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It wasn't the first time Luffy was sent to the detention room after school. In fact, it happened quite often despite being only in the first few months of his first year at Grand Line High School.
It was always because he forgot to do his assignments and had to complete them after class, or because he got into fights with older students who came looking for trouble. It wasn't his fault that the third-year bullies picked on him! But that's how he had managed to spend 70 percent of his time in an old classroom at the end of the hallway, alone with his pending tasks, in just two months.
Today, however, was different.
Luffy entered the huge empty classroom again, carrying a couple of biology books and his notebook to do the exercises he had forgotten to do at home. He had planned to escape earlier (there was a large window at the back of the classroom that overlooked an apple tree), but his plans were thrown out the window when he realized he wasn't alone upon entering the classroom.
At the back, on an old desk, there was a girl with short dark hair, almost bluish, and long legs propped up on the backrest of the seat in front of her. She wore speckled denim pants and a tight black shirt. The girl was engrossed in reading.
But the most interesting thing was the number of tattoos on her hands, forearms, and shoulders.
Luffy wasn't attracted to girls like Sanji, who was always chasing after them. Boa Hancock, a childhood friend, had confessed her feelings to Luffy a while ago, but Luffy didn't like her.
He couldn't say he was interested in the girl, but he was definitely intrigued by the tattoo designs. Did they hurt? Why did she have "death" written on her hands?
The girl seemed fragile with her slim and non-curvaceous build, but Luffy had learned not to underestimate anyone, not even girls. Upon closer inspection, the stranger might as well be Boa Hancock's height.
What had she done to also be in the detention room?
"I like your tattoos."
He blurted out without thinking, only realizing that he had actually walked up to her to get a better look at the ink on her skin.
The girl lifted her eyes briefly from the book and then returned to her reading, completely ignoring Luffy's presence.
"Why do you have 'death' written on your hands?"
"It's a reminder."
The girl replied without looking up from her reading. Apparently, it was more important than Luffy's nonsensical questions.
"Did someone close to you die? If so, I'm sorry for your loss."
Luffy said, taking the opportunity to sit in front of her, looking at her with his big deer-like eyes.
Luffy knew the feeling of losing someone; perhaps she had also lost someone dear and carried it on her skin as a reminder.
After a loud sigh, the girl lowered her legs to sit properly, closed her book, and rested her chin on her hand while looking at Luffy with her intense golden gaze and a sly smile.
"You're too noisy. Go away."
Luffy laughed. He was too accustomed to receiving that kind of response.
"I'm Monkey D. Luffy, first-year."
"Trafalgar Law, third year."
"Oh, then you must know Robin. She's also in the third year, very smart, always reading like you. Or maybe you know Gizao. Don't get close to him; he's bad. I've fought with him several times, and he could hurt you."
Law raised an eyebrow and frowned. "Are you suggesting that someone could defeat me?"
Luffy shook his head. "Not at all! In fact, you seem strong, and I think it would be tough to beat you in a fight, Torao!"
"Torao?"
Luffy nodded vigorously. It wasn't uncommon for him to give people nicknames, especially when they had names that were challenging to remember or pronounce.
"Torao. It's you, of course. My new friend."
Law crossed his arms.
"We are not friends."
Luffy pursed his lips. Law was too different from any friend he had made before. The only one who refused his friendship at first was Zoro, but they had become great friends afterwards. He was determined that Law would be his friend at any cost.
"Maybe not now, but we're punishment partners now."
Law's expression relaxed a little, but she ended up smiling again, showing white teeth in a smile that was anything but sweet.
"So, you're punished, Luffy-ya?"
Luffy blinked at the nickname. If he thought about it, Law was the first one to call him something different from the rest.
Luffy was always the one to give nicknames, only his brothers gave him nicknames.
"Yep." He shook his head up and down in a hurry. "I need to finish my biology homework so I can leave."
Law let out a noncommittal noise and leaned forward, just enough to reach Luffy and grab the straw hat that hung around his neck. She pulled it over his head, so tightly that he had to lower his face and his view was obscured by the brim of the hat.
"Then why don't you go do your homework and let me read in peace?"
When Luffy looked up again he found that Law had returned to her reading, without another glance at him. With the whole "go away" expression written all over her face.
Luffy chuckled under his breath. Torao was quite amusing.
He decided he had annoyed her enough for today, so he returned to the seats at the front of the classroom and set about trying to solve the exercises he had for homework.
When Law left, she didn't even say goodbye to Luffy.
The following week, Luffy had again been sent to the detention room. This time because he had been sneaking paper notes with Usopp in class.
They only caught him, and Usopp had no history of misbehavior, so only Luffy was sent to the classroom after school to study on his own as a form of punishment.
To his surprise, Law was there again. At the back of the classroom, by the window, reading.
He had inquired about her the day after he met her. Robin had told him that Law was a quite serious and reserved student but had a rather peculiar group of friends who would do anything for her. Luffy felt a bit familiar with that. Luffy had his crew; Law had hers.
He also heard that Law had once punched Eustass Kid in the face and sent him to the infirmary because his nosebleed wouldn't stop.
Apparently, that was Law's only criminal record because Robin didn't know more.
Luffy smiled at Law when he entered the classroom and walked towards her. Again, Law didn't even flinch when he sat in front of her.
"Torao! We meet again! Shishishi."
"Again in trouble, Luffy-ya?" She didn't look up from her book.
Luffy shrugged. "It wasn't that bad. I swear I didn't bother anyone this time!"
Law didn't respond. The silence only broke when Law turned to another page.
"And... Torao?"
"What?"
"Why were you punished this time?"
Luffy leaned forward, resting on Law's desk. He was never familiar with the concept of personal space, and it wasn't any different with Law, of course.
The girl looked up from the page and raised her hand, her ink-stained fingers gripping Luffy's cheeks so tightly that it would leave marks the next day.
"Because I hit pretty boys who won't stop bothering me."
Then Law's hand released him abruptly, causing Luffy to fall back into his chair with too much force. Confused, blinking, Luffy furrowed his brow and pressed his lips into a pout.
"Pretty is for girls," he complained. No one had ever dared to call him "cute." It sounded delicate and somewhat girly. Boa, at most, had called him "handsome," but Luffy never cared about that.
"Oh, is that so?"
Law tilted her head and adjusted the visor of her speckled white fluffy hat before standing up. From his seated position, Luffy had to look up to see her. Law was tall, much taller than Zoro. Or maybe it was because Luffy was sitting.
Law left without saying a word.
Luffy didn't understand what had just happened. Law was too amusing but also too challenging to befriend. So, he returned to his designated place to try studying a bit.
Ten minutes later, Law returned to the classroom.
She stood in front of Luffy and placed a soda can on his desk. Law had gone to the vending machine because she also had a can of bitter coffee in her hand.
"Thanks, Torao!" Luffy said with a huge ear-to-ear grin.
Law raised a hand and, with a mischievous smile, patted one of Luffy's cheeks a couple of times.
"You're welcome, babe."
Then she turned around and returned to her place by the window to continue reading. Before Luffy could protest that he wasn't a babe. He didn't like Law using that phrase on him – it made him feel like a girl and he also had the feeling that Law only said it to tease him. Still, he opened the soda can and drank gratefully with the gift.
He would find a way to get back at Law later.
"Oh, good boy."
Law's velvety voice echoed in the empty classroom. Luffy felt his cheeks burn with anger, embarrassment, and humiliation.
This time, he had been sent for enticing Chopper to skip classes to buy desserts.
Sanji, being the good friend he was, seeing that Luffy hadn't carried out his plan to get desserts, gifted him a few macarons in a paper bag.
There were more than enough macarons, and when Luffy entered and saw Law where she always was, he thought it would be a good idea to return the favor of the soda by giving her a few sweets.
He didn't think he would be treated like a dog.
With Law patting his cheek while calling him a "good boy."
"I'm not a dog," he objected, pressing his lips into another pout.
"No, of course not, Luffy-ya," Law replied but continued patting Luffy, this time on the head.
Luffy recoiled. He had a suspicion that if he kept letting Law have her way, she would start wagging an imaginary dog tail with delight.
"You know? I'm starting to think you get into trouble just to come see me in detention."
Law said, leaning back in her chair, with her shoulders and arms resting on the backrest.
"I didn't know Torao would be here again."
"And yet, you brought extra macarons."
Luffy felt his headache. Law was too clever for his poor brain, so he let her have her way this time.
"By the way, I never hear about you getting into trouble, so I still don't know how you end up in detention every time I come."
Law took a macaron from the paper bag and brought it to her mouth, eating without bothering to give Luffy another second glance.
"And possibly, you'll never know."
That was the only thing she said before returning to her reading. Deciding that it was more important than continuing the conversation with Luffy.
Resigned, Luffy smiled and went back to his usual place.
Distracted, he brought a hand to his cheek.
He could still feel the warmth of Law's hand on his skin.
During the following weeks, Luffy was constantly sent to the detention room. Whether he got into trouble or trouble found him, Law was always there.
The routine was simple. Luffy would arrive, and Law would already be there, reading and ignoring him. Luffy would approach to talk a bit, and she would tell him he was annoying but still respond. She would call him a "good boy" if Luffy shared food with her or a "babe" if he angered her. She would also pat his cheek or head like she would with a pet if Luffy invaded her personal space, all while staring at him with her piercing amber eyes.
Then Luffy would laugh until he ran out of conversation topics and return to his seat to do his own assignments.
Law would stay for an hour, or an hour and a half more and then leave without saying goodbye.
Luffy often got bored with routines, the mundane, or the repetitive, but there was something in his encounters with Law that made him feel like he was on an adventure.
What would she say the next time they met? What sarcastic remark would she come up with this time?
The summer vacation was approaching when Luffy entered the detention room once again. But this time, instead of approaching Law as usual, he went straight to his seat, pulling out an ice pack that Nami had gotten for him to place it on his eye, which was about to swell.
Maybe it was due to the change in his peaceful routine – a truce of peace – but for the first time in months, Law had lifted her gaze from her book without Luffy having to talk to her. She initiated the conversation this time.
"What happened to your face?"
Luffy lifted his head and smiled in her direction, shaking his head in denial, and then abruptly stopping when he realized it hurt too much.
"Shishishi, I beat up a third-year guy."
Law closed her book and set it aside, raising an eyebrow.
"You got into a fight?"
"No. I just gave a guy who inappropriately touched Nami what he deserved. The idiot punched me back."
Law sighed and crossed her arms. She remained silent for a moment, as if contemplating whether to continue talking or not.
After Luffy made a pained noise while readjusting the ice pack on his eye and putting a hand to his head, Law looked up again.
"Did anyone check you? Did you go to the infirmary?"
Luffy shook his head a couple of times before stopping again due to the pain. "I'm fine. It's not the first time I've been hit."
Law didn't respond.
Instead, she stood up and left the room, leaving Luffy confused again. Wrong answer? Had Law decided that Luffy was too foolish to be her friend?
Luffy didn't think too much about it and continued applying ice to his eye, closing it and concentrating on what hurt and what didn't. It wasn't the first time he got into a fight, but this time, he was caught off guard and got hit directly in the face and head. He was sure he was fine, but the pain was starting to worry him.
Maybe he should have gone to the infirmary first.
The sound of something hitting caught him off guard, and he startled, opening his eyes to find Law had returned. Not only that, but she had brought a small first aid kit, which she dropped on the desk at the front of the room.
Confused, Luffy blinked when Law pointed at the desk.
Rolling her eyes, Law grunted out an order. "Come sit here. You're too short. I don't want to bend down."
It took Luffy a moment to understand what Law was asking him to do, but for some reason, he obeyed immediately. He stood up and walked to the front of the room, taking a seat on the edge of the desk. His legs (shorter than Law's) dangled in the air as he sat in front of her, who was still standing.
Law didn't say anything, but she put both hands on Luffy's knees, spread his legs, positioned herself between them, and looked directly into Luffy's face, with an expression so cold and serious that he had never seen before, not even when she was angry.
Luffy would be lying if he said he didn't feel his heart race at her proximity and gaze. A strange and rare sensation.
Law didn't smell like perfume; she smelled like antiseptic alcohol.
After two heartbeats, Law's hand grabbed Luffy by the chin roughly, making him turn his head a couple of times.
"Ouch! Torao, what are you doing?"
With her free hand, Law took her phone from her pocket and shook it to turn on the flashlight. Then she placed it in front of Luffy, who had to squint due to the brightness.
"Does your left side hurt?" she asked before tapping the edge of his left eye with her finger.
Luffy made a pained noise as his bruised skin was hit, but he nodded and then pointed to the right side of his head.
"Also here."
Law nodded and lifted part of his hair to see the extent of the bruise.
"Do you feel any numbness? Nausea or have you vomited? Can you say 'you can't teach an old dog new tricks'?"
Confused, Luffy initially shook his head and then repeated the phrase Law had said a couple of times.
Then he realized what was happening.
Was Law giving him a medical examination?
After a while, Law seemed satisfied with the quick assessment she had done on Luffy and let go of him.
"You have a mild contusion in the left temporoorbital area, with no signs of brain injury."
Luffy looked up, his huge deer-like eyes meeting Law's.
"And what does that mean?"
"It means you'll have a black eye, but otherwise, you're fine," she replied sarcastically.
Luffy couldn't help but return the smile. "I told you I was fine."
"Yes, you had blood, but it seems it's not yours," Law replied, lifting a hand to rub her thumb on Luffy's temple. Her touch glided carefully around the swelling of his eye and stopped at his scar.
Law's finger gently rubbed the scar for a few seconds, tracing the edge of the irregularity in the skin. Then she pulled away to open the first aid kit and take out a cotton pad and antiseptic alcohol.
"I'm going to clean this."
That's all she said before carefully cleaning the blood that had splattered on Luffy's temple. Well, the guy he hit was the one who should receive this attention, he told himself. His nose had bled when Luffy – most likely – broke it. This time, the punishment would include reporting his behavior to his grandfather, but Luffy didn't care.
"Where did you learn to do this? Are you a doctor?"
Law discarded the dirty cotton pad and carefully put the rest of the items back into the kit. She shrugged.
"My parents were. I know the basics of first aid and a little more thanks to books."
Luffy shifted his gaze to the book Law had left aside next to the first aid kit. Now that he looked at it carefully, it was a medical book. Had Law been reading these kinds of books all this time?
"So, you weren't on detention," Luffy said when understanding suddenly hit him. Possibly, Law had been in this room long before he arrived at the institute, using it as a quiet place to read. After all, almost no one was sent to the detention room. That's why they often sent Luffy alone, even when supposedly a teacher should be supervising the room.
Law smiled at him with her white teeth and patted his cheek.
"I never said I was."
"Then why this room and not the library?"
The institute had a library, of course. Even Robin went there often to study. If Law loved reading in silence, why this room?
"In the library, I can't put my feet up on the table."
Luffy snorted, trying to contain his laughter. "That makes sense."
A shiver ran down Luffy's spine, and Law, of course, noticed. She wouldn't miss the chance to tease him, of course. Law smiled at him maliciously, squeezing the skin of his cheek with a couple of fingers.
"What? Are you scared, babe?"
Luffy burst into laughter, raising his arms to surround Law's neck with them. The desk was supposed to help Luffy reach Law's height, but he still remained below her, so he had to lift his head to look directly at her. He pulled her closer, and Law herself had to lower her head to look at Luffy as the distance between them shortened.
"Not at all. Why would I be afraid of Torao?"
They locked eyes for a moment, Law's hand still resting on Luffy's cheek, his arms wrapping around Law's neck.
"Torao, why do you read those books when you're not a doctor yet?" Luffy asked after a while, curious.
"I'm preparing for my university entrance exam."
Luffy blinked. True, Law was in her final year, and Luffy was only in his first. At the end of the school year, Law would graduate and go to university, leaving the institute behind. Law was smart; of course, she would get into university.
For some reason, Luffy felt a tightness in his chest at that prospect.
"If you go to university, does that mean I won't see you anymore?"
This time, Law shivered, her eyes closing slightly to look at Luffy more warmly. Her hand on his cheek cradling his face, her thumb tracing the shape of his scar under his eye.
"Of course, you'll see me if you want to. I doubt I can get rid of you easily."
She used a tone of annoyance, but Luffy didn't perceive it at all. Law spoke sincerely this time. No teasing, no games, just an affirmation as if she, too, was okay with the idea of Luffy seeing her again.
Luffy grinned from ear to ear, lowering his arms to cling to Law, wrapping around her back, using his legs to hang onto her like a koala. He buried his face in the space between them, right above Law's chest, where he could hear her heartbeat.
"Well then, I'm glad because I like seeing Torao."
Law chuckled softly, also using one hand to embrace Luffy and the other to pat his head, tousling his hair.
"Idiot," she said.
They stayed like that for a while, with Law rubbing circles on Luffy's back and Luffy resting his head on her shoulder.
Sometimes being punished was nice.
After a while, Law patted Luffy on the back. "How about we sneak out and get some ice cream?"
Law didn't need to 'sneak out,' but Luffy understood what she meant. He pressed his lips into a smile.
"I thought Torao was a model student."
Law rolled her eyes. "Are you coming or not?"
Luffy laughed and pressed himself against Law again in a koala hug. "I'm coming, but only if you carry me. I'm veeeery injured~."
"Can't you walk? Your head is hit, not your legs."
Luffy ignored her and hugged her tighter, hanging onto her like an octopus. "I'm soooo injured wuuwuu~."
Law sighed in annoyance, but still, she took Luffy by the waist and made him wrap his legs around her narrow waist when she lifted him off the desk. As Luffy suspected, Law was quite strong, and she didn't hesitate or protest when she carried Luffy in this way to the exit of the detention room.
"Don't get used to this; this will be the only time," Law said, her warm breath hitting Luffy's ear. Luffy once again ignored her and pretended to fall asleep in her arms.
Of course, it wasn't the only time.