The sound of shoes slapping fast on the stone-paved road can be heard. Two people hastily running at mostly the same pace, but with two different expressions and conditions. One is a young man wearing a tracksuit, not bothering to even get well-dressed for this very occasion, he is getting exhausted at trying to catch up to her, sweat running through his forehead. The other is a little girl dressed in a flamboyant red dress with her hair styled into a pair of drills the size of her petite body. Unlike the one behind her, she is quite excited for this event to occur, both genuinely and for the sake of her contractor to be happy for once in a while.

The girl, Beatrice, turned around after suddenly stopping right at the entrance. Arms rested on her small hips, she is slightly pouting, "Subaru, you should be faster than me, I suppose! We are running out of time to join the party, in fact!" She said, her tone now slightly similar to that of a little girl trying to play with her brother.

"Beako, you know how fast you ran right!? I just woke up from an evening nap!" Said Subaru between tired breaths, slowing down his pace to take a short rest, "After all, why are you so excited for a dance party? I thought my precious Beako liked books more!"

"Well you are ignorant on how active Betty is at dancing, I suppose! Petra taught me how to play games and dance whenever you were away with the boys, in fact!" She turned her head away akin to that of a child throwing a tantrum, a huff came out of her nose in the process.

"Was it fun?" He said, smiling at the thought of his precious little spirit now playing with other kids, 'They grow up so fast!' He jokingly thought.

"Well it was, I suppose! Betty can even dare to say that she had more fun with her friend Petra rather than you, in fact!"

Hearing that statement, Subaru fell on to his knees, and in an overdramatic fashion, began to grasp his heart and place his hand onto his forehead before faking a cry for mercy "My precious Beako, how could you say that bold statement in front of me, I might just die from sadness if you keep going! Oh, how could this world be so cruel!"

As predicted, she was shocked, and began to approach closer to check on him, "Su-Subaru, are you alright, I suppose!? Do you need to be hugged by Betty again, in fact!? Betty's sorry to downplay you! Don't cry, I suppose!"

Subaru's plan worked, a smile grew on his face as he began to play his trump card, "You fell for it fool…"

Her eyes twitched in surprise, "What, I suppose?"

"Killer Move: Tickle Swarm!"

He tackled her to the ground, his hands reaching her abdomen and his fingers began to move around her, "Subaru, what are you doing, I suppose!? Stop, in f-pfftwehehhe, sto-hehehe, we'll get people's attention!"

"This is your punishment for downplaying my love for you Beako! Taste the tickles of death!"

"Subaru, Beatrice! You're finally here!" Said a voice, high pitched and fitting for someone like her, excitement and happiness in her tone.

The rather short girl, only as tall as Subaru's shoulder, entered the scene and interrupted their session of tickle torture, allowing Beatrice to breathe easy. Ruby was dressed in a rose-colored gown. If Subaru were to judge, it would fit her name being related to the color red.

"Ruby! We weren't late were we?" He responded, standing up and letting Beatrice take a breather. Although she still hid behind him, knowing what may come next.

With a smile, she responds, "The party started a couple of minutes ago, c'mon let's go inside!" She took his hand by surprise, earning a girlish scream out of him as she began to pull him inside. Beatrice was trying to follow him while still hiding the best she can from her.

The room was filled with an atmosphere similar to those American homecoming parties Subaru always watched on television. A snack bar at the corner and near the entrance, the podium for the DJ to turn on their music at the far left side of the building, tables and chairs to sit on dotting the corners, and people enjoying themselves. He was amazed at how well decorated the entire room was, and how well cleaned it was too. He thought it would at least be somewhat dirty due to Beacon's interior being similar to American high schools from his view, but they managed to keep it clean and dandy. Granted this party had only just begun, so he could be wrong.

'It must be their technology, this world is far more advanced than I imagined it would be' He thought.

Not long after, Ruby's forceful drag was over, and they finally encountered the rest of her team. Yang was standing by the chairs, waving at their arrival. Weiss was speaking to some people near her before noticing them. Blake can be seen sitting on one of the tables, reading her book, with an expression that would seem to indicate she is either waiting for someone and is nervous, or that she is hiding something. Subaru ignored her for now, focusing on what was in front of him, the busty blonde girl Yang.

"Glad that you made it, you two! Ruby had been really worried that you wouldn't come, especially you, scary eyes!" She teasingly pointed at him, which startled him a little.

Ruby, red as her name responded quickly "Yang! His eyes are not s-scary, they're…"

"Unique?" Yang added

"Yes! Unique, right?" Ruby looked at him, waiting for a reply.

"Well my kind of eyes are not that rare from where I'm from, it came from my mom though" He replied.

"Good to know, good to know" The blonde responded, "You know, lately Ruby had been supportive of you, you know that right?"

Subaru looked towards her, a prideful smile appeared on Ruby's face, which earned her a questioning look from him. He looked back towards Yang, "I don't know, I thought she's always been like this"

"Well...she does always act like this, but she had not been this supportive and anxious towards someone before," She said, before closing her distance and began to whisper in his ear, "She might have a crush on you, you know that right?"

"Why would someone have a crush on me this early!? I have no qualities that can stand out other than my eyes! I'm painfully average as a man!" He whispered back.

Yang then backed off, looking disappointed, "Damn you really are dense"

Ruby had a look of disappointment as well, making Subaru questioning her even further. By his own knowledge, he was not dense, he was just not that interested in anyone since he already had his sights on Emilia. But then again, this is another world, they won't know who Emilia is, even more, so that he wouldn't know what to say to someone that tries to confess to him in this world.

His thoughts were then suddenly interrupted by Yang coughing, presumably to get his attention, "Say...where is she now?" She then said, changing the topic.

Subaru had a confused look, "U-uh, who?"

"You know, drilly? Pipsqueak 2.0? Your butterfly-eyed daughter?"

Subaru thought about it for a little. From what Yang described, it is obvious who she was referring to. Beatrice, who was behind him all this time, decided to respond.

"Betty has a name, I suppose! Betty is not Betty's Subaru's daughter, she is his contracted spirit, in fact!" She replied, red on her face and with the last statement being proclaimed with a hint of pride onto it. But then a sudden realization hit her, "Oh no, I suppose!"

"There you are! C'mere!"

A small chase started as Yang proceeded to run past him and towards his back, Beatrice responding by hiding on his front side. But alas the struggle was short, for Yang caught her hair drills and began dragging her onto a nearby chair, forcing her to sit on Yang's lap.

"Subaru help Betty, I suppose! Save Betty, in fac-Kyaaa!"

Both Ruby and Subaru sighed at their antics. It has been around a week now since Subaru and Beatrice have arrived in this world. It should be a one-week anniversary now since they started this ritual of Yang teasing and playing with her like a doll.

"So…" Ruby turned to him, her disappointed face turned neutral, "You should get some snacks and enjoy the party! Oh, and so far you only knew about us, you should try to meet some new faces as well!" Her face looked nervous as she said that.

Subaru questioned that expression as well, but after hearing her statement that he should try and enjoy, his expression changed into a smile before he responded. "Well you guys and one other girl I managed to meet, but snacks sounds great, haven't eaten anything since lunch" He replied, before getting elbowed by her, making him stumble.

"Then get some dummy!" She said, smiling and slightly giggling at the end of her response.

"Alright alright, geez," He said, wondering why Ruby was being so happy around him. But he soon brushed it off as friendly banter and headed towards the snack bar at the corner.

He walked and passed by the crowds talking to themselves. Even though it had only been a week, Subaru felt that his life in this academy changed things. It felt different for him, mostly due to his routine suddenly being changed from training and working as his liege's knight, and into a more of an academic life. It feels relaxing for him to have a simpler life once in a while, even though he could argue that his former routine as a knight is preferable to this.

He needed to try and get over the past for now, and try to enjoy the life he currently had. He could always set his ultimate goal of returning home, but he should also try to care and learn to live his current life as a student. Who knows, he might not have to die a lot now.

'Ruby said to take my time to enjoy life. I could work with tha-" his thoughts were interrupted as suddenly his body hit another, "Damn it, I should've paid attention!" He said as he stumbled backward.

"Oof-Sorry!"

He heard a feminine voice, but not a new one. Red hair and a gown with a similar color to that of Ruby's, her head wore an ancient greek style headband. From what he heard of his week in this world, only one girl would be dressed like that.

"Hello! Sorry again that I bumped into you!" She said, her chiming voice sounded like a doorbell.

However, he was a bit stunned by her looks, so he hesitated to respond. His sudden silence confused her, "Hello again, are you alright?" She said

"Beautiful gown…" Subaru uttered, not realizing her greeting

"U-Uh, thanks, who are you?"

An awkward moment passed between them for a short while, before suddenly Subaru started to realize that he should respond, "Sorry sorry! Wasn't focusing, my name, right? Natsuki Subaru, nice to meet you" He said, "I could be wrong here, but are you perhaps Pyrrha Nikos?"

"Nice to meet you too, and I am! Sorry that I bumped into you though…" She looked down after apologizing once again.

"You don't need to say sorry again you know!? Why are you so apologetic?"

"It-it's a force of habit, that's all! Sorry if it annoys you!" She said Subaru is now irritated by it.

"There it is again!" Subaru pointed out, "You know, you should really try and not say sorry for once if it is not necessary, Pyrrha"

"Yeah, sor-" Her sentence was immediately cut off by Subaru putting his finger on her mouth, earning a small blush, possibly from embarrassment.

"Up up up, no! I will share this once, a quote from my beloved liege Emilia!" Subaru said, releasing his index finger from her mouth.

"Liege? Are you some sort of knight?"

"Yes, official title, and I take pride in it. But that's beside the point! My liege Emilia says that a single thank you is better than a million sorrys, I learned that the hard way, and you should too!" He said with a serious expression on his face.

Pyrrha processed it a little before responding "Learning the hard way?"

"You get the idea!"

Her eyes widened but quickly nodded with a confident smile, "Alright alright, thank you Subaru" she said.

"There, that wasn't hard now was it?" He replied

"Yeah, you're right. Say, what are you doing here away from your group? I heard that you and that Beatrice girl stayed with team RWBY right?" She said

"Oh! Just grabbing some snacks, Ruby suggested it, plus I haven't eaten anything past lunch"

"That's horrible! You should eat more!"

"Hey, I was training okay!? I was training!"

"But I didn't see you in the sparring hall though…"

"In the forest, I was training in the forest!" He corrected, his tone sounding desperate.

She hummed as she thought of a possible location for one to train "Emerald forest?"

"Yes!" He said with a nod

"That forest is full of Grimm though, you sure?"

"Yes, wait what!?"

"You're lying then! How could you!"

"Sorry sorry! I was just sleeping after completing my homework early before it's due!" Subaru confessed, raising his arms, a sign of surrender by him.

"There, that's better now was it?" She tilted her head with a smile

"Don't you dare use my words! But yes, it was better! Now can I get some snacks!?" He said, breathing out a tired sigh as she chuckled at his remark. His first impressions of this girl are really similar to how Reinhard would act, even though he hadn't met him for almost a year now. Apologetic, one of the best fighters known, and has red hair, who wouldn't think that she is Reinhard's long-lost daughter?

She stopped her laugh before continuing with the conversation "Oh? Snacks? Sure! The bar is right behind me, I was actually going there same as you, we can go there together if you want"

"Alright, I don't even know what type of snacks you guys eat," He said with a sarcastic tone, he definitely knows what type of snacks they would eat because he watched American High School Dramas, beat that, Remnant!

"Oh, you'll love to see it! Unhealthy, but really delicious!" She said as she walked towards the bar with her hands behind her back.

He chuckled "Knew it"

But before he could follow her, a hand touched his right shoulder. He turned around to see a white-haired girl wearing a snow theme dressed. If she's not any taller, he would expect her to be Indigo. But, unfortunately, she is not, this girl is Weiss Schnee. "Weiss! What are you doing here?" He asked

She crossed her arms before replying, "Ruby wanted to dance with you for the first song"

"What?" A confused tone came out of Subaru

"Ruby wanted to-" Her words got interrupted, making her startle a bit.

"I know that! But why would she do that?"

"You're really dense, are you? Remember how she is always nervous but happy around you?" She said, pushing him with her index finger

'She really is the Ice Queen of Remnant!' He thought, obviously knowing the fact that the true Ice Queen would be his liege, Emilia-tan, but decided to give the Remnant version of the title to her after that sort of reply, "Uhh….I thought she was always like that?"

She immediately facepalmed, "You really are dense aren't you"

"Don't blame me! I already set my sights on a girl I like back home, that's all!"

"Well at least accept it, she really wanted to dance with you!" She got closer and began to whisper into his ear, "Plus, you can always reject her and tell her that yourself once she confesses"

"Alright alright, I'll accept! Now, why is Blake walking towards me here!? I'm just trying to get some snacks!"

"Blake?" She turned around, not noticing that she suddenly headbutted him after she finished her message.

Blake looked a bit nervous and bewildered in Subaru's eyes, he wondered why that was when he saw her sitting on the table near the entrance. But after thinking about it, this could be important. He briefly turned around to Pyrrha noticing them too after she waited for him to come to the snack bar, but noticing the potential importance she nodded in understanding, signaling that she could wait.

The secretly cat faunus approached him and the Ice Queen, her yellow cat-like eyes specifically locked onto him, "Subaru, can we…..talk for a moment before your subsequent dance?" she suddenly asked.

"U-Uhh, why?" He anxiously questioned, Weiss, tilted her head in confusion as well.

She suddenly grabbed his hand, a serious expression appearing on her face "We need to talk, it's important"

"Hey, no touch! He would be dancing with Ruby soon!" Weiss warned

"This is much more important than a dance, Weiss. Because only I and Ruby noticed!"

"W-what do you mean you two noticed!?" He said

"Yeah what he said!" Weiss added

"We can talk about that once you follow me! Now let's go!"

She then begins to drag him away from the crowd and towards the exit to the garden, earning a bewildered look from Weiss as she stares at them, and a panicking Subaru. He looked towards the direction of the entrance and towards Beatrice, who immediately noticed him as she was played like a doll by Yang and Ruby. As if it was telepathy, she immediately understood what was going on, and nodded. As for both spirit and contractor, this may be very important.