Author's Note: Hi. It's me again. Thank you for stopping by! I hope you'll enjoy reading this little story about us. I know you well enough to trust that you're happy out there, or at least doing the best you can. Like I'm doing my best at making sure my friends are as happy as they were around you. While you're here, why not leave us a review? I do miss hearing what you think.
Anyway, happy reading!
#1:Day Two
It was an ordinary morning, just like any other.
The rising sun tinted the windows in its gentle orange glow, fit for the melody of birds outside her window. One by one, and sometimes in couples, people left their homes wherever they wished.
Some, like Monika, preferred to stay home a little while longer. The sound of piano keys was all the company she needed. She pressed them to a tune she practiced every day, one at that point she could do in her sleep, though she scarcely remembered when she'd thought of it.
"Every day, I imagine a future where I can be with you..."
Absorbed as she was in her music, Monika had neither worries nor stray thoughts to trouble her; only the notes she sang with a contented smile.
The piano responded to her in kind, supplying Monika a score to match her reality. For a moment, it seemed as if the birds outside her window matched her in harmony.
"Doki doki!"
And with that, the moment passed.
"Ah!" Monika jumped at the sound. "Who could that be?"
She closed the piano's lid, heading to her laptop with a sigh. Unlike many who wrote from the comfort of one's bed, Monika had hers neatly arranged on the desk. She had always preferred it that way, though the where and when escaped her.
"Hey, Club President! Earth to Club President!"
Of course... who else could it be?
Sayori's happy smile greeted her through a pink border with the "Doki Doki" watermark on the bottom left. She was a good friend and Vice President of the Literature Club. Truth be told, Monika had been skeptical at first. Her hyperactive personality seemed a poor fit for the position, but her sincerity and genuine dedication won Monika over.
"You don't have to use video chat all the time, you know that, right?" Monika smiled back.
"But how else can I see the happy faces of my fellow club members?" Sayori giggled. "Even if Yuri doesn't think so..."
"Tell me about it," Monika rolled her eyes. "It's like the mere thought of us seeing her room sends her into a panic."
"One day, I'll see it in all its naughty glory," Sayori smirked. "But then Yuri said she just didn't want to use an app so cutesy."
"And Natsuki got all pouty," Monika laughed. "Insisting that an app looks cutesy, doesn't mean it's useless. Think someone struck a nerve there."
"Then you tried to stop the argument..."
Monika sighed from her desk. "And would've failed miserably, if it weren't for your help."
"That's me, your professional ray of sunshine!"
"Never change, Sayori. Anyway, are you... at school already? Isn't it three hours early?"
"I know, I'm the only one here. That's why I brought my laptop with me, so I could print out some pamphlets. You know, for the festival and stuff."
The festival. The word made her a bit tense. Literature was still new in comparison to the established clubs; it was going to take a lot of preparation if they wanted to expand.
It reminded her far too much of how it used to be in the Debate Club. She'd hate to see her own creation fall into the same endless loop of organizational politics, but what else could she do?
The Literature Club could use more than four members.
"Don't worry, Monika," Sayori said, hugging her laptop close. "I'm sure we'll have more members after the festival."
"Right," Monika nodded. "I guess this means I'll start going. Can't be the last one to make it. Not again, right?"
"See you at the club!" Sayori waved as she dropped the call.
Monika was ready in a few minutes' time. It was another responsibility she'd learned in her position.
The day greeted her with a cold autumn breeze, sending small shivers across her skin. She'd walked these streets hundreds of times, yet the wind seemed new to her. She savored its gentle touch, but the wind passed her by far too quickly. She was left with the sunlight and the throng of people on the street.
The people around her kept walking from place to place, chatting too quietly for Monika to understand them. They all looked the same, even if outwardly they were different. One person dragged their overly excited dog around, another was buried in their phone, and far too many couples exchanged sugary, lovey-dovey nothings.
To Monika, it all felt like meaningless noise.
To escape the feeling, she turned her attention away from the crowd, and towards the only other distraction these streets had to offer: an endless stream of identical houses crowding out the sidewalk. She could still tell with a glance which house belong to whom. Faces and names she half-recalled to memory. All, save one. The house next to Sayori's.
She felt her steps slow as she approached.
There was nothing special to recommend it, no sign or decoration to suggest who it belonged to. Ordinary gray walls, a lawn left to fend for itself, and a locked door.
She stopped.
Not that the interior could provide any clues either. Thick curtains shrouded the windows in black. And yet, she found herself drawn to it.
From the drab, unremarkable house Monika felt something new, something she'd never known until she laid eyes upon it.
It was... reality. A realness Monika was unable to explain.
The sunlight reflecting from its walls was sharper. The shadows deeper, cooler in its rest. Colors were subtly more vivid, shading its surface in a way that reminded her of a pop-up book.
Then, there was the feeling itself. An insistent pulse, fluctuating in its invisible gleam as it warmed her...
"Doki doki!"
"Gah!" Monika jumped at the sound of her own phone. Frantically, she dug it out from her jacket, cursing whoever it was who spoiled the moment.
"Hey, Club President!" Sayori said in a cheerful sing-song. "Everyone's already here waiting for you. You don't have a boyfriend you aren't telling us about, do you?"
"A... boyfriend?" Monika asked, confused by the question. "Never mind, I'm going. I just had a... distraction."
"Distraction, huh?" Sayori said. "I see. It's okay, I'm sure you'll be here any minute now, hee hee."
The rest of the Literature Club were sharing a conversation when Monika arrived.
"So anyway, the new Parfait Girls issue had this cooking contest scene..." Natsuki talked with Sayori when the latter noticed Monika.
"Hey, you're here!" Sayori ran up to Monika. "You sure kept us waiting, President."
"Indeed," Natsuki said from behind a desk. "We almost started without you. You should really take your position more seriously. What were you doing for so long?"
Natsuki scowled and crossed her arms, looking like a pink ball of pint-sized (if somewhat cute), frustration. Monika paid it no mind, writing it off as a defense mechanism she'd brought from home. Monika always felt that Natsuki never actually liked anyone anyway, simply tolerated them on some level.
"Sorry, sorry," Monika smiled. "I was just practicing piano and lost track of time."
"Practicing piano?" Natsuki shifted her eyes. "That doesn't make sense... since when does this school have a piano? It's something else, isn't it?"
"Let it go, Natsuki," Yuri quietly said from the walk-in closet. "If Monika says she's been practicing piano, that's what she's been doing. Don't be invasive."
"Fine," Natsuki grumbled. "I'm just saying, don't be surprised if it turns out she had a secret foreign boyfriend all this time."
Foreign?
Monika sometimes envied the overactive imaginations of her friends. Still, she sighed in relief. Yuri sticking up for her, mature as ever. That was Yuri, always reliable despite the anxiety she went through. She and Natsuki were worlds apart in that sense, another distraction that likely didn't help.
"I made cupcakes for everyone, you know," Natsuki murmured.
"And we ate them all!" Sayori was quick to add, still smiling.
"All?" Monika asked. "What about mine?"
"Oh..." Sayori nervously giggled. "You see, I kinda... ate those too. I'm sorry, I wasn't going to at first, but they were just so inviting with their delicious frosting, I couldn't help myself and took your cupcakes. You understand, right?"
Somehow, Monika could tell Sayori enjoyed them far too much to feel any guilt.
"At least this means we could move on to reading right away," Yuri placed a book on her desk. "Monika, can I talk to you for a bit? I kind of need... help."
Monika saw no harm in humoring Yuri's request.
"What is it?" Monika sat across her. Yuri's gaze darted from Monika herself, the towering stack of manga on the desk, and Natsuki.
"I'm just... making sure she isn't going to overhear us."
"Why?" Monika gave her a coy smile. "Are you going to confess your feelings to her?"
"What?" Yuri turned away, her face redder than tomatoes. a"Of course not! I-I mean, I'm... not like... and... uh..."
Monika laughed inwardly. Yuri was always too easily startled. Leave it to Yuri to find new and increasingly adorable ways to react.
"it's okay, silly," Monika teased, poking her on the nose with the tip of her pen. "What do you need help with?"
"I know we promised to read something from each other's interests, but..." Yuri gave Monika one of the manga issues. "I've read all of this, and... I just don't like it."
Although Monika was not as well-versed in manga as some people, she still recognized its cyborg protagonist and the knight friend standing beside him. Skimming through the pages, Monika couldn't recall the abundance of chubby-proportioned characters that stared back at her. She was surprised to find so many slice of life scenes between its new cast, in what she thought was an action series.
"Did Natsuki really pick this for you?" Monika put the issue back on the table. "Isn't this an action manga with some horror bits?"
"Yes," Yuri clenched her hands together. "And at first, I enjoyed it. It built its world in a fascinating manner, confronting issues similar to real-life, and the scene with the... chimera in particular took my breath away. But then..."
Yuri paused, struggling with what to say next. Her eyes shifted left and right, as if waiting for Monika to encourage her. Monika gave her a nod so she could continue, but that did nothing.
"Go on, Yuri," Monika said.
"But then it abruptly stopped being any of that. It devolved into a countless series of fight scenes..."
"Uh huh."
"And all the inserted humor started to significantly clash with the atmosphere..."
"I see."
"And the antagonist turned out to be a boring brute with a confusing motivation..."
Wow. When Yuri says something is confusing, that has to mean it.
"All of it just... overrode my enjoyment of the earlier parts."
Yuri stopped speaking, giving Monika an indication to chime in.
"So you liked it at first, then didn't?"
"That's it, yes..." Yuri put her arms behind her back. "And I don't know... how to say it to Natsuki. I don't want to hurt her feelings. I know she picked this because it had things I'd like in it, and I... don't want to ruin that."
Yuri's eyes visibly struggled to keep from meeting her's. Monika closed her eyes and sighed internally at the thought of having to push Yuri's speech any further.
"You want to say this as gently as possible, right?"
"Exactly," Yuri pressed her left arm on the table in a manner harder than necessary. "It's embarrassing that I have to struggle so much with nice things to say, because..."
Yuri kept her hand firmly on the desk.
"I want to be Natsuki's friend. I don't want our differences to always put a rift between us. She could have easily picked something overly cutesy, instead she thought about what I would like. I need to... respect that."
Monika carefully thought of what to say next. She found Yuri's speech to be unnecessarily dramatic, but with Yuri it was nothing new. Of course, had she said any of this to Natsuki, she'd no doubt escalate things into a shouting match. Being as polite as possible, though, would look disingenuous, as if she was talking down to a child.
What to do, what to do...
As Monika contemplated her next move, Yuri patiently waited for her. Without saying a single word. Without changing her expression. Just waiting.
She sure is patient...
Monika blinked. She didn't think of what to say next yet, but she expected Yuri to at least ask her to hurry up or say something. Instead, Yuri showed no signs of breaking eye contact as the seconds dragged on.
Jesus, this is awkward. I better say something already.
Even if she wasn't sure what that was, she forced herself to continue.
"Look," Monika began. "Natsuki clearly picked this for you. The drama, the fantasy setting, the horror, all picked to appeal to your tastes and sensibilities. So if you say you don't like it, that might hurt her feelings."
"However," Monika raised a finger. "Going out of your way to avoid saying that will signal to her that you don't trust her. Natsuki is many things, but stupid isn't one of them."
"Moderation is the key," she continued. "Speaking in a natural manner, focusing on the positives, and briefly mentioning the negatives is a good strategy here."
"And that's Monika's Writing Tip of the Day!"
Yuri looked embarrassed, staring at her with a puzzled expression.
Only then did it occur to Monika that she might have overdone things a bit. She wasn't talking about writing after all. Still, ending her advice that way made her feel nostalgic.
"I, um... I understand," Yuri gave an awkward nod. "I'm going to talk to Natsuki after we're done sharing poems."
Yuri's hand twitched.
She pulled her hand back, as if on instinct. Monika took notice of the gesture. The moment Yuri realized that she had, she buried her eyes in her hair.
"Yuri, is everything alright?" Monika asked. She was concerned now.
"Yes," Yuri said firmly. "I'm fine. I just need to..."
"Hey, everyone!" Sayori suddenly spoke up. "It's time to share poems."
"Kya!" Yuri almost jumped. "Don't... shout out of nowhere like that."
"I'm sorry, did I interrupt anything?" Sayori smiled coyly. "I just really want to know what you all wrote today."
Monika had just remembered that with all the excitement and piano practice, she hadn't actually written anything.
"Uh, I'm a bit of a goofball here," Monika said. "I forgot to write anything for today. Some President I am, huh?" She laughed, trying to lighten the mood.
"Are you kidding me?" Natsuki shouted. She stood up from her desk, glaring at Monika. "Not only do you have the nerve to show up late, but you didn't even write your own freaking poem? I don't know if you noticed, but this is a Literature Club."
"It's okay," Sayori soothed. "I'm sure you'll turn up with something tomorrow, right Monika? In the meantime, wanna read what I made for today?"
"Sure," Monika nodded.
Sayori beamed as she handed her poem to Monika.
Play-Doh.
I love playing with Play-Doh.
It's my favorite thing to do!
It's sad, because it has no shape.
And I'm here to fix that!
I can do anything with my Play-Doh.
I can shape it into a cloud.
Or a little happy kitty.
Or a beautiful amethyst.
I want it to be bright and happy.
That's why when it falls apart,
I'll be there to play with it again.
My hands are now deep red.
She thought the poem bland and tonally confusing. Still, Sayori must have had put some effort into it, which was worth recognizing. She knew she had suggested some level of honesty with Yuri, yet didn't feel like being honest herself.
"It's good," Monika handed the poem back to Sayori. "Very on the nose. And kind of... bittersweet."
"Yay, the President likes my poem!" Sayori jumped excitedly. "It finally happened!"
Finally?
Strange, she couldn't remember not liking Sayori's poems before.
"He he he..." Sayori smiled awkwardly. "My mind says weird things sometimes. Don't worry about it."
Sayori pointed Monika towards Natsuki, who had been approaching Yuri with a book in her hand.
"Why not read Natsuki's poem next?"
"Yeah, why not," Monika shrugged. "Hey, Natsuki! It's time to share poems!"
Natsuki turned to Monika, then back to Yuri. She repeated the motion, unable to pick.
Ten seconds of staring as everyone waited convinced her. She gritted her teeth before Natsuki settled on Monika.
"Fine, we'll talk later," Natsuki said to Yuri before handing her poem to Monika.
"Here," she said. "Just read it."
Slim Paper.
Paper should be slim.
Everyone knows that.
Slim paper fits on shelves better.
Slim paper is easy to stack.
And to slide into a printer.
Thick paper is bad.
It's icky to handle.
And it's too heavy.
It's useless for writing.
And useless for art.
Look at cardboard.
How gross it is.
How shameful.
Nobody wants to be like that.
Least of all me.
That's why I'll keep my tiny form.
That's why I'll keep my soft texture.
That's why I'll keep tearing myself apart.
So I could be slim for his sake.
"Well?" Natsuki tapped her foot impatiently, staring over Monika's shoulder as she read. "What do you think?"
"Laying it thick as always," Monika caught herself mid-sentence. "Pun not intended."
"Is that all you have to say?" Natsuki's tone was equal parts irritation and disappointment.
"Are you even taking this club seriously anymore?"
"I have no excuse," Monika plainly stated. "I'll try better next time."
"Sigh," Natsuki shrugged, voice soft in defeat. "At least you showed up. And I..."
Natsuki swallowed.
"I kinda need help with something."
"Really?" Monika noticed Sayori and Yuri were busy discussing their poems.
She turned her attention back to Natsuki. Remembering her talk with Yuri, Monika had a pretty good idea where this would go.
"Is it about the book?"
"Yeah," Natsuki clenched her fists. "I don't like the manga I gave her myself, but at least I thought she would. What was Yuri thinking when she picked a novel like this?"
Natsuki showed Monika the book. The smirking monstrous clown on the cover made her instantly realize what it was. She was hardly surprised in Yuri's choice of literature, but picking it for Natsuki was something else. "Oh. A horror story. Here I thought she would pick something... slice of life-ish for you?"
"Yeah!" Natsuki quickly nodded in agreement. "She knows I hate horror, and yet here we are. I hate this novel, I really, really hate it."
"But you can't say that to Yuri, can you?"
"What do you think I am, some toxic, childish brat?"
Monika would prefer not to answer, but Natsuki waited for her to say something anyway. It stumped Monika. She could explain Yuri's patience with her anxiety, but why would Natsuki wait for her like that?
"Uh... I don't think you are a toxic childish brat, Natsuki."
"Thank you," Natsuki averted her eyes. "So I need to tell Yuri this in some flowery sugarcoated language so we wouldn't end up yelling at each other."
"Because you care about her, right?"
"D-don't get the wrong idea!" Natsuki tensed up immediately. "It would just be really bad to start an argument today, because of... well, I'm just... on edge lately, thanks to..."
Natsuki suddenly stopped talking.
"Thanks to what?"
"Never mind that. Just help me find the words for this trash."
Monika still wanted to know, but she dropped the issue anyway.
"Okay. Let's start with specifics. What did this book have that upset you?"
Natsuki stared at her silently, as if struggling to speak.
Sayori was the first to notice, her conversation with Yuri seemingly finished.
"Natsuki?" Monika asked again with concern.
"It's parents," Natsuki said quietly. "Abuse."
"Oh..." she managed, as the implications were beginning to sink in.
"Yeah. I know this one. Almost every book by this guy has that kind of theme somewhere."
"You can't drop things like that without warning!" Natsuki was shouting again, clearly waiting for a say it. "This is why I hate horror. People who don't live through this tickling their nerves don't get what it's like to...nevermind."
Monika's thoughts raced. Yuri obviously wasn't trying to make Natsuki upset was she? Given the talk they'd had, she doubted it was intentional.
Was Yuri trying to relate to her?
While Natsuki waited for an answer, Monika had an idea. She'd misread the problem. Moderation wasn't going to work. Monika knew Natsuki was someone too blunt and honest for Yuri's approach.
"Look, Natsuki," Monika began. "Yuri didn't mean to hurt you. She thought you'd appreciate something that relates to your experiences."
"But..."
Monika cut her off. "Please, let me finish. Regardless of Yuri's intentions, this still hurt you. And you need to get that across. Explain how it made you feel honestly and clearly. Yuri didn't understand, and didn't mean to cause you pain."
"Fine," Natsuki turned away. "I'll try. After we're done sharing poems, anyway."
"Right," Monika saw Sayori walking away from Yuri. "It's my turn again."
"Yuri?" she sat down next to her. "Doing okay?"
"Yeah..." Yuri nodded. "Still preparing myself to talk to Natsuki about the manga. My mind keeps telling me how Natsuki will despise me..."
"She won't," Monika smiled. "Trust me."
"Thank you," Yuri handed her the poem. "Here."
The Hunter.
Stories tell of a hunter, determined, brave, and true.
Stories tell of his rifle, that could pierce a bear's heart.
How long I sought for someone like him.
For someone to slay the beast haunting me.
Yes, he will be the one to set me free.
In his home I feel the howling of the brilliant storm.
His past conquests stuffed on the walls.
His fierce eyes, without a flicker of fear in them.
I explain to him the task, and he smiles in return.
No beast is too fearsome to me, he says.
He takes my hand, I show him his prey.
The monstrous animal cornered at last.
I should be brimming with happiness.
I should stand triumphant.
Why then, are my heartbeats so heavy?
Why can't I just let him shoot?
He raises his rifle.
My breath sinks.
He takes aim.
My teeth grind.
He pulls the trigger!
At the last possible moment, I push him out of the way.
The beast, now emboldened, feasts on his flesh and spirit.
The hunter's bloody mortified face now gazes into me.
I fall on my knees, for I can't say a word.
A vicious cycle that never ends.
Without a choice, I slice the bread.
And I feed myself again.
It was about what Monika expected of Yuri. Always full of vibrant language and symbolism Monika needed several readings to get. Guessing what Yuri's poems are about were frustrating, but Monika always had a few ideas anyway.
"So, this is abo- huh?" as soon as Monika took her eyes away from the poem, Yuri was away in the corner standing in front of Natsuki.
"About the manga... uh..." Yuri began speaking.
"What?" Natsuki waited for her to finish.
Yuri looked around as though she were an animal caught in a trap. Her lips moved, but she was silent.
Her knees shook. She was breathing heavily, quick gasps starving for oxygen.
She clasped her trembling hands, nails digging into her palms.
Natsuki stared at her friend with naked concern.
"I mean, I..." Yuri pulled her arms back. "I'm sorry. I can't do this!"
Yuri ran for the door, but Sayori stood in front of her, barring her means of escape.
"Yuri, where are you going?" Sayori said innocuously. "We haven't even talked about the festival yet."
"I..." Yuri did her best to steady her breathing. "I just need some fresh air, that's all."
"Yuri," Sayori's voice became softer. "Your therapist called. She says you didn't show up yesterday. What happened?"
Monika felt the tension between them was thick enough to cut with a knife.
She spared a glance at Natsuki , who looked as concerned as Monika felt.
"Why... would she call you?" Yuri asked flatly. "You don't have any right to be involved in this."
Sayori stood her ground.
"She couldn't reach you, so she called the emergency contact. That would be me."
"And... you never told me?" Yuri's hands twitched. "Sayori, how... how could you? You set me up!" she screamed in her face, pushing as hard as she could to get her friend out of the way.
"Yuri, what is your problem?" Natsuki stepped in. "Sayori is just trying to help."
"Excuse me..." Yuri turned to Natsuki. "My problem? This is between me and the therapist, and other people should not barge in!"
"Barge in?!" Natsuki clenched her fists. "If you hadn't dodged your therapist, we wouldn't need to 'barge in'!"
"I'm not dodging my therapist! I'm just... just... this isn't any of your business, okay?!"
"Wha..." Natsuki was taken aback. "How dare you?! First you give me this horrible traumatizing book, and now this? Is this how you treat people trying to help you?!"
"Yuri, please..." Sayori tried to speak.
"Stay out of this!" Yuri cut her off. "H-horrible? I gave you something that relates to you, and this is how you react?!"
"You sure 'related' me into a panic attack!" Natsuki stepped closer to her. "I gave you something that you would like, and you gave me that exploitative junk!"
"Something I would like?" Yuri's left forearm twitched. "I don't recall liking disappointing endings!"
"How... how snobbish can you get?!" Natsuki screamed. "You get something made for you, and you still find something to complain!"
"I suppose it would look snobbish for a child like you!"
"You wanna talk about children?! Let's talk about someone who can't walk two streets away to solve her egomania issues!"
"Egomania? Egomania?! Is that what it looks like to an obnoxious daddy's girl who can't grow up!"
"Yeah! Go on! Cut as deep as you can! Why don't you show us how you got so good at that?!"
"How about you never show up again instead?!"
Yuri closed her mouth at the sight of Natsuki, mouth agape in shock, tears streaming down her cheeks, eyes bloodshot and wide. She seemed to be struggling to speak, but Monika only heard her softly whimpering.
Sayori stood between them, her eyes meeting Monika's.
How did it end up like this...
"I didn't mean..." Yuri whispered.
Natsuki pushed Sayori out of the way. Before anyone could catch her, Natsuki was gone through the corridor. Yuri fell onto one of the desks, clutching her head in shame.
"Not again..." Sayori quietly said.
"I didn't mean it..." Yuri spoke over her tears.
"It's okay, I know you didn't mean it," Sayori patted her head. "Just breathe, okay? I'll walk you home tonight and we'll relax. Does that sound good?"
"Yes..." Yuri sobbed. "I just need... to be alone for a few minutes first."
Monika watched it all from the sidelines, wondering if she should have stepped in. It all happened too fast for her to react, and although she knew her friends weren't normally like that, a nagging feeling of deja vu could not escape her.
"Let's go, Monika," Sayori took her hand.
"Oh, right," they both left the classroom. Sayori closed the door behind her, but only partially, keeping just a tiny gap for herself to look over.
Yuri grabbed her left forearm to keep it from twitching. Briefly, she reached for her bag, but then Yuri noticed the door wasn't completely closed.
"Some Vice President I am, huh?" Sayori turned to Monika. "I'm supposed to make everyone happy, yet look how it's all turning out."
"This isn't your fault," Monika said. "No one could just show up and magically calm these two down."
"Right," Sayori bitterly laughed. "No one indeed."
A few minutes after, Yuri exited the doorway. She took Sayori's hand, and the two left the corridor. Monika was left to her own devices.
She looked around at the club room, empty and devoid of fresh emotions. Wonder. Sharing. Friendship. Differences. Resentment. Anger. Fear. Hatred.
None of which meant anything to Monika.
In her mind's eye, she saw the house again. Unremarkably beautiful in its simplicity.
For a moment, the classroom seemed to fade around her, an illusion that gave up the attempt to be real.
Monika looked around at the stack of manga, the scattered pens and paper on their desks.
She shook her head, dispelling the thoughts like cobwebs.
It was empty now, but they'd be back tomorrow, laughing and talking, maybe even arguing. But it would all come back to her.
Yet no matter how much she tried, Monika could not remember why that was.
Why do I care about some house? My friends are in pain. I should be helping them.
But how can I?
Who am I to help them?
What am I?
Just some president of a silly hobby club.
I'm not qualified to deal with something like that.
But even then...
Shouldn't I be helping them?
Monika's thoughts came back to the house once again. Even if no one lived in it, as far as Monika could remember. Sayori never mentioned anything about it, pretending like it never existed. It was just some house. Nothing more. Just some house.
Someone lives there, don't they?
They must be.
It's too clean of a house to simply be abandoned.
Do I... know them?
She tried her damndest to recall any such memory. Her mind, indifferent to her efforts, drew a blank, over and over. Her head felt as if it had been filled with cotton, fuzzy and heavier than it should. Yet Monika did not stop trying to get a memory out of it.
Eventually, a silhouette appeared in her mind. Featureless, the dark silhouette of a person. Where were they standing? No, not standing. they were Sitting. down, across a wall of glass. Smiling warmly at her.
Must have been just... some dream.
I should get home.
Monika left the classroom and closed the door. It was getting late. And a bit cold.
To Be Continued.