Azumanga Daioh: 4th year stories: Yukari and Nyamo

Part 1 (of 2 probably)

"Ugh, Nyaaaamoooo! Let's just leave and go grab some drinks!" Yukari said as she leaned back in her chair.

"No, we have to finish these lesson plans before the semester starts," Minamo said as she continued creating the worksheets for the new semester's classes. The teachers room was completely empty as for most of the school. All the other teachers had finished their work several days before Yukari did. She was too busy sleeping in or distracting her childhood friend to actually do any work over the summer. This led to Minamo to offer to help Yukari get her work done before the next semester officially started. Yukari would not have finished otherwise, but she really wasn't worried. It wasn't the first time she's gone into a new semester completely unprepared. She couldn't figure out why Minamo was so insistent on her being prepared this time.

"One more hour, then I leave," Yukari said.

"No, you have all new students and you're teaching first year again, it won't be like the past three years," Minamo said.

"I miss those brats. They made work a lot easier,"

"More like they encouraged your laziness," She said. Yukari sat forward in her chair with a smirk.

"Don't pretend you don't miss them!"

"Don't be silly,"

"I'll call Tomo right now and tell her she was your least favorite student then,"

"Please don't. And of course I miss them!," Minamo breathed a deep sigh, "Also why did you have to let the students have your number anyway?"

"They asked," Yukari shrugged.

"Honestly I have no idea why I keep offering to help you," Minamo sighed as the conversation trailed off. Yukari leaned back in her chair again and stared out the window. The heavy rain was coming down hard on the familiar school grounds. She found her mind doing anything she could to not focus on work. She glanced over at her friend who was still focused on her paperwork. Several more thoughts ran through her mind; Why is Nyamo still helping me? No matter what I do she always seems to be right there next to me. She's had so many opportunities for high paying jobs and yet she still stays here at the shitty school. I don't think i've ever had a proper answer from her.

"You don't really mean that do you?" Yukari finally said.

"What do you mean?" She asked, still looking at her paperwork.

"Well, like. You've had so many opportunities to get a higher paying job, but you still stay here,"

"I've told you before, I like my job here. I like teaching PE so I don't really need to change it. And what does that have to do with me helping you?"

"Not only did you offer to help me now when I insisted I was fine, but every other time. You helped me get a job here, you helped me all throughout college, so why do you stick around?"

"Because you'd be a mess without me. Now stop talking and get some work done," Minamo said, frustrated.

"So you didn't take any higher paying jobs because of me?"

"Whatever you're trying to do, it's not gonna work,"

"I'm not trying to do anything," Yukari sighed. It is true being this serious was very out of character for her, but something has been eating at her lately. Their lives have calmed down a lot since last school year. The students they knew and taught for three years of their lives, now all moved on and gone their separate, more exciting ways, but Minamo and Yukari were still here, same school, same job. "Even Kimura transferred to a more higher paying job. Pretty sure he got the offer because we both declined it,"