Nami frowned at what Chopper had told her. Sanji really isn't going to help them. "What now?" Chopper asks. He missed being with Zoro, the man spoiled him a little. Sometimes they took naps together.
"Keep trying." Luffy says. They all looked to see his serious expression. "We messed up. We'll keep trying to say sorry."
"This sucks." Usopp says laying further down on the grass. They were all finished with their laps and were now resting. "It's almost the week break for Thanksgiving, after that is winter break. We don't have all the time in the world. After winter break we are almost done with school."
"That's true. We are running out of time." Robin says.
"Lunch." Nami says staring off into space.
"What?"
"We'll try at lunch. We've tried to talk to him after each class but never at lunch." Nami looks at them. They were interrupted by some squealing. They all turned to a group of girls in a huddle giggling with each other. They get up and walked to the group a little curious.
"What are you all talking about?" Robin asks kindly. The girls look at them then at each other, then laugh again. The straw hat look at each other then at the girls confused.
"What's so funny?" Usopp asks.
"Sorry, it's just..." a girl starts then looks at her friends for help.
"We are fans of yours. We love your group and I guess you can call us fangirls." A small girl with thick black glasses and colorful hair steps up.
"We are big fans of Zoro and Sanji's romance. We just saw the cutest thing happen between them." Another one says.
"What happened?" Nami asks curious.
"They both said 'I love you' like an old romcom movie. Sanji standing below the window Zoro is at like Romeo to Juliet. He signed to Zoro 'I love you' and Zoro was so cute being embarrassed."
"But he had to answer Sanji so he wrote on a piece of paper that he love him too." Another girl finishes. They all squeal more and jump in place, excited about what they just witnessed.
"Thanks." Nami says as she leads the others back to the spot they were at.
"So they really are dating." Usopp says. Everyone guesses, how could they not when almost a third of the school saw Sanji kiss Zoro. Then after that almost every morning they saw Sanji holding Zoro's hand as they walked to school and around the school building.
"We'll talk to Zoro at lunch. If he's with Sanji I'm sure he'll be more relaxed." Nami says. They all nod at that. They want Zoro be content and not anxious.
"But..." Usopp starts, "we don't know where they eat lunch," he points out. They always disappear at lunch then show up again just as lunch is ending.
"Then we'll go searching." Luffy says.
"Why don't we just follow Sanji?" Chopper asks. "We do go to the same class." He points out.
They look at each other and nod. Why didn't they do that before?
They finished gym and went to the lockers to wash then they walked to the classroom together to see Zoro and Sanji not there, their bags put away and their desk neat. That means they were already here and left. "Where are they?" Nami asks.
"Maybe the roof?" Usopp suggests. Thats where they would go as a group but now they haven't been there and even before no one ever goes up there besides them. But after Zoro's video no one went up there.
They got their lunch and walked to the roof. They passed the vending machine Zoro always gets his drinks from. They open the door expecting to see Sanji and Zoro sitting there but there was no one. It was empty and barren. Like it should be but they were all so hopeful to see their friends. They've seen them but at the same time it feels like it's been forever since they've hung out with each other. It just doesn't feel right.
They all saunter back to the classroom, their spirits broken.
"What's wrong with you guys?" They all look up to see Lily Enstomach, or her nickname Lily the glutton. Her and Luffy have gone against each other in food eating competitions though they have never been rivals. Their love of food has made them friends, she's invited them to her father's, Pans Fry, small hidden shop. "Why aren't you with Sanji and Zoro?" She asks.
"You don't know?" Brook asks.
"Know what?"
"What happened to us? To Zoro?" Franky asks. She shakes her head.
"My father took me on a trip to spread his cooking around so I've been gone for a few months. What happened?" Ah that explains it. If she's been gone she wouldn't know.
"Nothing really but we aren't on good terms with Sanji, especially not Zoro." Chopper frowns. He missed his buddy.
"We've been trying apologize to him." Luffy says with all the determination you would find in someone following their dreams. She knew this is very important to her friend.
"If you're looking for them I saw them going into the empty music room together. I thought they hated each other so I assumed you all were with them." She explains. The group smile at her then at each other.
"Thanks Lily." Luffy gives her a smile.
"Which room?" Nami asks just to make sure they went to the right room.
"Music room three. That one is always empty." She says pointing back where she had just come from.
"Thanks!" They all shout as they make their way to the room. This is it. One step closer to telling Zoro how sorry they are. One step closer to being a group again.
As they neared the room they heard laughing. That was undeniably Sanji and Zoro laughing to each other. Or at each other.
"I didn't know you knew how to play." That is Sanji voice.
"I don't know really. I just remember what my mom taught me." Zoro says.
"And she taught you a song about dumplings?" They all peak but can't see with the piano in the way.
"It's from Clannad. It's called the dango song. It means something else in Japanese. The song. I was shocked when watching it to hear the song. Mom must have loved it." Zoro explains.
"Then sing it in a language I can understand." Sanji says elbowing Zoro with a smile.
"All right." Zoro says with a smile. The cook just wanted to see him sing. He got his hand in position and looked at Sanji expecting face. The blonde gives him a nod. Zoro turns back to the piano keys and takes a deep breath. He wasn't like Brook who could just sing, that gave too much attention to him. Something he doesn't like. With a last deep breath in them out Zoro starts the melody.
Dango dango dango dango dango my family
There is a stubborn roasted dango
And gentle bean jam dango
If we could gather them together we'd have a family
The baby dango smiles and it always cradled in all its parents love
And the elder dango sits back and muses over memories
What if everyone could see that just by holding hand like the dango family
You will find love
Now the little dango town is slowly blossoming into the bright world I dream of
Just beyond the starry sky the rabbits on the moon
Wave and smile down upon the world below
Roll up all the little things that make you sad and find
All the things that make you happy
"Wow Zoro I didn't know you could sing!" Zoro and Sanji turn to see Luffy walking in with his smile. Zoro froze.
"Idiot! Don't just walk in!" Nami shouted after him. The marimo and the blonde watch as the others walk in sheepishly though. Unlike Luffy who walked in like nothing happened.
It got quiet as no one said anything. Sanji just stared shocked. How did they know they were here? They went to the roof, because the others haven't been there so it was a good place for just them but today it was just a bit to cold for them to sit and eat their lunch. So they came here.
Zoro broke the silence by standing up. They all stared at him as he walked to the window. They couldn't see his expression so they don't know what he's thinking but Sanji got a feeling he didn't like what Zoro was thinking even though he didn't fully know what he was thinking. He's ready to jump of he needs to.
Zoro raises his foot and lets it rest on the open window. Zoro bend forward and Sanji jumped forward stopping Zoro from jumping out the window.
"Crazy idiot!"
"I'll be fine. I've done it before." Zoro explains struggling to get out of Sanji hold. Sanji pulled him back, as much as he can, away from the window. "I don't want to be in the room any longer than I need to be with them here!" Zoro shouts. Sanji cringed at that. That must have hurt them just now. And it did. They all looked down at their feet in shame.
"I'm sorry Zoro!"