The scent of something warm and sweet drifted through the air as they rounded a corner, and Jaune's stomach made a quiet but determined protest.
Ruby perked up. "Oh! That's the cookie stand. They bake them fresh every morning for first-years."
"Really?"
"Yup! One per student. Smoothies too. You just have to scan your ID."
They joined the short line near a small corner café built into the wall. The setup was surprisingly sleek: soft lighting, potted plants, a digital display cycling through flavors, and two cheerful lunch staff moving quickly behind the counter. The cookies were stacked behind a glass panel in trays labeled chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, and triple chocolate.
A smooth beep sounded every few seconds as students scanned their IDs at a kiosk beside the counter and collected their snacks from the workers handing them out.
When it was Jaune's turn, he hesitated. "So… just scan it and grab one?"
"Pretty much," Ruby said, already slurping on a pink smoothie. "The school figured students behave better when they're not hungry. Shame that it only allows one per person."
"I think it's genius," Jaune muttered, then held his card to the scanner. It chimed. A small receipt popped out with his name printed on it. He reached for the chocolate chip cookie and a mango smoothie that the person behind the counter handed to him.
They found a bench nearby and sat in the filtered light of a wide window facing the inner courtyard.
Jaune took a bite.
"Oh wow. That's actually good."
Ruby nodded, cheeks full. "Right? Way better than I expected."
Jaune leaned back, smoothie in hand. "So, what classes did you say you had?"
Ruby wiped her mouth with a napkin. "Let's see… Math first period, then Physics, then lunch, English, and Art to finish the day."
He blinked, reach for his schedule and analyzed it for a moment. "You're kidding. That's exactly my schedule."
She grinned. "I know. I was informed about your info, yesterday, when the counselor pulled it up. That's one of the reasons why she asked me to show you around. Figured it'd be easier if we just stuck together."
"Huh. That's… actually kind of perfect."
"You're welcome for my kindness, by the way." She beamed, then added, "Besides, if you get lost, I won't have to go far to find you."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence."
Ruby sipped her smoothie and wagged her finger at him. "Hey, I'm looking out for you."
Jaune chuckled. "Well, I appreciate it. Seriously. First day at a new school, and it already feels a lot less terrifying."
"That's the power of cookies and social competence," she said with mock wisdom.
They sat in comfortable silence for a moment, listening to the distant sound of chatter and movement echoing through the campus.
"So," Ruby said, glancing at him, "ready to take on the rest of the tour? We've still got time before first bell."
Jaune smiled. "Lead the way."
As Ruby started bringing him to explore and familiarize himself with the surroundings, Jaune couldn't help but marvel at his surroundings.
The path they walked curved around a central garden square, where a low fountain bubbled quietly among trimmed hedges and cherry blossom trees. White benches lined the edges, already home to early morning clusters of students checking their phones, chatting, or soaking up the last few quiet minutes before classes began.
"You should see it during spring. All the trees bloom at once. It's like walking through a painting." Ruby explained, skipping a step ahead of him.
They passed a covered walkway connecting Buildings B and C. A wall mural stretched along the side—an abstract painting of Vale's view beneath a star-filled sky.
Jaune slowed his pace to admire it.
Somewhere in the distance, a whistle blew from the athletics field and the faint squeak of shoes on court floor drifted from an open window nearby.
They rounded a corner near one of the interior halls connecting to Building A.
"You seem pretty good at this whole 'school ambassador' thing."
Ruby gave a mock bow. "Years of talking to myself finally paying off."
As they jested with each other, someone came down the hallway ahead of them, drawing attention without trying.
A slender girl with a cool, composed walk, pale pristine peach skin, and long silver-gray hair tied into an elegantly styled side ponytail. She wore a white blazer with a crest stitched neatly over the heart, a deep blue skirt, and thigh-high white stockings with beautiful crystal white heels that clinked softly with every step. Her posture was impeccable and her expression was unreadable.
The students around her gave the girl a wide berth.
Jaune glanced up and caught sight of her just as she passed the ray of sunlight streaming in from above.
He recognized her instantly.
The extremely attractive girl from the entrance earlier.
He leaned in slightly and muttered without thinking, "She's… wow."
Ruby looked at him sideways.
Jaune blinked. "I mean—uh, just... really pretty?"
"Yeah," Ruby said lightly, taking another sip of her smoothie. "That's Weiss Schnee. Her dad owns Atlas Bank, I think. Pretty sure that makes her richer than the school itself."
"Dayum..."
"She's smart though. I heard that she was top of her class last year. Pretty intense."
They both watched her turn a corner and disappear from view.
"Wait... if she is that rich, why isn't she in a private school or homeschooled?" Jaune frowned in confusion.
Out of the corner of his eye, Ruby seemed to wince ever so slightly.
"She... hmmm. Good question. I'm not sure but maybe if you get the chance to talk to her, you could ask." She replied non-committedly.
Jaune stared at Ruby for a second.
There was something odd about her answer. Like she new more that she was letting on but was refusing to share it.
He idly wondered what that reason was.
Ruby tapped her straw idly against the side of her cup, then glanced at Jaune out of the corner of her eye.
"You should probably learn a little more about her before you fall in love or whatever."
Jaune coughed, nearly choking on a piece of cookie. "What? I'm not— It's not like that."
"Mmhmm," she said, lips quirking upward just enough to be teasing.
He shot her a look, but she just kept sipping.
He glanced over at her. "Are you friends with her?"
"Not really. We have a couple of classes together and we're also in the same club," Ruby paused, with a small shrug, "but she doesn't really talk to people much."
The bell rang across campus signifying the students to hurry to class..
"Come on," Ruby said, increasing the pace of her walk, dumping her empty smoothie cup into a nearby trash can. "Math class calls."
Jaune quickly finished his cookie, did the same with his smoothie, before following her to the start of his first class.
The rest of the morning seemed to pass with a rhythm that Jaune was still adjusting to. Everyone around him had already seemingly found their routines. He was simply the new piece being slotted into a puzzle that had mostly finished forming two weeks ago.
Math class was already midway through algebraic functions, and while Jaune wasn't exactly lost, he did spend most of the period scribbling notes and trying to decode the script that the teacher wrote across the board. Ruby sat next to him and occasionally slid him a copy of her old notes to look at, with a quiet grin when he clearly hit a wall.
Physics was next, and while the topic of motion and vectors wasn't entirely unfamiliar, the teacher moved fast.
Ruby leaned over at one point to whisper, "Don't worry, he always teaches like this. You'll get used to it. Maybe."
By the time the lunch bell rang, Jaune's brain was buzzing with equations and half-remembered concepts.
His stomach was also grumbling louder than it had all morning.
As they made their way back to the cafeteria, the scent of warm food, melted cheese, and crisp vegetables greeted them as soon as the doors swung open. Lines had already started to form, and the hum of conversation echoed off the walls.
Jaune followed Ruby through the buffet-style line, both of them grabbing trays and stacking them with whatever caught their eye.
He ended up with a sandwich, fries, and orange juice. Ruby loaded her tray with a wrap, soup, and a suspiciously neon-colored fruit punch.
They found a quiet corner near a window overlooking the courtyard and sat.
Jaune took a bite and leaned back. "Okay, this is definitely the best cafeteria food I've ever had."
"Yep," Ruby munched, popping the p between spoonful's. "Best part is, no mystery meat. It's a low bar, but still."
They ate in comfortable silence for a few minutes. Then Ruby glanced at her phone, tapping out a quick message.
"I just texted my sister," she said offhandedly. "Yang. She's a first year too."
Jaune blinked. "She is? Pretty interesting to be in the same year as her."
Ruby shrugged in a 'what can ya say,' manner.
"So what'd you tell her?"
"That I met a new transfer student, and he's not weird. Yet." she added.
Jaune rolled his eyes. "Gee, thanks."
"She has some things to do today so we wont be meeting her right now. But she said she's free tomorrow and wants to meet you."
"Oh that's pretty cool. Should... I be nervous?"
Ruby tilted her head thoughtfully. "Maybe. She's… intense. But quite friendly....probably. Well, she is better at making friends than I am, at least."
Jaune gave her a sideways glance. "That 'probably' doesn't inspire confidence."
Ruby just smiled and sipped her punch.
The lunch period faded quickly, and the afternoon returned them to their schedule. English class was discussion-based with the teacher pacing the room and calling on students to reflect on assigned readings.
Jaune hadn't touched any yet, being a new student, so he wasn't in danger of this.
Art, however, was a welcome change of pace. The classroom smelled faintly of paint and charcoal, with easels set up in corners and sketchbooks stacked in bins near the door. The teacher gave a general "draw whatever you feel" prompt for the day.
Jaune stared at his blank page for a while, eventually sketching a mountain landscape that vaguely resembled the woods outside his old home. It wasn't great, but it was something.
Ruby, sitting next to him, sketched a stylized version of a mechanical gauntlet with flowers growing out of the seams. Her strokes were cool and sleek. Very practiced, really.
He felt jealous of her skill.
When the final bell rang, students spilled out of classrooms in waves, some racing to catch rides and others lingered by lockers or chatted in the courtyard.
The sky had turned pale gold, casting long shadows across the pavement.
Jaune followed Ruby toward the front of the school, backpack slung over one shoulder. His body was tired in that satisfying, end-of-day kind of way.
"Well," he said, "day one: survived."
Ruby smiled. "You did good, very well done, I might add."
"Is that a compliment?"
"Of course."
They stopped just short of the main gates, near the large parking lot which was already half-empty.
"I've got something after school today," Ruby said, adjusting her phone and tucking it into her dress pocket. "Club stuff."
Jaune raised an eyebrow. "What kind of club?"
She hesitated for a half-second too long. "Just… a thing the school does. They handpick a few students for special extracurricular stuff. Mostly to do with psychology."
"That's… vague."
She shrugged. "It's supposed to be. I can't really say much about it."
Jaune studied her expression. She looked practiced, as if rehearsing a script. Likely, having this conversation before.
"Alright," he said, deciding not to press. "You've got your secrets. Cool secret cookie club. Got it."
Ruby's mouth quirked into a half-smile. "Maybe one day I'll let you in on it."
"Maybe," he echoed.
She waved and turned back toward the campus. "See you tomorrow, Jaune."
"Yeah," he said, watching her go. "See you."
As he watched her head back into building D, Jaune couldn't help but wonder what type of club she was in.
Shrugging and putting it out of his mind, he turned around just in time to see his father's car pull into the lot.