just surprise."

          You gather your belongings and follow her out of the library, your steps slowing to keep up with her pace. 

          She's looking away from you now, her gaze meeting with the hall's dim lighting.

          Quiet falls as you wait for her to carry on, feeling as if she still has plenty left to say.           

          "Before I realized what I'd done, that sound was the most endearing thing I'd heard. But then I saw you weren't around, sniffed the air for you, and the gravity of my actions finally dawned on me."

          Seeing she's thoroughly lost herself in those thoughts, you tug once at the sleeve of her shirt and attempt to express what's on your mind, "It's really okay, Juno. L- Like I said, it was-"

          Your questions about where the voice from earlier come from are answered when you both stumble upon a new face, identity hidden by the poor lighting in where they stand. The wolf beside you snaps back to the present almost instantly. Her fur spikes as she bares her teeth at the figure. She takes a few steps aside and pulls you along for you to do the same. Then, she holds your hand again, tighter as a growl leaves her mouth. 

          When you see she's not intending to inquire about the person's identity, it's then that you realize her reason for looking for you had been more than just to pick you up at the library. 

          "So, you thought you were 'one of them', huh?" the person asks, toothy smile glinting into view with the scarce lighting that shines over them. "That's the most naïve thing I've heard any carnivore say." Though it's too dark to see most of their face, you can tell when their eyes fall on you, making you grow more wary than you already are. "And you," they add, a laugh following their words. "What made you think you were ready for this school, if you let out a noise like that barely a month into you moving in? With that attitude, you're the easiest prey around, Little Lamb."

          Juno's hand loosens and moves up to your arm, grabbing it just as strongly. 

          "...Let's go," she whispers, teeth still clenched.

          You hesitate, mind conflicted on whether to follow her along or confront the person over their words. The ones about you being negligent were noted and accepted, but calling out Juno for simply seeing you as her friend makes anger rise and cling onto your thoughts. Fear balances itself with a sudden need to defend, and you can only face the voice with a glare, the hand on your arm reminding you about the growing danger of your situation.

          Whoever the person before you is, it doesn't exactly erase the fact you're pissed – Juno's good intentions resonating within you.

Chapter Text

          You gather all your courage and prepare yourself for a retreat. 

          "What can you prove with that, if you don't even dare to show your face?" you shout, narrowing your eyes and frowning at the person, still hidden. "Maybe I am an easy prey, but at least she's being honest about her feelings!".

          At the sight of the person staying in place, you do the same and wait, bracing yourself for whatever follows. 

          You see them smile again, and they take a while to respond. 

          Tension sticks to the air, making breathing difficult to do. 

          "Suit yourself," they say, backing away. "In the end, this was simply a warning – a way to be nice with you and give you a chance to survive. But… If you refuse to take my advice, I'll leave." You can see the person wave right before they disappear completely from your sight. "You won't be shown any mercy next time."

          Their footsteps fade, as does the heavy atmosphere. 

          A strong sense of unease remains, yet you're able to brush it off when Juno tugs at your arm, bringing your attention to her. 

          "Just to be sure," she says, her voice a whisper. "Let's make a run for it."

          She grabs you tight and pulls you with her in the direction opposite to where your persecutor once stood by. 

          Her steps are quick but tense, as if disturbed by the experience.

          You make an effort to walk next to the wolf, brushing her hand away to jog right by her side. At first, she looks concerned over the sudden separation. Though soon after, she eases in when she sees you're still catching up with her. 

          "Thank you," you manage to mutter, in between breaths. 

          Notwithstanding how much exercise you'd done at home, you're slower than Juno, having to use most of your stamina in keeping up with her. The entrance of your dorm can be seen from afar. The open door and the lights reveal she'd left in a rush. 

          "What… What made you go look for me?"

          By the time you ask that question, you're already standing in front of your dorm. The wolf takes extra caution by looking around and sniffing around before entering. You expect an answer when she turns to you, though what you get is another grab at your arm, gentle enough not to scare you back into letting out another shaky cry. 

          You're pulled into the room, sat on your bed, and cornered into place, hands on your shoulders keeping you from doing anything or getting anywhere. 

          "You…" Juno huffs. "You have a routine, don't you?" she asks, serious. "When I checked the time and saw you weren't around, I grew worried." 

          Her voice breaks in those last words, yet she covers it up by letting you go and turning around to stare at nowhere in particular. 

          She crosses her arms, concentrating her gaze more on the floor than anything else. 

          "Rumours about you being my friend eventually distorted so that now people think you're vulnerable, simply because of… of our friendship." 

          She uncrosses them and approaches your side again, taking a seat down next to you. 

          "And while you do have a lot to learn, I wouldn't believe for a minute our relationship makes you weak." The wolf takes a pause, ears drooping as she frowns. "Maybe it sounds selfish of me to say this, but…" She grabs your hands, tugging at them for you to face her eyes. "I believe what we have means something good, and I would like to help you grow stronger through it."

          Her approach, while bringing closeness and a flip to your stomach, is responded to by squeezing her hands in return. You smile and nod, not wanting to pull away just yet. A brighter look returns to her face, ears going back to their normal state as she grins, letting go to ruffle the top of your head. 

          "Now that we're through with that," she says, a grimmer tone returning to her voice, contrasting with her smile. "Are you okay?" Her eyes inspect you from head to toe, jolting from one place to the other. "Hurt anywhere?"

          You let out a laugh and shake your head. 

          "Just my voice from what happened back at the library," you reply. For emphasis, you reach a hand for your neck and trace your fingers across it. "Might just have a sore throat by tomorrow morning." 

          At the feeling of a hand being placed under your chin – right over your own – you feel your heart stop. 

          Your stomach twists again, and your eyes meet with hers to see a foreign expression in them – one you're not quite certain what to label it as. 

          "Be more careful next time," she says, maintaining eye contact with you. "Your voice is too lovely to let it strain like that."

          Silence follows her words.

          You begin to panic, though you try not to let it show on your face. 

          Regardless of your efforts, Juno notices and lets go, hurrying to correct herself. 

          "Sorry about that." A faint red stains her cheeks and her eyes turn wide, both she tries to contain, only to fail when she continues with her words. "That was too sudden, wasn't it?" she asks, still shocked. "With what you went through, I bet you forgot all about our plans this evening, didn't you?"

          It takes you some time to process her questions, your mind having gone through a full shutdown the second she placed her hand under your chin. Your throat feels tight, complicating your breaths as you try to seek composure. Her words were true: you'd completely forgotten about the whole flirting plans you had today, and her closeness had stricken you. Despite it all, you snap back to the present. The next thing is to give Juno an answer. 

          "It's fine," you blurt out, bringing forth a smile. "Y- You just, well... surprised me." Wanting to break the silence and awkwardness left over, you gather wit and carry on with, "...Though it makes sense someone as beautiful as you would leave me speechless."

          Roles reversed, it's now her time to react. Embarrassment returns to her face, yet she deals with it quicker and more efficiently than you. Soon, giggles burst from her mouth as they later turn to full-on laughter, mirth present in that sound. 

          "That was great," she howls, composing herself. "That was… That was even more adorable than your bleat!"

          You can only smile as you wait for her to recover, the genuine notes to her laughter helping break the ice and make things go back to normal. 

          "Should we leave it for tomorrow?" you ask, holding back the urge to let your smile grow. "I don't want to trouble you anymore than I have already."

          She recovers, sobering up completely with a deep breath in and another out. 

          "Y- Yes," she replies, breaking down into giggles again. "I'll honestly have to prepare myself if you're going to be such a dork, (Y/N)."

          Feigning hurt, you hold a hand to your chest and gasp. "Hey!" Then, you take your pillow and swat her with it, making her laughter burst and worsen once more. "I'm not a dork, Juno!"

          "Then I'm afraid you'll have to prove that to me next time," she retorts, her words a challenge.

Chapter Text

          "Want me to wait for you?" Jack asks, standing by the door frame. "Juno told me what happened."

          You look up from your bag, putting a halt on organizing it to face him. 

          "...She did?" 

          Your words come off more surprised than you wish for them to, curiosity remaining as to what she could've possibly said to him. 

          Nonetheless, you wait and continue packing, rushing yourself now that the offer of being waited for has surged.

          "She was worried about you," he adds after a nod, concern replacing his smile with a frown. "But she didn't say much about it… Just that you were attacked last time." He approaches your side, crouching next to you as he helps you with the rest of your books. "Are you sure you're okay? You… You were really quiet today, and I think even Dom noticed the difference." 

          "I was naïve," you blurt out, sighing as you set a book down and clutch onto the skirt of your uniform, letting out your stress through it. "I forgot about the dangers around me, and I got too comfortable too quickly."

          There's a hint of gloom present in the canine's eyes, one he covers up by managing another smile. 

          "I'm not gonna pressure you into telling me anything," he says, offering you a hand as soon as he gets back on his feet. 

          You accept it, the weight of your bag being a little heavier today. 

          While you'd come out scar-free from the incident, fear remains in your thoughts, resulting in your subconscious wanting to lessen your trips to the library. 

          "...Either way," he speaks up again, smile growing. "Legoshi could help you with this more than I can." A chuckle bursts through, a hint of nervousness heard from it. "Maybe it's not the wisest advice to keep telling you to make friends with people like us, but I'm sure you can open up to him better for this kind of thing."  

          "Does he…" You consider your words, against making them sound too intrusive. "So you're saying he has more experience on the subject?"

          Jack nods, waiting for you to exit the library for him to close the door. 

          You follow, walking right beside him, steps hurried regardless of you reassuring yourself you're safe. 

          "A lot more than me, that's for sure." 

          You wait for him when you realize you're going faster than he is. 

          He notices and covers up a laugh, continuing the conversation when you make it back. 

          "I can tag along tomorrow with you two, if you don't feel safe."

          You cease walking, making him be the next one to retract his steps. 

          A furrow shows in your gaze as you face him, unsure how to vent what's on your mind. 

          "It- It's fine! I like being around you guys, so it's no big deal, but..." You stop yourself, already regretting your words. "Juno, she…" You hesitate, biting on your bottom lip to keep your voice from shaking. "She…" Her confession after rescuing you felt too personal for you to say it out loud. 

          You bite your tongue, sighing your defeat.

          "She likes you, doesn't she?"

          Air feels lacking suddenly.

          "What?!"

          You almost sputter that question out with how sudden of a blow his comment is. You can feel your face grow warm, reminding you of yesterday night. His words are about as much of a surprise as having Juno flirt with you then. 

          Composure returns with the help of him elaborating his question better, adding more context to it with, "It's nice to see you two got along so fast. It's only been a month, hasn't it?" He faces your side, a hint of melancholy present in his eyes. "I still remember the day you found out you'd be rooming in with her." He laughs, beaming afterwards. "Your face back then was really something, y'know?"

          Despite almost being at your dorm, you pause for a moment, not quite ready to end the conversation. More questions than answers fill up your mind, and curiosity and confusion have only heightened. You want to hold him here for a minute more, yet the bell rings, signaling it's about time to wrap things up. 

          "Jack," you call out, halting him with the tug of his arm. "Could we talk more later?" He looks down at you, agreement already showing on his face. "Even if you say you don't have much experience on what happened... You're my friend, and talking with you helped a lot."

          You let him go when you see him tense up, a bit of embarrassment in his gaze. 

          "Sure," he mutters; a harrumph covers him up, allowing him to ease out more. "I-"

          Before Jack can say anything, you give him a hug, releasing him as quickly as it happens. 

          "Thank you!" You smile at the canine and fix your hold on your bag to wave at him – confident. "See you tomorrow."

          Slowly, he nods, bringing a hand to the back of his neck and using his free one to wave at you.

          "See you tomorrow."

          You spare a brief look at him one last time before knocking on the door of your dorm, opening it when you receive no response. The inside reveals your bunk beds and belongings, but Juno's nowhere to be seen. Being the only two girls in the hybrid dorms so far, it's easy for you to notice when something's wrong or different, bringing an immediate reaction to the stillness of your surroundings.

          Everything seems intact, and you're uncertain whether to take that as a good thing or not – with how many awful possibilities form in your mind.

          "Juno?" you call out. 

          It's odd for her not to be around at this hour, yet – judging it's only been a month since you've known her and everyone around – you don't discard the possibility of her having other plans. 

          Worry over her being in trouble rises, though the reminder of her being a wolf makes you ponder what kind of trouble she could be in.

          Was it the shady person from yesterday?

          Or was it due to bullying by other students, as she'd once mentioned?

          When you hear a knock on the door, all worries are set aside, and you peek outside to see her waiting – calm and collected. You're the opposite of her, bursting the door open to receive her with a hug, much stronger and longer-lasting than the one you'd given Jack. Fear and worry over things going wrong make you break and show the weaknesses your family had warned you about showing. You don't care about that right now, however. The relationships you've formed and the experiences you've lived with them deem these necessary for gratitude. Acting too soft for who you are doesn't matter, at the moment. Presently, you're just glad the wolf is alright and that you can still have her safe by your side. 

          She hugs you back, surprise taking her a while to bring strength to the embrace. 

          "Is this our new way of greeting each other?" she teases, giggling.

          Letting go, you look down and shake your head, replying with, "No." You face her and smile, relieved to see her in good shape. "I… I was just worried something happened to you."

          Juno returns your smile with a grin, and her hand reaches out for you. 

          "Shouldn't that be my line?" she asks, ruffling the top of your head. "Either way, I'm happy you're safe. I felt the same yesterday... But I didn't expect you'd act like this with me, too."

Chapter Text

          "So…" you begin, setting your lunch down. "Have you ever wondered what it's like to be out there? My family always told me a school like this one would be full of dangers, but they never mentioned the positive sides of it." You take a sip of your drink, placing it aside when you're done. "If I'd never left my hometown, I would've never met people like you!"

          Jack smiles and shifts a little in his seat, replying with, "Have you had many friends before us?"

          "Only of the same species. And by that, I mean… mostly sheep, and sometimes bovines. I don't think I've ever even seen birds, rabbits, mice, or anything like that, until now." 

          You stop facing him when you catch sight of a familiar height and white coat. From a bit farther away, Haru can be spotted walking off with a tray in hand, ignoring any empty tables left around. You have the impulse to call her over, yet she meets with your eyes before you can do anything about it.

          Jack moves closer to the table; you can see his ears perk up and his posture straighten out, revealing his interest in what you're doing. 

          Any curiosity he'd previously tried to keep subtle is ruined when he asks, "Do you know her?", sounding just as curious as he looks.

          With a smile, you nod, saying, "But I didn't exactly make the best… initial impression with her." Your comment makes you reflect back on the day you met Juno, and of how you'd pretty much yelled out your surprise at seeing hybrid dorms were starting to slowly take rise over the school's regular system. Yours was the first one for girls, while the boys' already had a second dorm underway. "Then again... It was even worse with Juno, now that I think about it."

          You face down at your drink and toy with the straw, loosening up when you hear Jack laugh.

          "What did you do this time?" he teases, taking a bite of his meal. When he finishes with it, he smiles wider, encouraging you with, "I promise I won't tell anybody."

          You look up and set your tray aside. 

          He does the same, providing the bunny with some space. 

          "I spilled juice all over her shirt," you say, frowning. "And then I tried helping her, but the stain wouldn't come off, so we somehow… became friends after I came along to her place and helped her out with the mess I made." 

          You look back at where you'd last seen her, noticing she's taking a while. It takes you a bit to find her amongst the crowd, yet when you do, you see Legoshi walking with her to your table. In comparison to her, the wolf's tray is empty, and he stops for a second to take a detour and return it.

          On a closer look, you grow aware of just how different they both are. That single thought prompts you to stare at Jack and later at yourself, comparing yourself with him. Had you been told you would've befriended as wide of a variety of people in the future during your younger years, you would've been far from believing it.

          The wolf and the bunny soon arrive. The former crouches down next to the table. Meanwhile, the latter moves to the space you've made for her, an extra chair left for her. When she sits, you stare at her shirt and squint your eyes, attempting to be subtle by keeping quiet. It's barely noticeable, but you catch onto a faint mark of the same drink you'd spilled on her.

          "Interested in something?" she asks, amused. 

          "Is that the shirt I ruined?" you question back, eager to know.

          Her smile stretches as she lets out a laugh. 

          Haru shakes her head, looking down at where you're focusing on. 

          "That was someone else's fault. I used the technique you taught me for it, but if you can still see it... Then I'm guessing I did a bad job at cleaning it up, huh?"

          "You didn't," you object, your posture straightening up on par with the faint rise in your voice. "I just looked at it for too long!"

          "Don't sugarcoat it, (Y/N). If you can see it, then I'm sure everyone else does, too." She faces at the two canines, the conversation they'd been sharing set to a halt. "Do you guys see it? The stain on my shirt, I mean."

          The two stare at her for a moment, looking away almost instantly. They both reply with a 'not really'. The plain uncertainty in their voices forces you to hold back a smile, suddenly becoming more conscious of the customs and perspectives still present between men and women. While you didn't really care too much about whether someone was either of the two, it's clear the two boys accompanying you feel a different way towards it. 

          "Now this just makes me look imprudent," you comment, biting back a smile. "Sorry about that, Haru. I… I got distracted."

          "I'm sure you did." She returns your smile and faces your gaze, nudging you afterwards. "But do you think you could help me remove it? If you say it's still visible, then I trust your eyes more than mine."

          "Sure!" You nod. "I'm free in the evening, so just let me know when you're ready."

          With that commitment set up, you both end your conversation after a few more words and continue with your lunch. 

          It's clear you've already delayed yourselves a little, mostly judging by the people who stand up and leave. Jack is the same as you both, too busy talking with Legoshi to notice time flying by. It's strange to view a common canine and the domestication of one together, yet you don't exactly feel too bothered by it, happy to see the two get along so well.

          "Full house, huh?"

          Juno's melodic voice sounds from behind you and her hands place themselves on your shoulders, squeezing you gently. 

          She rests her chin on the top of your head, her snout ruffling up your wool. 

          "Hey," you exclaim, swatting her face away. You're careful not to hurt her even as you push her off, grinning when you come out triumphant from shaking out of her hold. "I don't have a brush with me right now!"

          You scoot aside and leave some space for her on the same seat as yours. When she settles in, Juno glances at Haru currently sitting by your right, while she remains on your left. The bunny looks back at her and they both acknowledge each other, the same question leaving their mouths.

          "So you know each other?"

          You're not sure whether it's being directed at you, yet it turns out to be a question unneeded of an answer as they both carry on with what they were doing. 

          Juno carries on with her conversation with you. 

          Haru, on the other hand, grins before continuing with her lunch, commenting, "Don't forget about our plans for later. I'll be waiting for you."

          Juno's posture freezes for a second, though she recovers promptly. While she seems tense, Haru's more than relaxed, apparently finding enjoyment in the situation. Your mind takes the job of connecting information. It reminds you of the comments Jack had made about Legoshi having a crush on a herbivore, and of your talks with Juno and her speaking with a fond gaze and lovestruck tone about romance and her crush. The dots slowly connect with one another, until your mind clicks and announces the two most probable results.

          Were they both interested in the same person?

          Or was it something else?

          What makes you think otherwise is how relaxed the bunny seems about the situation, almost as if she's more worried about teasing the wolf about her crush, rather than any other reason pertaining to her own feelings or those others have for her.

Chapter Text

          “Have you, um… Have you tried discussing the problem with anyone else?” you ask, turning your head to see Haru tending to some droopy flowers. “Maybe a friend, or someone you can trust?”

          The garden is quiet, and a gentle, fragrant scent reaches your nose whenever a breeze blows past. 

          You remove her shirt off the clothesline, though not before checking it's fully dried.

          “You shouldn’t keep this all to yourself,” you add, walking away from the clothesline with the shirt hung over your arm.

          “She’s not worth the time or the trouble,” the bunny says, standing up from the flowerbed.

          She wipes her hands clean of dirt and follows you to the garden shed. 

          “And it’s not a major problem, so it’s fine.” 

          Although it’s gotten a bit later than what you had in mind, you have someone else by your side, and the path leading out of the garden is far more frequented compared to the one you took at the library.

          You fold the shirt while she watches you, eyes focused and smile faint.

          “Is this your way of teasing me for all the work I've made you do? Bothering me about who bullies me?” 

          While it’s clear she’s joking around with you again, it’s still hard to ignore it.

          She elbows your hip, accompanying her actions with a laugh and a wink. 

          “I promise this is the last time I’ll ask for a favour.”

          With the shirt now neatly folded, you hand it over and tense when her hands brush with yours — a deliberate move on her part. 

          Her ears perk and her smile grows, her eyes squinting in the process. 

          “You really need to work on defending yourself better,” she comments, taking a step closer to you. 

          You take one back, uncertain of her intentions. 

          “Even if I’m only joking around… You should still tell me if something’s bothering you — if I'm bothering you.”

          You glare at her, eager to continue with the topic of her bully and the bunny’s choices regarding how she's handling it. 

          “Ironic, considering what we were talking about just a moment ago,” you retort, setting your hands on your hips.

          Rather than following up on your words, Haru chuckles, tucking the shirt under her arm.

          “See that?” She takes another step forward, leading you to take another one back. “That’s exactly what I’m talking about!” Her eyes hold a sharp glint to them, deepened when she takes yet another step, closing off distance as she continues with, “Maybe it’s not by much, but we’re both some of the oldest students in our group, so we should try to be the strongest ones there — mentally, at least. Don’t let anyone belittle you, ‘cuz anybody who wants the best for you wouldn’t do that to you deliberately.” 

          She takes the shirt from under her arm, unfolding it to show it to you.

          “The stain’s gone now.” Then, she folds it, setting it aside. “You did that, and I should be thankful for it, just as I am to have you as my friend.” 

          She smiles again, her gaze still on yours. 

          “The only reason I’ve lasted that long tolerating her bullying is because of my attitude.” Taking a step back, Haru gives space for you to breathe, though she appears to be far from wanting to end the conversation with you soon. “...So, unless you want to wait for someone to do that job for you, you should stand up for yourself whenever you’re capable, without lowering to the same level as whoever’s out to get you.” 

          Too sudden for you to process it, Haru’s expression goes from serious to playful, her face losing its tension as she sits down on the bed, leaving you to sit on the chair next to it. 

          “So, with that being said…” she continues, tilting her head along to the side and throwing herself back, keeping herself sat up straight with her arms stretched behind her, while her legs dangle in the air. “Wanna go to the dorms now? It’s getting late.”

          With a disoriented nod and a mumbled ‘sure’, you stand up, gather your belongings, and accompany Haru out of the garden shed, waiting right next to the door while she closes it and checks everything is in its rightful place. You begin your walk with her when she’s done, taking extra caution to verify your surroundings more closely than on your way to the garden. Not only are there two routes you have to take — one for her dorm, and one for yours — but everyone else is busy wrapping up for the day. Another day like the one after leaving the library was one you wanted to avoid at all costs. And even more now, remembering you have someone else with you.

          You pass by some flowerbeds, vibrant and varied in colours, and then a short hallway, stopping when it’s time to take a detour to her dorm. Haru, on the other hand, carries on. She stops only when she notices you’re not keeping up with her any longer.

          Haru turns around, lifting a brow when she sees you still standing close to her dorm.

          “This is the way to your dorm, isn’t it?” Her confusion changes to understanding when you point at hers, provoking another smile on her face. “I still want to walk you there first,” she says, ushering for you to join her. “C’mon.”

          You hesitate, saying, “Can you promise me you’ll return to my dorm if there’s danger on the way to yours?” 

          You frown and furrow your gaze, denoting you’re not playing around anymore.

          It doesn’t take much for her to agree.

          “I promise,” she replies, nodding.

          With that agreement settled between you, you rush to the bunny’s side, spare a glance at her, and resume your walk with her not a moment after. You keep your steps light to avoid any unwanted attention as you both make your way to your dorm. There’s solely silence throughout — albeit a rare, comfortable kind. It’s only when she finally sees the entrance from a safe distance that she stops, her eyes facing the wolf waiting by the door. Said wolf's crossed arms and grumpy expression loosen when she meets with your figure from afar.

          A trace of mischief falls on Haru's visage as she spares a look at Juno, and then towards you. 

          “Think we could meet up this weekend?” Haru asks, words directed at you. “There’s something I forgot to ask you.”

          You nod and smile wide.

          “Sure! Just let me know when you’re free.”

          The bunny returns your gesture with a grin. 

          She stands on her tiptoes to match your height, and her lips press against your cheek — kissing you. 

          Haru remains there for a moment and, while you can feel her smile against you, it’s not present when she pulls away.

          Instead, there’s a playful expression on her face, one she carries towards Juno for a second before turning to you. 

          “See you later.”

          Still recovering from what she's done with so much nonchalance, you carry your hand to the spot where she kissed you and observe as she walks off to her place. 

          Her figure grows distant, yet — the moment she’s about to take the detour — she stops herself, straightens her posture, and turns to your side, waving at you.

          You move your hand away from your cheek and wave back, grinning.

          Finally, she disappears, leaving you to head to your dorm and see Juno waiting for you, a gloomy expression changing to one of pure contentment when she catches you staring. 

          She gestures for you to step inside and holds the door open while you enter.

          Silence breaks when you look up at her and say, “Thank you for waiting, Juno,” followed up with a brighter smile.

          She stays quiet for a while, her droopy ears lifting when she replies with, “I'm happy to."

Chapter Text

          You plop down next to the drama club's entrance and take the towel hanging over your shoulders, drying yourself off.

          “Maybe it’s not by much, but we’re both some of the oldest students in our group, so we should try to be the strongest ones there — mentally, at least.”

          Haru's words from a week ago keep themselves in your mind.

          While she made it clear that she meant strength beyond physical, you've still formed an exercise routine to improve yourself in that aspect. For the past week, you've run around campus around an hour each day, and — today — you've started to see the results. You're not as tired as the first day, and you can last a little longer without needing a break. Even if training to be stronger in that area is close to useless, it's better than simply not having any endurance and not knowing how to defend yourself at all. You compare that to the day Juno came to your rescue at the library, and how the both of you had to run away from whatever threat lurked behind the darkness, instead of attempting to confront it.

          “Thanks,” a familiar voice says, muffled behind the door of the drama club. “I'll check it out later.”

          The students inside seem to be wrapping up for the day, so you begin doing that yourself. 

          You stand up, stretch, and dust your uniform off, then sigh and release a school day's work and an hour of exercise off your shoulders.

          The door opens not long after you're done cooling off and giving yourself a mental pep talk, and the first student to exit is a wolf, dragging a large box of equipment with him.

          "Need help?" you ask, walking to his side.

          He stops to look at you, shaking his head as he then smiles when you do, and grabs the box with both hands, hoisting it over his shoulder afterwards. 

          "It's fine," he says, his voice as quiet as ever. 

          You can't avoid catching onto the difference in his tone, subtle, yet still noticeable whenever he hung out with Jack or spoke with Haru. Even if he always seemed a bit reserved, he appeared to have it easier talking to the canine, with the opposite going for the bunny. He's a mixture of both with you, knowing you pass time with him and some of his friends at the library, but still working towards getting to know each other better beyond schoolwork and the like.

          Seeing nobody else has left the drama club yet, you decide to accompany him when he makes the suggestion to. 

          Quiet remains during your first steps, though it's not as awkward as you would expect it to be with someone else. Knowing Legoshi is just as introverted as you are — if not, much more than you — allows you to stay at ease whenever you're with him, be it while studying at the library or catching up with him whenever you cross paths anywhere else.

          "I don't think I've asked this before directly, so..." you speak up, breaking the silence. "You're mostly in charge of preparing stuff for plays, right? Though I think I heard Jack say you participated in one once."

          The wolf nods, his smile returning as he faces you again, meeting your eyes.

          "Are you... interested in plays? I've seen you around here a few times before."

          Your gaze diverts from him to the box he's holding, seeing something's about to fall.

          You try catching it, though the wind messes up with your plans, fooling your aim and making the item whack your face instead.

          "I'm... mostly here because of Juno," you reply, taking it off your face. You notice it's a costume when it unfolds by full, thick enough to have caused your snout to hurt, yet still sufficiently light for the wind to control its path. The wolf seems concerned, though when he sees you're fine, his posture turns relaxed again. "I wait for her here sometimes." You fold the piece and stand on your tiptoes to reach for the box, throwing the costume in. "But what about you? Are you interested in joining another play?"

          Legoshi hums. 

          "...Maybe," he replies. "I'm still getting used to it."

          The two of you stop at the sight of two rabbits standing in front of each other, one you recognize personally, and the other you can distinguish based on the few descriptions given to you by the former. Whatever conflict they seem to have with each other fades as the one who's a stranger to you stops to look at your side. She glares, her expression falling when she carries her gaze higher and notices the person accompanying you. She hesitates and clenches her fists. Then, she exchanges her anger between you and Haru until she takes off and disappears from your sight, a few unintelligible words murmured when she leaves.

          Whatever she seemed to be accusing Haru of, it appears to be related to you, too, based on how little her expression changed aside from when she noticed Legoshi standing by.

          "'That wolf won't be your bodyguard forever'," you hear Haru say, revealing what the other rabbit commented when leaving, words now mocked by her. "Oh, just suck it up already," she exclaims, giggling.

          She places her hands on her hips and turns around, her proud and pleased posture changing to one of warmth when she turns to you. 

          Then, she waves, a smile appearing on her face. 

          "Hey," she calls out. "Be careful around her." Her smile grows, and another laugh leaves her mouth, her expression just as bright as that sound. "She looks like she's scared of getting near you, though. But don't let your guard down!" Haru sighs, takes a breath, and picks herself up again. She acknowledges the wolf with a subtle nod and another wave. "Have fun, you two."

          "You're not staying?" you ask, tilting your head.

          The bunny shakes her head, pointing at a scatter of gardening items left not too far from where she stands. 

          While it's more than clear as to what happened and who was the perpetrator, she doesn't bring it up and proceeds to walk up to the mess and kneel in front of it.

          "I need to take these back with me," she replies, frowning when she picks up the fragments of what had once been a ceramic pot.

          You rush to her side and kneel next to her, helping her out. 

          Legoshi, on the other hand, sets the box down first and joins you afterwards.

          It's quiet all the while as the three of you take on the task of cleaning up the mess. Midway, the wolf freezes and his gaze faces down at a paper, flattened out on his palm. Curiosity prompts you to steal a peak, seeing a few words haphazardly scribbled on it, these difficult to read with how smudged the ink is.

          Legoshi crunches it in his hold for a moment, his shoulders tensing. 

          He sniffs the paper, huffs, and frowns. 

          Finally, he shows it to you.

          "It's... It's a warning, I think,” he states, his brow furrowed.

          You take it, bringing the paper closer to have a better view of it. 

          Just as you're wondering why he seems so reluctant to hand it over, you read it and receive your answer.

          "Consequences they will face, whoever the sheep chooses to love and befriend."

          The paper falls off your hands, leading for the wolf to pick it up while you gather your thoughts and the meaning of what you've just read.

Chapter Text

          You can feel your fur spike all over the moment that sentence clicks in your mind. 

          Scarily on point, you hear a sudden commotion near the drama club’s exit, the chatter of those outside turned to murmurs with how far you stand. From the distance where you are, you see a bunch of students weary after practice, some stretching and others in groups, all of them speaking with each other. Legoshi and Haru follow you when you set off to that group, attempting to stop you.

          Legoshi tries to hold you back by calling out for you, while Haru grabs your arm.

          “You look tense,” Haru remarks, holding you tightly. A frown and a furrow make up most of her face, and her ears match with the worry in her voice. “And if that note's not a prank or anything meant to scare you off, it's just a warning. Don’t rush yourself yet, (Y/N).”

          Despite her well-meaning words, you can’t help feeling as if there's something wrong right at this moment.

          “Something feels off,” you state, frowning. The bunny keeps her grip on you even as you continue walking; the wolf, contrarily, stays back, only following the two of you when he sees you don’t plan on giving up on your hunch anytime soon. “From the very moment the drama club got held up, I felt something was wrong. I have to check and see if I'm right!"

          Haru lets go when you say that and stands next to Legoshi while you make it to the group of students standing closest to you.

          They stop talking to face you.

          “...Did something happen?” you ask, breaking the ice.

          Luckily enough, one of the four people present is familiar to you. The other three have seen you around sufficient times for them to acknowledge you and soothe their built-up tension away with smiles. Said expressions vanish quickly though, and it’s concern's turn to appear next. 

          “The lights went out for a moment,” Dom explains, wringing his hands together as he shifts on his feet. “Then a student went missing, so now we're hoping to get some sort of closure before we leave.” Before you can say anything, he continues with, “And even though it’s, well... strange it’s not the usual type we hear bad news about, I’m…” He hesitates, the wait worsening your concern. “I’m not sure you’ll be able to handle this, (Y/N).”

          The world surrounding you becomes a blur, and you instead focus on the peafowl in front of you. 

          With a breath in and another out, you straighten your posture and clench your hands.

          A rapid pulse controls your heart, fueling anxiety. 

          “Please, tell me who it is,” you plead, feeling your voice falter just as much as your hands begin to shake. “Did you guys find a note or something like that? I—”

          “Yes!” a sheep intervenes, her height just a bit taller than yours and her wool a shade of lighter colour compared to your own. She produces something out of her bag and turns it in, elaborating what that means with, “We found it next to Juno’s bag.”

          With that, you don’t need to read the note to know who the peafowl refused to name out loud for you, and the paper you’re holding almost ends up on the floor — just like last time. 

          Dom steps in right on time, fanning you with a feathery hand as he tries to calm you down. 

          “Read the note first,” he suggests, his voice calmer than normal, but with a shaky edge to it nonetheless, “And please, breathe. You look fainter than when you got here!" 

          You can feel the sheep hold you still while Dom carries on fanning you. 

          Feeling (somewhat) better now, you grasp the note again and read through it quickly.

          “Remember who you are. Don’t forget your place,” it says, and you hold your breath. “If you want her back, then I suggest leaving the hybrid dorms and asking to be moved back to where you belong.” 

          Against yourself, the note ends up crushed in your hand, yet you calm yourself down, those surrounding you aiding with the process. 

          “She’s safe, but… But only for so long.”

          The sheep takes the paper back from your hold and nods for you to move along. Dom does the same, pointing with his eyes over to Haru and Legoshi, both who’re still waiting for you nearby. It’s apparent they’ve made some progress, too, based on the looks on their faces, plus another group of students waving goodbye at them. 

          The group walks away, leaving the pair alone once more. 

          “Go ahead,” Dom urges, ushering for you to join their side. “And I know this might seem difficult to do, but… Keep your cool. I’ll try to look for more clues while you guys do your own thing.”

          You glare at nothing and clench your hands again, anger and distress conflicting with your calm. 

          “Can’t I just do as the note says?” 

          The words feel sillier being said out loud, yet you convince yourself there’s no shame in trying.

          “We could give it a shot, but… I'm afraid it won’t be a quick procedure, even for an emergency like this one,” he replies, frowning. “Our safest bet is to look for clues while we get a lead or… any other response.” He gives your shoulder a soft squeeze and a smile returns to his face, about as warm as the sun beginning to set. “Chin up, alright?"

          In spite of the situation, Dom's encouragement helps greatly with managing your stress. 

          You do as he says and hold your head up high, calming your pulse and the shakiness of your body. 

          "Alright." You sigh and face him with a smile. "Thank you, Dom!"

          Silence falls as he nods, giving space for you to focus on the matter at hand. 

          It's impossible not to worry — as Dom so mentioned himself — though you feel more confident. And that feeling increases when you make it to Haru and Legoshi's side. They smile at you when you meet with their eyes, and the wolf takes the initiative by stepping forward, his awkwardness kept back through the subtle hunch of his posture and his hands hidden in his front pockets. 

          "I think I know where we can start looking for Juno," he says, finally breaking into a smile, although faint. "Where was the last time you hung out with her?"

          While the question could use a bit more elaboration, another thought pops into your mind, revealing itself through the sudden burst of your voice.

          "The library!" you shout, the rest of your body preparing itself for a run. 

          Legoshi joins you when you take off, and Haru follows right after him.

          Just the sight of having two other people to help you out makes your worries lessen, exchanging them for strength and willpower.

Chapter Text

          It's dark out by the time you make it to the library, though having company with you dulls down the dangers of being out at night. 

          Still, you're careful when you enter the key and turn it around, the click it lets out startling you and the pair behind you. They both calm down when you open the door and reveal an empty space – empty, at least, as far as your eyes can see. The wolf sniffs around while you stay with Haru, taking her hand in yours as you wait for him to give a signal over whether it's safe to go in or not. 

          "...Someone's been here," Legoshi says, glaring at the dark. "But I think they're gone now." 

          He reaches for the light switch and nods when he sees his surroundings are clean and empty. Not a hint of wreckage or struggle is present inside. It looks normal, though there remains the uneasy feeling of just how normal it is — too normal.

          The reasons are more obvious when you see a neon blue sticky note stuck on one of the tables nearby, so you spare a look at Legoshi and take a step forward when he doesn't hold you back. 

          The first thing you do is read the note aloud without touching it.

          "If you've gotten this far and have yet to change dorms, expect your first challenge soon, LL."

          There's an arrow at the bottom left of the note, obliging you to take the paper and turn it around. 

          "You'll find your friend near to where you made your first one: a mutt with blond fur."

          All other thoughts are immediately shut off as you try to remember who's the first person you met here. 'Blond' and 'mutt' are clues blatant enough to make Jack pop into your mind, yet the rest becomes hazy when you think back on where you bumped into him, and what led to him giving you a quick tour around the school. You went to plenty of places with him that day, so it's difficult to pinpoint which one exactly.

          "Having trouble?" Haru asks, startling you out of your focus. She looks at the note in your hand and squints her eyes to read it, her curious expression changing to one of worry when she's done. "Do you... have any clues about that?" She smiles, the empathy behind it warming her gaze. "It's been months since you've been here with us, right? Maybe walking around could help freshen up your memory."

          "You... You should go back, then," you mutter, crushing the paper into a ball. "This is my responsibility, and it's risky for you to walk around at this hour."

          "I could say the same to you," she replies, holding your arm again. It's a comforting sort of touch compared to before, when she tried to calm you down after Legoshi showed you the first note. "Let's go together and bring more people, too." She meets your eyes, a more intense warmth felt in her gaze. "I bet you've made more friends than I can think of, so we'll look for them, and then we'll look around for her."

          You chew on your lip and consider the pros and cons of Haru's suggestion. 

          Surely enough, asking more people to help would make the process go by faster, but just how many of them would be open to doing it?

          Besides Haru and Legoshi, you aren't exactly too informed about who else Juno knows and on what terms she is with them. Even though you've known each other for almost half a semester now, you've yet to learn enough about her. The same applies to every other relationship you've made so far. It's challenging to find ways to spend time with them apart from your time together at the cafeteria and the library. Frankly, you’re still too reserved to ask them to hang out anywhere else, and when it comes to people like Legoshi – people who are similar to you personality-wise – it's harder still trying to break the ice and keep the conversation going.

          By the time you're done thinking it through, there's commotion outside the library.

          You face the entrance, all worries and alerts vanishing when you see Legoshi guarding the door. There are a bunch of familiar faces waiting, some you recognize as friends and others you're beginning to acknowledge as acquaintances. Jack waves at you when he sees you, and so does Dom, both of them who rush inside to ask how you're doing. 

          "Do you remember where we first met?" you blurt, barely giving Jack time to say anything. You hold the border of his shirt for support while you wait, too tense and eager to know his answer to let him go. "It's… important." 

          He faces you with a smile, becoming a grin when he replies with a yes. 

          "How could I forget?" he remarks, letting out a chuckle soft enough to match with the sudden, cheerful tone of his voice. "You stepped on a flower and apologized to it when you realized what you did."

          "I— I thought it was one of our rodent students," you exclaim, throwing in your first defense.

          "You still apologized even after that, though." He laughs again, and a faint red spreads across his face. "And you had a similar look when you got surprised at hybrid dorms now being a thing."

          "Alright," Dom's voice says, intervening in the conversation. "As adorable as you're both being, I think we should start searching around." He giggles and swats your shoulder, keeping his hand there when he does. "Care to show us where you met her, Jack? If it's flowers you're talking about... Then couldn't that be Haru's garden?"

          "The school's garden, you mean," Haru's antagonist comments, catching you by surprise.

          You look towards the door to see she's here, too, her stern gaze differentiating itself from the worried looks of those around her. She's leaning against a wall and has her arms crossed, though she lets them loose and stands up straight to face you. Her gaze challenges yours, yet the staring contest barely lasts.

          "It's hers if she's the only one caring for it," Dom replies, ending your challenge with her and taking it up himself. "You should stop stirring up comments like those if you want to help us out."

          "Who says I want to help?" She scoffs, crossing her arms again. "Are you slow, or did you forget anyone who gets involved with Little Lamb will get hurt?" She glares at you once more, though that also doesn't last long. "I'm here to watch the show."

          Haru bursts into a fit of muffled laughter, a sound that becomes contagious when she says, "You hear that, (Y/N)? She gave you a nickname." A pause arrives, followed by another burst of giggles on her part. "You're lucky. Only I had the honour of being her enemy before tonight!"

          She jabs your waist and rubs the rest of her bubbly energy on you. 

          The other rabbit stays quiet, uttering nothing else as she huffs, turns around, and looks away.

          The moment you and Haru do recover, though, all banter comes to an end and everyone takes off to the hallway, following Jack to your first destination.

Chapter Text

          Legoshi follows behind while Jack continues to lead the way, the two of them acting as barriers, in case someone attacks you from the front or from behind. 

          A new note waits for you the second you step out into the garden. You find it near the bed of flowers you helped Haru with the day a heavy rain fell, dirtied with earth and a hint of rain. Just like the note at the library, you refrain from touching it at first, yet it's hard not to with how messy the handwriting is. It's still from the same person though, as it still carries the same style, but with a bit of rush present in its strokes. Whoever the person writing these letters is, they must've had to take an early leave from their plans, a point proven when Legoshi stops guarding from behind to walk up in front of you.

          "That scent," he says, his eyes wandering to the garden shed. "It's familiar." He takes a few steps forward until getting closer to the building, stopping as he continues with, "There's someone hiding in there. Stay here."

          The wolf leads and stays on guard while Jack helps him out, standing beside him as a backup. Haru tugs you close while you wait, although it's not until her hold turns stronger on you that you realize she's trying to grab your attention. You turn to her and see a frown on her face, matching with the concern in Legoshi's voice.

          "I… I think I know who it is," she says, letting you go. "But I'm not sure why he'd do this."

          Though you don't quite understand who she's referring to, one look at her face and the glossy coat to her eyes lets you know that person is — or, at least, used to be — someone important to her. You hug her while you wait and let go when you hear some rustling from nearby. A tall and blooming shrub shakes and from behind it, a shadow emerges, taking the two canines busy guarding the shed by surprise. 

          "So, the two of you have also come," the voice says, clearly familiar to both the wolf and the bunny, based on how their gazes widen. Jack is the only one who stays neutral, as well as the crowd of friends and acquaintances waiting nearby when you decide to glance at them. From that short distance, Dom meets your eyes for a second, as if to offer you encouragement. "You'll be my next target if you continue this way, Jack."

          The mentioned canine shows surprise through a faint gasp and his posture straightening up, but he tries to hold himself back, glaring at the darkness before him. 

          "Why?" he asks, his words as dry as your throat feels.

          The stranger chuckles, taking a step aside to further blur into the background. 

          "Wolves are usually more straightforward, unlike mutts like you. I wouldn't be surprised if all that friendliness you're showing to (Y/N) results in her being your prey." There's a pause, one where you feel the pace of your heart quicken. "It's a shame I'm trying to do what's best for both ends, yet I still receive nothing but resistance."

          You glare at the shadows, gently push Haru back, and stand beside Jack.

          "You took Juno away for my own good?" you ask, your voice sounding as confident as your posture feels. You take a step closer, though you're stopped by Jack holding your wrist. "Did you think she'd hurt me?"

          "I know she'd hurt you."

          A tall and slim figure shows up as the person finally takes a step forward, yet that's as much as you're able to see beyond the darkness. 

          The wolf next to you tries to view past it and lets his failure known with a frown. 

          "I can't even track him by scent anymore," he comments, his droopy ears matching with the defeat in his voice. "If it's him, he came prepared."

          "It was only a matter of time before she lost her temper," the voice continues, making you face it again. "Or did you forget what she said about your bleat? Did you really think she found it 'cute', or are you going to be realistic and accept that she viewed you as inferior?"

          "She's my friend," you persist, taking a step closer when Jack lets go of you. "And I want to know where she is." You take another step and clench your hands into fists. "I don't care if it's a risk. For now, I… I trust her, and I want to keep being in the same dorm as her."

          The figure disappears once more and silence stays for a long while. 

          "Alright," the voice says, letting out another laugh. "If you insist, I'll give her back to you. But let this be known: it's not over yet. If you wish to continue with this charade, then so be it. Prepare to be the knight and saviour of all your friends."

          More rustling sounds as the person disappears completely from your sight. 

          Barely a moment passes before Jack breaks the tension by walking up to the garden shed. Muffled noises and someone's voice can be heard coming from inside, and everyone present tenses alongside him. He visibly gulps away his worry as he opens the door with a loud creak, while everyone else stays on edge, ready for whatever might happen.

          Bright lights blind you with how dark the night is, and you're prompted to rub your eyes to recover from that. When you do, you can hear collective gasps and murmurs from everyone around you. The reason behind their reactions is what waits for you at the open door: someone familiar with a bag over her head, knelt right next to a note stuck to the floor.

          “Juno!”

          You rush to her side, kneel in front of her, and slip off the bag before anything else, needing to see her face after so long. 

          Gloomy eyes and a taped snout greet you when you reveal her face, and her weary gaze doesn't take long to change to a shocked expression when she looks behind you to notice the crowd. 

          “We were looking for you,” you explain, smiling at her as best as you can, despite the rest of your body telling you that you should simply collapse into a teary mess and beg for forgiveness. “They all wanted to help!”

          She throws herself at you and attempts to bring you into a hug, though her hands restrict her, these tied behind her. 

          "Hold still," you murmur, standing up and kneeling behind her to start with the process. 

          You untie her hands first and move on over to her legs next. 

          It's even more tedious to work with than you expected it to be, anxiety making your hands shake as you try to undo the knots one by one.

          Jack goes to read the note while Haru searches for gardening tools to help you with untying. Meanwhile, Legoshi stays with the crowd. He escorts a few to their dorms along the way, and some team up with others to make the process go by faster.

          The more you begin to deal with the ropes and knots keeping Juno restricted, the further you begin to worry about your choice and if you made the right one. Making friends with her had resulted in her being held captive, tied up, taped shut, and thrown into a garden shed. What had at first been vague warnings and threats are now full-fledged worries. And these turn worse when you finish untying both her arms and legs to reveal harsh rope burns. Only her taped snout is left, and she's smiling with her eyes in spite of what she's gone through. When she yelps at your touch on her snout — careful, with how damaged her face looks — you can already feel yourself tensing at the thought of her nose and smile being as wounded as the rest of her body. 

          "I'm…” Your breath hitches as you now stare at her slightly teary gaze, even if she's still attempting to smile with her eyes, while you continue untying knots and tending to her injuries. “I'm sorry, Juno."

          With her mouth still restricted since you've just barely torn away half of the tape — revealing only her nose — you listen to some less muffled words from her part. These, thankfully, are given their meaning when you help her stand up after a couple of failed attempts at removing the rest of the tape without hurting her. She pulls you tightly against her, hugging you like she's always wanted it, yet never done it before.

          When it's over, you hold her shoulders and squeeze.

          “Let's wet the tape first and try it again, okay?”

          Juno nods, still smiling with her eyes.

Chapter Text

          It's been two weeks since the incident with Juno, and though her wounds have finally healed, you can tell there's some amount of tension and worry still simmering in her thoughts.

          During the past fifteen days, she hadn't once spoken about what happened. Instead, she kept it all to herself and refused to talk about it with you, using the excuse that she'd rather not dampen up the mood every single time you tried. Even during the silence that came when you helped her deal with her injuries, she hadn't once told you what was bothering her. 

          Truthfully, you're beginning to worry over the strength and depth of your friendship. 

          "She hasn't said anything, as far as I know," Legoshi remarks, following you and Haru out of the cafeteria.

          "Same here," Haru chimes in, confirming the opposite in regards to your concerns. "...And I might not be that close with her, but with the two of us being your friend, we kind of… started to talk to each other more." Her nose twitches, and her brows bunch up as she frowns. "I'm surprised she hasn't talked about it with you, though!"

          You stop in a corner of the hallway, keeping your voices leveled as you carry on your conversation.

          "Maybe she's mad about (Y/N) changing dorms?"

          The wolf's addition makes the bunny's jaw drop.

          She doesn't waste time to react and stares up at you with wide eyes. 

          "You... You what?" she exclaims. Her frown upgrades to a glare, and she faces you straight in the eye, almost cornering you in place with the intensity of her gaze. "No wonder she won't talk to you! Why did you do that?!"

          "Isn't it the most reasonable thing to do?" you ask, frowning. "Those threats we received aren't worth defying, if they're gonna bring us that much danger and trouble. Juno spent days with those injuries, and I can still see a few marks to this day!"

          You're thankful you agreed to go to lunch with them a little later, since the topic doesn't feel like something you should be talking about in a busy hallway, a typical scenario when the break starts.

          "So, you're just going to obey the enemy?"

          "I have to, if it means other people besides me are in danger."

          Legoshi's ears droop as he witnesses your conversation with Haru almost scale into an argument. 

          He takes a step back and stays quiet as he watches you both.

          "You need to talk to her about it, because I'm sure Juno wouldn't want that, just as much as we wouldn't." Haru says, setting her hands on her hips while her frown returns. A softer look overcomes her expression, and her ears mimic the wolf's. "We're all friends here! And I'm pretty sure Juno cares about you more than you think." She lets that stance go and loosens her posture up some more. A faint smile manifests itself and a gentler tone rises when she continues. "’Cuz I feel that way, too, at least. Even if that route involves some risks, I'd much rather take the one where I can be true to myself."

          Haru takes a step back and lowers her intensity. 

          Then, she sighs and lets her ears droop some more. 

          "Almost everything we do every day has its own set of risks, and being born as what we are now is by itself a big one. If you think about it that way, then… Wouldn't it be better to choose a path you'd be happier with, instead of going along with what's in front of you, and having almost no control over your future goals?" She lets out another breath when she's done, yet she barely gives you time to put in a word of your own when she adds, "But did you really change dorms?" Her tone is a mixture of pained and reticent, most of it already reflecting itself on her uneasy expression and tense body language. "Be honest with me, please."

          You face her and remain silent for a while. 

          While you wait for an answer, your mind goes haywire and you try to come up with some sort of white lie, but they all fall short before you can so much as begin to consider them as viable options for confronting someone like Haru. 

          "I didn't,” you state, meeting her gaze. "But I'm not staying in the same dorm as hers anymore. The sheep I met at the drama club offered me to stay with her, until I figure out what to do."

          "And how's that any less of a risk than choosing to stay at the hybrid dorms?" she retorts, though — quite unlike her previous confrontation — there's a traceable note of humour present in her voice. "You could be putting her in danger, too, y'know?" She nudges your hip and winks. Then, she smiles, and you find yourself doing the same. "...But in all seriousness, I'm relieved you didn't move out officially, because I'm sure I'd be just as mad as Juno!" Her ears go back to their usual state and a calmer, almost relaxed posture remains on her body. "You should discuss this with her soon and let her decide if she wants to keep being your roommate. Don't just decide for her."

          “But… When should I do that? She— She won't talk to me much anymore."

          Haru chuckles and faces up at you again. 

          "Preferably tonight? You could come over straight to her dorm and try to be honest with her about it."

          You chew on your lip as you consider her suggestion. It's reasonable, no doubt, but you're ninety-nine percent sure doing that won't be as easy as it sounds. Despite you being close friends with Juno, those two weeks of tension between you have lessened the confidence you gained through the semester, and now, you aren't exactly certain about what path to take any longer. 

          "...I'll try," you mutter, swallowing stress away. One question remains in your mind, yet it takes a while for you to word it out properly. "But what you're saying here is," you continue, bracing yourself, "...you think this isn't something only I can decide, then?"

          Haru nods. 

          "If it involves our safety, then no," she replies. "We should also have a say in what we want to do with our friendship with you, and not just let a… random stranger decide that for us." 

          You notice how she hesitates at the word stranger, and it doesn't take too long to remember how she reacted to the glimpse of said stranger's appearance the night you confronted that person over Juno's disappearance. 

          Given the current time and topic of discussion, though, you refrain from bringing that up for the moment and settle with a smile. 

          "I didn't really consider it that way, but I’m—"

          "Lunch is over," Legoshi intervenes, sounding as quiet as a mouse. 

          It's evident based on how meek his voice comes out that he's been trying to get your attention for some time now, and that observation alone is enough for you to smile, only to then quickly realize what his words mean.

          "What?!" Haru's voice unites with yours as you both exclaim your shock. You stare at each other and later at the wolf, directing stunned gazes at him as you ask, "Since when?"

          "Since five minutes ago," he replies, finally easing in with a grin and a laugh. "I tried calling you both, but you just got more into it the more I tried to get your attention." Legoshi tries to fight back that expression, though he fails in an instant and makes his smile grow instead. "We should hurry, if we don't want to be called out."

          Despite his amusement, those words send off a warning in your head, so you excuse yourself from them two to run off to class.

          "Let's continue this later," you call out, facing Haru and pointing at Legoshi after. "You included. You've been way too quiet about this, and it feels like you know something we don't."

          "I'm always like that," the wolf retorts, meeting your challenge with another smile.

          You smile back and fight against your reply when you remember you're only delaying yourself further, the same going for them two. 

          "That's still not gonna help you get away with it!"

Chapter Text

          The cool night breeze sends trees rustling and shivers across your body. 

          It's colder than usual outside, yet you have no plans to stay at the regular dorms tonight. 

          Legoshi is already standing next to your door, and Haru is the only one missing, though you have a slight hunch as to where she could be waiting for you. 

          "Ready to go sort things out?" the wolf asks, facing you with a smile. Similar to earlier in the afternoon, there seems to be more behind it, but you try not to pry for the moment being. "Or do you need some time first?"

          You tuck your jacket closer to you and wrap your arms around yourself. 

          Despite the wool, you feel colder now, and you're fully aware it's a consequence of your worries getting to your head. The longer you think, the worse it gets. Knowing that you're about to face Juno makes your heart clench and speed up far too much for you to bear it. The rest of your thoughts are a mess as you try to weigh out the options. Haru suggested you talk to Juno tonight, or — at the very least — before the end of the week, yet you don't feel ready for neither today nor tomorrow, and not even the day after tomorrow. Facing Juno not only means a potential risk for her again, but it also involves being honest and upfront about your feelings and explaining why you chose to leave so suddenly from the dorm, leaving her all on her own.

          Feeling it's best to let it out, you breathe in and then out, eyes closing during the process. 

          "I…" You attempt to speak, but you're held back by your own mind. "Could I… ask you something important?" you say, looking up to meet with Legoshi’s eyes, who only nods in response. "Does it make it worse that I, well… left without a warning?"

          There's a sudden change between shock and hidden amusement in the wolf's expression when you say that. He resists a chuckle and clears his throat to cover it up. You can tell he's holding back his smile now, but he eventually fails and grins, exposing his truest thoughts. 

          "Do you want me to be honest with you?" he asks, broadening his grin.

          His gaze holds a bit of playfulness in it, although his question appears to be serious, based on his tone and the rest of his body language.

          "Yes," you reply, nodding. "I'm… I'm not good at communicating with others, so I just want to know if… If that's why Juno's mad at me."

          Legoshi's face regains its calm and his ears perk up a bit as he gives your words some consideration. 

          "I wasn't, either, and I'm still pretty bad at it when it comes to people besides those who're already my friends, but…" 

          He slips his hands in his pockets and faces the floor. 

          "Yeah. I think... not telling her you were moving out only made that harder between you. It's… kind of like having cold water thrown at you without a warning."

          "So…" you mutter, biting back a smile of your own. "You're saying it's gonna be even harder to apologize to her?"

          The wolf chuckles again and replies with, "Maybe, but I guess it all depends on how you both communicate. And I'm sure she's more worried than angry about what happened, so in the end… It's up to you both in hearing each other out."

          Finding comfort in his company and words, you let silence take over after that response. You stuff your hands in your jacket's pockets and shift closer to him, testing to see if he's as cold as you. Soon after, you observe him for a while and smile. The oddness in him being fine with the cold, despite you being covered up in wool, makes you wonder what he's gone through and how much he's used to difficult and high-tension moments like the one faced when searching for Juno. Whereas, here you are, getting stressed and having your body suffer the toll of your emotions. When presented with Juno's situation, Legoshi appeared to be one of the most experienced when it came to dealing with it, as did Haru. The rest of those who tagged along mostly seemed to be trying their best to help out.

          "Aren't you cold?" you ask, breaking the silence, despite the response being obvious, what with wolves being able to tolerate lower temperatures than the current one. 

          Nevertheless, you want to make some small talk, and that's about the best you can come up with. 

          Your hand brushes ever so carefully with his arm to emphasize your point, and you widen your smile when he stares at you. 

          "I mean, I'm like... all wool, and you're only fur. Am I just too nervous about this whole thing, or is it really that cold and you're just really, really good at handling it?"

          His smile returns and you can feel your face turn warmer when he laughs it off, sounding twice as warm. 

          "...It's a little cold," he replies, moving closer to you. "But not that cold, so I'm sure it's just you." His words are let known as him teasing you when he winks, bumping shoulders with you afterwards. "You should try to get your mind off of that, though. ‘Cuz I'm sure you two can get through this. It's a bump in the road that's gonna teach you how to deal with bigger things in the future, if it comes to it."

          With another breath in and out, you find yourself warming up already. 

          Your heart stops racing as much as it did when you left the dorm, and you notice your jacket isn't necessary anymore. 

          So, you shrug it off, fix its sleeves up, and rise on your tiptoes to reach out for the wolf. 

          "What are you—”

          "Shhh."

          You giggle at the sight of him almost about to stand on guard with your approach, but he eases in when he notices what you're doing. He lowers down a bit more to assist you with stabilizing your heights and helps you tuck your jacket around his shoulders when you trip and wobble, legs turning numb. When you're finished, he tucks the jacket closer, keeping it worn as he lays back against the wall and faces you with a grin.

          "Thanks," he says. "Feeling less cold now?"

          You fix your shirt up and flatten out the wrinkles left behind.

          Then, you face him and nod. 

          "A lot less." 

          You stretch your arms out and sigh, letting your body find ease. 

          When you're done, you bite on your lip once before letting it go. 

          "I, um… I think I'm ready now."

          Your eyes wander to the hallway, dimly lit and seeming to carry on for miles. 

          The eerie feeling lessens when you remember there are people of trust waiting for you in the dorm, and that Legoshi will serve as a much-needed company along the way. 

          Haru and Juno have to be waiting for you at the hybrid dorms by now, so you straighten your posture and pick yourself up, eager to face whatever lies ahead.

          You've already confronted the one who quite frankly kidnapped Juno to give you a warning.

          What's to say you can't handle something like this?

          You follow the wolf when he begins to walk and stay side-by-side. 

          Your jacket still remains on his shoulders and it reminds you've yet to thank him for helping you sort out your thoughts. 

          "Legoshi?" you call out, hoping to fulfill that now.

          He stops walking to stare at you. 

          "Yeah?"

          "Thank you for listening." 

          You hesitate as to whether you should give more context or not, but settle not to when you see his face brighten. 

          The rest of him gives out at his content state, as his tail begins to wag and his ears perk, looking rather similar to that of a puppy.

          A sudden tension overcomes his shoulders, and he looks away when he meets with your eyes. 

          "No problem," he says, words rushed and muttered.

Chapter Text

          "Boo!"

          The surprise when you make it to Juno's dorm — the door open and with no one inside — is followed by a warm and careful embrace from behind you, along with a finger pressed against your snout to prevent you from bleating.

          While you're fully aware it's Juno, there's a part of you that denies it, like it's too good to be true, and that she's actually still mad at you and is all a dream.

          "J— Juno?" Her name feels almost unnatural to say now, and seeing her so close to you when she lets go and walks up in front of you makes you do a double take, just to be sure of yourself. "What… What happened?" You don't dare ask, 'What are you doing here?', given she's in her dorm and you made the decision to leave, so you settle with that for the moment being. "I'm sorry I left so… so sudden—"

          She interrupts you with another hug, one that takes you longer to return in comparison to the first one, with how disbelieving your mind still is. One glance at her makes you doubt whether you're still dreaming. To test your theory, you shimmy out of the hug and reach out for her cheek, finally snapping out of it when you feel the softness of her fur and its warmth. 

          "Juno!" you exclaim, making her grin, yet still hurry to hush you. "...Can we talk?"

          You decide to go straight to the point, already feeling bad enough that she's made the first move despite being the most hurt. 

          Abandoning her so abruptly and without a proper explanation only to have her here with you doesn't feel right, nor does the sight of tears going down her face. 

          "I— Inside, maybe?" 

          Your throat burns when you gulp, and your breaths turn scarce just by the thought of fixing your situation with her. 

          Actually doing that felt like a surreal, farfetched ideal — a distant dream, most likely.

          "You're going back?" she asks, her eyes wide and the smallest of smiles on her mouth, hope hidden beneath her composure.

          You prepare yourself with a deep breath in and a slow one out. 

          "If you'd like me to, then yes," you reply, smiling at her. 

          Her wide eyes soften and her ears droop, urging you to take a step closer and bring your hand to her cheek, using your thumb to wipe one of her tears away. 

          "I'll do whatever I can to go back there without causing any risks, so long as you still want me to. And… Once I actually apologize and explain why I... why I did what I did."

          Juno sniffles and takes a step back.

          She draws in some air, shuddering when she lets it out. 

          Her expression remains warm, though there's a bit of hesitance in her gaze, as if she's only just realized the move she's made and what it implies. 

          "Both…" She trails off, reluctance present in the way her eyes avoid yours, again and again. "Both Haru and Legoshi told me about what you were planning to do about this — about us. I couldn't sit still, so I wanted to surprise you." She stops and sighs. A stern look falls on her face, coupled with a firm posture. "But you're right. I'd like to hear what you have to say first." Her gaze narrows, yet it's far from being full of hatred. Rather, her stance is dignified, and patience shows through her chosen tone of voice, calm but collected. "Shall we?" she asks, offering a hand out to you. "But we'll need to be quick and quiet about it, just so you know. You can't just go about switching dorms back and forth now, can you?" 

          A hint of her usual teasing returns in that last sentence, though her stern self makes its comeback just as fast.

          You take her hand and meet with her eyes, no words needed for her to receive an answer.

          "Ready?"

          You nod and hold her hand tighter once she does the same.

          "Ready."

          Her hand hardly even slips as you both step forward, returning to what feels like home.

          Your heart turns heavy as you step inside and notice she's still living alone, not a hint or a trace of another person besides herself present in any of the spare beds available. Something that strikes as odd is how your bed is still kept in the same state as how you left it, personal accents and decor shown to have been cleaned recently based on how little dust there is. You look at the wolf for a moment and sit down only when she nods at you, though not before lifting a brow and smiling at those details.

          "All of that is still yours," she says, stifling a giggle. "So… You don't have to ask for permission or anything, y’know? I only kept it all clean in case you ever came to pick up your stuff.”

          That's all it takes for you to blink a few tears and look away from her, too caught up by her words for you to apologize or say anything proper in response. 

          Your chest shakes as you huff, yet you try to gain strength once you remember your reasons for being here. 

          "I'm sorry for not telling you I'd be moving out," you blurt, with how tight your chest feels. "I should've told you sooner, but I… I didn't. I chose to settle with the enemy and leave you here alone, so I…" You choke up and look away, a few more tears making their way down. "I understand if you won't forgive me, or if you need more time to think this through."

          She stays quiet but sits next to you, her gaze meeting yours once her hand brushes with your own. 

          "I... I was scared, and well... I still am. I was scared of losing you, just because of us being friends, and so I left. But I still should've at least said something about it, in the end,” you continue, voice quiet yet determined to express every single worry in your mind.

          Further contradicting your expectations, Juno's face softens up more. 

          A smile returns to her face and her hand holds yours, squeezing it tight. 

          "I'm sorry, too. I should've tried to—"

          "N— No." You nearly shout that word out, though you're kept from standing up or making any flustered gestures, what with your hand still caught in hers. "You don't have anything to apologize for. I… I almost lost you, and yet the only decision I could come up with was to leave you after that was over with!"

          "But I should've still tried to talk to you about it."

          "I left without a warning, Juno! You had no reason to talk to me, and I understand that." You frown. "It's— It's as if I punched you, ran away, and then…” You scoff at yourself. “Then you wanted to apologize for not asking about why the hell I did that to you!"

          Juno stops your anxious state by hugging you for what has to be the third time in one day. 

          "That's still different," she states, her tone hushed as she closes off the distance between you. Her hand reaches out for the back of your head and lets your forehead rest on her shoulder; the other holds your waist as she buries her face against your wool. "You were worried about my safety, even if you were… abrupt in your way of finding a solution for that."

          She holds you tighter and wets your wool with her tears, these non-stop as she breathes in and out at a steady but shaky pace, calming herself down more. 

          "You're still more than welcome here, although… I will admit, I need some time to process all this."

          You nod against her and return her hug with twice as much strength. 

          "So, do you… Do you still consider us friends?" you ask, your words a whisper. 

          "Without a doubt," she replies, her voice breaking the second she takes too long to speak up. "I— I missed you."

          Sighing out a shudder, you sniffle and promptly break into a smile, despite knowing your face is still hidden from her view. 

          "I missed you, too."

          A beat of silence passes. Your breaths and the distant sounds of the late night are the only things you can hear as you keep each other close, waiting without a reason. There's no pressure in the silence, allowing your mind to find some ease and clarity.

          "Could we go to sleep now?" Juno breaks the ice, giggling after. "I'm… I'm honestly starting to doze off with us staying like this."

          You let go of each other and share a grin.

          "I'm tired, too." You look at the wall clock hung nearby, squinting at it to better view the numbers marked by its arrows. "It's already past midnight! We need to sleep if we want to get anything done today."

          "...Like moving you back here, maybe?"

          Her words come off sheepish, though they still catch you off guard.

          "A— Already?" you ask, eyes broadening. "I thought you needed more time!"

          "I know," she says, smiling. "But that still doesn't mean I don't want you here with me, (Y/N)."