The second installment (the sequel) to Ace of Spades is now out.
Read 'The Hanged Man' once you've finished this one.
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A rascal with a penchant for making friends with the wrong people, you were often regarded as a troublemaker by...
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What was a normal day for you? Going out with your friends to buy macchiatos from your local coffee shop?
No.
Was it going back to your dorm to study for your upcoming exam?
Wrong again.
Nope, your version of normal was staying on guard in case someone, namely a person named Ace, was going to assault you because that's exactly what happened to you today.
How did that happen, well, you'd have to go back thirty minutes to know exactly what went down.
__.o0O0o.__
You were in class like any other day, gazing out of the window in boredom. Only today, you weren't in the best of moods. The night before had been difficult for you, with the nightmares of your exam coming and going. You couldn't sleep for hours and when you did, it was fitful.
The professor was droning on and on about something you weren't paying attention to. I mean, how could you stay focused when all anyone was talking about was some stupid party for someone you didn't even know.
They were even talking about it now, while the teacher wasn't paying attention. Eavesdropping on your peer's conversations, you heard the occasional,
"--He's so hot--"
"--Have you seen him--"
"--where'd he get that cowboy hat--"
, and the,
"--are you going to the party?--"
Although a party would have been a nice distraction right about now, you didn't quite have the time to spare to attend it. That said, it'd probably be a bad idea to attend in the first place. You knew that if you went, Luffy would want to go... and if Luffy attended, then the rest of your friends would go and that wasn't a prospect you'd have liked to imagine.
So, to distract yourself from the rumors circulating around the room, you focused on the tree outside, delighted when you spotted a feathered friend on a nearby branch.
'Oh, what a cute bird.' You thought to yourself, admiring the cardinal ruffling its feathers. The bird stared right back, its large, black eyes peering at you as it cocked its head to the side.
As you continued to observe it, you had your cheek propped up on your hand as you marveled at the wondrous little creature. It wasn't every day you'd get to see something as beautiful as a cardinal. All you ever saw was pigeons and crows, not that you hated them, mind you, but this sudden change was a breath of fresh air.
