LJNT

Lunch Time

"C-Can you sign m-my headphones p-please?"

Lana was eagerly chatting with Lyra, who didn't mind and just agreed excitedly. The rest of both teams and Pyrrha sat at a noodle stand, eating ramen together whilst chatting.

"There you go!" Lyra chirped before she handed the headphones back to Lana. Lana screeched excitedly before she placed them on her head.

"O-Oh my gosh, thank you, thank you, thank you-!!"

"It is truly an honor to be sitting here with you, Pyrrha," Grayson nodded his head in respect. "You too, of course, Lyra. I never imagined that we would get this opportunity..."

"Well, we're nothing special," Pyrrha just said with a small, forced smile. "We're lucky to get the opportunity to participate in these sort of things and meet all kinds of new people, like you."

"W-Wow, you even know just what to say-!" Lana just swooned harder. "Y-You're amazing!"

"Lana, please. They're just normal human beings, I'm far better," Colden was quick to interject, and Raewyn just eyed him.

"You just got your ass kicked, and that's what you have to say?" Raewyn rolled her eyes. "Come on, Colden. Loosen up. It was fun."

"It was fun for us too! Where do you guys come from?" Tanya inquired. "...I forgot."

"Haven Academy," Grayson said after a slurp of his noodles. "I'd like to say we're the best school, but seeing as we just got beat..."

"Beacon Academy is the finest hunter and huntress academy around," Janelle's chest swelled with pride. "Common knowledge."

"Yeah, well, our headmaster wanted us to dispute that. That's what they told us all on our way over," Raewyn chuckled. "Guess we failed at that..."

"T-That's alright, w-we can't win all the time," Lana said before she glanced over to Nico. "U-Um, are you o-okay?"

"...What?" Nico just eyed Lana.

"Y-You're really q-quiet, and I c-can barely even see you from behind your hood..."

"...T-That's because no one wants t-to see what's b-behind my hood," Nico answered flatly, causing everyone in Team GLCR to stare.

"That's not true!" Tanya exclaimed. "What's under your hood doesn't matter to us."

"Yeah," was all Lyra added with a smile. It seemed perfectly normal...to anyone who didn't know her. Her usual uneasy smile and lack of dialect just served to unnerve anyone in Team LJNT, particularly Nico.

"I promise we won't care what's under your hood," Grayson said. "But we won't pressure you to do anything you're uncomfortable with."

"T-Thanks," Nico just shifted uncomfortably, unsure of what to say. Music was suddenly heard in the background, and Lyra perked up immediately.

"Yes-! It's time for a dance!" Lyra cheered as she stood from the ramen stand. Others were already gathered in the area between all the stands. "Come on, Janelle! Let's go!"

"Wait, why me-?" Janelle protested, but she was pulled along by Lyra, much to her chagrin. Tanya laughed.

"Come on, Nico!" Tanya invited. "Let's go join the others. Just like the dance last year!"

"F-Fine. I guess..."

Team LJNT and Team GLCR all danced their heart out in the middle, the crowd around them moving and cheering. A circle began to form, with Lyra of course showing off her moves while some others grooved around. When it was time to trade partners, Lyra linked arms with Nico, twirling the smaller girl around until she was dizzy. Lyra giggled, but Nico couldn't bring herself to feel the same giddiness as the first time they had danced. The event may have been the same, but their relationship was different. Nico could tell that there was something brewing in her golden eyes.