In an elevator that was slowly ascending upward, a soft melody played in the background.
Naturally, its presence was likely meant to relax those inside the small space, or at the very least, fill the motionless waiting with something pleasant to listen to.
That being said, and with a strange little smile on his face, Rio found himself unable to.
After all, listening to the electronic feedback of automated music, and whilst also riding in a metal box being elevated upwards through complex machinery and electrical engineering?
Well, it was quite the strange thing to once again get used to.
Especially when he basically had to relearn the common sense he had when he was nothing more than a simple Japanese student.
I die in the twenty-first century, am reborn in the midst of a feudal and medieval era, then I get whisked away to a place like this, where there are so many similarities to Earth it's almost suspicious…
It was all quite ridiculous.
Whoever was controlling fate behind the scenes must be having quite the laugh at Rio's expense right about now.
Regardless, the elevator chimed, indicating that another floor had been passed, steadily continuing its ascent.
'Are you worried?' a soft voice suddenly asked, in his mind and nowhere else, but still ceasing the silence. 'About what Ozpin wants?'
Rio hummed.
Just as Aisha said, right after classes ended, Ozpin had asked him to come to his office later in the day.
Apparently, from what the man explained briefly, there were still some blanks on where to place Rio in this school, officially, that is.
Of course, the reason was obvious, or rather, had quickly become as such.
Rio, unlike all attending, didn't have a team.
There was also something he had been hearing rumors about, a festival of sorts, one where a combat tournament was held.
If he was required to participate, he couldn't do so without a team.
'Well, I... suppose I am,' Rio admitted after a beat. 'My position at this school is rather fragile, after all. I wouldn't be too surprised if it even came to pass that Ozpin was rescinding his offer to accept me.'
Aisha was silent for a moment.
'Does Haruto… want to leave?'
That question actually gave him pause.
Did he?
Rio wasn't sure.
Understanding this world, finding a way back home; he didn't know if staying at a place like Beacon was the better choice in the long run.
There were metric tons of 'what ifs', and there might be even more downsides that he couldn't readily see at the present moment.
Not to mention...
Trying to do this the legal way might have been foolish from the start...
Naturally, that had been on his mind as well.
But.
'It might be selfish... but I want to try to find the correct answer, alongside the people here. It might be easier to do it on my own... but if I can... if I'm allowed that choice... I want to remain in this place. Or... am I wrong...
Honestly... Rio's thoughts felt unbearably strained.
Because even if it was only to Aisha, verbalizing such things felt like someone was slowly dragging a knife along the insides of his stomach.
After all.
His actions were that of coward.
Because by choosing to stay here, he might be renouncing the easiest path to return, the option where he did anything he had to for the sake of his goal.
And yet.
If he did do that.
If he did choose that way of doing things.
Would he even recognize the person he returned as?
Would those he was close to?
Would they welcome him with open arms despite the mass of sin that it took to get there?
But since it was just as cowardly to reject that way of life, living his days at this academy, trying to amass knowledge, allies, and whatever else, wouldn't he just be living for the sake of himself this way too, avoiding conflict, avoiding the further staining of his hands?
It really was a double-edged sword.
Both sides being the peak of arrogance.
'Hm. Haruto is an indecisive and cowardly person after all.'
Rio blinked, surprised.
Then, half-smiling, and with internal thoughts that contained no real heat at all, '...That's a bit harsh, Aisha.'
But the spirit girl only continued, as if not hearing him.
'And it's because you're like that, that me, Celia, and Miharu get so worried. Because they know that if they're not there with you, you might suddenly decide to run someplace far and not look back."
Rio's throat tightened, saying nothing.
But was it because he didn't know what to say?
Or because he was faintly aware that it was true?
'But...' Aisha suddenly said, and even despite her usual soft-spoke monotone, her next words contained a blazing warmth that could not be denied.
No, it was affection, plain and simple.
'It's also that part of Haruto that I like, because it allows me to take care of you, something you rarely allow others to do.'
And whether he wanted to or not, it caused Rio to freeze.
'So... whatever you choose... wherever you go... it doesn't matter. I'll remain by your side either way, because I know you get lonely if you're by yourself.'
Throat tightening for a different reason this time, and with no small amount of embarrassment too, Rio was about to respond.
'...Aisha, I—'
But it never happened.
Because the elevator doors chose that moment to open.
The boy went momentarily stiff.
Still, he quickly stepped out, all while doing his best to smooth over composure, or at the very least in the effort to pretend he wasn't blushing like a weirdo when he had been in an elevator by himself.
Nonetheless, the white haired boy's attention immediately went to those already present in the room and nothing else.
Or he should have.
But then he got a proper look at the room's interior and even he couldn't help but get distracted.
After all, Rio had never once set foot into Ozpin's office until now.
Still, he had been curious, if only because it was impossible not to find his eyes drifting up to the academy's highest point from time to time, when he was outside even more so.
But now that he was inside that impressive tall clock tower, it was...
Well, it simplistic, actually.
Or maybe minimalistic would be the more apt description?
But not in a way that detracted from its appeal. After all, with the open glass on all sides, surrounding the room with the the sky's now orange dyed glow, it really felt like Rio had left the school and had traveled somewhere else entirely.
"I take your reaction as a sign that you like it," a kind voice suddenly said, of course, coming from the middle of the room, a lengthy desk to be exact.
Naturally, behind it was Ozpin, mug in hand, a pleasant smile on his face, and then Glynda standing a few paces behind, taciturn as always.
"Ah, well, yes." Rio faintly smiled as he approached the two, but with amber orbs continuing to linger on the dusk-lit sky. "And although technically there's nothing I can say that will do it justice... the peace and quiet of being so high up.. and with only the wind to hear... it's certainly something."
"Oh? One could say that's quite the strange comment to make for someone of only sixteen years."
"Is it, isn't it?" Rio breathed out with an awkward tilt to his head, properly turning towards the two of them. "Still, it really is quite the office. The view is definitely hard to top." The boy blinked. "Ah, not to discount your own, Miss Glynda."
Although half-joking, Rio directed such a comment the blonde teacher's way, and was, in part, even prepared to coldly brushed off.
And yet, surprisingly...
"And to think you gave mine such lavish praises earlier. I'm wounded," Glynda replied in a flat but clear sarcastic drawl, arms crossed, and without missing a beat, too.
Now, this wasn't intentional, but...
Ozpin and Rio just stared at her.
"…What?" the woman asked almost immediately, brows furrowed.
Ozpin broke the silence, but only to simply chuckle, saying nothing. Instead, while smiling, he gestured towards Rio, who all of a sudden looked as if he had been tossed a bomb.
Still, the boy hesitantly pushed forward.
"Ah, well... Miss Glynda, you just surprised me a little bit. After all, just now, that almost sounded like a joke..."
A silence lapsed.
A silence, in which, it was the woman's turn to blink.
Then Glynda's cheeks stiffened all at once.
Ah.
Again, and without even realizing it, she had treated the white haired student in front of her as if they were the same age.
But just what was it about him that made her slip so easily?
His taller than average height?
The way he talked in that usual atypical way of his, where he could shift from measured casualness to informal maturity on a dime?
Of course, there were also his eyes, those amber orbs that reminded her so much of the man next to her, the spirit and intensity contained therein if nothing else.
Nonetheless, shaking her head free of these thoughts, Glynda coughed, realizing her silence had stretched a beat too long. "Right, well... even I like to drop down my professionalism once in a while. Although, naturally I understand why it would come off as strange."
Of course, even though Glynda tried to save face in such a way, she didn't seem to realize such a response, again, was said in exactly the same type polite manner she reserved for when entertaining her fellow colleagues and adults alike.
After all, if someone like Nora, or even Weiss was in front of her, Glynda's renowned curtness would have undoubtedly shut any casual conversation down.
With extreme prejudice, too.
And yet... here... there existed no such thorny wall.
"Ah, that's, actually, not what I meant."
But then Rio shook his head and spoke, and suddenly, any hastily formed rationalizations made on Glynda's part slipped out of her mind completely.
"See, the students are under the impression that Miss Glynda is a no-nonsense disciplinarian, but, um, I'm rather pleased to know about this other side. Of course, at the same time, since it feels like I'm seeing something I'm not supposed to, I don't really know how to react sometimes, haha..."
Or so the white haired boy said, and with a strained smile and a nervous laugh.
And thus, it was only natural that when Glynda opened her mouth to say something, she closed it.
This repeated.
No, it was like any response she might have been waiting to give suddenly found itself robbed of all its momentum. And combined with her slightly widened bespectacled eyes, that which only continued to openly stare at Rio without pause, well, it made for quite the sight.
The blonde woman had been rendered speechless.
That same couldn't be said for Ozpin.
Quiet but hearty chuckles immediately filled the silent room.
"You really are a strange one, Mr. Amakawa. That side of you, whether it's intentional or not... well, it's no small feat to make Glynda here lose her composure. You should feel proud."
Rio, whose face said in about seven different ways that he didn't know what to do with that information, wisely chose to remain silent. No, more to point, Ozpin's demeanor, lighthearted and congratulatory, didn't quite carry over to the scowling visage of the woman next to him.
Rio deliberately coughed into his fist.
"Um, it seems I have derailed the conversation quite a bit. But I imagine we have things to talk about, Headmaster? The Vytal Festival, I assume?"
At the change in topic, the intense atmosphere seemed to subside somewhat, both adults sobering up.
"Quite," Ozpin nodded. "That and other things. Let's begin with the first one."
The man then gestured to a virtual display on his desk. He spun it around, an action performed by simply swiping his fingers, and the blue screen was now facing towards Rio.
"As I'm sure you're aware, the Vytal Festival is an event that is held every two years at one of the four different kingdoms. These kingdoms send their students to enjoy festivities, mingle with the other academies, as well as compete in a rigid multi-faceted combat tournament..."
Or so Ozpin decided to explain in a whimsical, almost dismissive tone, assuming Rio had this bare minimum of knowledge already.
Rio's smile twitched against his will.
I actually didn't know any of that, but that explanation helped a lot…
Ozpin continued.
"Now, I said 'multi-faceted tournament', care to guess what that entails?"
Rio thought about it for a moment, but he couldn't come up with anything.
But then, as if by chance, Team RWBY flashed in his mind.
"…Team battles," he muttered, almost to himself.
Ozpin smiled. "You're exactly right."
The display in front of Rio changed, now showing him a picture of a team of four.
"As the tournament goes on, and if a four-person team advances, they choose two of their team to compete in the next round. Those winners then choose one to compete in the finals."
Supplementing this information, the screen highlighting the team of four escalated to two, then, to just one.
"That being said, I hope you can understand the difficulty in deciding what to do with you, Rio Amakawa, someone who doesn't have a team, nor even a partner."
Quietly, Rio nodded his head.
Technically, he did have someone who could be counted as a partner, but that would require him to reveal their existence to everyone.
And Rio didn't want to do that with Aisha if he could help it.
Not yet anyway.
"...This is just a question, but is it even necessary that I participate in the Vytal Festival to begin with, Headmaster?" Rio asked, wondering if there was a reason to have this much thought put into on his behalf.
Ozpin hummed, looked at Glynda out of the corner of his eye for a second, and eventually responded.
"No, you don't have to, meaning I'm not going to force you to do so. You lacking a team already gives you the perfect exemption. However, I think you should. While there is a hefty amount of prize money for winning, the prestige of winning the tournament itself cannot be ignored. The first-place winner, or even the runner up, someone like that cannot be ignored when it comes to scouts looking to make connections with aspiring Huntsman."
Ozpin suddenly chuckled.
"Have you met Miss Pyrrha Nikos? She could tell you about the importance of placing well in tournaments like these, as she's been the concurrent champion of the Mistral Regional Tournament."
Pyrrha, that would be... the red haired girl from Team JNPR, if I'm not mistaken, Rio silently mused. And Mistral, that's one of the four kingdoms, right? Huh. She didn't strike me as someone who's used to the spotlight. She must be a very humble young woman...
"I'm sure she has received quite the number of endorsement deals from companies all over. Now, I imagine the entertainment industry most likely isn't something you would care for, but how about access to the latest in dust technology and research?"
Dust... research?
That got Rio's attention, and by the way he additionally stiffened in his seat, Ozpin noticed as well.
"If you were to win the tournament, it's only natural for head researchers and developers to put their money on you, and by extension, share with you the inner workings of their businesses. You wouldn't even have a problem asking Atlas for their advanced and up and coming blueprints of technology that has yet to be revealed."
Rio's thoughts raced a mile a minute at all of this information.
That… doesn't sound bad.
Even if there wasn't a concrete method of returning him to his previous world in a place like Atlas, like Ozpin just said, he would be given the knowledge that would allow him to find that answer himself.
Besides, when, if ever, would he get another chance to receive such benefits?
If anything should come of Rio's decision to stay at Beacon Academy, this definitely had to be the most promising.
Yes.
Just one step at a time.
Then, surely...
"I understand. Now, how would I go about solving the issue of how I would compete without a team?"
Ozpin smiled.
…
…
…
After all that, all he said was, 'I'll handle it'…?
Feeling vaguely unsatisfied, Rio made his way back to the academy dorms.
Well, in other words, it looked like various things would be decided for him.
And if it was Ozpin, he probably knew what he was doing.
Of course, Rio's participation in the Vytal Tournament wasn't all they talked about.
Incidentally, Rio's dorm room had finally become available to him — his actual dorm room. Not the one he had been sharing with Team RWBY.
Personally, he was quite glad about that.
Quite, quite glad.
Still, he could somehow tell that his (now former) roommates would have something to say about it. But, well, it shouldn't be too much of an issue though. After all, Rio was a teenage boy, and they were four young women. He couldn't imagine there would be much outcry over this.
.
. .
. . .
He was wrong.
"What do you mean you're not rooming with us anymore?" Ruby cried as soon as he relayed the news upon returning to the room.
The others had shown surprise as well, but their reactions were more silent.
Though, and Rio was sure he was wrong, but Yang looked almost as disappointed as her sister.
Still, Rio's words were soft as he replied.
"It had already been decided that my stay in this room was temporary, and me being a male in a room of young girls isn't irrelevant either. Please understand."
"Well, um, that might be a little true, but we weren't having too many issues…" Ruby protested, even though her cheeks became a little hot.
And the others matched her, for that matter, either due to the general awkwardness of the topic, or the just as swift embarrassment that came with the memories that followed.
But Ruby quickly spoke up again, as if regaining her courage.
"A-And it was only a few times. And really, I didn't even mind. Besides, Rio, we already know you're not that kind of—"
"I'm sorry Ruby, but that is not okay."
The air seemed to shift.
Rio's voice, while not raised, suddenly took on the kind of firm edge that was almost never there. And then there was the expression on his face, where his amber eyes, normally soft with almost excessive consideration, took on a stony-seriousness instead.
This was not the boy who got swept away in everyone else's antics, trying to be as appeasing as possible.
No, this was the serious disposition of someone older than them.
And as if realizing that in some way, almost instinctively, Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang all reflexively tensed.
And seeing this, Rio's expression flickered, before sighing.
When he spoke once more, his tone was soft again.
"... Ruby, I'm deeply flattered to receive favor from you in that way, but what you just mentioned... you shouldn't allow something like that to be seen by just anyone. In fact, you should only do so to the person you like. There should be no exceptions."
"I-I know that! That's why I'm saying it's f—! …It's…? Ah…eh?"
Ruby's immediate retort suddenly lost all its momentum.
No, her face morphed into confusion, then surprise, then confusion again. However, she suddenly twitched with a start as a mortifying look came over her. And to supplement that, her face slowly began to heat up as well, even brighter than before.
Something she was about to say must have startled her greatly.
"...Ruby?" Aside from Rio, Weiss also showed her puzzlement, questioning the girl.
Ruby quite literally jumped, careening her head to meet Weiss' gaze, then Rio's, but just to avert it just as quickly. "I-It's nothing. I-I'm fine. A-All good."
Weiss looked like she didn't believe her, as did everyone else, but no one questioned it, even as the girl continued to duck her head and fidget awkwardly.
Nonetheless, Rio cleared his throat.
"Well, that's how it is, and I'm sorry if I made the mood too gloomy."
"Nah, you're good, Rio," Yang said, although she suddenly looked away, rubbing at the back of her neck. "You only ended up saying what I should have told her as her big sis. Sorry you, uh, had to step up for me."
Rio just smiled, before looking to Blake and Weiss next, who still had yet to say anything.
Of course, then white haired girl crossed her arms, speaking in an aloof manner.
"Well, as far as roommates go, you were agreeable. It was appreciated."
"Translation. You were low maintenance and not a pervert, so thanks a bunch," Blake echoed from the side, and with a grin.
Weiss went red.
Yang snickered, Ruby following close behind.
"I see," Rio said, trying to fight off his own smile. "Then I'm happy I was able to meet Lady Weiss' expectations."
"N-Now all of you are just teasing me!!!"
With such exchanges, a lighthearted mood returned to the room just like that, and like it had always been there.
Still, after noticing it had gotten quite late, and because he hadn't even inspected his new room yet, Rio politely excused himself.
...
...
...
There.
After a short trek thought Beacon's halls, only two hallways away from Team RWBY's own room, Rio finally found his new accommodations.
And saying he was relieved was an understatement.
Now, one might think it strange, since the white haired boy could be said to already have an enviable amount of experience sharing living space with the opposite sex.
Yeah, no, Rio thought with a sigh.
Back then, it was already nerve-wracking enough that Aisha, Miharu, Celia, and the others were living in the rock-house with him, even with their own room.
So going from that to this...
Well, Rio did his best to endure.
Again, he really wasn't that adept at interacting with others, girls even more so.
Not without being given the ability to recharge, anyway.
Regardless, with those thoughts in mind, Rio reached for the door, sleep sounding way too enticing in light of the day's strange and tiresome events.
Then the door adjacent to his slammed open, that is, his apparent neighbor, and Rio was denied that wish.
"Ugh, that guy is just so—I'm going to kill him. I'm actually going to kill him this time."
Snarling and irritated, a livid Emerald suddenly stormed out of what could only be her room, mint green hair swishing left and right with each stomp of her footfalls.
And while that was certainly eye-catching enough, there was also the fact that the girl was no longer in her school uniform... but rather a strangely provocative outfit that emphasized much of her chest and stomach.
No, more importantly, Emerald didn't seem to notice him yet, the girl quite fortunately deciding to glare down one side of the hallway, and not the other where an understandably surprised Rio was currently looking on, hand on doorknob, stuck in freeze-frame.
Regardless, the boy glanced at his door.
Then at Emerald.
Then back at his door.
Finally, a sigh.
"...Is everything alright, Miss Emerald?"
At Rio's question, even though he truly wondered if it had even a good idea to speak up at all, the girl quite literally jumped in place, whipping her head around so fast that one would think he was a Grimm.
Of course, perhaps when it became clear that he wasn't one, Emerald's startled eyes started to relax somewhat.
But only slightly.
"Oh, it's you, the weirdo who's overly polite..." she muttered, almost without thinking, face now impassive.
Then she realized what she said and visibly froze.
Rio let out a chuckle before he could stop himself. "You don't need to look so mortified. I'm not bothered. I already know over do it at times, after all."
"...Right," the girl eventually replied, eyeing him strangely.
Of course, then she noticed the obvious thing.
"Wait, what are you doing?"
Rio met the stare with a pointed gesture with his hand, that being the door beside him. "I plan to sleep, with any luck. It's gotten late, after all."
Emerald blinked.
This was of course followed by her taking her own turn looking at him, then at the door, then to him again. "You... live here? Right next door? Since when?"
The white haired boy gave a weak shrug.
"Since an hour ago, I suppose? I believed it was brought up when we talked in the morning, but I had been staying with others since I arrived. Of course, it was only now that my new living arrangements became available."
"And... it's right next to us, l-like, one wall over?"
Emerald sounded strangely hung up on this fact.
"Yes," Rio replied, but slowly, tilting his head a bit. "Is that... bothersome? I don't recall doing anything to offend you, Miss Emerald, but if I have I'll apologize for it."
"N-No, it's not that." The girl hurriedly shook her, schooling her expression over. "It's, uh, totally fine."
"Alright then. Well... again, it's gotten late, so I'm going to turn in. Have a good night," Rio said simply.
"Uh, yeah, you too..."
And with that, they headed back into their respective rooms.
However, Emerald did so robotically, expression ambiguous.
Now, upon entering the space, the first to appear within her vision was Mercury, who was lazily laying in bed, arms behind head, doing nothing in particular.
Although, when she entered, he cast her a curious gaze.
Emerald had stormed out of the room because of him, after all, not that any dissatisfaction could even be seen on her expression anymore.
It was as if her foul mood was forgotten.
One black haired girl looked up from her scroll.
Of course, the other girl matching that description, rather, one with pig tails; her mismatched eyes didn't so much as twitch, remaining glued to her own device.
Still.
"I heard voices," Cinder stated, looking at her.
It wasn't a statement.
Nor was it even concern between teammates.
"Oh, um..."
But.
As Emerald stood there under the brunt of her superior's flame-like, almost flickering caramel amber orbs, where it was only a matter of course that she inform the girl about what just happened, to keep her in the loop, to gain favor with her, to prove even in the smallest of ways she was useful...
"It was nothing, just some noisy people passing by."
Cinder hummed, before looking right back to her scroll.
And Emerald, no longer being pressed for an answer, did her nightly rituals and soon slipped into bed.
Not understanding in the slightest why she lied.
Still, even as she closed her eyes, and even as they started to grow heavy, it was only the image of the white haired boy bidding her a good night that stuck in her head, but with a smile so perpetually strained and awkward that she wondered why even bothered using it at all.
What a weirdo... Emerald thought, drifting off.