Chapter Text
"But still I can't help from hoping to find someone to talk to who likes the way I am."
Pausing in writing her weekly report, a young woman raises a hand to take out her earbud. She looks at it with a scrutinizing expression, as if it had offended her in some way.
"You don't like the song, Isuka?" someone asks to her right.
The young woman, Isuka, shakes her head, causing her shoulder-length red hair to swish a little. "This song is a bit too relatable for me, Tashigi." she says plainly.
Chuckling, a bespectacled woman comes in front of her, looking into her phone. "Is it another love song?"
"Yes, a hypothetical one." Isuka responds.
Tashigi adjusts her red glasses. "What does that mean?"
"The singer wants to find love but her fears of the unknown world of dating makes her hesitate." The red-haired woman explains before she starts writing her report again.
"Hmm, isn't that just everyone's worries?"
Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, Isuka nods. "I suppose."
"You're scared of dating?" Tashigi inquires with teasing grin.
Catching her tone, the red haired woman looks at her with slightly narrowed eyes that would look like a normal stare to others. She doesn't respond, though, instead organizing her papers and stapling them together in silence.
Her colleague chuckles. "Hey don't get mad. I'm not all that fond of dating either." she says, patting Isuka on the shoulder.
Accepting her underlying apology, Isuka gives her a small smile, putting away her documents.
"It's not that I don't want to." she admits. "It's just that it's a very illogical concept, when you really think about it."
"You're not wrong there."
Isuka nods. "There is no real formula to successful dating. The original goal is to meet someone, hopefully find them and their personality attractive enough to meet varying standards and become a couple. However, that goal has changed so much that most of the time it fails because both parties have different objectives." she explains.
"Hmm, are you speaking from experience?"
"Yes." Isuka says flatly.
Tashigi raises her eyebrows. "You've dated before?"
"Irrelevant. Back on topic, I want to find a partner. Someone to spend a long time with, not questioning why I married them everyday like Vice Admiral Tsuyu."
Out of nowhere, a wrinkly hand comes down on Isuka's head in light chop. Both women turn around and pale when they see the aforementioned woman standing behind the with a flat expression.
"Vice Admiral!"
"How rude." she says. "I don't question my marriage everyday."
They look at her, not sure how to respond.
Her lips quirk into an amused smile. "Just on most days."
Relaxing, the younger women chuckle along with her and they go back to the conversation. Grasping the topic, Tsuyu sighs.
"You two have too much free time."
Tashigi shrugs. "There isn't much to do in this quiet town. I wish I got transferred to Vice Admiral Smoker's squad but competition is stiff."
"You haven't applied?"
"Yeah, but I've gotten so much rejection letters, I'm losing hope." she pouts.
Sympathetic, Isuka pats her on the shoulder and gives her an encouraging grin. "Don't give up. Your skills will be recognized soon.
"Aww thanks!" Tashigi smiles back. "You might be the only person who doesn't see me as the Sword Nerd."
"Well you definitely are..."
"Ahh not you too Isuka!"
Having enough of their banter, Tsuyu cuts in. "Anyway, I've been informed that a vice admiral would be coming to visit today. So try to organize the place a little."
"Vice Admiral Smoker?!" Tashigi asks excitedly.
"Unfortunately not." The elderly woman shakes her head with a sigh. "It's that idiot."
As if on cue, a boisterous laugh comes from the station entrance, snapping their attention to it. A large man, wearing a dog mask and marine uniform, comes in holding a shorter man by his collar.
"Haha! You thought you could escape me?!" The large man laughs. "You and your brothers are centuries too early for that!"
"Shaddup, ya old coot!"
Isuka raises an eyebrow at the familiarity of his voice but chooses to ignore it when the large marine officer takes off his mask. No one is surprised to see that it's Vice Admiral Garp.
Visibly irritated, Tsuyu grabs both of them by the ears, squeezing hard. The men yell out in agony.
"That hurts!" Garp yells, pulling away. "You tryin' to rip off my ear, woman?!"
"Shut up! And get in here, you runt!"
The older woman ignores Garp, instead focusing her energy on pulling the other man fully into view. Almost immediately, Isuka's stomach drops as her eyes catch sight of dark hair and freckles peppered across an irritating familiar face.
"I want to see the whole world for myself! Doesn't that sound romantic?"
The image of a dark ballroom filled with dancing teenagers fill her mind as "Africa" from Toto plays ironically blares out of the fading speakers.
She is only brought back to the moment by a voice speaking to her.
"Well he's a looker, huh?" Tashigi whispers, looking at the trio in front of them argue.
Isuka blinks, processing what she said, before clicking her tongue and turning back to her report. "He's adequate." she mutters.
I have to get out of here.
Her co-worker raises an eyebrow, adjusting her glasses. "He's not my type but even I can recognize base attractiveness."
"I've seen better." She picks up some random documents and makes a gesture to the back. "Anyway, I'll take these reports to the filing cabinets."
"Do you want help?"
That will attract too much attention.
Quickly, Isuka shakes her head. "No need. It isn't too much." she says, almost too calm.
Tashigi gives her a wierd look but doesn't push her suspicions, giving her a nod and turning back to the commotion. Relieved, Isuka makes her way to the backroom, trying to be as stealthy as possible. She manages to get into the room undetected, likely because of Garp's loud personality, and lets out a long sigh.
Why is he here?
Hands shaking slightly, the young officer pulls open a drawer and begins to put away the documents. She tries to distract herself with the irritating squeaking of the drawer but her mind starts to wander beyond her control.
Memories of an old park bench, covered with rust and peeling off paint...a bright and defiant smile beaming at her...a light feeling in her chest as wind blew through her hair.
Horror fills her so quickly that she slams the cabinet draw closed, breathing heavily. She shakes her head violently, as if to force the thoughts out physically, before sighing. Distracted, she adjusts her clothing, just barely catching Tsuyu speaking.
"...check on her." she says, though it is muffled.
In haste, Isuka puts the rest of files away and rushes to the door. She opens it and says, "I'm alright Tashigi, just got a little..."
"Isuka?"
A rush of emotion goes through her at the moment where her light brown eyes met with dark familiar ones. She feels frozen with the exception of her lips, which can only say a name she hasn't uttered for years.
"Ace."
What is the logical response to seeing your runaway ex-boyfriend?