Remembrance.

Note: I do not own anything to do with Azumanga Daioh. I only own this fan fiction story.

Well, here it is, the last story from the author's ideas project. This one, I'd like to dedicate to a particular author by the name, or pen name, of IcemanX. Thank you for the concept, and I hope you enjoy this. I'd also like to thank everyone else who submitted an idea. I apologise for the shortness of this story, but I had a hard time thinking of a good plan. With that said, on with the story!

(-o-)

It was an ordinary day in the school term, an ordinary day in the life of Kaorin. She proceeded to walk into the school gate, until someone shouted out her name.

"Hey, Kaorin! How're you today?" said no other then Chihiro.

"Oh, hi Chihiro, I'm fine thanks," replied Kaorin.

They started to walk into the main complex of the school, when a particularly tall, and perhaps even imposing, female figure walked by. Kaorin seemed to melt on the spot, whereas Chihiro merely rolled her eyes.

"M-M-Miss S-Sakaki," muttered Kaorin, before lifting her head. Sakaki stood, giving a slight smile back, no words audible. She then walked away. Kaorin was used to this outcome, but every day it seemed to happen, something that Chihiro had gotten annoyed about over the terms.

"You can stop drooling now," said Chihiro, placing her hand on her friend's back. She wiped her mouth, before unclamping her gaze on Sakaki, walking down the hallway.

Time passed, with the school now ten minutes from the start of the day. Everyone was present, as per usual. Kaorin was sitting at her desk, glancing over to her idol every minute or so. She seemed stunned. Chihiro walked up behind Kaorin, scaring her into reality. Across the room, Kaorin realised that Sakaki was now staring directly at her, causing her to feel nauseated.

"Hey, Kaorin, I've got something to ask you," inquired Chihiro, slightly shaking Kaorin by the shoulders. Now aware, she made her reply.

"What is it?"

"I was wondering, do you remember how we first met?" Caught completely off guard, Kaorin pushed her chair back slightly. She thought she could remember, but for the life of her she could not. She began to sweat lightly.

"So, with Miss Sakaki around you've forgotten how we met, eh?" said Chihiro, giving a slightly dissapointed response.

"N-no, it's not that I've forgotten, it's...Just that I can't remember," fired Kaorin, unaware of how she had just contradicted herself.

"I worry about you sometimes, I really do..." murmured Chihiro, before taking her desk. Five minutes were left now.

When she reached her desk, she began to think about how they did actually meet. She cast her mind back, to that time around six years ago. It was a school day, first one of her last school, to be precise.

She stood there, at the front gate, alone. She was reasonably tall for her age then, as she was nine. She was of mediocre build too. The only recognisable difference was that her hair was much longer, down to half of her back. She walked in, seeing the multiple other students, the groups of elders, staring at her. Not particularly her, but at every new person shambling in.

Her heart raced as she passed the oldest year students, all arranged in gangs to tease the new ones coming in. She braced herself, clutching onto a very small pendent hanging around her neck.

"I'm scared..."

She was surprisingly left out of the teasing acts, as she took a deep breath. She walked around the corner, to the playing fields, to see that it was partially full with students. She scanned the area, checking for anyone that she would recognise.

Shocked after realising, she saw that, of the ones from her old school, she was the only person there. She was not sure of this, however. She blamed her nerves, before walking onto the field.

There were multiple people assembled on there, from intimidating ones to shy ones. She looked around again, and saw a small group of girls after a minute. They seemed to be the same age as her, give or take the appearances. She approached them, hands trembling.

As she drew closer, the cries of a child like person could be heard. The repeated 'No's and 'Get away from me's echoed, causing Chihiro to feel uncomfortable, unsafe even. Still, she approached them. She looked over the shoulder, to see a shorter girl, up against the fence, being verbally abused. One particular assault was the use of the word 'lesbian'.

"So this is why they're here," she mused in her thoughts. One of the girls felt her presence, and turned around. Afraid of the stature of Chihiro, she alerted the other three, as they began to run away.

"We'll get ya for this!" retorted the foursome, unaware that Chihiro was not related to the crying girl.

"Hey, are you okay?" asked Chihiro, as she laid her hand on her shoulder. The shorter girl raised her head, giving a look of utter misery, large crying eyes included.

"T-thank you, it's my first day here..." pondered the girl, before realising the shape of the saviour. She gulped.

"Hey, don't be afraid, my name's Chihiro, I'm new here too. What's your name?" she replied, as she saw the smaller girl start to break a smile.

"I-I'm Kaorin, nice to meet you."

The day began, and as luck would have it, they were both in the same homeroom. They were both equally as happy that they had made a new friend, as they sat next to each other at their desks.

Kaorin was starting to stare at her new, cool looking friend. She felt an unusual emotion, albeit one that she may have experienced before. This one seemed different though, it was similar to happiness, fulfilment and love. She did not stop looking over to her, even when Chihiro was waving a hand in her face.

"Are you okay?" she asked, getting a startled Kaorin to blurt out about four 'yes's.

The day was eventful, what with it being the first day, as the two were in the same classes for nearly every lesson. The end of the day crept ever closer, as the two realised in their homeroom.

"Say, want to walk home together?" asked Chihiro, happy with her presence.

"O-okay, Miss Chihiro," responded Kaorin, blushing. Chihiro did not notice it, as she was too busy packing her bag.

"No, no, no, it's just Chihiro, okay? You don't have to be formal around me," she smiled, before they both made their way to the front gates of the school.

"Hey, lesbian!" shouted a familiar voice, much to Kaorin's disgust. The foursome from earlier approached the two as they were leaving the school grounds. Chihiro could not help but try to piece all of the pieces of this little puzzle together, about why they abused her as such.

"I wonder..." she thought.

"Yeah, we're talkin' to you! Pay back time for earlier, I think, how would you...Huh?" dragged on the supposed leader, before she noticed a large figure nest to Kaorin.

"I-it's her! We'll be back, don't you worry," groaned the leader, even after just a look at the taller girl.

Aware of what just happened, she flung herself onto the arm of Chihiro, who completed her previous thought.

"So they were from her old school, I guess? I can sorta see why they call her that though," she grinned as Kaorin began to cry into her arm.

"Now, now, don't you worry. I'll protect you from them," she said, with Kaorin raising her head to look at her.

"Promise?"

"Promise!"

And with that, they began to walk home. Kaorin stumbled over her words a lot, causing Chihiro to just smile in response. After they reached their parting streets, they said goodbye before separating.

As Chihiro walked down her road, she heard a loud shout. It sounded familiar, although how she could not answer. She could just about make out the words.

"Hey, Chihiro! Are you listening!?" Suddenly, she opened her eyes.

She looked around the classroom, the same old one that she had been in for the past year or so, and then looked towards the front. There stood an infuriated Yukari.

"Sheesh Chihiro, get yourself together," taunted the teacher, before she could regain her composure.

Chihiro pivoted her head to face Kaorin. She sat there, hard at work. She thought to herself for a minute, smiling, before she did the same.

"Pretty hard to think that I was an idol for her once."

(-o-)

And that's it! Thank you all for reading, especially you IcemanX, and please review. This was kind of hard to do, but I think it came out well. Until next time, this is Love Hina Addict signing off.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything to do with Azumanga Daioh. I only own this fan fiction story.