It had been close to a week, and Haruto's head had began to hurt. Oobleck had given him something that he referred to a scroll, to listen to prerecorded lessons that he must have made when Haruto was asleep. They were incredible helpful, and when he was alone, he used his shadow clones to absorb the information at an accelerated pace, which he quickly began to regret. When he had returned to Oobleck an hour after he had finished the first recording, Oobleck looked at him amazed. Though his English was still broken, he had made remarkable strides in learning. He was able to ask for simple things, like water, food, to use the restroom, and request Oobleck to slow down. When he was asked how he managed to do this, Haruto shrugged his shoulders, and was given five more tapes. A bit frustrated at the lack of break, Haruto realized how important it was for him to learn the native language so he could find a way home.
A week before classes started was Oobleck's deadline, and he was almost positive that he wouldn't be able to do it. Haruto had proved to be an exceptional student, and he had mastered the basics within the first month. The second month consisted of him being able to hold a conversation without the assistance of his scroll, and the final month was Oobleck talking to him at full speed. Haruto was now comfortable with the speaking portion, but he still couldn't read properly. He wasn't dumb, but he kept finding himself writing in Japanese instead of English. Oobleck assured him that with a little more practice, he would be able to master the written language just as he begun to master the spoken portion. What Haruto didn't know was that Oobleck had kept Haruto's progress to himself, and today was the day that he would have to discuss with Ozpin what he planned to do. Riding the elevator up with the caffeine addicted professor, Haruto began to wonder how far Ozpin's generosity extended. For the past three months he had been fed, given his own room, and even taken to buy new clothes. As the doors opened Haruto stepped out and faced the headmaster.
"Ah, Haruto. Dr. Oobleck. Is it that time already?" he asked politely. He looked up from his scroll and motioned them to sit down.
"Why, yes it is Ozpin, and here is my star student that has gone and surpassed all expectations. Go on Haruto, I'm sure you have many questions for our headmaster." Ozpin looked surprised and looked at Haruto, who was looking at him in the eye.
"Does this place have ramen?" Haruto blurted out. Ozpin looked at Oobleck, who looked taken aback. "The food at the cafeteria is great, but I have yet to see a single noodle."
"Three months, and that is what concerns you?" asked Ozpin. "We do, but our school provides a lot of other options. I'll be sure to let the staff know to stock up on that…"
"Great, thanks Ozzy," said Haruto casually. "So Oobleck told me that this is a school or something. Why would a headmaster take in some kid wandering in the streets? Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful, but it seems… weird to me."
"A fair enough question," stated Ozpin. "I had observed you defend those two Faunus girls downtown, and when I came to approach you, you ran. I found this strange, but after finding out you were gravely injured, I understood your hesitance. You see, I would like to think of Beacon as a place where humans and Faunus can sit side by side and learn together. Unfortunately there aren't many people in this world who think this way, so when I saw you rush to their defense, I thought you could be a model student others could learn from."
"Student?" asked Haruto.
"Of course, I haven't got to that part yet. Seeing that you are about the age of my incoming freshman, I was going to offer you a seat here at Beacon. I only ask a few things in return."
"Whoa, I finished going to the academy years ago, what makes you think I want to sit around in classrooms?" Ozpin didn't falter.
"Given that you are not of this world, I would find this a great opportunity to learn about it." Haruto nearly flinched at the obvious statement. "Speaking of which, I was curious as to where you are from. The language you spoke has been dead longer than Remnants existence."
"I… don't know," he admitted. "I looked at the maps in the library when Oobleck was teaching me, but nothing looks like what it did where I'm from. The continents are completely different, and not even the great Villages are around anymore."
"So you think you're from the past?" asked Ozpin. "How did you find yourself in Vale three months ago?"
"I was attacked," he answered honestly. "The last thing I remember before waking up in that alley was being attacked by a masked man as I fought another guy with a lot of piercings. I only remember bits and pieces, but that's the last thing I remember."
"I see," mused Ozpin. "Dr. Oobleck, have you found anything that might help?"
"I'm afraid not, Headmaster. It seems that whatever had brought him here was something of a one-way trip. I have only come across a few sources that shared his language, but he claims that the two are unrelated. I fear that he wasn't not thrust into the future, but into another dimension. I had a few test on his blood work, and he appears to be part Faunus, yet, he does not show any traits aside from the whisker marks on his face."
"They're birthmarks!" Haruto said indignantly. "Both of my parents were human!."
"Regardless," started Oobleck. "His appearance and blood is where our similarities end. He does not have aura. He can harness a different type of energy he calls Chakra. He still has not shown me what he can do with it, but he insists that it isn't something he wants to use."
"Why is that?" asked Ozpin, looking at the blond boy.
"It's not something I want to talk about," he replied quietly.
"Haruto, do you know what we teach here at Beacon?" asked Ozpin seriously. Haruto shook his head. "We teach our students how to become the next generations of Huntsman and Huntresses. Our students fight the creatures of Grim to protect those who cannot. Does that sound like something you'd like to do?"
"I've dedicated my entire life to protecting others," replied Haruto, a bit tiredly. "And now I'm in another world with no hope of getting back to them… As much as I want to go back, I can't stand by and do nothing when innocent people are in danger. Professor Ozpin, I would be honored if you allowed me to become a student here at Beacon."
"If you are sure," said Ozpin, reaching his hand out to Haruto, not unlike the first time he met him. "Then welcome to my academy, Haruto. I'll have Oobleck explain to you how it works around here. I still have preparations for next week, and I need to take a trip to Vale."
"Thank you, sir," Haruto said with a respectful bow. "I'll make you proud." With that, Ozpin dismissed Haruto and Oobleck and they left down the elevator. As the doors closed, Glynda walked out from her behind a pillar.
"What do you think of him now, Glynda?" asked Ozpin knowing she had heard the entire exchange.
"He's still hiding something, but when he said he wanted to protect innocents, he wasn't lying. The mystery surrounding him still makes me suspicious of him," she said.
"But?" asked Ozpin, knowing she wasn't finished. She looked at her long time friend and sighed.
"I can't be angry at somebody's motivation is to help others." Ozpin smiled at her change of heart, and took a sip of coffee.
"Well, it's about time we head over to Vale," he said, getting up from his chair. Glynda nodded, and followed him into the Bullhead.