Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.
-
-
-
Azumanga Daioh: A Heart to Love (A Sakaki Love Story)
-
-
-
Chapter 2: What's he like? …. Sempai
-
-
-
Never ones to get to school too early, this morning proved to be different for Sakaki's friends. When Sakaki, who normally arrived quite early, stepped into the classroom, she was taken aback by the sight of Yomi, Kagura, and Tomo all huddled around her desk.
"Ouch!" A muffled voice echoed from behind her.
Turning, she saw Chiyo with her eyes closed tightly, rubbing her nose.
"Oh, sorry, Chiyo-chan," she apologized.
"That's all right, Sakaki-san, but why'd you stop so suddenly?" the diminutive girl asked.
Sakaki stepped aside so Chiyo could walk into the room.
"Oh my! I wonder why they're all huddled around your desk, Sakaki-san?"
"Hmm," the tall girl nodded, "I don't know, but I guess I'm going to find out." Without any further hesitation, Sakaki walked purposefully towards her desk.
Anxious to find out what was going on, Chiyo followed close behind her.
"Morning," Sakaki said placidly.
Tomo, who was sitting in her chair, looked up defiantly. "Don't morning us," she retorted.
But her resolve melted away as she gazed into the taller girl's dark, piercing eyes. Jumping up from the seat with a yelp, Tomo backed away, taking refuge behind Yomi.
"Come on, Sakaki," Kagura started. "You both ate your lunch in the class yesterday. Don't tell me you didn't talk to him at all?"
"How did you know we both ate our lunch here?" Sakaki asked.
"You always eat your lunch in the classroom, Sakaki," Yomi replied, "even back during our first year."
"And I saw Ashitaka-san head back over here from the cafeteria." Tomo announced, thrusting her index finger up in the air and grinning stupidly. But the sight of the tall girl's powerful stare sent her ducking behind her friend once again.
"So spill it. What's he like?" Kagura asked.
"Yes, Sakaki-san. What is Ashitaka-san like? Please tell us," the high-pitched voice belonging to Chiyo asked from behind Sakaki.
Stepping to the side so she could see all four girls, Sakaki pondered the question for a moment, trying to remember the events from the day before.
The first thing that came to her mind was watching the tall boy crouch down on one knee and seeing the gray cat spring from his arms.
"Well, he likes cats," the longhaired beauty whispered.
"Cats?" Yomi asked inquisitively.
"That's so cute," Chiyo added.
"Mmm." Sakaki nodded, the resemblance of a faint smile beginning to creep across her lips.
"Who cares if he likes some stupid little fur-balls?" Kagura snapped.
The tall girl let out a faint gasp.
"What is HE like?" the abrasive swimming star demanded.
"Yeah, Sakaki," added Yomi. "Is he into sports? What food does he like? Why did he come to Tokyo his senior year? And most importantly…"
"Does he have a girlfriend?!" shouted Tomo from behind.
"Hmm…" Sakaki pondered these questions for a moment until she remembered…. The three boys came into our classroom to talk to him. Slowly the memory took shape as she saw in her mind's eye the events that took place the day before.
They were the captains of… the swim team… the basketball team… and the… the baseball team.
"We heard you made your old school's varsity teams as a first year student.
Impressive… Very Impressive…""Well, apparently he's a very good athlete," the tall girl stated plainly.
"I knew it!" Kagura pumped her fists. "You can tell just by looking at him. His build and the way he moves, so fluidly. So what sport did he play?"
"Hmm… well…" Sakaki thought again. "…made your varsity swim team, baseball team, and volleyball team in your first year…"
"Well… he apparently was on his old school's varsity swim, baseball, and volleyball teams in his first year of high school."
"A three sport athlete! That's amazing!"
"I wonder if he's going to do the same thing here or will he concentrate on just one sport?"
Again, recalling Ashitaka's conversation, Sakaki immediately responded, "Neither."
"Huh?"
"He turned them all down," she explained.
"Turned who down?" asked Yomi.
"The captains. They all came here yesterday, trying to get him to join their teams. He turned them all down."
"Well, that's strange," Yomi replied.
"Yeah, strange." Kagura stared at Sakaki till the taller girl looked away.
Having nothing else to say, she sat down at her desk.
"Well, is that all?" Tomo asked, finally stepping out from behind Yomi.
Sakaki thought for a moment, then recalled the smell as Ashitaka ate his lunch. "He likes tuna… I think."
"Tunaaa," the three girls said in unison.
Chiyo gave a confused stare. "Why all the interest in Ashitaka-san?"
"Don't worry about it, Chiyo-chan. You're still too young to understand." Tomo patted the young prodigy on the head.
"Do you guys like Ashitaka-san?" Chiyo asked.
"EH!" The three girls jumped back, their faces turning bright red as they made a strategic retreat out of the room.
"Huh?" Chiyo watched each girl withdraw. "Now why'd they do that?" she asked, looking back at Sakaki
The older girl just shrugged. "I don't know."
"Do you like Ashitaka-san, Sakaki-san?" the precocious eleven-year old asked.
"Huh?" The longhaired beauty's eyes went a little wide as she seriously considered the question, and in doing so two events from the previous day came to mind. In her mind's eye she pictured the magazine she had been reading. She recalled the picture of the kittens and what the tall boy had said. "They're cute." Recalling the smile on his face, she realized for the first time that the handsome young man had dimples and a cleft chin. "Hmm…" Then she recalled him going down on one knee and letting the gray cat down, as well as the cat turning and smiling back at him. I wish I could do that.
"Well, Sakaki-san?" Chiyo asked again.
Brought back to the moment, she looked at her little friend and answered, "Well, I haven't known Ashitaka-san long enough to really make up my mind, but he seems nice enough, so I suppose I could learn to like him."
"WHAT!!!"
Both girls turned to see Kaorin standing about a meter behind Sakaki. She was as pale as a ghost, with beads of perspiration dotting her forehead and temples, and unshed tears welling up in her eyes. Her lips quivered and her legs trembled as she struggled to say something, anything to the object of her affection and admiration. But the only thing she could do was turn and run out the door mumbling incoherently.
"I wonder what's wrong with Kaorin?" Chiyo pondered.
Shrugging her shoulders and shaking her head, Sakaki replied, "I don't know." They both continued to stare out the back door.
Hearing, "Good morning ladies," caused the two girls to turn towards the front of the class where they saw the tall, handsome boy who was the topic of discussion that morning.
"Oh, good morning, Ashitaka-san," the young pony-tailed girl said with a broad smile. "How are you this fine morning?"
Struggling to keep from smiling stupidly, the young man replied, "I'm doing quite well, thank you, Chiyo-sempai."
The young girl's eyes went wide. "Sempai!"
"Well, you are the class representative, and from what I've heard, the smartest person in the class," he explained.
"Well, I-I guess, but we are both seniors, and you're older than me. If anything, I should call you sempai," she reasoned.
"But I'm new to this school, and from what I've seen, you may be young but you're still well respected."
"Well…" Chiyo considered Ashitaka's argument, then turned to her friend and asked, "What do you think, Sakaki-san?"
The longhaired girl, who had been listening intently to the discussion, looked from Chiyo to Ashitaka then back over to Chiyo and replied, "I think it's all right for Ashitaka-san to call you sempai."
"Really, Sakaki-san?" Chiyo smiled hopefully.
"Mmm Hmm." The raven-haired girl nodded.
"Well…" Smiling from ear to ear, Chiyo turned back to the tall boy. "Good day, Ashitaka…-kun." Blushing slightly, she turned and walked to her desk.
Ashitaka smiled as he watched the young girl walk away.
"That was really nice of you," Sakaki said softly.
Turning back towards the girl who sat behind him, he raised a questioning eyebrow.
"Chiyo-chan tries very hard to do her best always, but being only twelve and already a senior in high school can be a terribly burden on her sometimes. It was nice of you to boost her confidence like that." She gave the boy a hint of a smile, but after a moment she realized she was staring at him. Blushing, she turned away, looking out the window as she usually did until class started.
"I think maybe you give me too much credit, but thank you all the same… Sakaki-chan." Turning quickly, he sat down and pulled out his first period books.
The tall girl gasped, turning her head quickly towards the boy who was now sitting in his seat.
Sakaki-chan…The girl's lips trembled as she struggled to blink away the tears that threatened to run down her cheeks.
-
-
-
-
AN: I'd like to say thank you to the people who reviewed my first chapter. I hope everyone that reads this story enjoys it as much as I'm enjoying writing it. Please feel free to let me know if you think I'm making any of the characters too OOC. My hope is to keep all the primary cast members in character as much as possible. Of course, when romance is thrown into the mix, people have a way of acting in ways they normally never would.
Sorry it took so long to get this second chapter up but real life keeps finding a way to intrude on both my life and my beta-reader's life. Damned real life! /shakes fist in mock anger/ Speaking of my beta-reader, I'd like to take a moment to thank her for doing a band up job, as always. Thanks Janice!
While I've already started writing chapter 3, I don't know if I'll have it done and ready to post before the holidays so just in case I'm not able to get it out before then, I'd like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year. I hope all your holiday wishes come true.
A.Amishi