Chapter Twenty Eight
Why Do We Like To Hurt So Much?
"Everything-okay?"
"Okay."
"How-your-stay-with-these-crazy-people?"
She laughed. "They-very-nice."
"They-told-me-they-like-you."
"So-sweet. How's-you? You-okay?"
"A-bit-sad."
"A-week-with-Robin. Enough-or-not?"
"Still-no."
"Please-don't-be-sad. You-will-be-okay."
"Thank-you. I'm-really-happy-you're-here."
"Of-course-I'm-here. Who-else-is-going-to-take-care-of-you?"
"That- Ero-cook'- been-a-great-help."
"True."
They sat on the comfortable burgundy couch in Sanji's living room, and talked in hand gestures, in sign languages. Though Annett is without hearing aids, Zoro still talked out loud with every hand gesture he made, and that made Sanji as curious as to eavesdrop their conversation in between the sound of food chopped and fried and boiled in the kitchen. He had refused Zoro and Annett's offer to help him prepare dinner, but Nami was there too to be his own kitchen assistant. Nami understood the conversation more than Sanji did, because she learned a little sign language during her travels back in the days before she met Luffy and the others. She translated the conversation to Sanji, which made Sanji ended up cursing the swordsman.
"Stupid marimo-head. Idiot. He'll always hurt Robin-chan, he's always like that."
"Sanji-kun."
"Shitty moss ball. The fuck. Why did he need to come back anyway?"
"Sanji-kun."
"He's gonna tear Robin-chan's heart into pieces. Like a paper shredder. Minced meat." Chop, chop, chop, chop, chop.
"Sanji-kun, c'mon. It's our get-together dinner. Be nice to Zoro. I know you love him like a brother you never had."
"Whatever."
"Be nice to Zoro, okay?"
"I don't really care, Nami-san."
"Liar, liar little Sanji-kun."
Nami was a little worried with Sanji. She gave him a pat on the shoulder and a good smile. He went back stirring the Chinese-style stir fry crabs with eggs, trying not to continue cussing in the kitchen. Everyone arrived by seven. Annett and Zoro helped set up the table. They had a loud dinner, but Zoro kept translating amusing and necessary things to Annett, just so she didn't feel left out. He sat in between Robin and Annett, and Annett made sure she tied her hair up in a bun so that everyone did not get confused, even a little.
Robin seemed a fond of her lookalike. Over her fried noodles she asked if Annett would love to have coffee and read books with her sometimes, she even asked her if Annett is a fan of history. Of course, Zoro did the sign language for her.
Zoro held Robin's hand under the table, the whole time when they're not eating. No one else questioned how Zoro and Robin could be so casual at dinner, no one except Sanji – and Franky, apparently – knew that they are back together. Luffy was so occupied with his meat, and Usopp was so focused on finishing his meal before Luffy extended his arms for his food. Chopper enjoyed the Chinese cuisine very much, and Brook had his English touch with Chinese tea in a tea cup. Franky was cheerful as well, though not as cheerful as usual. Annett asked to be excused to the toilet halfway through the dinner. Zoro received a call shortly after, and he pecked on Robin's forehead before he left to answer the phone call. Everyone else was surprised. Sanji bit his teeth, secretly glared at Zoro as if he is annoyed.
Sanji, too, left the table, while everyone else was being as cheerful as they are.
"Sanji, you don't look well."
"Oh, Robin. It's you. Nah, I'm fine. Just gonna smoke for a while. Do you like the menu tonight, Robin-chan?"
"I love the crabs, they're lovely."
Silence.
"Robin-chan?"
"Mmhh?"
"Are you happy?"
"What made you think so, Sanji?"
"Nothing. Just asking."
"So what did that shitty marimo said to you while you guys were away?"
"Oh, he's just being Roronoa Zoro. Lovely Roronoa Zoro."
"Lovely, huh? Sounds impossible."
"Speaking of him, where is he?"
"Well, he's gone."
"Gone?"
"Yeah. Gone. Left to the airport just about half an hour ago. Annett's with him. Their flight's just about five minutes ago."
"Very funny, Sanji."
"I'm serious, Robin-chan. I bought his flight tickets."
"I don't believe you."
"I'm telling the truth. I hate that shitty marimo. Left us without even saying goodbye, who does he think he is? Stupid. Had he any idea that we're practically family? If it weren't for Annett, we wouldn't have even known."
"Know what?"
He exhaled dancing, snake-like white smoke.
"Tell me, Sanji."
"He's freakin' sick. He's just really sick. All those killer kendo tournaments he had been joining for the past year, gave him countless internal damage. Those chest pains he had now, could be fatal. His veins and arteries, most of them couldn't even work anymore."
She jumped at the word 'fatal'. "Sanji, we have no time for jokes."
"I understand if he didn't wanna tell you, anyway. But I'm not kidding around, Robin-chan. He's gone. He's gone to Russia for his surgery. He's getting an artificial pacemaker, Annett said. The doctor's Annett's friend. Let's just hope he aren't leaving forever."
"Y-you can't be serious, Sanji."
"You love him, no? That idiot dude loves you too. Hmph. Do you mind staying outside with me for a little longer, Robin-chan? I'm thinking of having another cigarette."
She cried silently on Sanji's shoulder, out of her own senses. All with the thought of her very own Roronoa Zoro, and that she might never see him again after tonight.
"Idiot, Roronoa Zoro. You're an idiot. Why do we like to hurt so much?"
"That's what you get when you let your heart win, Robin-chan."
I'm finally done with Five Days to Resist or Impress. Ah how I enjoyed writing this, to be honest. I hoped you guys loved it, and didn't find the ending crappy. Thank you, dear readers, for reading, reviewing, following, favoriting, secretly reading, secretly following, and sticking to this story up to the last chapter. I really appreciated them. I hope you guys could relate to what you read, somehow, as there's something to learn about life from almost every chapter. To be honest, there's always something – a lesson of living, perhaps – that I wanted to tell in every chapter, may it be in form of dialogues, or in form of narrative.
Here's another interesting Trivia! I hope the titles of Chapter 1 to Chapter 28 sound familiar to you, because it was, is and always will be my favourite song. Can you guess on the spot? Don't lie, I know you Googled it the minute you read this.
If you're writing a Zoro/Robin fanfic, do let me know! I've been aching to read instead of to write and there are only plenty of new ones… I'm going to take a little break until a new idea comes in.
- Imaan Seahorse
