AS MUCH AS she didn't want to spend too much money, Nami agreed on going to the mall right after school. Nojiko had agreed anyway that she'll go home earlier so Nami would not be late to their rendezvous point. Not that it was anywhere outisde the campus.
She slid her phone inside the pocket of her skirt, breathing in the process. Just a while earlier, she was talking to a certain schoolmate and was actually planning to hand them over her earnings so everything would be just right. It was simply the price to pay for a certain condition they agreed upon.
"Luffy!" a raven haired boy looked up from the stair steps, smiled, then hurried down towards her direction as she called. It didn't take him a full minute to reach her and flash his charming smile. "Where's everyone?"
Luffy shrugged, "Zoro's still at the library. I don't know about Sanji, though, and I think Chopper's away."
"Is he sick?"
"Not really," he scoffed. "he said he needed time to revise for the upcoming assessment of his."
"Oh..." Nami slowly nodded. "well, Robin is collecting Franky and Brook by now...and Jinbe is over there." she looked past Luffy's shoulder. "Jinbe!"
The foreign exchange student waved back. Jinbe was from the land down under but even if he didn't get the accent, he certainly had the manners. He was one of the wisest people of the circle and Luffy had to bug him ever since they met, during the two year gap, to become his friend. And Jinbe eventually accepted the offer, making Luffy the happiest man on Earth.
Nami smiled when Jinbe stood beside them, bending over slight. Luffy tapped him on the shoulder, "Do you wanna get food?"
"We're eating once we get there," she told Luffy.
"But Nami...I'm hungry...."
She couldn't help but adore how Luffy looked with those squinted eyes and pouting expression, all whilst slightly carresing his growling stomach. A small but noticeable smile crept up her lips. What was I thinking?!
Before she knew it, she was turned away from them and was shaking her head side to side. Was those two years that long, she started finding Luffy a bit more...attractive?
"You okay?" Jinbe asked and Nami turned around to face them.
"Y-Yeah! Just hungry," her voice trailed off at the last part.
"See? We're all hungry! We should get food right no–"
"Usopp!!!" Nami called out, deliberately cutting Luffy off. "Hurry! We're waiting for Robin and the– Chopper?!"
Luffy also turned to look, "Eh?!"
Chopper was in fact away, but he returned to school just before the day ended. He knew about their hang out at the mall and after the awful two years without one another's companies, he wouldn't miss it for the world.
"Turns out I'm going with you guys," Chopper giggled and almost got a hitting from Luffy. Thankfully Nami stopped him before he hopped over to his direction.
Moments later came running a gushing Sanji, with a certain swordsman's collar on his hand. Zoro was being dragged by his feet but Sanji didn't budge, "Nami-swaannn! Robin-chwaannn!"
"Robin's not here yet," Jinbe replied.
A laugh was heard by them from around the corner. "I'm here, I'm here. I also brought Franky and Brook."
Sanji squealed in delight and Zoro removed the hand that was dragging his own clothes when they headed there. Zoro grunted.
Robin planned this for all of them since last week, but the day before was no good. Of course the other lady of the circle knew that, so, to help in organising the boys, Nami kept herself within Zoro's range. Nobody couldn't risk getting him getting lost.
The mall itself was bustling with people but, at the same time, was empty. There were students of different schools almost everywhere either carrying paperbags or clutching satchels. Nami's eyes followed a student that walked past them, deliberately scanning what's inside the bag she was holding.
"Hmm?" she hummed to herself and raised an eyebrow.
Was there a sale? Doesn't matter, though, for Nami had already dashed off to the store tugging Robin along with her. As they vanished, Zoro simply groaned.
"What the hell is she doing?"
"Nami-san! Why don't you take me too?!"
The orange haired girl chuckled, confused at what she just heard Sanji call out to her. It's normal for him seeing her grab Robin off without notice but why was he sounding like he grabbed someone else?
Unless...
"Nami, why did you drag me to this...shop?"
Nami blinked. "You're not Robin!"
The person that was supposed to be the other lady turned to be Luffy, and he was literally sighing at Nami's sudden act. He was starving and at this point, she shouldn't be confused if ever he started running away from her.
"I thought we're getting food!" Luffy gritted his teeth. "I don't see any food in here. It smells like perfume!"
"Just shut it and come with me,"
She gripped his wrist tight before he could walk away, and somehow she felt her cheeks warm up. What the actual –
"Vanilla?" Luffy raised an eyebrow, intrigued, at the perfume rack just in front of Nami.
Nami cleared her throat, "Say, Luffy..."
"Hmm?"
"Promise me you won't tell anyone about this," she inched a tad closer to his face and at the same time, she felt her cheeks warm up once again.
He blinked. This time he was more curious than ever. Hell, it might ve the most intrigued state Luffy had ever been in the entirety of his existence and he was not sure why. Probable because if he lose his attention Nami would surely beat him up for it?
Since Nami had inched closer to his face, he could feel her breaths on his ears as she whispered. Luffy couldn't help but widen his eyes at what she said, looking at her with lips a bit open.
"Okay?" she winked at him.
Nami proceeded on by grabbing stuff from different shelves, a box of perfume, a new compact powder, and a lipstick, before she headed to the cashier. Luffy was, of course, tagging behind her and he was closely watching every move she made. And that made her anxious but not anxious enough to lose control of what she was doing.
"Excuse me," she started and faced the cashier lady. "Is there any way I can return these?"
"Woah what...?" Luffy muttered behind her.
The lady nodded, "Sure! Do you still have the receipt or the card you used to purchase –"
"That's crazy! I bought these last week! See, they're never opened." Nami huffed and flipped her hair softly. "You know what? I'll keep it. Sorry." she faced Luffy. "Come on."
"Nami, what was –"
"Oh! Can I at least have a bag?" she turned to the lady once more with a sweet, innocent smile and she shoved the stuff inside it before once more dragging Luffy with her outside the store. Thankfully there were no security alarms installed in the store or she would be in serious trouble.