Chapter 9

In the hallway leading to the dorms, Yosuke spotted Yang by herself infront of her Dorm-room door, her hand wrapped around the knob with a downcast expression. Taking pause, Yosuke glanced at his partner who seemed none the wiser, humming a tune to herself whilst spinning on her heel.

"Hey, Aria, go on without me. I'll be back soon." Yosuke informed his teammate.

"Okayyyy." Aria replied before entering their room.

With near monotonous steps, Yosuke continued, slipping his hands into his pockets as he strolled up to the blonde brawler. "Is everything alright, Yang?" He queried, coming to a stop next to the girl.

Peering up, she met his gaze, "Yeah, I'm fine. Nothing much," She smiled rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly, "Just thinking about some stuff."

Yosuke stood, scrutinizing the blonde for a moment before posing another question, "Care to talk about it?" He asked, leaning against the wall.

Yang quirked a brow before a soft chuckle escaped her lips, "Sure, why not?"

-.-

The moon's fragmented bits barely served as a light source, casting a dim glow over the inhabitants of Remnant. Two silhouettes emerged from Beacon's Dormitories onto the luminescence filled courtyard, a cured silence permeating as they went, reaching a wooden bench where they took a seat.

Yang's voice, low yet effortlessly seductive, broke its silence.

"This has been on my mind a lot recently," She began, eyes gazing up at the shattered moon, "When people first see me, what do they think of me?"

"What do you mean?"

Yang's fingers intertwined as she lowered her gaze. "Is it something like, 'That girl's pretty hot' or 'She looks like a girl that can party' or... something like that...?" Her voice trailed off, filled with uncertainty.

Yosuke's gaze lingered on the blonde as he voiced his thoughts. "I don't think they do," He assured, leaning back in his seat.

"But the thing is, they do," Yang retorted, furrowing her brows. "The perfect example would be Professor Port. I mean, he was giving me weird stares in class this morning."

Yosuke's eyes narrowed slightly as he vaguely recalled the scene.

"I see..." He muttered.

Yang continued, her voice tinged with sadness. "Why does this happen? Simple, when people see me, they don't see a huntress," She explained. "They just see a pretty blonde girl with big... you know."

Yosuke nodded, his cerulean gaze shifting to the dark sky above as he became lost in thought. "It's true some may view you that way, but for others, it's different," He said.

Curious, Yang prodded, "Different how?"

"Take your sister, Ruby. I can't speak for myself since I don't know you well enough yet. But your sister sees you as someone strong and independent, doesn't she?" Yosuke said, his azure orbs meeting Yang's violet gaze.

Yang's eyes widened slightly, a small smile creeping onto her face. "I guess you're right about that..." She whispered, savoring the memories of her sister.

Continuing their conversation, Yosuke offered his perspective. "People will always judge others based on their first impression," He said, slipping his arms into his pockets.

"The way one acts, their scent, their looks, their manner of speech, no matter what, it's someone's first impression of you that might last the longest. I won't say that I myself am innocent of this, I've done it with my team, with the heads of this school, your team, others....its the first impressions that's often the make or break with many people, myself included." With a slight shrug, Yang sighed at the boy's words, relaxed...

"Yeah, that makes sense." Yang nodded, her gaze falling to the ground.

Yosuke continued, his tone reassuring. "But that just goes to show that what you put out there is what they will see. They won't see you for you if you hide. Show them who you truly are. Let them know that Yang Xiao-Long is more than just a 'pretty' face," He said, glancing over at the blonde with a small smile.

"Demonstrate your independence and resilience. Show them that you have what it takes to be a strong and capable huntress."

Yang's eyes widened even further as she listened to Yosuke's words. Maybe he was right. Maybe she should show others the true depth of her character. Perhaps then they would stop objectifying her.

Maybe, just maybe...

"Yeah, I'll do that," She said, a genuine smile gracing her lips. "Y'know, you sounded like a wise old master just now." She chuckled lightly.

'For that, you'd have to thank my teacher.'

Yosuke sighed, a small smile forming on his lips as he playfully retorted, "So what if I did, 'pretty girl'." His comment earned him a playful punch on the shoulder from the blonde brawler.

The two of them sat in a calm silence on the bench, their gazes fixed on the night sky as a gentle breeze rustled their hair.

Yosuke broke the silence, his eyes still focused on the dark expanse above, "Yang, is there anything else you'd like to share?"

Yang leaned back, intertwining her fingers behind her head with a smirk, "Nah, besides what we've discussed and the Ruby and Weiss situation, there's nothing else I feel like sharing at the moment."

Yosuke's curiosity prompted him to ask, "And how are Ruby and Weiss doing? Have they managed to reconcile?"

Yang shrugged slightly, her expression thoughtful, "Well, when I talked to Ruby about it, she said they still hadn't made up. However, it seems like Ruby is putting in extra effort to show Weiss that she can be a capable leader. She even started studying."

A soft smile graced his lips as he responded, "That's good to hear. I believe that when Weiss returns, they'll find a way to mend their friendship."

Yang nodded in agreement. "Yeah."

"It's getting late. I guess I'll-" Yang began to say, but her sentence was interrupted by the loud rumble of her stomach, followed by an awkward silence.

Yosuke chuckled lightly, his eyes twinkling as he eyed the blonde, "Hungry?"

"Ya think?" Yang retorted, her cheeks slightly flushed. "I knew I shouldn't have skipped lunch..." She mumbled to herself under her breath.

Yosuke's gaze lingered on the blonde for a moment, a warm smile forming on his lips. "Let's grab something to eat before we head back."

"I like the sound of that." Yang replied as the two stalked off towards the school cafeteria.

-.-

Yosuke turned the knob, the soft click indicating the unlocking of the door. With a gentle push, it swing easily revealing the dimly lit room. Stepping inside, the faint thuds of his footsteps broke the silence as he made his way to his bed.

'Everyone's asleep.'

He glanced around the room, noting the stillness and the slight movement from the bed beside him.

'Is she feeling uncomfortable?' He thought to himself before taking a step closer. He approached the figure, his cerulean eyes observing the shifting form. Pink hair framed a troubled expression.

'She looks rather... perplexed. Is it a nightmare?' Yosuke mused, eyeing the pink-ette for a while.

'I feel like a stalker for standing by her bedside like this... Maybe I should head to bed.' Shaking his head, he decided, however, before he could turn around the pink-ette moved as the sheets shifted along with her, revealing her rather ample bosom wrapped tightly in a black crop top.

Sighing, Yosuke stood conflicted.

Should he help out and she awakens she might mistaken him for a pervert and the situation would be rather awkward or should he not help out and let her fix it when she wakes up, though, he'd feel guilty in a way for not covering her despite knowing what happened. Wrestling with his thoughts for a while, Yosuke chose the former.

Extending his hand, he gently adjusted the sheets, attempting to provide comfort. As he did, he heard her whisper in her sleep, stirring his curiosity. He leaned closer, listening to her uneven breaths and faint whimpers.

'She doesn't sound like she's doing alright, I should wake her up.' Yosuke thought, a frown gracing his features. What kind of dream could she be having for her to look this discomforted? Could she have simply contracted a cold? But given the healing capabilities of aura, that possibility seemed highly unlikely.

Though, before Yosuke could stir her awake, Saya murmured again, the action tugging the huntsman even nearer to the girl, so close he could somewhat feel the heat of her.

"...Mom...Dad..." Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes as she donned a saddened expression, tears threatening to spill from the corners of her eyes.

"Don't go..."

He knew that face... that expression.....

That feeling.

He knew it all too well. Afterall, he wore it for years, everyday he woke up and every night he fell asleep he donned that very same expression. Day after day, night after night, he donned that face filled with pain as he stared into the same shattered glass of that broken building, with his eyes only reflecting that single prominent feeling of hurt.... Pain.

Grief

Sorrow

"I ___ you!"

Bad.

This is bad

Yosuke's soul shivered at the remembrance, eyes widening before forcefully tearing its gaze from the sleeping beauty, this is really bad. He had better go before he hears something that might trig-

"Please, don't go..."

Yosuke paused.

No...

His heart skipped a beat as memories trickled through, pushing to the forefront of his mind despite his desperate pleas-He didn't want to see it, he didn't want to remember it! That day... That blasted forest!

No

NO!

NO!

Images of a crimson-tinged forest flashed before his eyes, painting a horrid scene, too vivid to be a mere bad memory. No.

It was traumatic.

"N-no, don't go...please!" Yosuke muttered, falling to his knees next to the blood drenched bodies of his parents as his blue eyes stared on in horror.

His pupils shrank, zeroing in on his now trembling phalanges as he brought them up to his face, the gloved palms now bathed in red as they hovered above the still form of a bleeding woman.

"Please don't go! Mom!! Dad!!" Yosuke pleaded, tearing off his shirt, whimpering as he clumsily attempted to dress the wound as crimson seeped through like an endless stream.

"I-it's all going to be alright son..." The blue haired woman assured, raising a shaky limb. Her palm, though cold as ice, brought warmth to the boy's face as tears cascaded down his cheeks like a broken dam.

His breathing became erratic, his hands trembling with intensity as his aquatic orbs shook with fear, his own past threatening to consume him. He felt queasy as he stared into the fading orbs of the crimson clad woman, the shadows of the abyss slowly encroaching on her as her cold, bloody palm swiveled its way to his face. Yosuke felt as if he was reliving the moment, he vividly recalled the feeling of the woman's hand casting an ethereal warmth onto his cheek despite its bone chilling coldness.

Her chilling warmth.

"T-Take care o-of your brother f-for us alright?" The blue haired woman dyed in red requested, crystalized liquid forming at the corners of her eye with her palm slowly slipping from Yosuke's face as she flashed one final smile.

"I love you, Yosuke." She said, a single tear streaming down her cheek as her pupils stared ahead....dilated, and unfocused.

Yosuke took a step back, his eyes darting around the room. His chest tightening ever so slightly as his pulse quickened. He clutched at his chest, taking deep labored breaths in an attempt to regain his composure.

"Y-Yosuke?" Yosuke whirled around, his hand drenched in blood as his younger brother stared at him with eyes as wide as pin pricks.....

That gaze...

"W-w-why- w-wha-" The boy stuttered, eyes glued to the blood he stepped upon before, core shivering whilst his shock and denial were evident as his trembling hands clutched his head with a roar.

"H-hey Ika-" Yosuke was cut off as his brother screamed, "N-N-N-NO! NO! D-DONT EVEN LOOK AT ME you-you MURDERER!"

He hesitated, his hand hovering in the air, unsure whether to wake her or not.

Lying, unmoving in a massive heap of blood was none other than the mangled corpse of his younger brother. His blue eyes hollow as they stared up at Yosuke whose feet were on the verge of giving out from beneath him.

"I-Ika- please-please... No... Not you too... PLEASE!" Yosuke pleaded, his voice scratching like a broken record as he shakily made his way forward to the limp corpse. They had just lost their parents and he only wanted to help soothe his brother's pain... So why did he have to- why did he have to DIE?!

But the gods seemed less than pleased with stopping at just his death, for they called upon a massive torrential force of Grimm. Be they Avians, Simians or wolves, their voices pierced the night as they slowly made their way towards Yosuke's position. The overwhelming amount of negativity having been enough of a tease to their stomachs yearning for darkness.

Yosuke knew he had to run, he knew he had to escape. But he didn't want to go, he didn't want to leave his brother's body out in the wild for the Grimm.

But what choice did he have?

If he carried the body he would most certainly falter to exhaustion, but if he left him, he would have more of a chance to escape. Yosuke frantically looked back and forth between the limp body of his brother and the eerie forest housing the creatures of the night.

It took no genius to figure out what option to choose. Yosuke glanced over his brother one final time, donning a pained smile as he whispered an apology he knew would go unheard. Turning on his heels, he sprinted off into the night, not once looking back as he distanced himself from the beasts of Grimm and the body of-

Oh gods!

His mind raced as he ran for his life. He tried to help, he only wanted to help. He didn't want it to come to this. Why couldn't he have listened to his father? Why DIDN'T he listen to his father... Yosuke's memories came rushing back like a flood, sending him into a heart wrenching emotional spiral as he recalled all the events one by agonizing one.

He wasn't able to help then... What made him think it would make a difference now?

Back to reality, moments passed, and his hand gradually fell back to his side, his breath still shaky as he stood in the deafening silence.

'...'

Yosuke looked on, beads of sweat cascading his face as he stared on in a hollowed daze, his breath trembling with each intake; his gaze lowering as his face morphed into a pained filled expression...

'I should leave her be... I'm not in any shape to help and she might not take too kindly to me meddling in her past, her brother even more so if last time was any indication.' He rationalized, quickly retreating to his own bed, he slid under the sheets, focusing on stabilizing his breathing, and clearing his mind in an attempt to find solace in the present moment.

-.-

-The Next Day-

The morning sun peeked over the mountains, casting its warm light upon the walls of Beacon Academy. Students hurried through the halls, making their way to their respective classes.

Yosuke strolled down the bustling corridors of Beacon, his mind preoccupied with thoughts of the previous night.

'I hope Weiss and Ruby were able to reconcile. It would only bring them unnecessary harm if they didn't,' He pondered, 'As for Saya...' His thoughts being momentarily interrupted by painful memories.

"Please don't go! Mom!! Dad!!" Yosuke pleaded, tearing off his shirt, whimpering as he clumsily attempted to dress the wound as crimson-

Stop

"Train your mind to become stronger than your feelings." The words of his mentor sounded within his mind, closing his eyes he obeyed, taking a deep breath to rid himself of those memories.

'I highly doubt she would willingly share information on her past... Unless I become close enough to be considered her "friend". Currently we are nothing more than acquaintances despite us being teammates. Though, that in itself would be a challenge.' He thought, recalling their encounter at initiation. Her brother was very protective of her so it would prove difficult for him to even look her way without getting hounded.

Sighing as he rounded a corner. Suddenly, a streak of crimson barreled towards him, colliding with him and sending them both crashing to the ground.

Yosuke winced, a sharp pain spreading across his chest as he clutched the area.

"Ouch..." The streak groaned, looking up and instantly recognizing the person she had collided with. Her eyes widened in surprise. "Y-yosuke!?"

"So-sorry! I didn't mean to- Are you alright!?" The streak, revealed to be Ruby, said in a panicked tone.

Yosuke gazed down at Ruby, a warm smile gracing his lips. "I'm fine. Are you okay, Ruby?"

"Y-yeah, I'm..." Ruby began, but before she could finish her sentence, the voice of the Schnee heiress interrupted.

"Ruby! Watch where you're going! You might hurt someo-" Weiss scolded, rounding the corner and freezing at the sight of Ruby sprawled on top of Yosuke.

"Hehe, hello..." Ruby greeted, beads of sweat forming on her forehead. Weiss deadpanned, her left eye slightly twitching as she stared at the scene.

"You dolt! This is exactly what I was talking about!" Weiss placed her hands on her hips as she scolded the crimson-ette, Ruby only rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly as she stood.

Yosuke rose to his feet, eyeing the interaction between the two with a soft smile, "I assume you two have sorted things out?" He questioned, dusting off his pants.

Ruby turned towards him, her smile beaming, "Yep! Now we're besties!" She shouted, latching onto the heiress as she giggled childishly.

"I wouldn't go that far, but yes, we have sorted out our differences." Weiss corrected while attempting to pry the young Rose off of her.

Yosuke chuckled lightly, "Is that so? That's good then." He smiled, eyeing the latching rose for a moment who's smile seemed so bright and innocent as if it were the purest thing in the world.

He smiled like that too.

He did.

"What are you two up to?" He inquired, maintaining his smile as he slipped his hands into his pockets.

Weiss, finally managing to pry Ruby off of her, replied, "Actually, we were just on our way to class with Professor Port." She sighed, recalling the Professor's stories of his "fun" adventures he was so very kind enough to share with the class on the first day.

Yosuke gave them a sympathetic look, even he felt reluctant to attend Professor Port's classes, and it had only been a single day.

"What about you?" Weiss inquired, crossing her arms.

"I was on my way to the library to borrow some books."

"Very well. We'll be on our way then." Weiss stated, nodding and dragging Ruby along by her hood as she walked off.

"See you later, Yosuke!" Ruby waved cheerfully as Weiss whisked her away.

Yosuke waved back, his smile lingering, before continuing his journey toward the library.

As Yosuke approached the library, he heard commotion come from around a corner followed by a pained grunt.

Quirking a brow, Yosuke peered around the corner, his azure orbs trailing down the flight of stairs as they fell upon the sight of a tall blonde being sacked in the gut by an even taller ginger whilst three other boys held the blonde in place.

'Isn't that... The boy from initiation? If I recall correctly he's the leader of Team Juniper (JNPR), Jaune Arc. The other four look to be Team Cardinal (CRDL).' Yosuke wondered, quietly watching from above. He was unsure of whether to intervene since he had no clue what happened between the quartet and Jaune before he arrived at the scene.

The ginger donned a smug grinned, gripping the blonde's hair by the roots as he lifted his head to meet his gaze, "So, Jaune was it?" He started, his grin deepening, "How did someone like you end up being a Team leader? I mean, you're so weak you can't even hit a beowolf even if it stood still." He mocked as he stared into the shaky blue eyes of the blonde. His goons, presumably teammates, chuckled along with him.

Coughing, the blonde, identified as Jaune huffed as he spoke, "L-listen, I don't know what I did to offend you but I'm sorr-" Jaune's sentence was cut short as another fist slammed into his gut, wincing as he coughed.

"You didn't do anything at all my friend~" The ginger said in mock assurance, relinquishing his hold on Jaune and snapping his fingers as his goons promptly released the blonde who then dropped to his knees.

"I just wanted to do a little friendly greeting is all, y'know? Get to know each other." He shrugged, his expression still smug as he eyed the kneeling blonde, "Anyways, Jaune, I really look forward to being good 'friends' in the future, I'm sure it will be fun." The ginger chuckled darkly, his goons following suit as they sauntered off down the hallway.

'Hmm...'

Jaune grunted, holding his gut as a wry smile played on his lips, "Heh, 'Friends'... Yeah right! More like bullies..." He mumbled as he slowly rose to his feet, his knees giving way as he teetered to the side before falling on his butt.

"Ouch..." He groaned, rubbing his rear soothingly as he looked up, his glaucous blue orbs locking with yet another pair of spheres with a similar hue.

"Are you alright?" Yosuke asked, his lips curling into a small smile, extending a hand to help Jaune to his feet.

"Yeah, just a little tipsy. Heh." Jaune replied, grasping the limb as he pulled himself to a stand.

"Is that so?" Yosuke said, "You don't look too good, I think you should get yourself checked up at the infirmary. My name is Yosuke by the way."

"The name's Jaune Arc and yeah, I'm fine, really." Jaune assured, smiling before his face tightened into a wince, a sharp pain running through his body as he retracted his hand. Yosuke's gaze lingered on the blonde, scanning him from head to toe, his eyes picking up on patches of dust and footmarks all over the boy's attire.

"Are you sure you are alright?" Yosuke inquired once more, staring deep into the boy's eyes who promptly avoided his gaze, seemingly finding the ground more interesting.

"Y-yeah, my friends must have been a little too rough. Heh." Jaune replied, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly as he chuckled awkwardly, desperately looking away from Yosuke's gaze.

Friends?

While Yosuke hadn't quite heard what they were discussing, he knew one thing for sure. No one would ever act so violently towards their friends, much less beat them broken like that. Is he stupid or does he not wish for anyone to know?

Sighing, Yosuke relented, "I see. Head to class then." He said, turning on his heels, striding up the steps as he cast the blonde a final glance, "I recommend you choose your 'friends' wisely, Jaune." He advised continuing his trek up the stairs.

Jaune smiled awkwardly watching as Yosuke slowly vanished from his line of sight before clutching a tuft of his hair in a panic, '...Don't tell me he saw that!' VHe flailed, bonking his head on the wall as a lone tear fell from his eye, 'Friends my ass!! Ughhhhh, This is so embarrassing!!! It hasn't even been a week since I started attending Beacon and now I've got bullies on my back! And that Yosuke guy, did he see the whole thing?? Should I ask him about it??? But what if he didn't see and I end up accidentally telling him about it??? AHHH, I don't know!' His thoughts spiraled as he heaved a heavy sigh, his head aching as his thoughts overflo-

Gasp

'What if Cardin tells everyone and Weiss finds out??? She'd definitely think I'm a wimp and that would ruin any chance I have of ever dating her! Oh, Jaune you fool!!' He berated, scolding himself, relinquishing the hold on his hair as his arms dangled at his sides, his eyes looking to his feet dejectedly.

Sigh

'...Maybe I really do need that checked up.'