Nineteen year old Ruffy sat at the his work desk eyes dully staring at the small computer's screen while without looking, his fingers danced over the keyboard at a fast pace. His black hair was neatly combed back; he was wearing a dark grey and black thin striped suit with a red blouse. At the end of his sleeves were silver cufflinks that has a deep yellow stone.
Black eyes behind fake glasses, flickered towards the clock too fast to anyone to notice. It was almost lunch time.
The teacher's voice carried over the large class room as he continued tapping down; the tall teacher had a small snail strapped to his left hand which had a small wire running down, was connected to a small whiteboard, he wrote words with the snail in his hand never touching the board itself but the words formed.
Ruffy allowed himself to frown as he glanced quickly at the board and listened carefully, his fingers never stopping. Leaning forward slightly as he hurried to copy some words he need off the board as the teacher began waving his hand around and the words started to disappear.
Ruffy lips moved in annoyed at his teacher sure that the man did this on propose sometimes. He had a hard time keeping up as it was, now as hands was starting to hurt as the morning lessons caught up with them.
He wanted to sigh out loud, but this did not portray the image be build for himself over the passed year of being at college.
Ruffy had two different. His work self and his true self.
He never let anyone from college see him as anything other than a hard working student whom only goal in life was make his way a succeed in his chosen field. During college hours he kept his face dull and as hard as stone, serious about anything and everything. He worked hard, always on time for the day's lessons and any meetings/lectures.
Thankfully no one noticed that he never went out of his way to do extra assignments. Only if he was asked would be do a project.
Ruffy real self was nothing like the mask he wore at work. He was a cheerful young man who loved to have a laugh. He had a strange love for hats and was always buying the things, never feeling comfortable unless something was on top of his head; that was why he put so much hair gel on, make he feel like there was something there.
He also was very in love with food and saved his money up for a while and ate at restaurants until he tried everything on their while menu. Once he had finished that he would then start saving again and find another restaurant. A hobby started from his love, he made records and would take photos of the meal he had. Currently as part of his hobby he was running an online blog and updated the thing depending on if he was eating out.
He glanced quickly at the clock; he loved his subject world history but there was a lot to take in and at times it did get boring... or was it just the ones who taught it who made it boring.
The 'pips' sounded.
Ruffy wanted to jump up and down in joy but kept his cool. He along with other students, began raising from their seats. Talking started filling the room as those began chatting with they friends. Others hurried out of the room, making their way to next lessons. He picked up his comp-den and placed the snail back into it's shell, closing the screen down it placed that and his notes books into his bag.
Ruffy glanced out the window sunlight came through and flooded the desks in front of them with beams, he could see dust floating around in the light; looking passed the light he blinked at the other building he could see more students on the other end. Grey clouds suddenly covered the sun darkening the room.
Taking his eyes away, he finished packing then carefully placed his bag over his shoulder and jointed the crowd of bodies. He walks at that pace like everyone else, just another face.
The college was one of the biggest in the East Blue Sea and gathered the children of that sea from every end of it. The city also was the biggest, a man made island that was near the Calm Belt and Polestar Islands. It was also the first line of defence against the awaited day.
Ruffy glanced up at the grey skies, sun completely hidden from view now. Then he looked back down in front of himself and kept walking along.
"Look! Look there!" A female voice says excitedly from behind him, suddenly he heard around him many voices talking. Ruffy gazes through the many heads and spots the reason.
It was the two princes of Caramel College.
Ruffy did not know their names even after being here a year and now he was in his second year, but still he did not know. One thing he did know was that these two did not seen to follow the crowds. He caught a glimpse of them one had no top on showing the bare a bare chest, while the other he could made out only a top hat.
'I want a new hat now...' Ruffy thought about his obsession, turning his eyes to the front of him once more.
His mind wondered back on the pair of princes; people now a days were like cattle, taught dos and don'ts that were drilled into them from a young age. There was no such thing as adventure, people rarely left their home island and even if they did if was for eduction or business.
Only a few rose up and reached celebrity statues. And few of these could get away with being outrageous.
'We are told that we are free...' Ruffy thinks as he continues walking through the many people, 'But am I?'
Ruffy breaks away from the main crowd and walks down another path, others too came his way. He could see those princes clearly now as they sat in the middle of the grassy part of the college grounds eating their lunch.
'Are they free?' Ruffy wonders as he stares at them from the corner of his eye. The people of this world calls it freedom but their trapped themselves in their own world. 'I trapped myself as well.'
Once upon a time Ruffy wanted to be a pirate, a taboo thing in this water planet. And with the thought of the 'Mist' heavy at the backs on everybody minds, he quickly became an outcast from his peers. That was why he was trying so hard now.
After much thought Ruffy settle down making a realistic goal for himself; to become a history teacher. And thus trapping himself with the ways of society.
Ruffy walked out of the gates and heads down the path, the college ground were not to far from the docklands, the place which he was going.
The young man stared dully at the cross roads. One path lead to the quickest way the other was one he always went pass but never down it.
Blinking he allowed a small smile to grace his lips as an idea came to mind. 'What would happen if I did not follow that path?' He gazed down his normally path and then back down the other, 'Can I really break myself out of this way of life?'
Day after day Ruffy had followed the so called 'right way of living' for so long now, that he wondered if he still has a mind of his own. He could not remember the last time he did anything wild and just for the fun of it, having been brainwash since the day he was born.
"I going left." Ruffy says loud as he turns down the path he chosen for himself. His smile changed into a strange grin as he went down the unfamiliar path, normally he would research the places he went before going, he found it more fun because he did not know what he would find.
As he took in the new surrounding he notices a sweet shop that he never knew was there and may never have known if he had not taken that path.
Suddenly a odd throb began to pulse just behind his eyes.
'How exciting!' The thought came to his mind causing him to halt and blink; then he noticed where he was and his grin fall, it turned into a small sad smile. He knew he could not go any further than this. He still had homework, his part time job and bills to pay. He was not a child any more and could not daydream.
