Jacob leaned up after a while and stated, "I wanna go outside and do something." Although he wasn't an outdoors person, he couldn't think of anything interesting to do inside the school. He also thought about how this would be his only chance not to pretend to be a girl. Trivia looked at him for a moment before nodding and pointing to herself, signaling that she was going to join him.
Jacob stood up, stretched, and said, "Let's go," but as he was about to walk off, Trivia grabbed his sleeve. He turned around, and she gestured towards the bathroom. Jacob stared at her for several seconds, not understanding what she meant. Then it finally clicked. "Oh, you want me to shower," Jacob said as he understood her gesture. Trivia nodded. For Trivia, it was proper to shower before going outside, even if you hadn't done much.
Trivia and Jacob both walked to the showers, and Jacob looked nervous beside her. Although they didn't have to share the same shower, they were still in the same room. Jacob read the situation and stepped outside, allowing Trivia to take off her clothes and hop in the shower. He waited for a while, knocked on the door, and, hearing no response, assumed she had gotten in and walked into the bathroom.
After noticing Trivia had gone into her own shower, Jacob took off his clothes and got into his. He turned the water on and let out a yelp as the freezing water touched his back. Trivia chuckled from her own shower, realizing and hearing what had happened.
Trivia slowly poked her head out of the shower, knocking on the wall to get Jacob's attention. After Jacob peeked his head out to look at her, she used her semblance to float words above her head that read, "The showers are broken. That one's hot, that one's cold, and the others are warm." Jacob looked at her with a moment of disbelief and amazement. Disbelief because, out of five showers, he had chosen the one that was cold. Amazement because her semblance looked cool, and this was his first time seeing it. With a nod, he returned to his shower, deciding to keep his questions about her semblance to himself for now.
He gestured for Trivia to go back into her own shower before stepping out of his and going to the one that was hot. In the hot shower, he enjoyed himself and even sang a song he liked, despite not being able to sing and only being able to rap. Trivia snickered at his bad singing but also thought of the lyrics in her head due to her inability to speak.
They both finished their showers around the same time and wrapped themselves in towels, due to Jacobs hot shower, the room became steamy. Jacob was breathing heavily, gasping for air as he held the wall for support. Trivia looked concerned, pulling her towel up to cover herself, afraid Jacob might see her body. Jacob let out a breathy laugh, still trying to catch his breath, "I'm not interested in seeing your tits. I'm trying not to die." Trivia chuckled at this. Jacob added, "I have asthma, give me a minute."
Once Jacob caught his breath, he walked out, grabbed his bag, and put on his clothes. Trivia went over and put on her pajamas. Jacob looked up at her, confused. "Why are you wearing pajamas? We're going outside." Trivia grabbed her whiteboard and wrote, "This is the only pair of clothes I have. After I burned down my room, this is all that was left." Jacob's expression shifted to one of shock, but he nodded understandingly. He then came up with a solution and said, "Do you want to borrow mine? They may be too big, but you can wear them." Trivia's eyes widened, and a warm smile appeared on her face due to the genuine kindness she was not used to.
Trivia grabbed Jacob's bag, putting it between her legs as she rummaged through the clothes for minutes on end. Jacob watched as she tried to find something she liked. Eventually, she picked out an outfit. She took Jacob's brown jacket, a white button-up shirt, stole a pink ribbon from a random girl's bed, grabbed Jacob's pink pants that didn't fit him anymore, and his Neapolitan-colored sneakers that were too big for her feet. Trivia was now ready to go outside with Jacob.
They made their way outside. This was the first time Trivia had gone outside in a few months; she had stopped going outside after she burned her room down. During the walk, Trivia thought about Jacob. She had never had a friend before, and she had made her first friend in Jacob. Trivia had imagined many scenarios of how to make her first friend. Most of the time, she felt shy, timid, and anxious, but with him, she didn't even get to be shy or timid. There was something about his personality that made her relax, so much so that she couldn't even process that she had made a friend; she just kept moving on.
Jacob also thought about his friendship with Trivia. He felt really comfortable around her, as if she saw through him and knew everything about him despite just becoming friends. Jacob was able to relax around her as if they had known each other for lifetimes, although they hadn't. But he also felt something dangerous about her, something he couldn't put his finger on.
As they continued walking, they passed multiple stores. In the midst of walking, Trivia's eyes locked onto a pink parasol, and she stopped in her tracks. Jacob looked back at her for a moment, urging her to continue following him. However, Trivia seemed lost in thought for a moment, her mind flashing back to the time she got angry and threw an umbrella at her father, almost cutting his eye. She didn't feel regret, but it was something she couldn't forget. After a while, she shook her head playfully, and they continued walking ahead.
While walking, Trivia used her semblance to display words in front of Jacob for him to read. The words said, "I'm hungry," but Jacob quickly retorted, "And I'm broke." Trivia then got playfully mad and walked right in front of Jacob, stomping her feet and flailing her arms as she did multiple body gestures that seemed to mean, "WHY WOULD WE GO OUTSIDE WITH NO MONEY!?" Trivia stared up at him, puffing her cheeks in a pouty expression, waiting for a response.
Jacob then spoke, saying, "I only have 632 Lien. If there's a place around here that has something, then sure, we could eat something." Jacob walked past Trivia, expecting her to follow. Trivia followed begrudgingly while still pouting.
Eventually, they ran into a fast-food restaurant called "Crumbs." Jacob looked up at the fast-food joint and said, "Maybe we can afford something here." They both went in, and Trivia looked around with wide eyes. It was her first time inside a fast-food restaurant, and she began to roam around like a kid in a candy shop. Jacob let her explore while he picked out a seat to sit at. Eventually, Trivia sat down after having her fill of exploring.
Jacob pointed at the screen behind him. "See anything you like?" Trivia's eyes roamed the screen for a while, searching, and finally, she shrugged, gesturing for Jacob to decide for her. Jacob sighed as he turned around and stood up to see the menu due to his bad eyesight. He finally looked and saw something called the "Monty Moves," a special they were having. Jacob examined what this special had to offer.
The special had a Loaded Nacho Cheeseburger, a Grilled Chicken Wrap, a Cinnamon Bun, a Vanilla and Strawberry Waffle Cone, and a Large Coffee as a beverage. Jacob's eyes widened at the amount of things. "Whoever this Monty guy is, he must be a legend for eating all thi…" Jacob's eyes then looked down before he could finish his sentence and saw the price of 2531 Lien. He immediately looked away from the menu and said, "Yeah, nah. You got me fucked up."
Jacob's eyes continued scanning the menu, and then he found a special called the "Crumb Combo." It included "2 burgers and 2 milkshakes of your choice for 632 Lien." This would literally be all of Jacob's money, but it's not like it was a lot. Plus, being with friends at a fast-food restaurant canceled out his rational thoughts about saving money. He turned to Trivia, asking what she wanted on her burger and milkshake, and then he ordered for both of them.
Trivia watched Jacob order the food for both of them, her gaze turning somewhat sad as she thought about how she lived a secluded life due to her parents locking her away from the world. She couldn't even recall a time she ate fast food, let alone a meal with someone other than her family or events she was forced to participate in. Trivia's thighs pressed together as she shifted uncomfortably in the chair, her thoughts wandering and dwelling on her past.
Her eyes darted upwards as she heard the sound of Jacob's footsteps, snapping her away from her thoughts about her past as Jacob placed the tray on the table. "What are you thinking about?" Jacob said, but Trivia quickly shook her head dismissively. "If you say so…" he said, dismissing the topic as he sat across from her. He then handed her her food while he took his.
Trivia took the burger, unwrapping it and putting it up to her nose to smell. She examined it and then looked back at Jacob. For some reason, she was nervous, but she didn't know why. She questioned if it was because this was the first thing she had done with a friend or if it was trying food that she wasn't forced to eat. She brushed off the thought before taking a bite of the burger. She ate with manners, slowly and tentatively.
As she swallowed her first bite of the fast food, she noticed it was greasy, even unhealthy compared to the foods she ate at home. However, it was extremely delicious. Trivia looked up with a big wide grin to share her excitement with Jacob, but her grin faded in shock and disbelief as he was already halfway done with his burger.
Jacob looked up at her. "What, I'm hungry, man?" he said, staring back at her. He relaxed a bit, trying not to eat his food as fast. "But, uhm, how is it for you?" Trivia then gave him a thumbs up. "Well, that's good. I'm glad it was worth it," Jacob said as he then looked out the window towards the bleak sky.
Back at school, Melanie was sitting on the stairs while Militia was staring towards the sky. Militia looked bored, annoyingly bored before she stated, "Trivia seems to be getting quite confident around that girl," and Melanie was quick to follow up, "Yeah, and it's seriously pissing me off." Militia's finger began to tap the edge of the window. It picked up pace as her brow began to frown.
Melanie moved her hand close to her mouth and let her sharp canine teeth bite her thumb as she was lost in thought. Militia noticed this and knew what was coming—a plan brewing from her twin sister, Melanie. But this wasn't just any regular plan Melanie had in mind. Although she remained calm and kept her usual arrogant demeanor, she also exuded another emotion. Militia looked surprised, trying to read her sister's emotions without asking.
"S-she's angry! No, she's furious!" Militia said in her head. The twins were always bored, but something about the new girl named Jasmine at their school shook Melanie to the core in anger. There were a couple of things Melanie hated: being ignored, being disrespected, and people who couldn't hold their weight. Jasmine managed to do both things on her first day and even became friends with the girl the two twins were bullying.
For Melanie, this wasn't just a sign of disrespect or a girl who didn't know her place. It felt like a challenge to everything she stood for. The Twins were known in the school to be fearsome and to always win. Melanie didn't just want to prank Trivia and Jasmine like all the other disobedient girls. She wanted to humiliate them. After a few moments of thinking, her hand moved from her face, and for the first time in a long time, she had a grin that would probably make a Grimm feel fear.
Going back to Jacob and Trivia, Trivia seemed to have relaxed, slurping on her chocolate milkshake while slightly bouncing up and down to show her enjoyment.
Jacob couldn't help but smile at her, but his thoughts wandered elsewhere. "She's relaxing more… That's good. When I first saw her, she looked like she never knew what happiness was," he sat and thought. He slouched onto his hand as it pressed against his right cheek. "Her eyes seemed like she was depressed… I guess they were the same as mine." He then looked across from Trivia, who had gone back to eating her burger.
"It's been a while since I talked to my family," he thought solemnly. Suddenly, he jumped up in shock and instinct as he heard screaming coming from the distance in the fast-food restaurant. Him and Trivia both eyed the kitchen.
"I FUCKING QUIT!" The girl says as she grabs the microphone she was using at the drive-thru and throws it on the ground, shattering it. All the workers and customers look at the lady as she gets mad and shouts at her co-workers and boss.
Jacob watches with a nonchalant expression, but Trivia finds the situation amusing, giggling and clapping slightly to show her amusement. However, the girl looks directly at Trivia and walks up to her. "You think this shit's funny?" Trivia begins to get nervous as the worker starts to walk up to her.
As May Bee approached, Trivia sized her up, reading her name tag as "May Bee," and they both seemed to be around the same height. Trivia was 4'6, but thanks to her heels, she was 4'10. May Bee seemed to be around 4'9 and didn't have heels due to her work uniform. However, Trivia was still anxious. She always tried to avoid confrontation. She never wanted to upset her parents or get in trouble at school. But here she was, confronted again, and this time she was nowhere near her parents, with Jacob there to cover for her if she could convince him to.
Looking back at Jacob with a pleading expression in her eyes, not knowing what to do, Trivia hoped for guidance. Jacob could read the body language of both girls and attempted to do what his family would do for him. He told them, "Both of you go outside." Then, he looked at Trivia and said, "I want you to beat her ass. I don't care if you lose, but you better fight."
Trivia's eyes widened, but a smirk came across her face. This was the first time she was believed in. She thought back to when she punched a girl six years ago and broke her nose. Trivia knew she had the power, but had no clue if she had the skill or technique. But with Jacob believing in her, she stepped outside with May, and they both eyed each other in the parking lot, getting into a stance.
Jacob watched both of the girls as they looked at each other in the parking lot. Trivia was nervous, her body shaking and her heart racing, but there was something deep inside her that felt a thrill, a rush from fighting. She wanted to win this, not just for the feeling of victory, but to impress her first friend since he cheered her on. They both stared at each other one final time before moving towards each other.
May started the brawl off with a haymaker from her left hand, but Trivia noticed May's arm twitch, and in the fraction of a second she saw her hand move, Trivia landed a left cross that was quicker. Stunning May momentarily, she began to put her guard up and back away, but Trivia was confident due to landing the first punch.
Trivia threw a kick, but it was blocked. May attempted to throw a jab, but Trivia was quicker. Trivia was winning most of the exchanges, and her confidence was growing. However, she began to get too confident, going for a leg kick and being met with a stiff jab to the nose, snapping her head back.
Trivia felt disoriented; this was her first time being hit that hard. It felt like a flashbang had hit her. Her legs were wobbly, and she didn't know what was happening. All she saw were punches flying at her, and she attempted to defend herself the best way she could.
Jacob saw Trivia get stunned and didn't know if he should jump in to stop May from hurting Trivia or believe Trivia could still win the fight. Jacob decided to yell at Trivia to keep her motivated and to not have her give up. Trivia side-eyed Jacob, proud that he was trying to cheer her on, although she couldn't quite hear what he was saying.
May rushed at Trivia, attempting to end the fight by knocking her out, charging up a powerful overhand right. But Trivia took a gamble on her reflexes and instincts, choosing to go for a strike aimed at the head. Both strikes were determined by precision, speed, and timing. Trivia lifted up her leg, leaning and using the balance she learned from years of training in acrobatics, and landed a powerful kick to May's jaw.
May buckled immediately from the strike, moving back and appearing extremely wobbly. But May didn't want to give up. She tasted blood in her mouth and knew her aura was low, but she felt like she could still win the fight. Trivia, on the other hand, was nearing her limits on stamina. Though she may have trained in acrobatics, fighting took a lot out of her. She took deep breaths as they both stared at each other, waiting to see who would make the final move.
They both rushed at each other, wanting to put an end to the fight. Their steps were quick and loud, and as they both pulled back to punch each other, a sudden gust of wind blew by Jacob's hair as he watched the fight. Trivia and May looked shocked as both of their punches were caught and stopped by a mysterious man.
The man twirled around while holding both girls' fists. He tossed Trivia towards Jacob, who caught her in his arms, while he twirled with May in his arms and held her close. His face was finally revealed, showing long light ginger dreads that hung down, with a medium goatee.
"What the hell, I didn't even see him," Jacob thought as he held Trivia but released her and let her stand on her own. The man then held May and began to speak. "Sorry about this whole incident. I should've come sooner," but no one spoke; they just stared at him. "Who are you?" Jacob said slowly, unsure if he was a friend or foe.
"My name is Cal-Lin Bee the 50th," he paused. "And this right here is my wife you were fighting," he said as he eyed the two of them and then looked at May. Jacob's eyes widened, and he got ready, feeling like a fight would happen between Trivia and him against May and Cal-Lin…
Jacob prepared for what he thought was coming, but suddenly a worker emerged from the fast-food restaurant. "If you don't stop, I'm going to call the police!" The girl's scroll was out, and the police were one push away from being called. Suddenly, Cal-Lin spoke in a commanding voice. "You will do no such thing."
Cal-Lin raised his hand, and a card appeared between his fingers. It was his official Huntsman ID. The worker squinted her eyes and then realized who he was. She nodded and spoke out, saying, "But you scared away our customers and…" but Cal-Lin cut her off. "And what? I'll compensate by telling other Huntsmen about this place. That should keep the place buzzing." Cal-Lin paused and decided to promote himself. "And if you want to do business, perhaps you could hire me to do a performance for promotion." Cal-Lin's voice was calming, convincing, and smooth, similar to honey.
The girl weighed her options for a moment before nodding and walking back into the store. Cal-Lin then turned his eyes back to Jacob and Trivia, and then he looked back at his wife. He thought for a moment before speaking. "I think you two have blown off enough steam. Let's just call this a draw." Jacob looked relieved. Trivia and May looked at each other one final time before May and Cal-Lin walked off the premises.
Jacob let out a deep sigh. "You did good," he said to Trivia, before wiping his hands on his pants. Then he grabbed the back of his neck and said, "It doesn't look like we could finish our food." He paused briefly. "I hope you finished yours. Was it at least good?"
Trivia didn't know what to gesture, as she had just gotten out of a fight and now Jacob was questioning her about her meal. She simply nodded, but her eyes drifted off into space.
Jacob decided to walk away from the premises, knowing that the store wouldn't let him back in for now. While walking, Trivia had no choice but to follow, though her mind still seemed to be elsewhere.
Jacob led Trivia to a nearby park where he sat down on the ground. Trivia followed and sat down near him while still maintaining some slight distance. They were both silent, and the only thing that was heard was the wind blowing. The sound of cars driving by and kids playing in the background grew silent and muted as they paid less attention to it.
Trivia looked down at the ground, her knees touching her chin. While Jacob sat nonchalantly and stared forward while taking occasional glances at her. He noticed something was up but didn't exactly know what to say, or what was bothering her so he was left to assume.
"I'm not mad about the fight, you know?" he said while looking towards the sky. Trivia glanced at him, waiting for him to keep talking. "I thought you did fine. You didn't win, but you didn't lose either. For your first fight I thought it was more than fine." Trivia just stared blankly when he tried to cheer her up with his words.
Trivia didn't know why she felt so blank, so lost after her fight. She felt a mix of disappointment for not winning the fight. Perhaps she wanted to brag or maybe she just wanted to know what it feels like to win something. Maybe she didn't want to look bad in front of her first friend. She couldn't put her finger on it, but she slowly reached into her pockets and pulled out her scroll.
She began typing tentatively, her eyes focused on the words, and then her scroll spoke in an AI voice: "Thank you." It was the only words she could use to express herself. She then turned to face Jacob, staring at his cinnamon-colored skin and his brown eyes. Her eyes took in all of his details to see his reaction.
Jacob could only nod his head; he didn't know what to say. He gave her a soft smile, and Trivia's eyes widened from seeing him be so kind. It was so different and accepting, unlike her parents or her classmates. They both then turned to look off into the distance at the playground.
Suddenly, Trivia was hit with an adrenaline dump, and her head began hurting. She held her head, experiencing a big headache after the post-fight exhaustion set in. Jacob stared at her worriedly, and this was Trivia's first time feeling like this. Her hand clenched the grass tightly while her other hand covered her pink eye and held her head.
Jacob started to realize what was happening. "Try to relax and breathe. The same thing happened to me when I fought someone a while back," he said, trying to comfort Trivia. Trivia looked up at him, her expression annoyed and frustrated, not at him, but at the immense pain she was in. Jacob continued speaking while moving closer. "You did take some serious shots. A bad headache is bound to occur."
"Let's wait here a few moments," he said, watching Trivia writhe in pain, but he stood by her side to make sure she was okay. Several minutes later, she finally calmed down, and her expression softened slightly. She nodded, showing her appreciation for him sticking by her side.
They both sat in silence again, and then Trivia reached out for her scroll once more. She began typing and asked, "You got into a fight before? How many? How did it go?" Jacob sighed for a moment before looking up into the sky to think about the list of fights he got into throughout his life.
"Well, in grade school, I got jumped by two girls. Then I had a few other times I almost fought," he paused. "There was a fight in middle school, and I beat the guy twice. Then I fought another person, and that was a tie," he said. Trivia watched in astonishment; she didn't know he had fought this much.
Jacob continued, "Then there were fights with some of my family," he then added, "Nothing serious, of course. Just play fighting." He paused, getting slightly more serious. "There was a fight I did lose though, and that fight pisses me off," he said with a hint of frustration. Trivia watched in curiosity.
"We were always talking about fighting each other years prior, so I bought boxing gloves. Went to his home, and we began fighting while my cousin recorded us," he paused. "During the fight, I had the mindset to take it easy and have fun. I was leisure-ish, too relaxed, and far too focused on fun."
"After going two, three-minute rounds, I was out of stamina. I already had asthma and was pushing myself further than needed. The fight ended, and afterwards I had the biggest headache ever. I had to lay on the ground with water pouring on me for 5 minutes to calm down the headache," Jacob stated.
"I was humiliated, embarrassed, but I think the thing that pisses me off the most was the disappointment I felt in myself," he paused and looked at Trivia. "I forgot about all the trash talk years prior and focused on being a friend. So, when I lost and felt as if I didn't do much to win the fight, I was more than frustrated," he said with his fist clenched.
"Not to mention, he had the nerve to use it against me, saying he can kick my ass months after because of a fight I was taking easy," Jacob sounded pretty pissed, but he took a deep breath to calm down. "So, I get how you feel somewhat. But yeah, I've had my fair share of fights. Couple wins, couple losses."
Trivia watched and listened, wanting to reach out to stop him from feeling sad, but she didn't know what to do. She playfully balled her hand into a fist and softly ran it into his jaw. Jacob just side-eyed her when he felt the contact, but he chuckled. He then pushed her hand away playfully and threw a punch at her, but chose to miss her face.
Trivia's eyes widened at the speed, but she smiled at the thought of a challenge and some fun. They both stood up around the same time, already understanding that they were going to play fight. Trivia smiled and patted her legs before getting into a stance.
This was new to Trivia; she couldn't have play-fought Neo because she would break into pieces. Not to mention, she thought Neo would beat her up, or even get her in trouble with her parents. So, this was exciting for her. The fear she once had and the serious fight she experienced seemed to fade in the back of her mind as she focused on Jacob.
Jacob decided not to assume a guard, keeping his hands down as he observed Trivia. Then he walked over to her, prepared to fight, but Trivia was shocked. Shocked that he didn't have a guard, shocked that he approached her so casually. Her mind raced, not knowing if he was cocky, not serious, or underestimating her. She was unsettled for a moment but tried to shake it off as he slowly approached.
Jacob suddenly threw out two jabs and a straight. Trivia dodged and pivoted slightly; she was nervous. Jacob kept walking towards her, throwing out punches and watching her move and pivot. He understood that she was good at moving, but she seemed afraid to attack, so he shouted, "You can't win by running away!"
Trivia's eyes widened when she heard this. The next jab Jacob threw out, she ducked under and landed a punch of her own. The punch landed hard, and Trivia looked up, terrified, afraid that she had hurt Jacob. But then he unexpectedly punched her in the stomach. The wind got knocked out of her, and she took steps back.
"I'm fine. You didn't put any weight into your punch, so it didn't hurt," Jacob stated before walking over to Trivia. She didn't know what to do; she couldn't breathe well after that gut punch. She couldn't move as well as she wanted.
Jacob began to pressure her, pushing her back with a lot of punches that landed on her guard. Then he saw an opening and gave her a right hook to the body. Trivia's guard dropped, and she looked up to see a jab coming towards her face. She flinched, bracing for the punch.
The punch didn't connect; Jacob stopped himself from hitting her in the face. He then ceased attacking fully and spoke. "You're thinking too much when it comes to fighting," Jacob said, pausing for a moment. "Well, when it comes to me. You should be comfortable, not overthinking, not hesitating, just moving and being prepared. You seem similar to that mindset," he added.
Jacob offered his hand to her. "Wanna try again?" Trivia looked at his hand, then back at him. She saw the smile on his face and a small smirk curved on her own. This was exhausting, but she couldn't turn him down. Not to mention, it was fun. All it was in reality was sparring, and she could tell he was holding back, but also understand that he was trying to guide her. She shook his hand while nodding, her mismatched eyes flipping.
Jacob looked shocked when her mismatched eyes inversed; he had never seen it before. But it seemed like Trivia had complete control of her heterochromia. Before being slightly shocked, they stopped their handshake and took a few steps back, getting ready to play fight once more.
They then began to play fight with each other for a few hours, and the sun began to set. They both sat in the grass, covered in sweat, exhausted but with smiles on their faces. Trivia looked up at the orange sky and clouds, her smile widening. She had never done anything like this before. Was this how it felt to have a friend? Was this what fun was? She thought to herself.
As she looked up, Jacob came into her view, extending his hand towards her. She smiled even harder and let him lift her up. Standing up, exhausted, she then looked confused as she glanced back at Jacob and saw him crouching down. She stared at him awkwardly for a couple of seconds before understanding that he was offering her a piggyback ride because she was tired.
Trivia walked towards him hesitantly, extending her hands to him and getting on his back. His arms held her legs, and her arms wrapped around his neck. She had never done this before and looked down at him nervously. Jacob then spoke out, "It's getting late, let's head back," he said, looking up at Trivia with a smile.
Trivia nodded, and Jacob began walking with her on his back. As she leaned against him, becoming more comfortable, she reflected on how much fun she had. Trivia had never had a friend before, never talked to anyone. She had even started to believe that she was the problem – being born mute, imperfect, with mismatched eyes. She had thought that no one would be her friend, that her family was right to be ashamed. But this one moment proved all of that wrong. Trivia didn't want a million friends, just one, and it seemed like she had found one. She was happy, leaning against Jacob's neck.
Jacob continued walking, feeling Trivia's breath against his neck. His body tensed momentarily, his neck sensitive to the touch. His thoughts raced, realizing he was carrying a girl on his back, walking her back to their dorm room after a wonderful time. He blushed briefly, then shook his head. "That's stupid, she's not interested in you, dumbass," he scolded himself, pushing down his recently growing feelings with realism.
Jacob continued walking with Trivia on his back until they reached the school. "Alright, get off," he said. Trivia looked at him with a pouting expression, having gotten comfortable, but reluctantly hopped off his back. She then eyed Jacob's body, not checking him out, but noticing his messy hair. It seemed to get even more curly and unruly the more they fought and he got sweaty. She didn't know why, but she wanted to ask him about it later.
Afterwards, they both entered their dorm rooms, which were filled with the other girls. Some were on their scrolls, others were reading, studying, or sleeping. However, all of them seemed to be eyeing Trivia and Jacob as they entered the room. Nobody said anything, but the room was eerily silent, and Jacob and Trivia realized they were being watched.
Jacob was ready for a fight, and Trivia was preparing her building nerves, but nothing happened. They both walked to the showers together, and no one stopped them, no one said anything, no one even gossiped. Things were weird, but they both tried to pay it no mind. They both sighed and looked at each other once they were in the bathroom.
They then both turned around in sync and began to undress. While undressing, Trivia pointed behind her towards Jacob with her back turned. Although she wasn't allowed to use her semblance in school, no one was watching. Her semblance created letters for Jacob to read in front of him that said "You can have your clothes back, sorry for dirtying them." She reached down, picking up the clothes she had taken off and tried to hand them to Jacob with her back turned.
Jacob spoke quietly with his real voice. "Keep them, you don't have any clothes anyways," he said, pausing briefly before continuing, "It's not like you're gonna take them from me. We sleep in the same dorm, so it's fine." Trivia's eyes widened. She wanted to tell him not to let her keep them, but she didn't know what to say. Her lips parted, but then they formed into a smile. She let out a sigh and lowered her arm from behind her, letting the clothes sit by her side.
A tear welled up in Trivia's pink eye. Her entire life felt like it was shattered into pieces, as if she had to follow orders, be someone else, and always be alone. At this school, she was depressed. But Jacob's kindness was enough to make her feel happy, even if just for a moment. Her smile widened as a tear fell down her cheek.
A new message appeared in front of Jacob: "Just go shower and shut up." Jacob read it and chuckled before walking to the hot shower, while Trivia headed to the warm shower.
After they both finished showering, they got dressed and returned to the room. Jacob was wearing a black and white kimono and his usual headphones, while Trivia wore her pink pajamas. Trivia walked towards her bed, while Jacob looked around the room, unsure of where his bed was. After a moment of searching, he realized he didn't have a bed.
"I did come here suddenly, so it makes sense why they don't have a bed for me," he thought to himself. He didn't know where he could sleep. Trivia watched him lost in thought for a while before grabbing her whiteboard and writing "What's wrong?" Jacob squinted to see the board.
He then walked over to the board to read it and then said, "I don't have a bed, I have nowhere to sleep." Trivia pondered for a moment, not knowing what to do. She then observed Jacob's appearance. She nodded with a smile and began writing on her board. When she showed it to him, it said, "Check your bag."
"But I don't have anything in my bag," Jacob retorted. Trivia responded by moving her arms up and down in an angry pouting motion before pointing to his bag, emphasizing that she wanted him to check his bag.
Jacob turned around, heading to his bag. Trivia watched him walk towards his bag with a smile before placing her hand on the floor. She concentrated for a moment, and after a few seconds, she had created a tatami mat near her bed. Trivia looked around to make sure if anyone noticed, but everyone usually ignored her, and it seemed like today was no different. It appeared that everyone was eyeing Jacob instead of her.
Jacob, on the other hand, was opening his bag as Trivia had instructed. Once opened, he found a shikibuton rolled up in his bag and a pillow. He was confused at first but then realized Trivia had created one for him with her semblance. He walked back with it in hand while grabbing his personal red blanket. He unrolled the shikibuton out on the tatami mat she made.
"Thank you," he said, then began to lay down near her bed. Trivia looked at him with a smile before turning over and finding a comfortable position in bed. Jacob lay upright, gazing towards the ceiling for a moment.
Jacob pulled out his scroll, seeing multiple notifications from his friends and mom. He stared at them, not knowing what to say. He rolled over, with the blanket covering his body, and stared deeply at the screen for a few moments.
Jacob sighed and began typing a response back to his mom at first. His mom's message was "Are you okay? Did you arrive on time? Tell me ASAP." Jacob typed back, "I'm doing fine. I didn't have internet for a while, but I'm doing fine. I made a friend, and I'm working hard." He then closed her messages and looked at the ones from his friends. He was a bit hesitant at first but messaged them all as well.
Jacob's expression was somber as he went to GrimmTube. He watched a few videos with a bleak expression and his headphones on. Time began to pass, and before he knew it, he was the only one still awake in the dorm room.
He took off his headphones and stared into the darkness of the room, his eyes scanning the twenty sleeping girls around him. Then, he turned toward Trivia's bed and observed her brown pigtails while her back was turned. After surveying the room, he shifted in his shikibuton and gazed up at the ceiling with a nonchalant expression.
"What the hell am I doing?" he thought. "I'm supposed to be working toward becoming a Huntsman, and I haven't done a damn thing." Jacob shifted again as his thoughts plagued his mind. He rolled over, facing the dark abyss in silence.
Jacob's thoughts began to shift to what happened today. "Trivia's cool… She's nice," he thought, then started to contemplate further. "She's cute…" The thought startled him, and he quickly tried to steer his mind elsewhere. "She's unique… Uniquely cute," he amended, attempting to rationalize his initial impression.
"What the hell are you talking about!? She doesn't like you like that," he scolded himself internally. "You get attached way too fast… I thought you only dated girls who you saw a future with?" Jacob's inner monologue continued, criticizing his sudden thoughts.
"I do-" he started to argue with himself, but his thoughts interrupted him again. "Then what is this? You don't even know her," they challenged. Jacob's mind fell silent for a moment before he retorted, "I never said I would date her. I just called her cute, now leave me alone."
Jacob fell silent after a while, his gaze fixated on the darkness enveloping his room. His mind wandered to his closed scroll. "Thinking about your family, huh?" he speculated inwardly. "No… I just think I'm straying far from the path I wanted." He sat up, the blanket clutched in his hands as he surveyed his surroundings.
"I left Mistral to become a student at Beacon Academy. Now I'm at an all-girl's school faking my identity," he ruminated bitterly. His eyes shifted to his bag. "I wanted to be a strong huntsman, but all this school is teaching me is prissy ass social etiquette," he continued, his thoughts tinged with frustration.
He sighed for a moment, attempting to reassure himself. "Relax, it's your first day. Maybe it will get better. I just have to do what I always do… Work harder… If I work hard enough, I can get what I want," he mused to himself as he settled back on his shikibuton. His gaze drifted to the ceiling before he wrapped himself tightly in the blanket.
Jacob retrieved his scroll once more, opening GrimmTube in an attempt to find something to lull him to sleep. Gradually, his breathing slowed, his eyelids drooped, and he slipped into slumber.
Meanwhile, at night, the Malachite Twins were outside. Sneaking out of school when everyone was asleep had become routine for the two, and tonight was no different. They managed to pull this off due to their stealth, skills, and the leniency from Lady Beat.
The Malachite Twins were on top of a roof. Militia was sitting on an air conditioner on the roof, while Melanie was looking down on the citizens of Vale, her green eyes cold and filled with anger and annoyance. Militia looked at Melanie with a look of worry.
Melanie stood up tall while biting her nail in anticipation. "We're going to put our lookout on hold," Melanie said. Militia was quick to interject, "But mother told us to find Roman." Melanie approached her little sister, her heels clacking as she walked. "And we will. We're strong enough to handle Jasmine and Torchwick."
"And how do you think Lady Beat will feel?" Militia interjected. "You truly think she cares? Ms. Beat only cares for our mother, no one else. If Little Miss wanted us dead, Ms. Beat wouldn't hesitate to end our lives," Melanie said, getting up close to Militia's face.
"How do you expect us to hurt her? We'd have to catch them alone, away from the school," Militia said. "That wouldn't be hard. I can think of a million ways to lure them away," Melanie said with a cold chill in her voice. She walked over to the edge of the roof and looked down at an apartment window that was open, their room light flickering.
—
"Looks like I'm going to need a new one," Lady Beat said as she stared at her flickering PC screen. Suddenly, from the distance, the sound of heels slowly approached Lady Beat from behind. "Just on time," Lady Beat said as she turned to face the girl who was approaching her.
The girl had dark red hair, and her eyes were dark green. Her tone was brash as she spoke to Lady Beat. "I don't know if you've seen, but there's something up with that brat," the girl said. "By brat, do you mean Jasmine?" Lady Beat asked. The girl placed her hands on her hips and looked directly at Lady Beat. "Who else? Of course it's her. I know I'm not the only one who realized something was off!"
Lady Beat turned her back to the brash woman while speaking. "Yeah, I know what you're referring to. It's her true identity, right?" Lady Beat said calmly. "You know!?" The brash girl said in shock. "Of course I knew. He may be able to fool others, but I'm a professional. It only took one glance to know who he truly was."
"Then why is he here!? It's been a whole week, why haven't you done something!?" The girl asked loudly. "Well, Scarlet… The answer is simple. This is a boy with a lot of potential, someone who was trained to become a Huntsman," Lady Beat says. Suddenly, and at the perfect time, her computer screen manages to flicker back on.
Lady Beat shows her screen to Scarlet Evergreen while speaking, her screen displaying information about Jacob. "A boy who is able to lie with ease, manipulate his voice, and can play the role of multiple genders," Lady Beat said in a tone that was soft but dangerous as she showed footage of Jacob fighting back in Sanctum Academy and his fighting a robber.
"This boy has exceptional combat prowess and no one to return to. He doesn't have a home, and is relying on us. That sounds perfect for molding, doesn't it? A perfect spy, don't you think?" Lady Beat sounded pleased and manipulative. "If he dies, no one will miss him. If he survives, he'll be useful on missions."
Lady Beat then stood up, grabbing a cup of coffee as she walked past Scarlet Evergreen. "Make sure to fix that computer, it's been bugging me all day," Lady Beat instructed. Scarlet glanced back at Lady Beat, who had already made her way past her, and then her eyes shifted to the screen displaying Jacob's information. After a while of staring, Scarlet walked over to the computer to fix it.
As Lady Beat left her office, she took a sip of her coffee before discarding it into a nearby trash can. She then walked towards the window, glancing out briefly. Her eyes were hardened and full of malice.
She took a step away from the window and reached into her pocket, putting on black gloves with metal fingertips similar to dragon claws. The claws gleamed with a thin piece of thread that seemed to extend from the gloves. Lady Beat tightened the gloves on her hands and said, "Roman Torchwick... Either I'll get you, or these students will. Mark my words," in a cold and threatening voice. She then walked out the door, the only sound being the click of her high-heeled boots.