Melody was terrible at finding the right kind of gift for someone's birthday. She had been this way for as long as she could remember, and it was a trait that she despised to no end. No matter how hard she tried or how hard she looked, she could not find anything that stood out to her, anything that looked or felt special. This was especially true when it came someone she considered a friend and someone she greatly respected. She found it difficult to find something that showed the person in question how much they meant to her, and it was depressing, to say the least. Many people opted to ask the person in advance, but Melody was a particular case. Tempting as it may have been to just ask the person what they wanted, in Melody's mind, she did not want to give away the fact that she was planning something or that she was getting them exactly what they wanted on their special day. To her, that was the last possible option to choose, or in her case not an option altogether, especially when the day in question was around the corner.

It was this fact alone that the twenty-one-year-old found herself sitting alone in the dining hall, burying her head into her arms and releasing a sigh of defeat. Her teal locks, typically kept in two low ponytails and pushed in front of her shoulders, now settled on either side of her face as she continued to sulk. Thin fingers drummed against the table periodically, a visible sign of her frustration. Fortunately, there was not a single person in sight to see her, and Melody was somewhat happy that the individual in question was not around either. She was not expecting anyone to be there; lunch had come and gone at least a few hours ago, and she was the only left. Getting spotted in such a defeated state was something she did not want; instead, she just wanted to be left alone to wallow in despair. It was all she could do at that point. After all, how else was she supposed to explain that she did not know what to get Sabo, the Revolutionary Army's Chief of Staff, for his birthday tomorrow?

Judging from the way everyone had spoken about him, Melody could tell that celebrating the occasion meant a lot to them, so much so that they planned to throw a surprise party for him in celebration. Not only was Sabo ranked highly in the army, but he was also well liked by his peers. He was dedicated to the cause, a trait that was well respected among the revolutionaries, and has been since he was young. He may have annoyed others when he hung up on them during a conversation, but it did nothing to deter how much they respected him. To think that someone so young would be ranked second just under Monkey D. Dragon was a great achievement in and of itself, let alone someone with such a free spirit and kind heart. At least, from Melody's perspective, he was certainly a gentleman with a heart of pure gold.

Unfortunately, while everyone else had plans for their Chief of Staff and making preparations, Melody was left scraping a hole through the bottom of the barrel trying to figure out what she wanted to do. She knew she had to do something for him, especially after all that he had done for her. Ever since she arrived at their base, Sabo had been nothing but kind and helpful to her. He showed her where everything was along with the best pathways to take, introduced her to other members of the army, and did everything in his power to make sure she felt comfortable and safe around them. Being in a new environment was certainly strange and somewhat nerve-wracking for her, especially since she did not know a single person there, but Sabo was one of the first to step up, take her by the hand – figuratively and literally speaking – and make her feel welcomed. It was as if she had always been a part of the army despite only being there for a short amount of time. Even the way he looked at her, a look that could only be described as endearing and charming, made her feel relaxed and pleased with being there.

Just looking back on it all made Melody believe that she had to do something extra special – a "go-big-or-go-home" special – to show just how appreciative she was to him for all that he had done. Unfortunately, nothing seemed to come to mind, and it only made her that much more frustrated just thinking about it. If only she had an idea or a spark of inspiration...or even some help...

"Melody?"

The sound of her name caused the young woman to sit up in her seat almost instantly. Bright blue eyes went wide with surprise before changing to one of panic as she looked up to find the familiar sight of Koala. She was standing on the other side of the table, one hand casually on her hip, looking down at her. A look of bewilderment crossed over the instructor's face over Melody's look of terror, raising a brow of curiosity at the sight.

"K-Koala!" Melody exclaimed, fumbling on her words momentarily. "W-what are you doing here?"

Koala was quick to smile before taking a seat in front of her.

"Looking for you, of course," she answered sweetly, allowing her face to sit on her hands. "Did you forget that Sabo told me to look after you while he was away?" Melody blinked curiously for a moment before her gaze shifted. She began to pout a bit while a faint yet apparent tint of pink grew on her cheeks. In her moments of despair and frustration, she had completely forgotten that Koala was tasked with looking after Melody when Sabo was not around, a task that the instructor had no issue with completing. From her understanding, it was just to be sure Melody would be safe on her own. An odd request, she noted, but it was a kind gesture nonetheless. "And what are you doing here?" Koala turned the question on Melody, crossing her arms and resting them on the table. "A bit odd to see you sitting here by yourself when lunch finished a while ago."

The question startled Melody as she looked back at Koala, blinking a few times, before shifting in her seat nervously. She was terrified of this happening; probably not the best idea to sit in the dining room by herself in the hopes of being alone for a while.

"Um...well..." She slowly began, trying to find the right words to convey. She wanted to find an excuse that would assure Koala that she was okay. She did not want to worry her, but knowing the instructor, it would be a rather difficult task to do. Sighing, Melody lowered her head in shame. "I...I'm just little depressed..."

Koala tilted her head to one side, her brows furrowing.

"Depressed?" She inquired with a tone of concern in her voice. "Why do you feel that way?"

Hearing this made Melody look at her quickly, waving her hands in front of her frantically.

"Ah! I mean, i-it's nothing serious!" She paused and glanced away, fiddling her thumbs nervously. "W-well, it is kind of a big deal, but it's nothing life threatening or...uh..." She became flustered and lowered her head again, her face burning a bright crimson. "S-sorry, I'm exaggerating again..."

Seeing her in this state caused Koala to giggle, only to further embarrass Melody as she shrank in her seat. It was hard to deny that seeing Melody in such a flustered state was both amusing and a little bit cute. As much as she wanted to be serious about it, Koala found it difficult keeping a smile from breaking out. She was genuinely concerned for the younger woman, of course, especially with how serious she sounded when apologizing. Unfortunately, when Melody started acting in this manner, all of Koala's self-control went out the window followed by a giggle fest, which only further embarrassed Melody. Maybe that was why Sabo was so fond of her or one of the reasons, anyway.

Speaking of the chief...

"Relax, Melody, you're not exaggerating. I get it," Koala reassured her, earning Melody's attention once again as she glanced up at her. "But do you mind if I suggest the reason why you're like this?"

"...O-okay..."

Koala grinned before casually asking, "Does this have something to do with Sabo's birthday tomorrow?" The moment she finished her statement, Melody instantly paled and looked away again, unable to hide her embarrassment any further as she began to sink into her seat. Once again, Koala could not help but laugh at the sight. She felt sorry for her, actually, but seeing her in such a state because of someone's birthday made it hard not to laugh. "I'm sorry! I don't mean to laugh at you like this, but what's the issue? It's just his birthday, and we're throwing a surprise party for him anyway."

Melody sulked in her seat for a moment, staring at something that was not Koala, as her brows drew together. She remained this way for a minute longer before she found her voice and mumbled, "I...haven't figured out...what I wanted to get him."

Koala blinked.

"You're all hung up about giving Sabo a gift?" She clarified, making sure she heard the young woman correctly and earned a small nod. She smiled again as she said, "You know, getting someone gift isn't all that big of a deal."

"I know that, but..." Melody sighed as she fixed herself in her seat, "but I wanted to get something nice for him as a sign of my appreciation."

"Appreciation? For what?"

"For everything that he's done for me." The corners of Melody's mouth turned up as she found herself absently smiling at the memories. "He's been so kind and helpful since I arrived here that I feel the need to repay him back. Unfortunately, I didn't have a single clue as to what I could do for him." Koala noticed how Melody's eyes seemed to gleam with a look of endearment. Oddly enough, she realized that it was a similar look that greatly resembled Sabo's had whenever he spoke about or looked at Melody. She did not find it strange but rather surprising to see. "When I heard that his birthday was coming up, I knew this was the perfect opportunity to showcase how appreciative I was for all that he's done and say thank you. But..." Melody began to frown. "But I still don't have a single clue of what to do or what to get. Everyone is planning a surprise party for when he gets back, and here I am with nothing to offer. And I didn't want to ask him what he wanted because then he would know or have an idea of what I was planning." She finally looked at Koala, a look of hopelessness swimming in them, before smiling sheepishly. "It's kind of depressing to think about, really, even though it really isn't that big of a deal like you said."

Koala puffed out one of her cheeks before gently poking Melody's nose. The action caused Melody to blush but simultaneously give her a puzzled look.

"Oh hush, you!" Koala quickly stated before grinning widely. "Don't listen to me!"

"Huh? But didn't you just-"

"If it really means that much to you, Mellie, then don't let someone like me stomp all over that!" Koala, then, began to smile playfully. "Besides, I think it's really sweet to see how much Sabo means to you. Makes me feel a little guilty for saying what I said."

"W-wha...?" Melody stiffened in her seat upon hearing those words as she looked at her with wide eyes, her face flushing as her jaw slacked. "I-I-I mean...i-it's nothing like that! I-I just...It's just that-"

"You wanna do something nice for him. You wanna find a way to thank him. I know, I know," Koala laughed, interrupting her before she started to sound like a broken record. "No need to go repeating yourself." Melody pouted and said nothing, knowing that if she went on, she would start repeating herself again. It was then that Koala had an idea. "If you want, maybe I can help you figure something out."

Melody's face brightened instantly at that.

"Y...you will?"

"Sure! I've known Sabo for a long time! I'm sure I can think of something that he'll really enjoy!"

Unable to contain her excitement, Melody suddenly took Koala's hands in her own, beaming like a child on Christmas Day.

"You have no idea how much this means to me, Koala!" She proclaimed happily. "Thank you so much! I owe you one!"

Koala returned the grin with one of her own.

"Don't go thanking me just yet, Mellie," she told her. "We haven't even come up with a plan yet!"

Hearing this brought Melody back down from her euphoric state as she sat back in her seat, keeping her grip on Koala's hands as she did so.

"You're right," she muttered as her forehead creased. "We gotta think of something and fast. There's not much time before Sabo gets back." She looked at Koala. "Do you know when he'll be back?"

"Hmm..." Koala pursed her lips as she, too, sat back in her seat. "Last I heard from him, he said he'll be back sometime in the afternoon, so it'll give us plenty of time to set up for the party tomorrow." She glanced at Melody, noting the creasing in her forward as a sign of concern. "What is it?"

"I...I, um," she slowly began to speak, seemingly trying to find the right words. After a moment, she let out a huff and said, "I...don't drink."

Koala blinked, puzzled by the sudden statement before asking, "And?"

Melody remained silent, shifting her gaze elsewhere, as an embarrassed blush began to graze upon her cheeks.

"Do you think..." She slowly began, stealing a glance at Koala. "Do you think he'll be unhappy...if I told him I don't drink?"

Koala deadpanned at the rather odd question, left speechless for a moment before she shook her head and smiled.

"Don't be silly, Mellie!" She reassured her, squeezing her hands briefly. "He's not gonna be mad at you if you don't drink with the rest of us! He's more understanding than that, so don't fret!"

Melody, despite feeling a sense of worry over something so menial, nodded as she continued to consider possible options. The two remained there silent as they continued to think of something to do. Melody's gaze had fallen to her hands, still grasping Koala's, and she stared at them for an undetermined amount of time. Koala, on the other hand, continued to stare at Melody absently, observing her quietly as the cogwheels in her mind started to turn slowly.

It was evident from the very beginning that Melody was, without a doubt, captivated by Sabo. Whether she realized it or not, just speaking about the Chief of Staff with her was enough for anyone to see it. It was in her eyes; the flicker of tenderness that radiated in them as she thought about him was as bright as a full moon in a clear night sky. It was in her voice; the manner in which she spoke of him was also out of a fondness that Koala could not explain. It was in her body language; the way she relaxed whenever she was in his presence was so prominent Koala wondered if Melody was even aware of it. Those were just a few of the signs that gave it away, and it only made Koala that much more determined to help her comrade by any means necessary. It was the least she could do for her.

It was at that moment that an idea suddenly came to mind. However, instead of something lighthearted as originally intended, Koala found herself plotting something a bit more...diabolical.

"Um, Koala?" The voice of Melody broke through. When Koala looked at her, she noticed the look of concern on the young woman's face. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

It took a minute for Koala to realize what she meant, but she soon realized that she had a devilish look in her eyes and a grin on her lips. Not only that, but her gaze was fixated on Melody the entire time. No doubt the expression had made her visibly uncomfortable, but Koala's mind was in a different place at that point.

Koala soon found her voice, keeping her devilish expression plastered on her face. Now was the time to get the ball rolling before it was too late.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to freak you out." She paused for comedic effect. "But...I think I just hatched an idea."

Concern was immediately replaced with excitement as Melody's face brightened once more. Eager to hear the plan, she leaned forward and grinned.

"Did you? Really?" She asked as she did so, practically bouncing in her seat as she looked at Koala. "Tell me! Tell me! What did you have in mind?"

With the plan slowly forming in her mind, Koala mimicked Melody's actions and leaned forward.

"If I tell you, then you need to keep an open mind," she warned playfully, her expression never faltering as she stared directly into Melody's bright blue eyes. "It may sound a bit odd, and it may be something you wouldn't consider, but I think Sabo will get a real kick out of it."

Melody nodded fervently, squeezing her hands once.

"I will! I promise," she eagerly agreed to the terms, unable to contain herself any longer. "Now, tell me what it is!"

It was at that moment that Koala briefly hid her eyes with the rim of her hat. The grin on her lips was evident that she was plotting something mischievous, something that would really push the boundaries of Melody's comfort zone. It was something that was rather out of the blue for Koala, something that seemed unlikely for her to consider. However, she did want to have a little fun with the two, especially if it meant poking some fun at the birthday boy himself on his special day. After all, Melody was open to any idea that was thrown on the table, so maybe it would not be so bad. No harm in having a bit of fun, right?

After a moment, Koala looked back at Melody before softly asking, "Tell me, Mellie. How you feel about...lingerie?"