Azumanga Daioh – It's About Time

It has been five long years since the Azumanga Daioh group graduated from high school. Chiyo Mihama completed her studies in America and is now the youngest (and highest paid) calculus teacher in the world at a high school in Seattle. Tomo Takino successfully finished grad school and is in training to become, what else, an International Police officer. Koyomi "Yomi" Mizuhara now manages one of the finest weight loss and management companies in the world, and has made millions with her breakthrough technologies. Ayumu "Osaka" Kasuga now teaches international classes aboard a cruise ship with her husband, who she met at a donut shop in Okinawa. Kagura is to be the lead swimmer for Japan's Olympic swimming team at the next Summer Olympics, and it is said by the team's new coach, Minamo "Nyamo" Kurosawa, that records will be broken. Yukari Tanizaki has quit teaching and is still close to Minamo, serving as the national swimming team's finance manager.

However, none of them will appear in this story.

Instead, we will focus on Sakaki, who is still in college studying to be a veterinarian, and Kaori "Kaorin", who has finished college just last year, and unknowingly resides near her high school crush.

"Finally! The shopping is done for today." Kaorin sighed with a bag of groceries in her hands as she walked up the pathway to her house. She was about to open the door when a commotion broke her concentration.

"Mayaa! Get back here!" a voice called just as an Iriomote mountain cat jumped over the fence of Kaorin's front yard. The cat curled up beside Kaorin's legs and peeked out to see if its pursuer was still following. Before Kaorin had time to react, a beautiful woman came running to the yard's entrance. She stopped, panting, as she rested on the gate post.

"Mayaa!" she gasped. Regaining her composure, the woman straightened up and walked up to Kaorin and the cowering cat.

"Thank goodness he finally stopped." Said the woman.

"This cat is yours?" asked Kaorin.

"Yes," the woman nodded, "I have to take him to class today because my professor wants to see how well those students with pets can give them routine checkups. Mayaa hates going to the vet, so I guess he sensed it when I suddenly picked him up." Mayaa emerged even more, and Kaorin saw the unique coat pattern of the cat.

"Wow, he looks just like a—"

"Mixed breed! He's a mixed breed." The woman interrupted Kaorin before she could finish.

"Oh, I see. Well he's a very pretty cat. He looks more well behaved than you just described." Said Kaorin.

"Yeah, well, I don't know what's gotten into him today or why he decided to stop right at you… um…"

"Kaori, but my friends call me Kaorin." Kaorin bowed.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Sakaki." The woman returned the favor.

"Likewise. I've just got my own place here. I finished grad school just last year. It looks like I have quite the next door neighbor." Said Kaorin.

"I see. I'm studying to be a veterinarian at the university nearby. I moved here just after high school because my parents have terrible cat allergies and I wanted a pet so bad. This place is closer, anyways." Said Sakaki.

"Well, it's best I get these groceries in. Good luck with your classes, Sakaki-san." Kaorin bowed again.

"Thank you. Welcome to the neighborhood, Kaorin." Sakaki bowed as well.

Back inside Kaorin's house, Kaorin just finished putting away the last of her groceries, and decided to continue unpacking her things. She came across an old box covered in dust, except for the fingerprints left by the moving men. She blew off the dust and opened it. Inside were a number of things: folded up tests, old notes Kaorin and her friend Chihiro would pass to each other, and—a photo? Kaorin picked up this odd memento she didn't seem to remember that well. She turned it over and saw her old classmates. There was Chiyo, that 12 year old genius, the ball of energy known as Tomo, weight obsessed Yomi, spacey Osaka, spontaneous and sporty Kagura, and Sakaki, who had a heart drawn around her in the picture. Oh yeah, I did that. Kaorin laughed to herself. She stared at the picture for a few minutes, and not a second too late…

"OH MY GOD! I'M LIVING NEXT TO SAKAKI!"