Chapter 1: Reawakening

The cafeteria of Yamanaka High School was always bustling with chatter and laughter during lunchtime. I sat at our usual table, surrounded by my three closest friends, Sakura, Ami, and Mei. We had been inseparable since childhood, sharing countless memories and secrets. As I looked at them, I couldn't help but think about how much I had taken for granted. Sakura, with her blonde hair and grey eyes, was the sweet and gentle one. Ami, with her long brown hair and brown eyes, was the intelligent and resourceful one. Mei, with her short brown hair and brown eyes, was the feisty and adventurous one. As we talked and laughed, I couldn't shake off the feeling that I had always assumed one of them would be my girlfriend someday. But now, as we approached the end of high school, I wasn't so sure. Sakura had become increasingly distant, Ami had started to focus more on her studies, and Mei had developed a passion for music. Just as I was pondering these thoughts, a sudden commotion erupted outside the cafeteria. People started screaming and running, and we quickly realized that something was terribly wrong. A strange, pungent smell filled the air, and before we knew it, a massive wave of fog swept through the school, engulfing us. The next thing I remembered was being hit by some kind of blast, and then... nothing. When I came to, I was disoriented and groggy. I opened my eyes to find myself in my own bed, in my own room. I rubbed my eyes, trying to shake off the haze. It was just a weird dream, I told myself. I got up, got dressed, and headed to school. As I walked through the school gates, I noticed something was off. The buildings seemed different, the students seemed different... and the girls. Oh, the girls. They were all... changed. I spotted a group of girls who looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn't quite place them. One of them, a girl with tanned skin, long blonde hair, and pink eyes, caught my eye. She had a confident air about her, and her style was unlike anything I had ever seen before. She was dressed in a bright pink outfit, with a hairstyle that seemed to defy gravity. As I approached, she turned to me and smiled. "Hey, you're new here, right?" she asked, her voice husky and confident. I hesitated, unsure of what to say. "Uh, yeah... I think so. I'm... I'm from a different time, I guess." The girl laughed. "Well, welcome to the future, then! I'm Sakura, by the way. And you are...?" I stared at her, trying to process what was happening. "Sakura...? That's my friend's name." Sakura's smile faltered for a moment, and then she nodded. "Yeah, I'm named after her. My mom was friends with you, I think." I was stunned. "Your mom... was one of my friends?" Sakura nodded. "Yeah, she was. And I'm not the only one. Come meet my friends." She led me to two other girls, one with dark skin and dark brown hair, and the other with dyed blonde hair in two high pigtails and neon pink eyes. They introduced themselves as Ami and Mei, respectively. As I looked at them, I realized that they were the daughters of my old friends. But they were so different from the girls I remembered. Their styles, their attitudes, everything about them seemed... transformed. Ami, the dark-skinned girl, smiled at me and said, "Hey, I'm Ami. My mom used to be a brainiac, just like me." Mei, the pierced and pink-haired girl, giggled and said, "And I'm Mei, named after the Mei you knew. My mom was always up for an adventure, just like me." I was trying to wrap my head around all of this, but before I could ask any questions, Sakura said, "So, what's your story, then? How did you end up here?" I took a deep breath, trying to gather my thoughts. But before I could respond, the bell rang, signaling the start of class. As we walked to our classroom, I couldn't help but notice the stark contrast between the world I knew and the world I found myself in. The girls seemed to be in charge, and they all seemed to have a fascination with... African culture? And then it hit me: something fundamental had changed in this world. Something that had transformed not just my friends, but the entire country. I had a million questions, but I didn't know where to start. What do you want me to do next?