Azumanga Daioh: The Fan Fiction

AN- Well, that last chapter was nice. A little wishy-washy for my tastes, but I just wanted to get some things out of the way, like introductions and such. Umm, so yeah, I'm also starting to think that OC's are not that popular here in the Azumanga Daioh crowd. I can see why and there are many good points, but I've got my own as well, plus I'm writing this a lot more for myself than anything else. I do hope people are enjoying it though. And if not…well, drop me a line if you have some suggestions. I like discussions and debates after all. Anyhow, here's a mostly boy free chapter (this may become pretty common) for the girls to get together in.

Legal Information- Nope. I don't own it. Wish I did, cause then I'd know I was a friggin genius. Oh well, the story and characters all belong to the creator, Kiyohiko Azuma, and A.D.V. Manga takes the cake for licensing it out this way. So thank you all who helped bring this masterpiece over here stateside and into our homes and hearts. Now please don't sue me, I'm just a poor guy living on his own with a brand new laptop. Yep, rents gonna be late.

Chapter 3: A Day for Friends

Saturday- 9:00 am

It was a late night of studying for Sakaki the previous night, and after going to bed some time in the early hours of the morning, she wanted nothing more than to sleep in on this hopefully lazy Saturday. With Maya sleeping soundly by her shoulder and 5 hours of rest down, she had only to sleep a few more to be fully rested for a brand new day which she could spend doing whatever, since she didn't have any class on the weekends.

Unfortunately for Sakaki, sleeping in wasn't on the agenda of anyone else. In fact, around 9am in the morning, there was a loud pounding on her door. She dismissed it at first, and continued to dismiss it for a couple of minutes, but after a while, she could hear the familiar voice of a young woman calling to her. Finally, she was stirred enough by the racket that she had to do find out what was going on. Lazily, Sakaki got up and neatly tossed laid her covers aside, deciding to throw discretion to the wind and answer the door in her pajamas. Of course, before she would answer the door, she would look through the peep hole, making sure it wasn't going to be any guy that she might embarrass herself in front of. Sure enough, as she had though, it was Kagura, and she was wearing her jogging outfit. Sakaki opened the door wide enough for Kagura to enter.

Kagura: " Hey Sakaki!"

Sakaki: " ….hi."

Sakaki yawned at the sight of the spirited and obviously more awake young woman. Kagura grinned, seeing that she had caught Sakaki in a somewhat weak moment, something which wasn't often done.

Kagura: " I didn't wake you did I?"

Sakaki nodded, still yawning.

Kagura: " Oh well. So anyways, I was doing some running and through that since we still kinda live close, you'd wanna come out with me today! Maybe get a good morning run in to get the blood pumping!"

Sakaki: " I guess so…"

Kagura: " You look like you were up late! Studying?"

Sakaki nodded. Kagura sighed, turning aside and placed her hands on her hips.

Kagura: " I know I shouldn't criticize since you're a heck of a lot smarter than I am…but you should go out more."

Sakaki: " What do you mean?"

Kagura: " Well…we're adults now! And since you've got the weekends free, you should go out on a Friday night, not just sit around at the house doing homework and studying. Save that for Sunday's and come out with us some time."

Sakaki: " But...I was online for a while…you could have said hello then."

Kagura: " We always talk online. That's fine and all, but lets go out one of these days and just hang a little loose, ya know?"

Sakaki shook her head, then yawned again.

Sakaki: " I was talking with Chiyo-chan last night."

Kagura: " Oh really? I didn't know she was on last night! I haven't talked to her since Tuesday! What did she say?"

Sakaki thought for a moment. Her memory was just a slight bit hazy, only because she was woken up a little earlier than previously expected.

Friday- 11pm

Sakaki was sitting on her bed while surfing the internet. She left her instant messenger on, waiting for Chiyo to get on so that they could talk. They had times they met up on line, and on Friday's, it was around this time, since Chiyo only had a morning class that got out around 10am, and Sakaki was fine with staying up late, since she didn't have any classes on the weekends. Plus, this gave her a chance to speak with Chiyo, whom which she was very fond of. In fact, Chiyo was probably her best friend, and knew her better than anyone else. She could see beyond the cool face and calm demeanor that Sakaki usually had worn, and knew Sakaki's true self. Yes, Chiyo was definitely her best friend. It wasn't long before a window popped up, followed by that old ringing sound.

Chiyo: " Hello Miss Sakaki!"

Sakaki: " Hello Chiyo. How are you doing?"

Chiyo: " Very well, thank you for asking. How has the new quarter at school been? Do you like your classes?"

Sakaki: " They're alright. I like Biology though, it's more interesting to me."

Chiyo: " That sounds like you, Miss Sakaki."

Sakaki: " And you're coming up to your finals in the next couple months or so, aren't you?"

Chiyo: " Yep! I can't wait for finals! And when those are over, I'll be coming back for a few months with Mr. Tadakichi."

Sakaki: " I haven't seen him since last year, I can't wait for you both to come home."

Chiyo: " Me too. And all of us can get together and go to my summer home again."

Sakaki: " I think Tomo and Kagura are really looking forward to it."

Chiyo: " That's no surprise. So how has everything else been?"

Sakaki: " Everything else?"

Chiyo: " Yeah! Maya, your parents…have you met anyone new recently?"

That question made her blush, and thankfully for Sakaki, this was an online conversation and she was spared most of the embarrassment. Finally, she calmed herself enough to write again, and after a moment, restarted their conversation.

Chiyo: " Miss Sakaki? Miss Sakaki! Are you ok? Are you still there? Did you fall asleep."

Sakaki: " Oh, I'm sorry about that."

Chiyo: " Did my question startle you?"

Sakaki: " Well…just a little."

In most cases, Sakaki would have done whatever to get out of that question, or even just outright lie about it entirely. However, this was Chiyo she was talking to, and she knew she could be straight and true with Chiyo. She took a deep breath, and continued.

Sakaki: " Well, Mom and Dad are alright. I talked to them on the phone earlier. They say hello by the way. And Maya is just fine. He's about due for his shots this next week."

Chiyo: " I see. Well that's great. Have you met any new friends since you started school?"

Sakaki: " W…well, kind of…"

Chiyo: " Really? So, is it a boy or girl?"

Sakaki: " It's a boy…"

Chiyo: " REALLY! WHAT'S HE LIKE?"

Sakaki: " I…I don't really know…"

Chiyo: " What's that mean?"

Sakaki: " I mean, he's nice, and seems honest. I guess that's all I really know…"

Chiyo: " At least it's a start. What's his name?"

Sakaki: " Ken."

Chiyo: " Huh…well that's neat. Tell me more about him."

Sakaki: " I don't know much else. I've only met him once."

Chiyo: " Hmmm, I see. So how do you feel about him?"

Sakaki: " I'm not really sure. I guess, I can't really describe it other than a feeling I get."

Chiyo: " Wow, sounds like you really like him!"

Sakaki: " Do you think so?"

Chiyo: " Well, that would be up to you, Miss Sakaki."

Sakaki: " I suppose you're right."

Chiyo: " So what now? For you two I mean."

Sakaki: " We're meeting up on Wednesday, in the park, were we met."

Chiyo: " Oh? How did you mean him anyways?"

And that was a question she wanted to avoid, since it was kind of embarrassing.

Sakaki: " We just bumped into each other at the park."

Chiyo: " I see. Well, I do hope the best for the two of you. When I come back home on vacation, I hope I can meet him."

Sakaki: " Sure, I guess…."

Chiyo stared at her laptop's screen for a moment, analyzing Sakaki's words. Finally, she realized that Sakaki may be slightly uncomfortable with this conversation right now, so she decided to change the subject. Beyond that point, it was just idle banter for the next half hour or so before Sakaki had to get offline and finish up her home work.

Saturday- 9:15am

After a few moments of contemplation, she decided to sum it all up in one very brief sentence.

Sakaki: " She just wanted to say hello."

Kagura: " And?"

Sakaki: " That's it."

Kagura took a moment to just stare at Sakaki. She had spent all that time thinking about what Chiyo had told her last night, and the only answer given was hello. Kagura sighed and shrugged off the notion, deciding to let it go and move on.

Kagura: " So get your running clothes on and let's go. At noon, we can meet up with Tomo, Yomi, and Osaka for lunch."

Sakaki nodded in agreement, taking a moment to make sure Maya had sufficient food and water to last most of the day. After changing clothes and saying goodbye to her furry housemate, she left with Kagura for their run. They pair paced their way through the streets, navigating through all the different neighborhoods, and eventually into the city where they stopped to rest for a few minutes at a coffee shop. Afterwards, they continued on trekking through the different districts until they made their final stop, the train station.

Kagura: " Here, we'll take the 11:15 to Tokyo. We might be a little early though, but you don't mind, right?"

Sakaki shook her head. All she wanted was to see her friends, so it didn't matter if it was a little too early. They boarded the train and took their seats, waiting patiently as it speeded along the rails to it's set destination. Within a half hour, they arrived in the appropriate station, where they exited and headed out into the streets. Though Tokyo was a big city, they were very well acquainted with it. Taking shortcuts and making haste, the two girls strode their way to their plotted course, a restaurant specializing in Rice and Miso. It was only a few minutes of waiting until Yomi showed up, which was expected as she hadn't changed since high school. Always on time and looking well.

Yomi: " Hey there guys. It's good to see you."

Kagura: " Yeah, so how've you been Miss Tokyo U?"

Yomi: " Yeah right. Everything's been alright. Classes are keeping me busy though. This law student thing is killing me. I can't wait to get done."

Sakaki: " Are you planning to graduate early?"

Yomi: " Yeah right. I'll just stick to my guns and do it on time. I had a friend, Kentaro…he was going to graduate last quarter, with honors even. But then, before the ceremony, he just left. Said something about going out and studying Japan. I was hoping to find him, maybe he could help me with my thesis for next year, you know?"

Kagura: " Sounds like a real maniac."

Yomi: " Not really. He was really goofy though. Oh well, I'll be fine. Just going to have to work a little harder. Tomo and Osaka know to come here right?"

Kagura: " Yeah. They may be a little late. It is Osaka after all."

The three continued to chit chat, until 45 minutes had passed and Tomo and Osaka still hadn't shown up. Kagura was pacing around while Yomi was furiously on her cell phone, desperate to get a hold of them to find out what was going on. As for Sakaki, she had wandered off a ways, investigation a nearby alley for some signs of cats. At almost a quarter till 1, a plume of dust could be seen in the distance as a figure was traveling quickly. Once it had came into view, the girls recognized it as Tomo, who had an angry expression on her face as she drug the much slower Osaka behind her. After skidding to a stop in front of Yomi and Kagura, Tomo made her usual introduction.

Tomo: " Hey guys! Hope you didn't wait too long for me!"

Yomi: " WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR ALMOST AN HOUR! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!"

Tomo: " An hour? Man, I'd have given up and left by then!"

She laughed as Yomi tortured herself inside for not inflicting any kind of pain on Tomo. Osaka bowed and apologized.

Osaka: " I'm sorry. I meant for us ta be on time, but there was this problem with my shoes and I didn't want ta be late. You know how you can lose your shoes sometimes and they won't show up for hours, or even days, then you find them in the weirdest places, like in the cupboard or in your book bag…"

She continued on her story while everyone just kinda stared. Before too long, Sakaki showed back up as they were getting ready to walk into the restaurant, with a newly bandaged hand.

Osaka: " Hey there Miss Sakaki, what happened to your hand?"

Sakaki: " It's nothing."

She then proceeded to ignore the question entirely as they entered, taking a seat in a nearby booth. It was only a matter of time before a waitress came to take their order. After getting their drinks, they raised their glasses in cheers to meeting up together today, then began to get down to business.

Tomo: " Ok, so what's everyone's school schedule like? We should know, that way we can find good days to get together."

Yomi: " Wow, a surprisingly good idea from you for once Tomo. School must really be rubbing off on you."

Osaka: " Well, actually, we just copy our homework off of our friend Jin. He's really smart."

Kagura: " I see…so still having other people do the work Tomo?"

Tomo: " Now, now, you know the old phrase, share and share alike! I copy Jin's and Osaka copies off me. Or sometimes it's the other way around."

Yomi: " As usual, she's learned nothing."

Tomo: " Au contraire, I have learned something."

Yomi: " And that is?"

Tomo: " Our teacher drops our lowest tests grade for the final grade in the class! It means that I don't really have to study at all."

Yomi: " And again the point is missed."

Kagura: " So have you decided on a field yet Osaka? Just being a teacher is rather broad."

Osaka: " I think I wanna be a guidance counselor. Helping people with their problems would be a lot of fun, and I'd be doin' good work too. I'm pretty good at listenin' and Chiyo say's that I'm a free thinker…so that's why I think I should be a guidance counselor."

They talked on for the next few minutes, until the waitress came back to take their orders. After making her way around the table, she left and the girls went back to their conversation, which had taken a big shift in gears.

Tomo: " So yeah, the other day, this guy was totally hitting on me. Said everything from how he just loved my hair to how my legs were so beautiful and long. Even asked about my MySpace account. I guess it's flattering, but do they really think that it works like that?"

Yomi: " It is kind of sleazy, but a complement is nice once in a while."

Osaka: " I don't get a lot of complements. I don't think guys really like me well. Maybe if I looked more like you Miss Sakaki, I could be more popular."

Sakaki looked away, in part out of modesty and also not liking the direction that question.

Sakaki: " You shouldn't say such things."

Kagura: " Yeah! You're just fine the way you are Osaka! You just haven't met the right one yet."

Osaka: " Then how will I know?"

The girls looked between each other for an answer, then all eyes fell upon Kagura for that answer.

Kagura: " What? Why are you looking at me?"

Tomo: " Cause you're the one with the boyfriend."

Kagura: " Hey! It's not like we're serious or anything yet. We've only been together for a couple of months."

Yomi: " Still, you'd be the most knowledgeable. It's not like I've ever had a boyfriend or anything."

The girls nodded together, realizing that their overall combined lack of experience in anything was more obvious than ever. Sakaki especially felt quite down hearted about this conversation, as she hoped that through it, she could gain a better insight of her feelings.

Yomi: " So how about you, 'Miss' Sakaki? The start of a new year at school means there is a whole slew of freshmen to become part of your 'fan club'."

Sakaki: " W…well…it's not really anything like that. There's no one new…yet…though Koji follows me around a lot more than usual."

Tomo: " Wow. For you to take notice of it must mean either he's trying way too hard, or you might actually like him."

Sakaki: " N-No! It's not him I like…"

She cut herself off in the middle of that little outburst, realizing that she just blurted out something she was trying to keep under wraps. The other girls began to crowd her, wanting to know more.

Kagura: " Not-him-I-like? Sounds like there is someone else out there."

Sakaki: " No, that's not what I mean…"

Tomo: " Then what does it mean Sakaki?"

Sakaki: " Oh, but…you guys have it wrong…it's not…I mean…"

And there was that stammering problem again. Seems that whenever it came to these matters, her tongue would get tied up and her throat would just run dry. Everyone took a good laugh at her expense, while she slunk down in her seat, wishing she could just shrink out of existence.

Yomi: " Alright, let's leave Sakaki alone for now. She'll tell us when she's good and ready."

Kagura: " Either way, what should we do now? After lunch, I mean?"

Tomo: " A movie! Movie! Movie, movie, movie, movie, movie, movie, movie, movie…"

And she continued on, until Yomi physically quieted her. The girls laughed and carried on through lunch, until they were finished. They had a full day ahead and planned to enjoy it thoroughly. For Sakaki, she had a lot more thinking to do, but at least for today, she could just enjoy herself amongst her friends.