The Wilted Rose

Chapter 45: The Bookstore (Vol. 2 Prologue)

Vale

11:26 AM

146 Days to the Fall

3rd Person Pov

The passing six weeks had been a chaotic mess with the Vytal festival officially starting. Due to the festival, crime miraculously went even further down. Some speculate that it is due to the festival bringing bringing people together, while others say its due to the increased activity of the Red Hood. While the kingdoms and their leaders call for the arrest of the Red Hood, civilian support for him was at an all time high.

Thanks to Ozpins interference on the matter, Y/n has been able to operate almost completely unimpeded, provided he didn't step too far over the line. A line that he continues to push every night. With the new school semester coming around and with it a decrease to his activity, Y/n got a side job at the encouraging of Ozpin and Goodwitch. The question that was then posed was where.

The question was answered by Blake, telling him of Tuckson's Book trade. Seeing as one of the many problems plaguing him was itself a book, he was apprehensive to work there at first. It took one day for him to fall in love with the job. It had been a long time since he had sat down to read something that wasn't a file or dossier. It in itself opened another avenue to bridge the gap between him and Blake. Something that was still shrinking after what he had done for her in the Scrollholics.

Then there was Tuckson himself. The man was a Faunas who was very welcoming of Y/n, needing someone who could help haul and organize books from the storage room to the shelves in front. Tuckson was a Ex-White Fang soldier who was trying to raise the money to escape to Vacuo. Y/n remained unaware of Tucksons' secret.

Finally there was the book. Y/n couldn't find a answer to why the book existed. What he did notice was a change in Ozpin. He couldn't make out exactly what it was, but Y/n knew something more was going on with Ozpin. But for now, Y/n pushed everything out of his mind. The boy had one final day before school resumed, which meant that it was also his final day working at the bookstore. Something that he was saddened by, but accepted since it was already hard enough to juggle school and his alter ego without adding a part-time job to the mix.

Y/n was in good spirits after his morning with his friends. Of everything though, what had him the happiest was Weiss. Between his friends, family, and his relationship with Weiss growing, he found a means to heal the scars of his mind. Something that Goodwitch was relieved to see, though he was still merciless when he was the Red Hood. Something the city of Vale will come to know in the coming months....

Y/n Pov

Y/n: Thank you, enjoy your book!

The door bell rang out as the customer left, leaving only me and Tuckson in the shop. I loved the job but I hated working the register. I wasn't exactly the most sociable outside of people I was comfortable with so the register was borderline torturous. The only good thing about it today is the lack of customers, even if that's technically a bad thing.

Tuckson came out of the back room carrying a massive amount of books in his arms. He was about to fall over when I rushed over to him and started to take some from this load. The books were large and heavy. I was surprised that he even managed to pick up such a large amount.