Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.
A/N: Warning for OOC; AU. Flashback chapter.
Another Note: About the educational system, I'm also following the Japanese one. Acceleration is used to mean skipping a grade. I'm not too familiar with how other countries call it, but accelerated is a term used in the Philippines.
He remembered tears. It was the summer just before their first year of Junior High School. Luffy's grandfather was the principal for Grand Line High. He had a hard job, add to that the rowdiness of his grandsons, but that day, he was beaming proudly. He had just told them the news, unconventionally since her father should have been present for this, that Robin was moving up a grade.
"That's right!" Principal Garp said, beaming wide "Robin is going to be accelerated!"
Nami gasped "Then that means we won't be in the same classes anymore!"
Chopper had his arms around Robin, the poor kid had skipped his fifth grade, and was a year younger than his friends "I don't want Robin to be in the second year!" He cried.
The principal's grin grew wider "And she won't be! She'll be in the third year of Junior High!"
Everyone was shocked. They knew how smart Robin was, but to be able to skip two grades in a prestigious school such as Grandline High meant she was smarter than they had expected.
"But that means my mellorine won't graduate with us!" Sanji cried, clamping on Robin's other side. All the while, she retained a stoic expression, glancing a smile at Chopper while patting his head, trying to comfort the distraught boy.
"Well she'll be with Ace" Luffy added, with a snigger. His older brother would have been in high school right now if he hadn't been held back. It wasn't that he wasn't smart, he was just like Luffy, lazy and would rather pick fights.
"Wow" Zoro had heard Franky whisper to Usopp "I knew I should have been copying her homework!"
The other guy nodded "Just think of how high our grades would have been!"
"Ah Miss Robin" Brook said, patting her shoulder "Since you're already leaving, would you mind showing me your-" Before he could finish, Zoro pushed the his sheathed katana on the small of his back.
"Don't even think about finishing that" He had warned, much to the laughter of the room. Even Brook was laughing, albeit a bit nervously.
That evening, he walked her home. Just like always.
"Kenshi-san" she said, looking at him "You're awfully quiet tonight."
He only grunted, his hands in his pocket.
She sighed "I don't know if I want to be accelerated." She stopped walking, and just stood there, staring up at the orange glow of the sky "What do you think, Kenshi-san?"
He watched her. Her face stoic. She was beautiful then, and beautiful now, and the setting sun only highlighted her delicate features. She was mature for their age, and taller than him, but he had always hoped that he'd still have a chance at some unnatural growth spurt. Maybe five inches taller, if fate was kind.
"Are you in a hurry to grow up?" He finally said.
She shook her head.
"Then you shouldn't do it."
She looked at him, smiling that smile, so soft and delicate "You're right."
He smiled at her, and draped his arm around her shoulders "Now let's go, you still have to feed me Woman."
She giggled, and they went on their way.
But of course, the final decision wasn't hers.
"She doesn't want to skip two grades" He said through gritted teeth. He had come to pick her up so they can go to Nami's, but Kuzan had told him that she was still going through with the acceleration.
"It's not up to you, boy" he said coldly, pulling down his eye mask "Now go out and play, I want to take a nap."
Zoro grabbed his sword, intending to hit him on his leg, but Robin held his hand back.
"Kenshi-san" she said, tugging at his hand gently. She led him out, and they walked to Nami's apartment quietly.
They were at Nami's house that time, all huddled on the couch, giving Robin a big group hug "We'll still see each other at lunch and recess" she said, though muffled with all the bodies pressed on her "And we'll still hang out during the weekends and eat at Baratrie every Friday."
He had been sitting next to her when she relayed the news, that Kuzan had made her do it, that once the school starts, she'll be in the graduating junior high class. Chopper had hugged her force, and before he knew it, he had been forced away from her, and he stood there as she was enveloped in a tight hug. Nami was crying.
"You're in a grade higher than me now" Nojiko said, setting down a tray of cookies for them "I'm really impressed!"
"But we were supposed to be seatmates! Go to our first junior high dance!" Nami suddenly gasped from her cries "You won't have your first junior high dance!"
She tried to move her hand, to pat her best friend's back, but her arms were stuck to her side, as he hugged her tightly.
They walked home together again like always, but their silence was deafening.
"I'm really sorry" she said quietly "Kuzan said I had to do it."
He stopped walking, and so did she, and he faced her, holding her shoulders so she faced him, but his head was down because he couldn't look at her. And he couldn't tell her. Instead, he just hugged her, his head on the crook of her shoulder. She had the faint smell of flowers, and books. Old books, worn pages of the tomes she loved to read.
"Zoro" she said, a hint of surprise in her voice, for he wasn't one to show affection.
He shook his head, keeping his head on her shoulder. He was shorter than her, but he didn't care. She wrapped her arms around him, and hugged him close too. "I'll miss you too, Zoro."
Thank you in advance for the readers and reviewers! I actually have most of this story done, so I hope you enjoy. I know it's a bit early for Valentine's Day, but I might end up writing a White Day companion story for this.