#rouis x reader

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)."

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• • •

"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!"

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".

Hello!

As mentioned, I've chosen to rewrite this story now that my writing style has improved and evolved to one I'm much more happy and proud of.

••• I will be posting a Quotev poll and sharing the link through here (down in the comments) by tomorrow! Answering it can help me decide on some of the details for the rewrite, so stay tuned if you're interested to see WUaNS's return. 😄 •••

The plotline will remain the same, but the chapters will be made longer and more detailed. Also, instead of the usual word count of 1 to 1.5k, the rewritten chapters will be 1.5 to 2.5k words long. Not only that, but I'll be posting some short one-shots and drabbles I made for Pride Month, featuring cute moments between the reader and Juno, plus Haru -- and while following the current plotline, too!

The story will also be divided into 5 arcs. Currently, we're on the 2nd arc (the 1st one ended when Juno was rescued), meaning there are 3 more arcs for all 5 main love interests to develop a relationship with the reader, and then we'd proceed onto the endings for each one.

With all that being said, here are a few reasons as to why I've chosen to rewrite this story:

1. As mentioned previously, I'm much more happy and proud of my current writing style -- those who've read the old version of Fairytale Complex  know what I mean with that!

2. I've been battling with my physical health for the past year and a half, so that brought a huge delay in plenty of aspects -- such as college, personal and family matters, mental health, hobbies, and all that. Now that I'm doing better, I've been slowly but surely getting back on track with everything, writing hobby included. :-)

3. In the midst of writing this story and all the others, I've come out (on the internet, not irl) as trans. Accepting that part of myself came with changes in my perspective as well as in my personal tastes, since I'm much more true to myself now.

Those are 3 of the main reasons why this story along with a few others went into a sudden and long break.

You neither reject nor accept her 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 not helping with the situation. "Wh- What are you apologizing for?" you ask, a 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 and rummage through them, 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 try to wipe the material clean, your face is too close for comfort, a similar scenario to when Jack met up with you at the cafeteria returning. Not quite courageous enough to back away now 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 comment, frowning. "I- I know how to get those stains off if they don't fade, so just... Just let me know, and I'll do it for you!"

"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 again, a smile finally showing through. "You're one of the new students, aren't you? Legoshi told me about you." You take her hand this time, letting go as quickly as the handshake ends. "I'm Haru," she adds, her smile growing. "You must be (Y/N), right?"

You nod, smiling back. "Yes. I, um…" You laugh, facing her eyes before looking down. "That really wasn't a great first impression, huh?"

Surprisingly, she cracks up at that, a snort almost expected to leave her. "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. She rests her back against a wall, making you do the same. "You were homeschooled, weren't you?" the rabbit asks, looking towards you. "What was it like?"

"Does everyone here know about that?" you ask back, a joking tone and a smile letting her know over the gravity of your own question. You fold your hands over your lap, facing down at them as you huff and think her question through. "I'm not sure how to explain it, but…" Your shoulders tense, mind not quite sure over how to approach the topic. "It was pretty good. My… my mother was a great teacher, and dad was, too, but…" You breathe out again, thoughts conflicted as you clutch your hands, 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 out here… It feels like there's a lot to the world I don't know yet."

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, fueled by her expression, "While I can pretty much consider myself independent in terms of housework, studying, and all that… I think 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 later close your eyes, growing tense once more. "I… I get scared easily, and I'm sure if the moment came to it, 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 around others who…" 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 just kind of panicked for a second. But then I remembered what this school was all about, and… And I felt more at ease."

You stop yourself when you realize just how much you've said in one go, barely allowing much space for the rabbit to intervene, if she even wanted to. Nervous, you face her again, welcomed by a gentler stare and a faint smile, both growing more prominent when she notices you're staring at her. "Sorry about that," you say, breathing out. "I got too carried away, didn't I?"

"A little," Haru admits, giggling. "But I get where you're coming from, (Y/N)." She takes a wipe from the packet and begins to clean the stain, one hand keeping the shirt in place while the other rubs the fabric. The marks gradually start to fade, though it's still clear something has been spilled, the uniform's light color contrasting with the subtle pink of the juice. "I think experiences like that apply for many like us." She hands the packet back to you, though you decline, telling her to keep them. "Want to hang out at lunch? We can talk more later." Again, humor returns to her face, augmented when she stares down at her shirt. "A certain someone here spilled juice all over me, so I have to go get changed now."

You make a gesture between a curtsy and a bow, growing flustered despite how blatant Haru's being about her teasing. 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 with embarrassment. Your hands clutch to each other again, seeking support. "Are... Are you sure you still want to?"

She smiles, nodding. "Of course," she replies, patting her shirt free from wrinkles, caused by the wipes. "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 really are going to have to teach me how to remove them. Deal?"

You look down to see her face, carrying a smile and a raised brow. You then shake your head when you notice she's pointing with her eyes at one of the flower beds you'd been staring at, however vacant your attention was. The offer makes you smile back at her, though it soon falls when you see dirt on her uniform. Her face also has a bit smeared on it, thoughts it's mostly centered on her nose. "Did something happen?" you ask, holding back a frown. You're aware she isn't one to tolerate pity, so you try to remain neutral in your tone in an attempt at not appearing as worried as you feel. "You, um... You have some dirt on your face, by the way."

"Where?" she asks, taking a step closer. She then stands on her tiptoes and leans in. "Could you get it for me? My hands are all dirty."

Her tone is already a dead giveaway of what she's trying to do here.

Similar to how your relationship was like after your bad first impression, there's a teasing factor to her voice and the glint in her eyes -- as if she's waiting to strike at any moment. Regardless, you don't back away and excuse yourself to find a napkin from your belongings. She waits in that same spot until you come back with it and returns to standing tall when you aim at her face, first going to her nose, and then her cheeks. It's easy to clean and it doesn't take you long to wrap up, though you can't deny how she seems to be getting closer and closer with each passing second.

"That should be all of-"

She lands a kiss on top of your snout and her hand goes to your cheek, almost close enough to brush with your mouth. Her ears perk up when she pulls away and takes a step back; the same energy applies to her smile and gaze, both holding an emotion difficult to decipher beyond that of simple mischief or amusement. It's noticeable she means nothing big by her calm and composed body language, though there's something about it that makes this feel like an honest action on her part despite all the teasing.

"Did you get those stains on purpose?" you ask, getting straight to the point. 

That drives out a laugh from her, one she tries to suppress as her smile grows and her cheeks turn red from holding back her want to let it go. She then shows her hands, revealing no dirt on them, as she'd otherwise claimed earlier ago. "You caught me," she says, letting out a chuckle. "I just took a bit of dirt on one finger and spread it all over. The one on my uniform's real, though."

You frown at her confession, though you still sit next to her by one of the flowerbeds when she makes that offer. It's a much better spot to continue your conversation, and the scent of the flowers made more prominent by the wind only adds to the experience. Drowsiness arrives once more, and it drives out a deep, long-lasting yawn.

"Have you slept at all today?" she asks, expression changing for sterner eyes and a straight mouth. "Did..." It's rare to see her hesitate or demonstrate any blatant worry, though you don't bring that up now nor tease her back with it. Letting her finish the question feels more important right now. "...Did everything go alright with Juno?" she asks, voice coming off gentler than you anticipated it to. "I saw she was doing better this morning, but you look a bit worn out."

"Do I?" you ask, furrowing your gaze at the thought. Even if you did manage to find some closure with Juno, you hadn't woken up too fresh this morning. And even if that had something to do with how little rest you got, there's also a persistent, lingering feeling at the back of your head telling you to watch out and be careful. Being out here with Haru feels like a risk regardless of how there's plenty more lighting and security measures around as a result of what happened with Juno. And regardless of how many students are still wandering around -- some finishing with club duties and others keeping each other company -- you can't avoid replaying the scene of her being taken captive and held out as a bargain. "I ended up talking with her at midnight," you say, smiling again. "So that might have to do with that, but... But things turned out pretty good between us, so I'm okay."

"Are you sure?" She places a hand over yours to grab your attention some more. Her eyes scrutinize yours, and her frown manages to show just how plain unconvinced she still is. "There's... something else bothering you, isn't there?"

She squeezes your hand tighter; a 'please' can be felt through that action, prompting you to be a bit more honest with her. "Y- Yes," you blurt out, sighing. "But it's just a suspicion -- nothing really serious yet."

Her hand lets go, cold now felt sharper with how warm her touch is. "Suspicion or not, that's a big enough worry for you to just brush it off and ignore it." Her gaze narrows subtly, almost forming a glare weren't her frown and tone softer. "And don't belittle your worries like that. It won't do you any good, in the long run." There's a strong sense of finality in the way she says that: stern and firm, but caring nonetheless. She wanders her attention onto the flowers you'd gotten lost in while taking in your surroundings and goes back to you afterwards. "Want one?" she asks, pointing with her eyes to them.

You smile and stand up when she does, already growing too anxious to stay in one place without fidgeting. "...Yes," you mutter, voice a whisper as you look away, reminded of how bold she'd been with you a few minutes ago. While you're still thinking about it, Haru looks like she's moved on from it completely. Not a trace of the fluster you showed can be seen on her face.

Rather than handing over one, she gives you four: one of each colour available, with the exception of the pink ones, these two instead of one. In the spare moment you've been vexing about her kiss, she's managed to take them all out cleanly, without damaging any of the roots, leaves, or petals whatsoever. Haru nods over to a stray flower pot laying on the ground, and -- finally -- places them there when you take it and bring it over. "Give one of the pink ones to Juno," she says, winking. "And tell her it's from you." She finishes her work by scooping some soil into the pot, pouring a bit of water in, and even going as far as to wrap a red ribbon around it. "Alright?"

At a loss for words, you can only look down at the flowers and nod -- albeit, absentmindedly. "Y- Yeah."

Your face turns cold as you realize what particular flowers they are -- ones you'd stared at for far too long.

Lilies.

"Thank you," you add, not wanting to dwell too much on that thought. "I left my wallet at the dorm, but-"

"What are you talking about, (Y/N)?" Haru intervenes, swatting your arm and pushing you to move off to the exit. "It's a gift! Now let's get going -- It's getting dark already."

Unable to adjust to both the flower situation and her kiss, you fall short on your words and decide to only nod again.

You follow her without a word out of the garden once she wraps up and closes the shed, far too caught up with both events for you to say anything else even as you walk off to the dorms; a quick and hushed 'see you later' more than midway through is the only thing you're capable of.

Jack's call brings you out of your line of thought, how concerned he looks making you take note of the face you're making. Often, you scrunched up your snout and furrowed your brow whenever you got lost in thought. To any outsider, it would seem as if you're perturbed by something, so you hurry, words leaving you in a rush, "I'm fine," you reply, smile returning. "...Just got caught up with something else."

"Nervous about staying here?"

"About everything, honestly."

He manages to laugh at that, eyes brightening as he motions for you to follow him again, your next destination appearing to be the rooms, judging by the rows of doors, along with one left open and a bed in the background. There's a student by a dresser, combing her fur without so much as bothering to look at you, too focused on her brushing to notice the door's been left open. With her being a wolf though, you assume she's confident in herself, at the very least based on the rumors your parents and every other family member taught to you.

You freeze when you realize Jack's made a stop right at that door, gesturing with his head for you to walk in. 

"Is this allowed?" you blurt out, rushing to cover up not a moment after that question leaves your mouth. "I-"

"It's okay," he intervenes, laughing again. "The principal told me you were homeschooled, so if you have any questions about how things work here, you're free to ask me! And you can come over to my place if you need more help with showing you around."

"Bold of you to invite a girl into the boys' dorm." A feminine voice comes from behind Jack, the wolf from before appearing behind him. "You're my roommate, aren't you?" She smiles, nodding with her head over to the room. "What are you standing there for? I want to get to know you! 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 ask for a change the second she sees me."

Guilty, you can only hope she hadn't heard you earlier ago. You thank Jack before following her into the room, speaking up when you make sufficient mental preparation for it, thoughts running wild again. "...Why would they do that? Isn't it normal at this school?"

"It's allowed, and though it's not too uncommon for  carnivores and herbivores to be placed together, things got a lot more tense after a student's passing." Her ears droop, a hint of gloom clashing with her friendly demeanor. "It's why you're the only other person in this room, and why I try not to walk alone in the halls anymore." She breathes in deep and lets it go afterwards, a swoon seeming to take her over, replacing her sadness. "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."

Juno sighs, facing you with droopy eyelids and a softer smile. "Tell me, (Y/N)... Have you ever fallen in love? It's the most wonderful feeling I can describe!"

She sits down on the bottom bed, though she scoots aside, leaving you space next to her. "They say your last year at school's the last chance you have for experiencing a feeling so strong, but I like to believe it will carry on as long as your love's strong enough for it!"

While you're a bit lost as to what point she's trying to make, you smile, nodding as you wait for her to continue speaking. After all, having two friends at the start 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 the most interaction you'd had during all your eighteen years of life. Knowing you were finally free to meet as many people as you'd want as well as learn over brand new things and the relationships between beast and prey made your worries and doubts more than worthwhile.

You hear Juno out until she asks if you have a special someone yourself, the question an awkward one based on how little people you knew. 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, these confiscated by your parents whenever you got too many ideas, fell for a character, or whenever a book so much as mentioned the word carnivore between its pages in a light beyond that of hostile and negative.

Wishfully, circumstances would change soon with this new path being offered out to you; in that you carried strong and unshakable hopes over.

"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 sheen 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 shrub begins to shake 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, and so do those waiting near the garden when you decide to glance back at them, Dom who raises his hand as if to give 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, yet he tries to hold himself back, glaring at the darkness before him. 

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

The stranger chuckles, taking a step back 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 with (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, shrug Haru back, and stand beside Jack, saying, "So you took Juno away for my own good?" You take a step closer, though you're stopped by Jack holding your wrist. "Did you think she'd hurt me?"

"I don't think; I know."

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 see past it and lets his failure known with a frown. "...I can't even track him by scent anymore," he mutters, droopy ears matching with the defeat in his voice. "If it's really him, he came prepared."

"It was only a matter of time before she lost her temper," the voice continues, making you face back to it. "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 she viewed you as inferior then?"

"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 again 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, (Y/N): it's not over yet. If you want to continue with this charade, then so be it, but prepare to be the knight and saviour of all your friends in a while."

More rustling sounds as the person disappears completely from your sight. Barely a moment passes before muffled noises and someone's voice can be heard coming from inside the shed, followed up by the door opening with a loud creak.

Bright lights blind you with how dark everything else is, and you're prompted to rub your eyes to recover from it. When you do, you can hear collective gasps and murmurs from everyone around you, the reason behind their reactions being what waits for you by the open door: another note, but far more important: someone familiar with a bag over her head, knelt right next to the note. 

You rush to her side and take off the bag before anything else, needing to see her face after so long. Gloomy eyes greet you when you reveal her face, and these don't take long to change for surprise when she looks away from her lap to meet with your gaze. She throws herself on you and attempts to bring you into a hug, though her hands restrict her, these tied back behind her. 

"Hold still," you murmur, moving behind her to begin with the process. 

You start by untying her hands first and move on over to her legs next. It's even more tedious to work with than you originally anticipated 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 back with those who'd accompanied you in case backup was deemed necessary. 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 knots and ropes keeping Juno restricted, the further you begin to worry over your choice and if you'd made the right one. Making friends with her had resulted in her being held captive, tied up, and thrown into a garden shed. What had at first been vague warnings and threats are now full-fledged worries, these turning worse when you finish untying both her arms and legs to reveal harsh rope burns. Only her snout's left, though you can already feel yourself tensing at the thought of it being just as damaged as the rest of her body. 

"...I'm sorry, Juno."