Guyyyyyssss, I'm so sorry! The wait has been too long. I'll write the Author's Note in a separate chapter [i'll delete it after] to not keep you waiting.

It's choppy and lacks a lot of feeling but I figured I'll never be satisfied and neither will you people if I never updated so, \(^ - ^)/. If there are any mistakes, let me know! Seriously. I'm the only one editing this with the assistance of Grammarly. [thanks for the 3k views and everyone who votes, comments and/or adds this to their lists. I appreciate it and it motivates me a lot.]

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"Please do exercise nine, ten, twelve and fourteen." You asked, the chalk letting out a shrill screech as you pressed it too hard against the blackboard. The class grumbled in reply, instantly starting up their own conversations as they flipped through their books. You sighed and looked up at the clock. Twenty minutes till lunch.

"Uh, Sensei?" You blinked for a moment before shaking yourself out of your thoughts.

"Yes?" You asked, turning towards your student.

"There's someone at the door." You thanked the student and called the person in, the class becoming silent in the process.

Your breath halted and you coughed, straightening your dress shirt. "Uh, Helmeppo-san! What can I do for you?" His gaze trailed across the classroom before sizing you up, giving a haughty huff. "Helmeppo-san?"

"Garp-dono wants you in his office. Now." He gave one more spiteful glance to the gossiping class and left the classroom, standing just outside of the entryway's view.

You licked your lips in mild concern, worried that you were in trouble. "O-okay,  Class. Please do those exercises while I'm away. Vivi-chan, please monitor the class till I get back. Anyone who exercises isn't finished by next class will stay in during lunch to finish their work."

"Yes Sensei," the class chorused, already returning back to their conversations.

Walking beside Helmeppo, you couldn't help but notice his rigid demeanour and the uncomfortable, but subtle glances he gave you. Your thoughts drifted, remembering how the first day you met him – more like knocked over – he had screamed at you to watch where you were going and threatened to get you fired. Nowadays though, after the incident with his father and Garp influence, which would do anyone in, he became well-mannered and severely civilised. Of course, there was still room for improvement but so far, in the few months Garp had been here, he had drastically changed. Similar to Ace really.

After Helmeppo dropped you off outside of the office, he left.

With a light sweat, you cautiously knocked on the door, the printed gold letters of 'PRINCIPAL' glittering under the light. You held your breath as the stern voice of the principal boomed through the walls to your ears. Swiftly opening and closing the door behind you, you gave a ninety-degree bow, calling out in the clearest voice you were able. "Garp-sama, it's a pleasure to finally meet you face to face. What can I do for you, Sir?"

You could practically feel his scrutinising gaze on your bowing figure.

"Hm..." He scratched his sideburns as you stiffly straightened your posture. "I've heard a lot about you, [l. name]-san, from a lot of people." His stern gaze shadowed by the dog mask was nerve-wracking, even as he bit into the half-eaten doughnut in his hands.

"And," he paused again, licking the sugar off his fingers. Your index finger twitched in anticipation, giving a very light tap to the side of your thigh. "I think you're a very suitable candidate for what I need you to do for me."

You raised your eyebrow before giving a tight understanding nod. "Of course, Sir. What do you need me for?" He raised from his seat, his height easily towering over you with his dark blue, almost black police jacket barely hanging on his shoulders.

"I need you to babysit my grandsons for me." And he exited the room without a second thought.

"Wait, Sir! I apologise for the rudeness but could you please repeat that?" You frantically asked, taking long strides to keep up with the gigantic man.

"Huh? Did I not say it clear enough? I need you to look after my grandsons for me. Surely you know who I'm talking about, brat one, brat two and brat three." You deadpanned and almost demanded his attention again.

"Sir, please, wait a moment." He finally stopped and you followed, brushing your hair back with your hand to remove it from your view. "Thank you." He grunted and focused his gaze on you, his build intimidating you.

"U-um, well Sir, this is very unexpected. You can't just assign me to look after your grandsons without my consent."

"Well?" He replied, picking his nose.

"Pardon?" You asked.

"Yes or no? Are you going to look after them or do I need to pay someone to do it?" You gave him a disbelieving stare. He wasn't even going to pay you.

"Sir, this is highly unreasonable. You haven't even talked to me before!" You questioned, growing frustrated with the lack of answer you were getting.

"What's there to know? I just need you to babysit them while I'm gone. The end." Does he seriously think that's all there is to it?! He just drops his grandkids on me with no explanation?!

"How long are you going to be gone for?" You persisted.

"I don't know... a couple of days probably." He nonchalantly answered.

"A couple of days?! Sir, who will run the school?! You can't just leave the office for a couple of days and hope nothing happens!"

"Eh, the brats can handle themselves."

"You should have the deputy at least take over while you're gone, sir."

"Bogard? He's coming with me." Is he being serious right now?!

"Well, place someone else in charge then."

"Nah, it'll be fine, what's the worst that can happen?" Your hands twitched in the urge to strangle him.

"Fine, but you haven't answered my first question." You gritted out, trying to calm down.

"Which is?"

"Why are you asking me? I'm sure there are plenty of babysitters out there that are much more qualified to look after your grandsons – if they even need to be looked after in the first place." He sighs and reaches into his pocket, pulling out a rice cracker to munch on.

"Well, you just seem to be a reasonable person that can look after some brats. You already teach classes from all the grades and have a record of giving people detentions no matter their size or background. Helmeppo for instance. You didn't hesitate to sign him up for one even when he threatened to get you fired."

You nodded at the accurate information and gave him a critical look. "Why not some other babysitter then? There should be some babysitter that looks after teenagers, right?"

Unnaturally, he gave a wide grin that spread from one ear to the next. Which contrasted with the annoyed tone in his response. "They've already scared them all away. After burning a house down and fifty-six other disasters, they've become notorious in that small community. Which means you're obviously the next best option." He bellows out a laugh at your horrified face and grins once again, his eyes becoming a clear white as they're shadowed beneath his cap. "So, are you satisfied?"

"That still doesn't tell me why it has to be me, a random teacher out of so many other teachers." You inquired, a bit curious now.

"Well, I've heard about you from other people I know. Shanks seems to have taken a liking to you, he even said you were antisocial." That's a compliment, how? "Ace mentioned you too." Your heart sped up in fear and anxiety. What could Ace have said that meant made his grandfather would take an interest in you?

You licked your lips and casually responded, "Oh? Is that so?" He gave you an unreadable look before he roughly patted your back, laughing while the air was knocked out of your lungs.

"Bwahahaha, he was grumbling the other day about how some teachers don't understand that teenagers need sleep and what better time than in a boring class taught by an old, annoying hag. He then commented that he had detention all lunch this week then after school next week." Old, annoying hag? Oh, he's in for it now.

"And then yesterday, the other two brats mentioned you again. The blonde one said that he's glad that someone – namely you, [l.name]-san – could put Ace in his place. Then the cheeky brat giggled and said that he liked you before Ace started a fight with Luffy and tore up half the living room! Which means that you are the perfect person to look after them." You gave Garp a sceptical glance before deciding that you'd just ask Ace about his grandfather's logic because you didn't quite understand how making his grandkids fight is an indicator that you're a good babysitter.

"Sure. Okay... if I choose to be the babysitter, what do I need to do?" Garp pulled out another rice cracker, before shrugging his shoulders.

"Look after them like a babysitter." Your eyebrow twitched but you took a calming breath.

"So, should they stay at my home or...? Do I need to make them dinner? Do I have to be with them on the weekend if your trip takes that long?"

"It's better if you stay at our house and everything else is optional. Just ask the blond brat, he'll answer anything you need. That all?" As soon as he asked the bell went off signifying the start of lunch.

"Yes."

"Good! I'll be off then!" He barked over the bell and made hasty footsteps down the hallway. Sighing, you realised you just agreed to babysit three teenagers, one being Ace of all people.

That was then you realised why Garp was suddenly in a rush to leave as the thundering footsteps of hundreds of students rushing to leave for lunch echoed around the hall.

Luckily, a restroom wasn't too far away meaning you had a method of escape. Or so you thought. In seconds, the room was flooded with students either trying to get to the cubicles or to do their makeup. The line was already crowding the door meaning you were stuck in here unless you forced your way through. "Excuse me, sorry, excuse m-, sorry!" You bumped into someone, knocking their book and pencil out of their hand. Reacting immediately, you grabbed the items and held it back out the owner, bowing your head in apology as the room was too cramped for a proper bow. "I'm terribly sorry for disturbing you, I wasn't-," you paused as your gaze flickered over the book's open page, seeing countless symbols and English alphabetic letters. You swallowed your voice before meeting the owner's irises, the metal frame around their indigo eyes shocking you. "Looking where I was going..."

She didn't respond and instead grabbed her items, moving towards a cubicle after shoving the items back into her bag. "Bonney-chan...?"

Sitting cross-legged on your leather chair, you bit your nail, thinking. Why was Bonney practising hiragana and katakana*? Why was she practising the English alphabet? You understood that people practice writing with the purpose of being better or faster but if you're writing it wrong, then what was the point of it? Did Bonney know that she was writing it wrong?

"[name]?" You looked up, surprised, seeing Ace closing the door to the office.

"Ace-san, sorry. Please take your seat." He furrowed his eyebrows, seating in the offered seat after placing his bag by the door. "And please address me as [l.name]-sensei. I'm your teacher." The silent 'for now' was remained unsaid.

He chuckled, leaning forward, his head propped up on his elbow and a gleaming close-eyed smile adorned his face. "You know, you can address me as Ace." You averted your eyes, clearing your throat.

"Ace-san," his eye twitched, "this is a detention. Please reframe from acting as if this was your home." You bit the inside of your cheek as he sighed, straightening up from his hunched posture and crossed his arms with a blank expression on his face. "Look. On Tuesday... you almost crossed a line with another student, within school grounds." You focused your gaze on the wall behind him, caging your own feelings. "The school cannot permit such actions. If something... intimate like that is wished to be performed with another person, then it is best placed to do such things outside of school. Detention is only a light action taken against this act. Please understand why you're here." Pausing, you breathed a silent breath, closing your eyes for a moment to focus.

It pained you to say such demanding words, especially to Ace, but it was necessary. He needed to know what the consequences were for breaking the school rules. For acting on a spur of a moment idea and not focusing on the whole picture. For one thing, if he truly is interested in you, he should be able to grasp the basic understanding how these actions affected you.

It hurt.

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hiragana and katakana - they're two writing styles of Japanese. One is for the sound of words and the other is for foreign words.