Chapter Text
Chapter 0 - The invitation
"Come on, now you go! You're ready... you're super ready, in fact! Let's go!" "Okay..." He started to walk, but after two or three steps, he stopped dead and turned around immediately. "No... no, I'm not ready!" "Stop!" She placed her hands on his shoulders, looking him straight in the eyes. "Repeat after me!"
"I'm ready." "I'm ready."
"I'll ask him." "I'll ask him."
"To come, Zoro! Focus!" "Sorry..." "To come to the dance with me." "To come to the dance with me."
Zoro took a deep breath and looked Nami in the eyes one last time. She removed her hands from his shoulders and spun him around, pushing him in the right direction. A minute ago, Sanji had left them to wash up his lunch in the gymnasium bathroom, the sink being slightly larger than the one in the bathrooms of the main school building. This was the perfect opportunity for Zoro to have two minutes alone with him and finally ask him to the prom next Saturday.
So Zoro walked to the end of the building, his heart pounding, focused on the little speech he'd been rehearsing with Nami for days. As he walked slowly towards his destination, he heard footsteps and saw Viola, one of his classmates, run past him and turn exactly towards the corner of the building he was heading towards. When he reached the end of the building, he heard Viola's laughter and the beginnings of a conversation. Suddenly, he froze, because he recognized the voice of the person she was talking to: Sanji.
She was giggling slightly as she spoke to him. "...and I was wondering if you would be so kind as to be my partner for prom next week? Or perhaps you already have a date? Or someone you'd like to go with?" Sorry, I talk too much..."
"Yes..."
The word echoed in Zoro's mind. "Yes." So he was too late... again... His hands began to tremble, his breath hitched. He backed away slowly, then turned and walked back to the bench where Nami had sat back down, her back to him. The blood pounded in his ears. Fists clenched, he walked purposefully to Nami, thoughts swirling in his head.
Of course he's going to agree to go to the ball with Viola! She's tall, beautiful, intelligent, nice to everyone... I should be happy for him! At least she'll still be there after prom. They'll make a very attractive couple. It's much better for him... and for me. I never stood a chance anyway. He likes girls, I know it, I always knew it. Nami messed with my head with her ideas. At least I didn't ruin our friendship for nothing. It was doomed to fail. Long-distance relationships don't work. Even if he had said yes, two years is way too long, it wouldn't have worked. No... no... he would have said no anyway. So, problem solved.
As he collapsed beside Nami, wordless, his eyes slightly watery and his gaze unfocused, his thoughts continued to swirl in his head, trying to convince himself that this was all for the best. She looked at him worriedly, her satisfied smile gone. She frowned. "What happened? Did he say no?" She turned toward the gym, looking to see if the blond was in sight, but there was no one there. "You didn't go through with it, did you? You didn't chicken out, did you?!"
"No! No, I didn't chicken out!" Well... I didn't ask him... But not because I chickened out! I couldn't find him..." "What?! Liar! You know as well as I do where he is! You're rubbish at orientation, but that was straight ahead! No, no, this isn't right, this isn't what we planned..." "Stop, I don't want to talk about it anymore. It wasn't the right time, and he was... and... anyway, I'm leaving in a week, I'm not going to this stupid ball. It was a bad idea... I'd rather we be friends... that he'd be happy... and..." "Wait, Zoro, no, don't do that, you've been waiting for so long without doing anything, you'll regret it if you don't do it before you leave... Go on, be honest, the worst that can happen is..." "Stop! Stop!" Please, Nami… I can't…” Zoro's tone prevented her from saying more. The emotions she recognized in his voice—anger, but also bitterness, disappointment, and sadness—took a toll on her heart. Something had happened, she knew it. This turn of events wasn't normal. Zoro wasn't the type to give up. Not so quickly, and not after so much time preparing, motivating himself, weighing the pros and cons.
But Zoro never begged her, never!
So she sighed, put an arm around his shoulders, and whispered, "I don't know what happened back there, but you know I'm here for you, always... I was so sure he'd say yes. Sorry..." Her voice began to tremble, "... I really thought it would be a good thing if you told him before you left... But if you decided not to say anything in the end, I won't say anything either. We're going to miss you so much..." They stood like that for a few minutes, staring into space. Then the bell rang and the students began to leave the place where they were finishing their lunch break to return to class, and Zoro stood up. "Don't worry about me, I'm fine, it was just a stupid crush. It wasn't meant to last, it's better this way, for everyone..."
Then he whispered, so quietly he wasn't even sure she could hear him, "...I'm going to miss you too..."