Hey, guys. Welcome to my new series, Random Stories From The Academy. For those who are familiar with my other anthologies, this one would focus on other issues than just yandere (The Taste of Rain: An Anthology of Jaune Arc). In this particular arc, Jaune is overcome with grief after breaking up with his girlfriend, Pyrrha. As a solution to heal his wound, or at least get him out of the house, Lie Ren invites him to go to an art exhibit featuring works from their classmate, Velvet Scarlatina. Jaune has mixed feelings but decides to go. Why does Jaune feels that way about Velvet? Find out in this particular arc.

A/N: I have just received some messages about accusations of my "bashing" the Arkos. For the record, my fanfiction and I don't discriminate when dealing with pairings and/or relationships. These first two chapters were written back in 2016. I just finally released them. "Bashing" Arkos was just plain coincidental.

Courage wasn't the right choice of words for Lie Ren as he stood at the entrance of his roommate, Jaune Arc's bedroom. Impatience was the better word for he had waited nearly a week of Jaune's overcoming of grief and sorrow before making the decision of entering his room. Lie Ren didn't need to knock. The pair shared the same bedroom. It wasn't easy living in a one-bedroom apartment and working minimum wage while attending college. It wasn't easy that Lie Ren slept on a hardened couch that the pair found one afternoon lying on the street curb. It wasn't easy listening to repeats of songs that dealt with heartbreaks, betrayals, and bitterness towards the other person. He had enough. He knew this wasn't the Jaune he met during their high school days. This wasn't the Jaune that have gone through hell and back through their misadventures of their troubled youth. With enough of those thoughts filling his brain, confirming his feelings, he walked into the bedroom.

He discovered Jaune lying on the bedroom floor. His bedsheets covering him. The darkness as well as his body odor filled their bedroom. Ren gave him a smug look when seeing his bed have been covered in tissue paper, leftover food, and empty drink cartons. Sorrowful music also filled the room. He shook as head as he turned on the lights.

"Turn that damn thing off," barked Jaune as he still covered himself. "I have no worth of being within the light."

Ren ignored what Jaune said and walked to him. As he pulled the cover, Jaune tightly held on. The roommates struggled in a tug-of-war of which one will get the dirty bedsheet. "Jaune, this has gone long enough," said Ren as he struggled to pull the sheet from his best friend. "It's been six days. Six days!"

"You don't understand, Ren," said Jaune. "You can never understand how I feel at this point."

"Be as it may, Jaune," said Ren as he was getting the upper hand. "You shouldn't let her get the best of you. Do not let her win, man."

"Leave me alone, damn it!" The sheets were pulling away, displaying the messy blonde hair of Jaune. His reddened eyes were covered by his face. He tried gripping harder, only to begin being dragged by Lie Ren.

"I am sorry that she fucked you over," said Lie Ren. "But, putting yourself in this depression is only making it worse. You have done nothing wrong!"

"Have I," cried Jaune. "If I done nothing wrong, then why in the hell Pyrrha cheated on me? Answer me that!"

Becoming aggravated by this game, Lie Ren kicked Jaune's leg, distracting Jaune as he pulled the sheets from him. Jaune strained, angrily cursing him while crawling to him. He backed away, leading him out of the bedroom and into the hallway.

"Just let me be, Lie Ren," shouted Jaune. "Just let me fucking be."

"Get out of your pity party," said Lie Ren sternly. "This is not the Jaune I know." He kneeled down to his friend and slapped him across the face. Jaune instantly froze. He was quite surprised of the spur that his best friend did. Ren softly panted, feeling the tenderness of his hand. "Listen, I am sorry. I just don't like you like this." He stood up, helping Jaune to stand as well.

Jaune still felt the tingling wake-up call as he sat on his bed. Lie Ren sat across from his bed. It was a pregnant silence. Lie Ren cracked his knuckles, focusing on picking the right choice of words to say to Jaune. As of now, he was acting as the voice of reason. Granted that the brunette had stuff on his brain, still managing the pieces of his life, but for now, he had to make sure that Jaune was in good stead.

"Jaune, get yourself together." He sounded like a father by his tone of voice. "Get yourself together. Pick up the pieces! Don't let her win. Don't let her get under your skin. Although she is o...I mean my friend, I met you before her." He took a breath. "I don't know. Just don't have this defeated mindset."

Jaune scratched his forehead, still allowing Lie Ren's words to resonate within him. "Why does love hurt so much, man?"

"I don't know." His answer was absolute. Nothing more, nothing less. "Maybe because we invest more into them than to ourselves. Maybe because...look, you are asking the wrong person. I,too, am not the right candidate for these things. Let's face it, it's a bitch. We either submit or pimp it." He stood up from the bed. "Breakfast is on the table. I am stepping out for a bit," said Lie Ren as he walked to the door. "In about an hour, we are going out. Nora's coming also."

"Where are we going?"

"Somewhere to clear your head and mine as well."

"Please no nightclub. Anywhere that I don't have to see her." Jaune looked at the clock. He saw that it was seven in the evening. "If it is late, then why did you make breakfast?"

"Nevermind the small things," mentioned Lie Ren. "Just have your ass dressed in the next hour. We are going out and that's final." He was midway at the door before adding this. "Jaune, this has to stop. No matter how much chemistry you think you have with somebody, it doesn't work. And after the second time, one should take the hint." He closed the door, leaving Jaune alone in the apartment.

Lie Ren wasn't much of a cook, but scrambled eggs with seasoned rice was the best he could do. Jaune ate his lukewarm breakfast/dinner. He tried keeping his head up, still feeling the heaviness of sorrow. Anything a thought popped up of Pyrrha Nikos, a swell of emotions came to him.

They were high school sweethearts. They met during their sophomore year of high school. They met under the worse of circumstances. They were at a party. Since being a high school party, alcohol was on tap. Since being at a high school party, peer pressure is part of the culture. Since a young blonde wanted to be accepted by his peers, he subjected himself to a consumption of alcohol. The poor blonde had one too-many drinks. As he stumbled to find the nearest restroom, he stumbled upon a very beautiful redheaded who had stepped out of the restroom. He was in awe of her beautrang y, as if God designed her with such elegance and grace. Before she could pardon herself, his proper introduction started with his vomiting on her dress. Of course, it was returned with a slap and shouts of "I hate you" and "Vomit Boy." It wasn't long until the pair made up and became friends. As an apology of ruining her dress, Jaune wanted to pay for the dry cleaning. Instead, she asked him on a date. That one date turned into many and eventually they were a couple.

The blonde was eating his final spoonful of rice. He left some eggs to the side. Just like the plate, he, too, didn't want to feel empty. He put his elbows on the table, waiting for the next move. Something that made him feel useful, purposeful.

His cell phone rang as he scraped the rest of his breakfast in the trash can. He put the dish in the sink as he went to his phone on the counter. He saw it was Lie Ren and answered it on the fifth ring.

"Nora tells me that there is an art exhibit at the Student Center tonight." Lie Ren never bothered giving Jaune an opportunity to say, "hello" or "what's up?" It was a poor habit, nevertheless, it was one of the quirks that made Jaune admired him.

"An art exhibit?" Jaune frowned at the idea. Who goes out on a Friday night to see art?

"Hearing by the sound of your voice, you expressed distaste. Do you have any other suggestions?"

"Does it have to be it?"

"Do you have any money, Casanova? You'd called in sick so much that your paycheck is little to none." Lie Ren's voice was sarcastic, a bit agitated. He hated when Jaune questioned him when he wasn't in the position of doing so. "Let's just be grateful that Coco is the manager of our job and we are decent with her."

He rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry, Lie Ren." He was apologetic, which he hated when he was in the wrong. "This art exhibit, what does it feature?"

"Not really sure. I do know that that Velvet girl from Psych class has her own wall dedicated to her work."

Jaune raised his eyebrow. "Velvet? You mean that weird Faunus girl?"

"Hey! As you may know I find that offensive," argued Lie Ren. "Did you forget about my dating Blake?"

He slapped himself on his head.

"Apology accepted. Look I am on my way back with Nora. Just be dressed." He hung up.

Jaune stared at the phone for quite a while. If it were up to him, he would return back to his room and lie in the woes of the brokenhearted. Not tonight for he thought Lie Ren was a force, he didn't want to bring Nora in the fray. Nora's apartment was twenty minutes from his apartment, which gave the blonde about an hour to shower and get dressed.

An art exhibit. Really?

"Well, at least it's free." Jaune shrugged his shoulder nonchalantly and went into the bathroom before closing the door.