Disclaimer: Don't own Azumanga Daioh.
Daisuki, Neko
The water is so peaceful, relaxing. Here I can wash all my troubles away. I sigh and sink down against the wall.
SPLASH!
Huh? What's going on? Right. We're in the school pool, and Chiyo-chan is trying to swim…but she can't. Poor Chiyo-chan. Even though I'm pretty okay at swimming, I'm not the greatest teacher so I guess I can't teach her myself.
"Can't you swim, Chiyo-chan?" Heh, Tomo loves to tease Chiyo-chan. I know it's all in good fun though…but still…sometimes I'd just like to whack her on the head. But I obviously can't. After all, nothing can be resorted by violence. Then again, Yomi's whacked Tomo lots of times, and sometimes it did get her quiet. So maybe, just maybe, some things can be resorted by violence…
"I can…I can doggy paddle, sorta," Chiyo-chan says, trying to stay afloat. Ah, she is just the cutest thing! Right, forget about violence, Sakaki, remember all the cute things...
"Hey, dogs doggy paddle right? What do cats do?" Ayumu? She's the newest member of our class. She's a bit of an airhead, but I guess her curiosity for many things makes up for it. But…if curiosity killed the cat…
Oh no! Poor kitty. I wonder what that cat did? Maybe it was thinking like Ayumu-san, and wondered how it would swim too! Let's see…if dogs doggy paddle, then a cat would…
…kitty paddle…
Ah…I sink down even further. What am I thinking? They probably can't even swim anyway.
I guess that's why curiosity killed the kitty. Oh no, there I go, thinking about violent stuff again. Sigh.
Poor kitty.
-AZUMANGA DAIOH-
Swimming is over now, which is too bad…
And so here I am again, sitting at my favorite seat, watching the day go by.
"Oh Chiyo-chan! What pretty ribbons!" I don't need to turn around to know that it's Kaorin talking. I always seem to be around when Kaorin is talking anyway. I guess it's just a coincidence.
"What do you think? Wanna try it on?" It's that wonderfully cute voice that can only be Chiyo-chan's. Hm, I wonder what they look like after all?
Oh my! They're absolutely adorable! I wonder…what I would look like with them on…
Um…
No. I guess it just doesn't work.
-AZUMANGA DAIOH-
Another day, another PE. Well, it's break time, so naturally, I'm out for a walk again. Oh, look! Miss Yukari's giving a kitty some bread! I never knew she was so giving. I guess she does have a heart underneath that psycho exterior.
Whoa, the cat's letting her pet it now! It's purring! I can't believe it! No way! I unconsciously stomp over to my language teacher with a clenched fist.
"No fair! You gave him bread!"
Why you…why you cheater! Bribery is not an option in gaining a cat's trust! Not no way, not no how! I just can't accept it! I just can't!
"…Sakaki? What's wrong with you?"
-AZUMANGA DAIOH-
Hmph. I'm still steamed about that earlier predicament. Well, now school's over so I have plenty of time to do this. After all, two can play at that game! I've got the bread, right here. Now all I have to do is to be careful not to get bitten…
Yes! There he is, right where he was earlier.
Okay. Kneel down slowly…reach out slowly…
…slowly…almost there…now to just reach out with my other hand like Miss Yukari did…
…slowly…almost there…
Wah?
Where did my bread go? Where did the cat go?
What on earth just happened? I wanna pet it too…
-AZUMANGA DAIOH-
Well, another day of school comes and goes. It's strange, Miss Yukari wasn't here at all today; she's always usually here. I wonder what she's up to… she's probably out bribing…no…giving the poor little kitties out there some food. I still find it unfair but at least they're filling their poor little stomachs. Maybe Yukari's starting a "Save the Cats Foundation". Wow, I would totally join that! Yukari and I would go out and give bread and fish to the needy cats of the world! Hm…but we'll need a better name than "Save the Cats Foundation". Maybe "Cats of the World"? COW? Heh…catchy name, good cause.
Maybe Yukari's just sick today. Sigh. Oh well, time to head home.
"I just found this." Huh? What's Miss Yukari doing here? She's a little too late for class, really.
"What is it?" Chiyo-chan's bouncing up and down. Seems like they're trying to sneak a peek at the box Miss Yukari's holding. Well…here comes that curiosity again. I want to know what's inside too.
"Ahhh!" Chiyo-chan screams rather cutely. I whirl around and stare over Tomo's shoulder.
Gasp! No, double gasp! No, even TRIPLE gasp!
No…way…it's so…cute…it's…a kitty! A really tiny kitty!
"One of you, take this home!" Miss Yukari demands. I can barely hear their conversation as I continue to stare at the sleeping little kitty. It's all bundled up, curled into a ball, eyes closed, breathing slightly…
"How about you, Sakaki?" Was the next thing I heard. What? Me? No way. What should I do? Well we can't just leave it alone or anything…hey, this reminds me of something…what was it? Hmm…
That's it! I'll call him Marco, like in the story! He was looking for his mommy too, just like this little guy! It's so sad…the poor little thing…sniff…Marco…you brave little kitten…and so cute too…it's all his mother's fault for leaving him behind! No, no, I can't very well blame his mom for this…I guess it wasn't really her fault that…that…he got lost!
Don't give up Marco! I know you can do it! You can find your mommy! If I could help you, I would! But it's out of my hands…
"Mrow!"
"Uh?" Everyone said in unison. Does this mean…that the kitten…no, Marco…is…
"Hey, he woke!" Tomo says. So he did! Whoa, whoa, whoa…I can't believe it…he is just too cute for words…am I even breathing? I can't tell anymore…
"I'm gonna pick him up!" Chiyo-chan says. And she does. Ah! What a sight! Chiyo-chan, the cutest kid in the entire school, holding Marco, the cutest kitten I've ever laid my eyes on! Oh dear, Chiyo-chan is starting to cry!
"He's SO cute!" she says. I guess I would cry too…sniff…I could even cry right now…
I watch them pass the kitten around. I want to hold him too, I want to!
"Um…um…" I mumble. I really don't want to seem too excited…but I want a turn too!
"Oh Sakaki, you want to hold him too?" Yomi asks me. Gasp…! This is it…this is it…don't seem too excited now, Sakaki…
"Um…I don't know…" I say half-heartedly. In truth, I really DO know. I know I want to hold this kitten in my hands and cuddle with it all day long…and maybe a day more after that…
Here goes…she's holding out Marco…oh Marco…why am I so scared…what is this…tight feeling in my chest? I can't tell if I'm breathing again…i-it's…just surreal…this feeling…that kitten…her…holding…feeling…cat…Marco…cute…
ZIP!
"Oops!" Yomi yells.
"What the!" I practically yelp. For a second, I was shocked that Yomi would drop Marco so suddenly like that. Then I almost scream as Marco bounces across the desks and out the window. We all bound to the open window and stare outside.
"Oh no! He ran away!" I can barely hear Chiyo-chan say. Yomi didn't drop him. I can just cry. And for a different reason than before. But… all I can think right now is…
Why?
Why?
AN: Okay, I know this had less Sakaki moments in it but I think it was a bit more in depth than the last three chapters. I decided to delve even deeper into the mind that is Sakaki's! Besides, the last section was the super extra long one that wasn't part of the regular four picture panels! So yep. Sorry this one took a little long, but I started writing it last week, and got a majority of it finished, but then ended it today.
As always, thanks for reading and reviewing! I'm looking forward to any comments and suggestions anyone might have about this fic.
Kawaii Yoshi