Lilly...How many times did I say 'I hate you', today?"

"This is the third time. Why?"

"Well, then here come the fourth. I. Hate. You!"

"Thanks."

This was sure the most embarrassing moment for Tsubaki. She had only joined her friend, Lilia, into this because she begged her to come too, since she is too shy to face the man she is in love with...just like a lovesick teenager.

"Oh god! There he is!" Lilia said as she spotted their older classmate, Trafalgar Law. Who was actually, a senior year of the medicine class in their college, and was already recognized as a talented doctor and true pride of the university. Lilia and Tsubaki were also in the medicine class, although they were in the third year and Tsubaki just got transferred from the college in her previous town.

At first, Tsubaki was interested only in her studies, not caring too much about building any kinds of relationships. But then she met Lilia, a pretty and funny girl with pitch black hair and eyes, with some asiatic features and silky white skin, who made her feel quite comfortable in the new school. The only bad thing Tsubaki found out about Lilia, was that she is used to do stuff on her way in her own pace, normally deciding things without even consulting her friend, and that includes dragging Tsubaki into a party of someone she never met full of people that she have never seen in her entire life.

"So...who is this friend of yours that has thrown this party anyways?" Asked Tsubaki trying to sound the less embarrassed as possible to the eyes that were watching her from afar.

"Oh, right! Her name is Koala! She's in the journalism class! I met her in the library on my first year in the college. She is very nice. I bet you're gonna like her!" Lilia said with a bright smile in her face.

"I hope so..." Tsubaki mumbled to herself, having a not-so-good feeling about Lilia's last statement.

"Lilia! Good to see you!" Suddenly a voice was heard. When Tsubaki turned around there was a woman with short brown hair and blue eyes talking to Lilia enthusiastically. It didn't take long before she noticed the other girl.

"Oh! You must be Tsubaki! Nice to meet you. I'm Koala. Lilia told me a lot about you. I hope you enjoy the party too! There're also some people you might find interesting here."

"Th-thanks..." Tsubaki replied with a light blush on her cheeks, which got a bit darker when she heard Koala let out a giggle.

"Oh, don't need to be so shy. Lilia told me you just got transferred from your hometown. Tell me, what was like where you used to live?" Asked Koala

"Actually..." Tsubaki replied, feeling her voice coming out normally. "This is my hometown. I just got transferred back here from the town that I moved to with my uncle when I was a kid."

"Huh, so you're actually from here, huh? But why did you move out with your uncle anyways?" Koala asked

"Well...My uncle is a rather famous professor that got a job offer at Goa College. As he's my only living relative, I had no option but moving on with him."

Suddenly, Koala froze in place, noticing that she had, accidentally touched in a very sensitive subject to the redhead.

"I...I'm really sorry. I didn't want to bring something like this up to you." She said.

"It's ok." Tsubaki said "It's not your fault. Besides, we shouldn't act like this in a time like this. It's your party after all."

Lilia has been watching the whole scene between her two friends, and she felt relieved when she saw Tsubaki smile the way she was. it was clear that both her friends had got along really well.

"Well, actually..." As Koala began to speak, her cellphone ringed. There was a text received. The moment she saw, her eyes grew wide, which made Koala move quickly to the center of the room.

"EVERYONE!" She screamed. "It's time now! Hurry! Everybody get set!"

"Wh-wh-What?! What's this all ab..." Before Tsubaki could finish, she felt Lilia pulling her by her wrist, dragging her to some distant corner of the living room. After everyone got into position, Koala turned the lights off and went off to the door by herself. Tsubaki soon realized it was a surprise party to someone she didn't even knew. Although, judging by Koala's face when she got the message, it must be someone important to her.

After a few seconds, the sound of footsteps approaching could be heard. As soon as they made it to the living room, some voices began to sound.

"Why didn't you call me earlier? I could have fixed it for you in a minute!" Said some male voice

"Well, it wasn't like this earlier! That's why I called you now!" Said Koala

"Okaaay...But why did you send my brothers to give me the message?"

"My battery runned out."

"Riiiight..." There was clear suspicious in the man's voice. But it seemed that he didn't protest. "Well, let me give a first check at the switch..." As he said the phrase, the man turned the lights on and...

"SURPRIIIIIIISE!" All the people in the living room shouted in unison as they got out of their hiding spots. Some of them were laughing at the face made by the blonde man that turned to Koala.

"You did this?" He asked, still with the surprised face. Then he was enveloped by Koala's arms in a tight hug

"Who else do you think it could be?" She replied with a huge grin. Then she kissed the man in the lips. "Happy birthday, Sabo!"

"YEAH! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Said a boy that was close to the couple with a loud voice. This boy seemed to be slightly younger then most of the people in the party. He had black hair, a small scar under his left eye and was also wearing a straw hat on top of his head.

"You guys don't exist! I'd never imagine that you agreed to take part in one of Koala's schemes! Ok. Maybe I'd expect Luffy to do it." Sabo said, happily, grinning at the boy named Luffy.

"Well, that was the plan!" Said another guy that was also close to Koala and Sabo. This guy had, actually, caught Tsubaki's attention. He also had black hair and wore a orange cowboy hat on top of his head.
The differences were that this man was taller than Luffy and somewhat more attractive too. And to top it of, this handsome guy had also some really adorable freckles covering his cheeks that gave him a childish charm.

"Damn!" Tsubaki thought. "That guy is so cute!" She felt suddenly her face heat up, which surprised the girl because she haven't felt anything like this in a long time.

Tsubaki suddenly jumped when she felt a hand grab her shouder. She felt a slight relief when she saw it was only Lillia with that bright smile of hers.

"So? Are you enjoying it?" She asked enthusiastically.

"Yeah. Pretty much." Tsubaki answered, but soon she felt too much uneasy when she saw Lillia's expression change.

"Is something wrong, Tsubaki?"

"No! Not all! Why you ask?"

"Are you sure? You're soooooo red!" Tsubaki uneasiness just increased when she realized that Lilia just activated her teasing mode. Tsubaki just turned her face away trying to hide her blush.

"Oh my god! Don't tell me… Alright! Who is the guy?"

"LILIA!" Tsubaki nearly screamed, which wouldn't make such a difference since the music was now playing in a loud volume.

"What? There's nothing wrong to find a new crush! Just point at him! I want to know who he is!"

"There's nobody, Lilia! Don't make up stories that are not true!" Tsubaki yelled as she, furiously stepped away from her friend.

"Wait, Tsubaki! Loo…"

BAM!

Suddenly Tsubaki found herself hitting her hole body into some really hard structure. It took her a few seconds for her to realize that this structure was actually a person, which was now holding her by her shoulders to help her keep her balance.

When Tsubaki looked up to face the person to apologize, she froze.

It was the same guy she was checking out just a few seconds ago! Tsubaki was trying hard to calm herself and prevent her cheeks to redden.

"You ok?" The guy asked.

"Calm down, Tsubaki! It's just a random guy! You can hold some small talk with him!" Tsubaki thought to herself before answering the man.

"YES!" She felt her whole body stiffen in shame when she realized that she just yelled at him. "I-i-I'm good! I'm fine! Not a scratch!" She gave him a forced smile, which made him look confused. Which was, actually, so much cute!

"Holy shit! Why does he have to be so handsome?!" Tsubaki was doing her best to keep her composure. "Well, Um…I'm sorry. For bumping into you. I swear I wasn't paying attention at all." She said after taking a deep breath and, finally, calming down.

The man just gave a low chuckle.

"It's alright. No worries." He answered with a smile. "I never seen you around here. Are you friends with Koala?"

"Uh…Sort of. I just moved in from another town. Got transferred to Grand Line College."

"Oh. Then welcome! I actually study there too, at night time, after work. Which class are you from?"

"Medicine. I'm in the third year."

"Wow! Must be really tough! I hear Trafalgar telling some of his stories and, to be honest, I barely understand half of it!"

They both laugh at his last comment. And little by little, Tsubaki began to have a weird feeling. Kinda like a Déjà vu. As soon as silence fell onto them, she began to speak again.

"I'm sorry. I know this may sound weird but…I don't know. For a moment… It seemed like I already knew you from somewhere…"She sad it slowly as she started to analyze the man's face, just to figure out what seemed so familiar about him, and why she felt her heart beating so hard just to look at him.

The man let out a nervous laugh.

"I was afraid that if I said that you would think that I was some kind of pervert trying to make a move on you." He said nervously with a blush on his face.

Wait.

A blush?

Was he actually blushing on her? Tsubaki couldn't believe it!

And then it hit her.

She suddenly recognized the man before her. How could she haven't noticed earlier? It was so obvious! The black hair, the carefree smile, the FRECKLES! Oh! How much she loved those freckles! I just suited him damn too well!

"Would you believe that I was thinking the same thing?" The sound of his voice made Tsubaki come back from her thoughts. "I know that this sounds weird but there's something on you that makes me remember of someo…"

"Is that really you, Ace?" Tsubaki asked quickly, interrupting him.

His eyes widened at her question.

"Come again?" He asked

"Please. Tell me that you're Ace. The same Portgas D. Ace I knew when a was a k…"

Tsubaki was abruptly interrupted as she felt a pair of strong arms enveloping her and bring her roughly close to a strong chest that emanated as much was as the rest of his body. Just like she remembered.

"I can't believe it's really you, Tsubaki!" Ace said. Whispering in her ear in a tone of pure happiness. Tsubaki's heart was beating like crazy in her chest and so was Ace's. They both couldn't believe that they finally were seeing each other again.

"Ace…" Tsubaki whispered against his chest. He became such a man along the years. It was like they were starting over their story all over again!

"You don't have any idea of how much I wanted to do it again." Said Ace. "I missed you, Tsubaki."

"I missed you too, Ace! I missed you so much!" And then, Tsubaki finally let those tears of joy that she was holding, run down freely along her face.