Introduction IV

GRATUITOUS DISCLAIMER: I see the angel of truth…huh?

Intro

It was another ordinary Wednesday in the lives of the Azumanga Daioh characters. Where have I heard that one before?

(Probably in a Nietzsche novel.)

Body Text

Kaorin, Sakaki, Chiyo and Osaka were seated at the rear end of the cafeteria; the backwoods if you like, as the tables opposite and adjacent to them were occupied by the less refined pupils of their unidentified school. Communication between the 'members' of this 'quartet' was deficient on this particular day; an ominous mood permeated through the air, as if the very particles that constituted the atmosphere were enraged – though it was probably more due to the fact that every time they began a conversation, a nearby posse would glower violently at them en masse. Because of this, they had to entertain themselves in other ways; Osaka had opted for an inattentive gaze-out-the-window, Chiyo was engaged in an issue of 'Eternal Sabbath', Sakaki was contemplating the amulet she had received via 'love letter' (which was engraved with the Nekoconeko insignia), and Kaorin was merely making an inconspicuous attempt to reach a higher echelon of intimacy with the graceful girl – which Sakaki was wholly oblivious to. Of course, this segment has absolutely nothing to do with either Sakaki or Kaorin (or does it?), but Kagura and Chihiro are on vacation (at a clandestine retreat near a certain mountain in Wyoming, USA), and Yomi and Tomo have… disappeared…

"Hey, do you think we should… go up on the roof… Miss S-Sakaki?"

Kaorin originally intended to propose this to the entire group, but luckily for her the noise level in the room had exceeded 60 decibels (or something like that, yeah…), and only Sakaki would be able to 'decipher' her 'encrypted message' (well, it did have implications, but it wasn't exactly Morse code… though with Sakaki, you can't be too sure…).

"Uh… sure."

Both girls began heading towards the exit, when Sakaki suddenly halted.

"Miss S-Sakaki? Is something wrong?" Kaorin asked anxiously, worried that Sakaki might have detected her ulterior motives.

"Aren't they coming with us?" Sakaki replied, indicating their two petite classmates, who were still seated, presumably not noticing their departure.

"Um… er… they'll, um, be up later… I think…"

Irrelevant Rooftop Scene – Or is it a subplot!

"So… Miss S-Sakaki… what music do you like… and stuff like that, hehe.… um…"

…It was rather unclear if Kaorin was actually asking a question (unless it was rhetoric, but why would you ask for someone's opinion if you didn't want an answer!), or simply muttering incoherently (in the midst of her euphoria, hahaha).

"Uh… Cruyff In The Bedroom, Kiyoharu, Bump Of Chicken, Fatima, Quruli, the pillows, Back Horn… other stuff…"

Wow, Kaorin mused, she has really intriguing tastes… kind of cute!

"Awesome! I love those bands! Um… what other things… do you like… Miss S-Sakaki?"

Kaorin, clearly, was at a loss for words.

"Other things? Uh, I like books…"

"Books? Really? What kind?"

"Cats…" Sakaki continued, disregarding Kaorin's second 'enquiry'.

"You like cats, Miss Sakaki? Um… I… I… have some kittens at home… if you want to come and visit me… some… time…"

Sakaki's previously indifferent expression was contorted into one of utter elation, and she nodded resolutely.

"This afternoon. I'll come."

Irrelevant Rooftop Scene: Five Minutes Later

Since Sakaki's last comment, little had been said. Kaorin was frustrated by the disconcerting silence, but she knew that she could not waste this opportunity – she would seize the initiative; carpe diem was a virtue practically imbedded within her (after her classics teacher, who will not be referred to by name here, repeated it to the class almost incessantly over the course of 3 hours).

"Um… Miss S-Sakaki…"

Kaorin edged closer to the denizen of her dreams, being careful not to take things too quickly – she didn't want to lose this feeling of rhapsody that overwhelmed her. Sakaki didn't hear her, ostensibly, and skimmed through a nondescript 'feline fanatic' magazine, unaware of the 'events' which were about to befall her idle right hand. Kaorin cautiously reached out, and slowly, prudently, intertwined her fingers with those of her companion, who immediately stopped what she was doing.

"Kaorin…"

Realization

"Er… why are we focusing on Kaorin and Sakaki? Isn't this the Chiyo/Osaka portion of the story?"

Sakako's enquiry, while reasonable, was met with a conceited glare from his colleague, who was infatuated with the former pairing.

"Who gives a shit."

Kenji's note: Haha. Not quite sure what's going on here. Expect the next two chapters to be extra long in compensation for this cheap shit... hahahaha...