Same evening. Right outside Gisei' gym.

Something similar, yet also different.

...

"That was a perfect counter you did! Almost the same as the one you used against me." Ippo chirped lively, absolutely exhilarated about his win. Something Jaune didn't mind, of course, but one other thing did bother him however.

I'd kinda appreciate if you'd let go of my hands. He thought to himself, while Ippo continued to shake his hands like a madman.

"Really, that was an amazing win!" He continued to rain praises over him while Jaune remained silent. Seriously wondering when he would stop.

"Give him some space, will you?" Fortunately enough, Joe decided to step in. "We get it, you want to be butt-buddies with him, but at least try to be subtle about it," He added matter of factly, and Ippo' cheerfulness deflated like a flat balloon. A moment later, him letting go of Jaune's hands, and face resembling that of a wounded animal, puppy, perhaps.

He didn't have to say it like that…Jaune thought, and couldn't help but to feel sorry for the guy. Then again, deep inside, he truly did appreciate Joe stepping in so ultimately, he was on a fence about this.

"Anyhow…" Ippo started, scratching the back of his neck while his eyes darted about on the ground. Then smiled and sheepishly locked his eyes into Jaune's. "You did great today. Congratulations on winning your first match," He said, and Joe gave him a pat on his shoulder.

"See? Wasn't too hard to act normal, right?" He said, and Ippo forced a chuckle. "Anyways, I do agree with him though. You did get nailed with some decent shots, but in the end, a win's a win so good job."

"Thanks."

"I woulda whooped him silly without being touched once, but your showing wasn't half bad for someone with no experience." Apollo chimed in, boasting himself while also giving some props to Jaune at the same time. A quirk of his blonde, surprisingly enough, didn't mind really. He simply did it in a way which didn't seem mean or condescending. More so than that, it just really seemed like a genuine, unwavering belief in one self.

And I don't hate that. Jaune thought to himself, and gladly accepted to fist-bump with the guy. As he did, Jaune finally noticed something he hadn't before. Looking closer, he noted Apollo's skin was covered with dark pigment like spots. It took him a moment to realize what they were, or at least to have a solid guess, but once he did, he was quite surprised and dumbfounded. He's…yea, he has to be a faunus. He figured, and was wondering how he hadn't noticed this sooner. Well, to be fair, he's dark-skinned so it isn't that easy to notice those dark spots. Jaune figured, and didn't linger on that thought for much longer.

"Is there somethin' on my face?" Apollo asked, and Jaune blinked in response. "You were looking at me kinda intently…"

"Ah, crap." Joe intertwined before Jaune even had a chance to say something. "It seems like Ippo has already infected the poor guy. He's definitely having some funny thoughts about you, Creed," He said in a way of warning, and the fellow gym-mate took a step back.

"Whoa! Look, I know I'm handsome, but you keep those hands to yourself, alright?" He said, took a single more step backwards and froze.

Joe as well was keeping the distance.

Well…A thought began in his mind, Jaune gave Ippo a look, who in return did the same. They smiled, and then shook their heads in unison and sighed. There goes my reputation down the toilet. Like it always does.

Back in combat school, he was known as that guy who randomly started to breakdance. As in yes, his nickname quite literally was 'That guy who randomly started to breakdance.'

In Beacon, he's quite famously know as that lovable idiot who got stuck in a tree. And here…Well, he'll be known as that blonde who's butt-buddy's with Ippo.

Great.

He wasn't even mad or upset, and found a way to wryly chuckle about this new outcome. As he did, a bit quieter moment passed, but Joe broke the spell quickly, taking half a step towards the blonde.

"Well, from the looks of it, I did jump on my gun too quickly. Or at the very least you're not a lost cause like Ippo," He said with a tiny smirk, and Jaune wasn't so sure what he was getting at.

"You do have a girl for yourself, I mean," He explained, and Jaune looked to his left.

She offered him a simple look back, a tiny smile etched in her lips. He smiled back, and only now did he notice the warmth of her hand around his.

As he was about to say something, Joe continued.

"And let me say, you better have a good time with her 'cus trust me, when day after tomorrow comes, you'll be working like a God damn machine. Maybe even worse than that," He said knowingly, paused for a moment, and then partially turned the other way. "Anyhow, congrats on winning the match and I'll see you later," He said, and didn't wait for Jaune to replay and began to saunter away.

"You still have the keys, right?" Tai inquired to his fading back.

Joe threw his shoulders up to the sky. "Quit pestering me, old man," He retorted back without even looking, and a moment later raised his hand to the sky. In between two fingers, he held a small key chain, two or three keys attached to it.

"I'm almost surprised he still hasn't lost it one way or another. You simply can never know with that guy," Tai said, mostly to himself.

Jaune was curios, if at least slightly, what the whole deal with the key was, but not enough to start questioning about it. I can just ask some other time. He reasoned, and then heard Ippo's voice.

"I'll be going too," He let him know, did briefest of bows and then waved. "I'll see you later. And again, congratulations on winning your first match," He said, and they briefly shared a smile.

"I'll see you later. And thanks again," He waved him a good bye, and just a moment later, exchanged a fist-bump with Creed.

"I'll see you later, champ."

"I'll see you later," He replied simply, and then inwardly admitted a champ had a really nice ring to it. Looking around a bit, he noted he was alone with Yang and her dad now. Involuntarily, he looked down to their linked hands, to her nonchalantly resting against his side and then shifted his focus to Tai.

Well…for now, he doesn't seem to mind. He observed. Rather, it seemed like he didn't even notice the proximity they shared. Or pretends that he doesn't. Jaune guessed, and wasn't too sure how he felt about it if such was the case.

Before he could ponder it any further, Tai spoke.

"Okay, you two love birds. I'll be on my way as well. Before I go though, Jaune, what Joe said earlier was truth. I really will be working you down to the damn bones, so be ready for that," He said. Not in a way of warning, more like a simple, definitive statement, which left no room for any arguments.

"…"

There was a brief pause on Jaune's end, he blinked, and looked uncertain for a moment. Before he exhaled, and his lips curved into a smirk. A tiny, harmless but powerful storm deep in his blue.

"I know that much," He said, his confidence unwavering, his smirk remaining etched in his lips.

For Tai, there was no better answer than that.

Except for results. "Good. Rest of today and the entirety of tomorrow is yours then. Have fun you two."

"So I really don't have a practice tomorrow?"

"Aha."

He shrugged. "Okay then. I'll see you later."

"See you later, love birds," Tai said, they waved him a good-bye and he turned to go.

Jaune stared at his fading back for a moment. Then quietly exhaled, and gave her a look.

She waited a moment. "What?"

"Nothing, really…well, maybe something, actually."

"And it would be?" She inquired calmly, making him think for a moment. Scratching the back of his neck, he exhaled again, or rather, sighed this time.

"Tai, he…well, is acting very nonchalant, indifferent even about our, well, proximity I guess."

"And?" She questioned casually, which he found to be slightly surprising.

"I don't know, I, I guess he just seems the type to be very strict when it comes to stuff like that. To you having a boyfriend, I mean. Or Ruby," He explained, and most certainly didn't miss the sight of her lips curving slyly. "What?"

"Nothing…my boyfriend, Jaune," She said as she giggled.

He joined her after a moment, and the pair enjoyed a brief laughter. When it subsided, she said, "Anyways, I actually don't know how he'd react to me having a boyfriend."

"Wait, so does that mean that, well, you've never had a boyfriend?"

"Yep. Not a serious one, at least. I mean, I've kissed a few guys and had some fun with them, but it was just that, some fun and adventures. No warm, loving feelings or butterflies," She explained, and a sudden thought, hopefully, realization struck him.

"So when…does that mean that, you know, I'm the closest you've ever been with a guy? I mean, we are pretty close, right?" He said with a wishful look in his eyes.

"Definitely. We are pretty close, and yes, you're the closest I've ever been with a guy, Blondey," She said simply, without any traces of mischief or dishonesty.

Because of it, he grew a bit timid, and she noticed he did.

"Relax, Lover boy, being shy doesn't suit you," She said as her thumb caressed the back of his hand. His expression soon changing and taking on a much softer, gentler look. His blue a reflection of truths, or maybe just one, he didn't want to admit yet.

"Yea, I just…You're very close to me too is what I wanted to tell."

She heard him say, her expression turning similar to his.

"And you did just that right now," She said, a certain truth deeply buried behind her gentle lilac. Because of it, she moved herself closer to him, and buried her face into his chest. Her free arm wrapping around him.

We are pretty close, and you truly are the closest I've ever been with a guy. I didn't lie about that, but…Her fingers dug just a bit deeper into his side, she pursed her lips and squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. That's all we'll ever be, Jaune. Just pretty close. She knew the simple fact, and then felt how he wrapped his arm around her, his face buried into her hair.

Same as with everyone else I actually care about. She thought, and smiled. Not an empty, defeated or somber smile. Just full of resignation because she truly, sincerely cared about him.

I do. A simple truth, and some moments later she created a bit of a distance between them.

"…"

A moment of silence, they quietly breathed in and out, their faces adorned with a smile.

She suddenly remembered something.

"By the way, you won a deal, Blondey. I now must keep a promise to you, don't I?" She said, and it took him a moment to snap out of his reverie. When he did, his grinned from ear to ear.

"Yup! You now owe me a promise."

"So?"

"You have to go on a date with me."

"A date?"

"Yep!"

She paused before snorting incredulously. "So wait, that's the whole promise? That I'll go on a date with you?"

"Absolutely!" He chirped, his joy not faltering.

She laughed and gave him an almost disappointed look. "Seriously? Blondey, I would have gone on a date with you if you had just asked me," She said, and expected him to be at least slightly upset yet he wasn't. He just shrugged and his grin was a smile now.

"Oh well. Just my luck, I guess."

"Your shitty ol'luck, yea," She said, and found it almost commendable how composed he stayed in spite of his error. "Fine, then. I'll go on a date with you," She said, and his smile widened back to a grin, his expression embodiment of pure joy.

She found it amusing how something as little as that made him so happy. Then again, knowing his experiences with girls wasn't the best in the past, maybe this could be considered a big thing for him.

"Let's go then," She said.

"Right now?"

"Well, yea. We have the rest of today, as well as entirety of tomorrow to ourselves. Mind as well use this time to have our first date," She said, and he gave it a thought.

"I wouldn't mind really, but I don't have any place planned for us yet. Or anything at all," He explained. "But I do know that it definitely has to be something romantic," He said with a truthful tone, and she knew he wasn't trying to be funny, instead just genuine. A corny side of his she wholly enjoyed.

"Actually, believe it or not, I do know a place which could be viewed as romantic under a certain time of a day."

"Seriously?"

"Yep, seriously." She affirmed, and did so with sincerity hard to fake. "So how about that? You're up for it, Blondey?" She inquired, and he was quite quick to agree.

"Sure, why not?"

"Okay then, but first, I have to park my bike into a garage," She said just that, yet oddly enough, he chuckled.

"What?"

"No it's just…you mean, we'll actually walk? Are you sure about that?" He teased her innocently, and she just smiled about it.

"Eh, I figure walking is not so bad from time to time. Besides, most of the distance we'll cover flying…Jaune." She spelled his name slowly, deliberately, and he didn't seem so cheerful anymore. "What? You have something against flying? I'm sorry, I didn't know…Oh wait, no, I actually do remember how you barfed on-"

"Shut up." He muttered in low, dry tone. His eyes away from hers.

She enjoyed a brief victorious laughter, but then pulled on his arm and started to go over to her bike. "Relax, Vomit boy. I'll let you sleep on my lap or something," She said and his gaze returned to her.

"I wouldn't mind that."

"Of course you wouldn't," She said just that, and moments later, they seated themselves on her trusty, good bike.

"Where we'll going, by the way? I mean, what exactly is that place you mentioned before?"

"That's a tiny surprise for you," She said, and he didn't question her anymore about it.

I'll see for myself, anyways. He reasoned, and grabbed onto her sides as she started her bike. It giving off a deep reassuring rumble as wheels started to spin, and they began to pass one block after another.