Author's Notes: I recently posted a very cute edit of Sayori at a carnival (which you can find on my Instagram page "Natsuki's Meme Bakery"for those interested), and became inspired to make a story based on it. I wrote this in under four hours and mostly did it to get it off my chest on how much I love Sayori and pray for her eternal happinesses. I hope you enjoy! Chapter 6 of Love and Literature is in the works!

...

You paced around your bedroom, fighting off the sheath of anxiety that covered your mind. Outside your window, bold streaks of a hazy sunset painted the sky. On your desk sat a drained coffee you bought at the corner store, trying to calm your nerves. You ran through the idea over and over again in your head.

Are you really gonna do this? Are you gonna ask Sayori out on a date?

How did you fall in love with her to begin with, anyway?

Well, it started with the Literature Club, obviously. Before she made you join, your life was a monotonous routine. Wake up, go to school, come home and go to bed. Devoid of life, of color, of feeling. When you started going to her club meetings on a daily, it was as if a painted took a blank canvas and painted a beautiful portrait.

There was Monika, with her shining reputation as one the schools brightest students. Athletic, popular and beautiful, you would think she only started the club just to add something to her future college resume. You soon learned that wasn't the case, about her deep love for literature, the fine arts and her club members. How carefully she plans out the clubs day-to-day schedule, appealing to everyone's interests one way or another. Many a night you've been to her house, be it for help with complex homework to just life advice in general. Like she's always told you; if you ever need help, she's there for you. Like a parental figure, in an odd sense.

And then Natsuki, the pink-haired tsundere with a passion for baking and manga. The two of you quickly bonded over your love for manga (which, contrary to Yuri, is literature), both introducing each other to your favorite series. She's been to your house a few times, baking supplies in hand, and have worked long into the nights baking the most delicious confections you've ever tasted. You became more familiar with her home life (the pain of her abusive father), and soon managed to get her out of that situation for good. She leads a brighter life, and it's all because of you. Not a day has gone by where she hasn't thanked you for saving her.

And finally Yuri, the maiden of mystery, the aficionado of psychological thrillers, her mind carrying a vocabulary as vast as the deepest and most diverse libraries. Your writing style, while at first a bit primitive, evolved and expanded thanks to her critiques. While she did spend some time away from the club due to her...involvement with knives, you've always been persistent to check on her to ensure she never hurts herself again (despite her adamant insistence she has moved on from those tendencies).

But Sayori...

Of course there's your history with her, tracing back to your childhood years. Back then, she spent almost every waking second by your side. Playing together in the park, eating your box lunches together in the cafeteria, playdates at each other's houses on the weekends. Not having any classes apart from each other meant never being apart during the school days. Getting older and staying up all night watching scary movies under the cover of blankets, piles of junk food all around. All so innocent back then, not a care in the world.

Her bubbly personality, her happy-go-lucky outlook on life, her sweet innocence, her always messy bed-hair, her adorable red bow. How she always kept her blazer unbuttoned, always bugging you to buy a snack for her at the vending machine. Always asking you for your class notes because she forgot hers at home. Always walking home together after the club meets. As the weeks marched on, you almost started hanging out as much as you did in your childhoods, be it to just relax with a movie or to work on tomorrow's assignments. It was refreshing, and it made your heart pound.

Perhaps you realized you were in love with her when, at school, you were sitting with a few friends and the topic of significant others came up. While everyone talked about their boyfriends and girlfriends, you stayed rather silent. The whole duration of the conversation, Sayori persisted in your thoughts.

Or when the two of you went out to see a movie late one night at the local cinema. The seats y'all picked were shared and the divider was broken, so you two were practically snuggled with each other. You could barely focus on the movie as you felt the warmth of her body pressed up against you, heart pounding out of your chest. You dismissed her comment ("Wow, your heart was beating really fast!") as just being scared of the movie (despite it being a comedy). She laughed at that, at least.

Or just in your day-to-day life, the smallest of things reminded you of her. A chocolate chip cookie in a mall display. A selection of ribbons at a clothing store. Running a grocery errand and walking past the shampoo and conditioners, the same strawberry-vanilla smell that radiates from her wafting in your nose. Pausing to enjoy the smell, reminded of her warmth and happiness.

You take a deep breath. The sun is starting to set. She has a curfew, and you want to take advantage of every minute you can spend with her.

You picked up your phone and dialed her number, holding up the phone to your ear. Ring...ring...ring...she's probably asleep already. Hang up before you wake her up from-

The line clicked. "Hello?" A female voice answers.

"Sayori? It's Anon."

"Oh, hey!" she exclaimed, voice bursting with excitement. "What's up?"

You pushed back a strand of loose hair, trying to keep a cool head. Don't fuck this up.

"Oh well, you know about the carnival, right? The one by the pier?"

She jokingly scoffed. "Well, duh! It's all everyone's been talking about at school! All I hear people tell each other is 'Hey, wanna go to the carnival tonight? We should go to the carnival!' It's getting annoying. Just keep it private, y'know?"

You feel your blood go ice cold. You cough. "Yeah. I know."

A pause.

"Why?" She asks, voice dripping with innocence.

You feel your thin grasp of confidence slipping. This was an awful idea, but it's too late to back out now. Persist.

"Well, I was wondering if you weren't too busy tonight you'd want to…" you clear your throat. "check it out with me? I'll pay."

There's no hesitation. "Absolutely, Anon! I've been wanting to go with someone, but nobody's ever asked me. What time did you want to go?"

You make arrangements to pick her up at 7. You chat for a few minutes more, then she has to hang up to get ready.

You slowly put the phone down on your desk. You run your fingers through your hair, mind going through thoughts faster than the speed of sound. What to do now?

You glance at your watch.

6:34pm.

'Shit! Why the hell did I give myself so little time!' you think angrily to yourself. I have to look perfect. You waste no time.

You rush into the bathroom and quickly turn on the shower.

…

You head outside, dressed in the best clothes your wardrobe closet has to offer. Hair fixed, a little bit of body spray, the works. Not too formal but not too casual. Perfect for a night at the carnival.

You carefully open the gate leading to her house and walk to the front door. You whip out your phone and use it as a mirror, checking your hair one last time before knocking. There's a pause before the door opens, and a tall solidly built man wearing black dress pants, a tucked in white-shirt and red tie greets you.

You recognize him as Mr. Asoka, Sayori's father. He works as a private security officer for a local drilling company (Tagruato, you think the name of it was). In your adolescence he was always so warm and welcoming to you (you were Sayori's best friend, after all), making sandwiches for you and Sayori when you returned from the park, or popping the popcorn for your movie nights. When your parents came over for dinner with Sayori's parents, they were always laughing at the jokes he would make.

That air of niceness seems to have vanished. He gives you a slightly sour look, like you would a piece of gum you just stepped on in the street. You can't blame him. Your a pubescent teenager taking his innocent daughter to the 'carnival' (whatever that could be). Of course, you'd never do anything nefarious or harm her, but still, it's a father's instinct to second guess anyone and everyone taking their daughter for a night out.

You gulp. "Hello, Mr. Asoka. I was here for-"

He gives a wave, silencing me. "I know. She's just getting ready. You can come inside if you want-"

A voice chirps from behind him, rushing down the stairs. Sayori pops up from behind her father, a smile adorning her face. "Hey, Anon! Ready to go?"

You smile. "Yeah, was waiting for you."

"Eheh, well I hope I didn't keep you long." she says. Mr. Asoka is silent, still staring me down. Sayori gives her dad a hug and pushes past him. We start to walk to the gate.

Sayori turned back to the door. I glance back with her. "Bye, Daddy! Love you! I'll call you when we're heading back!" She blows a miss.

Mr. Asoka waved back, a smile on his face. "Love you, sweetheart! Be back before dinner!" Sayori turned back around, but I was still looking back. Out of her sight, Mr. Asoka shot me a death glare. You knew what it meant instantly. "Hurt my daughter and I'll have you hanging from a noose."

You nodded in...acknowledgement. You speed up to join Sayori, already past the gate. "Come on, let's go, Anon! Move it or lose it!"

You took a moment to take in her wardrobe. Swapping her red bow for a lavender one (which brought out those sparkly eyes of hers), she was dressed in slim jeans, a blue T-shirt with an imprint of the sun (matched her personality, shining with light) and a golden necklace with her name engraved on it. A mature, beautiful look.

We chat nonchalantly, talking about the Literature Club mostly. She fills me in that Monika was in talks with the school board to sponsor an overseas trip to a literature festival next month in New York City (which would be a cover for a mostly leisure trip). Considering Monika's status among the education officials as an A+ pupil, you would be surprised if they turned her down.

As you approached the carnival, the lights and sounds grew louder. Through the crowds of people, you noticed a few familiar school faces (and you swear you saw a familiar dash of tall purple hair and short pink hair together, but you weren't entirely sure). The smells of freshly-made food, oil from the various machines and the distant saltwater ocean swirl in your nose, a bizarre but enchanting aura.

The two of you approach the ticket booth, and get in line. You pull out your wallet and pay for both of your admission. Sayori insists she can pay for her own ticket, but you wave away her request with a "It's no issue." Side by side, you walk through the gates of the carnival.

"Come on, Anon!" She pulls me by the sleeve.

…

"Anon, you have to win it for me!"

You two had been at the carnival for about a half an hour, and Sayori was just as eager as when we arrived. She had already eaten a bag of cotton candy and tried her hand at a few game booths (to varying success). She had won a keychain and a plush cupcake ('Natsuki will love this!'), but was eager to try her hand at more.

Her attention was now directed at one of those 'knock down the bottles' booths, dozens of colorful plushes lined up on the walls and shelves. A few people were crowded around trying to win the game. I warily approached.

"Look how cute it is! It's just like the one I have in my room. Remember?"

You do remember. The giant Mr. Cow plush she bought at a school event so many years ago. You never really liked it (I always felt those soulless black eyes piercing through my soul) but you never said anything about it out loud to her. This smaller one was much cuter, looking more like a chibi-version of the real deal.

"Sayori, you know how bad of an arm I have. Remember my time in little league?", Flashbacks to constantly striking out at the home plate, hearing the humiliating boos of the crowd as you sounded back to the dugout. You remember going home and crying, but Sayori was always there to comfort you.

"Yeah, but this is different! There won't be as many people here to laugh at you." You shoot her a look, and Sayori laughs. Her smile fills you with a spreading sense of happiness like no other.

Sayori tugs your hands and pulls you to the booth. The harsh lights of the stand glare in your eyes, and you squint to adjust. You take in the booth operator, a short man who barely able to look over the wood counter.

You clear your throat. "What do I have to do to win", you point at the plush "that cow?"

The booth operator glances at the cow, then back to you. "That one? Normally you have to make three hits in a row, but for the lovely couple, you only need to make one."

Sayori blushes beet red, and turns away, giggling. You share the blush. "W-we...how many tickets?" The man holds up five fingers. You sigh and dig into your pocket, pulling out the tickets. The man hands you a ball and you start to take aim.

Sayori cheered you on. "Come on, Anon! You can do this!" She said, voice dripping with genuine enthusiasm.

You blink harshly, still trying to adjust to the bright lights. How hard can it be to make one hit?

You throw the ball. It whizzes past the bottles and gently thuds into the tarp behind it.

"That's one!" the man says, reaching down to grab the ball off the ground. He hands it back to you.

You rub your eyes and try again. This time the ball seems to graze one of the bottles, but it barely wobbles. 'I knew these damn things are rigged.' you growled under your breath, just out of Sayori's earshot.

"Thaaaaat's two!" the booth operator says. By now a few people are crowded around, eager to see how this turns out.

"Can you turn down the lights a bit? They're bright as hell.", You say. The operator shakes his head. "Kid, it's stuck in one setting. You should try getting good." He says with a snicker.

You give him a look. You glance back at Sayori, who's beginning to accept you can't win it for her. She lets out a small sigh, her smile drooping.

You shake your head and let out a deep sigh.

Do it for her.

With all your might, you chuck the ball at the bottles.

The ball smashes into the bottles, crashing to the ground. You hear Sayori squeal with delight, clapping her hands together. "Bullseye! Congratulations!" the stand operator says. He takes the stuffed cow down from it's display and hands it to Sayori with a smile. Sayori is still bouncing up and down with delight.

Sayori embraces you in a bear hug. "Ooooh, I knew you could do it! I'm so happy, ahahaha!" She giggles. You blush.

"Come on. Let's go check out some more stuff." You say, pulling her gently by the hand. Your hands intertwine. With a wide blushing smile, Sayori follows you.

…

By the end of the night, your arms are filled with various snack foods, knickknacks and other things. Sayori's face was painted with a few stars on her cheeks (at her begging, you got a similar design on your cheek as well). The sky was beginning to grow dark but the sun had yet to completely set yet. You two had hit up just about every booth, ride and attraction the carnival had to offer. Everything except…

"The ferris wheel!" Sayori exclaimed, pointing up at the attraction. The ferris wheel loomed above the tents and booths of the festival, soft red lights glowing from each cart. Looking past it, the beach and the ocean. The sunset glimmered off the metal framing of the wheel.

You get in line with her. Only a few people (you notice they seem to be couple's) are waiting their turn. You take a moment to glance at your phone, and grimace at the sight of a text from your mom.

"Get home soon." is all it reads. Sent a few minutes ago.

You tap your foot in agitation. The line seems to be in a gridlock. You type out a quick acknowledgement and shove your phone back into your pocket, praying to the Gods this line picks up a-

"Next in line, please." You hear a voice call out.

You hand the ride operator your tickets. "You two are lucky. This was the last one." he says, taking the tickets from your hand. He leads you to the cart, swinging the gate open with a creak. The metal is slightly rusted, the once-colorful paint chipping in the corners, but the seats are plush and soft. You both take a seat, scooting just a tad close to each other. The operator clicks the door shut and walks back to his booth.

With a groan, the ferris wheel begins to move. You can hear a couple of surprised gasps in the adjacent carts, but you pay them no mind. You glance down at the ground, the festival, watching them slowly shrink away.

Sayori is facing away from you, staring out towards the ocean. The sun is about to set for the night, but the soft orange lights glint along the oceans surface, giving it a serene feeling. The sounds of the festival become fainter and fainter in your ears, as your cart climbs higher into the sky. You feel an uneasy lurching sensation in your stomach. You've never been a fan of heights, but you just grit your teeth and go with it.

The cart rises higher up into the sky, at least 50 feet or so. From up here, you can look out across the entire town and beyond. Lights from various homes behind to light up the approaching night.

The cart creaks to a halt. You look down at the ground. We have to be at the very top, at least. Sayori looks back at you, a look of worry on her face. "Anon, what's going on?"

You give her an uncertain look. "I don't know. I think we stopped." Down below, the lights go out at the rows of booths. The soft lights of the cart persist, however. (a separate generator?).

A breeze rushes into your cart. She scoots in closer to you. "Its cold, Anon." She folds her arms together.

You don't even think twice. You swiftly unzip your jacket and hand it to her. You wrap it around her shoulders and she snuggles into you. "Th-thank you, Anon."

'This is it. I have to tell her. The Gods are giving me my moment.'

"Sayori…" you start.

She looks up, those big glossy eyes staring at you. "Yes, Anon?".

You pause, carefully outlining your words. "Well, we've been friends for so long, and I just want you to know how much you mean to me."

Sayori smiles. "I feel the same way."

"Anon, I have to confess to you.", She continues. "Even though we've been through a lot together, you've always been there to make it all better. Even on days when I'm at my lowest, you've always done what you can to cheer me up.",

There's a pause. She scoots in closer to you.

"I just want you to know that...I'm thankful for you. I'm thankful to have you in my life, and I want you to know how much I cherish you and the time we spend together…",

You look straight into her eyes. She's on the verge of tears.

"Sayori, I…", you start. "You are my best friend. You mean more to me than anyone else in the world. I want to do whatever I can making you feel secure, safe and loved. Ive been wanting to tell you this for a while now but...tonight feels just right to tell you now…"

She looks up at you, eyes glossy. The sunset glows on her hair. She looks like an angel.

"Anon…" she says, breathless.

She leans in, eyes shut. You gently hold her face as you pull her in for a kiss. She tastes like vanilla and pure joy. Her lips are soft and her cheeks are silky. You can feel them grow hot from blushing.

You hold the kiss for five, ten, fifteen seconds. You slowly pull away. She looks at you, a tear in her eye.

"I love you."

She embraces you in a tight hug, face buried in your shirt. You pull her in tightly, not wanting to break away from her.

"I love you too, Sayori."

In that moment, you and her became one, two hearts beating in unison. The rest of the world fell away, and it was just you and her together. School, your responsibilities, your fears, your woes and your flaws. In that blissful moment, it did not matter.

And you knew, through whatever the future held, you would always be at her side, and you will never let her go.

Not for a second.