Rain poured from the gray clouds above, the raindrops didn't seem to lay off as it covered a nice grey house with cinder tiles forming a pathway that led from the brown door towards the cement street. Each window was lit up with an orange glow that seemed out of place when the screams started.

"Don't you dare run from me young lady!" A man within the house growled, his voice was so loud that it was audible from down the streets. People passing by could hear the sound of breaking glass or ornaments being knocked over. The growl was accompanied by the screams of what sounded like a young girl.

"Get back here Natsuki!" The man demanded. Suddenly the doors swung open with a petite girl with pastel pink hair running out with tears in her swollen pink eyes. She wore a black torn shirt with no sleeves and a blue skirt. She was covered with purple bruises and a busted lip.

"NATSUKI!!!!" Her father shouted in a feeble attempt to find her. Natsuki didn't care what her father said, she didn't care that she just ran into the heavy rainfall barefooted, she just wanted to get away from him. She kept running and running, until she no longer had the breath to continued. She stopped and took a breather, curling up into a ball under a tree branch for shelter. The young girl stared into the puddle that reflected her beaten body. Her father had just found out that she had been hiding a secret collection of manga in her room, needless to say he was very mad. Natsuki cried into her arms as she wished her father would just disappear, why must she be the one to endure this trauma while everybody else lived their lives all hunky–dory? It wasn't fair!

A shadow casted over Natsuki, forcing her to sense a tall figure towering over her. Anger suddenly flowed through Natsuki's face as she figured that it could've only have been her father. Of course he would find her so quickly, the young girl barely made any attempt to hide. This wasn't fair to her, she wanted it all to end so badly. She closed her eyes and lifted her head towards the presence.

"WHY WON'T YOU JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!!?!!!"She screamed at the top of her lungs. It was her last desperate attempt to rebel against her own parent. Too her surprise however, there was no response.

"Huh?" She gasped in confusion. Usually she would've felt something hurt her or at least a forceful grip on her skinny arms but, none of the sort had come to transpire. She opened her eyes to see… Nothing. She was completely alone, despite the fact that she felt the presence of someone near her. The rain made the entire neighborhood nothing but a dark blue haze with the only visible thing she was able to perceive being a bright red balloon. Natsuki stared at the balloon in confusion, it was just there, hovering above her.

"What's something like this doing here?" She wondered, before standing up to take a closer look. Despite the fact that it was raining harshly, Natsuki was still able to see something standing within the balloon's reflective surface.

POP!

Suddenly the balloon popped, causing Natsuki to jump in shock. The sudden confusion soon turned into fear as she could see her father, slowly walking towards her from the distance.

"NO!" She screamed. Tears flowing from her eyes as she couldn't muster the strength to run. All she could do was stand there and let her father have his way with her. Despite all of this, the last thing Natsuki saw… Was her father's skin turning a ghastly pale white.

BASED ON DOKI DOKI LITERATURE CLUB BY DAN SALVATO AND IT BY STEPHEN KING

JUST FLOAT

Part 1: Anonymous

THE NEXT DAY…

You had just locked the door with the house keys your parents left before going out on a vacation. They never told you where, just that they would be back in a month. You weren't phased by this however, stuff like this has happened before to the point where you could consider it a yearly occurrence. You sighed at the thought of your parents before walking across the sidewalk, throwing your book–bag across your back while passing by your neighbor's houses. Today marked the beginning of your last year of high school and you weren't looking forward to it. You have never given the time to join any clubs or participate in activities to give you any memories to be fond of, so this whole thing just felt like a waste of time.

"Heeeeeeeyyy!!"

Speaking of a waste of time, you see an annoying girl with coral pink hair running toward you from the distance, waving her arms in the air like she's totally oblivious to any attention she might draw to herself. That girl was Sayori, your neighbor and good friend since the two of you were children. She was the kind of friend you'd never see yourself making today, but it just kind of works out because you've known each other for so long. On days like these you used to walk with her to school, but starting around high school she started to oversleep more and more frequently, soon you started to get tired of waiting for her. But if she was going to chase after you like this, you would start to feel the need to run away from her. In the end, you decided to just sigh and idle in front of the crosswalk to let Sayori catch up. She was wearing a gray blazer over both a brown sweater vest and a white collared shirt. She also wore a dark blue skirt with white leggings and slippers. You felt slightly irritated upon seeing her blazer unbuttoned, doesn't she realize that the school code requires her to button up? She finally caught up, immediately stopping to catch her breath

"Haaahhh… haaahhh… I overslept again!" She gasped. Her sky blue eyes stared at you with a weirdly placed spark of determination.

"But I caught you this time!" She claimed, almost as if that was some sort of achievement. You rolled your eyes in response.

"Maybe, but only because I decided to stop and wait for you." You retorted. Sayori puffed up her cheeks with an annoyed expression.

"Eeehhhhh, you say that like you were thinking about ignoring me! That's mean, anon!" She claimed, nervously pressing both of her index fingers together. You frowned at her. What did she expect? Of course you would think about doing that if she's going to garner unwanted attention.

"Well, if people stare at you for acting weird then I don't want them to think we're a couple or something." You informed half-heartedly. Sayori pouted a bit, annoyed that her childhood friend of all people would think about abandoning her. She felt hurt to be honest, but quickly understood where you must be coming from.

"Fine, fine. But you did wait for me, after all. I guess you don't have it in you to be mean even if you want to." She reluctantly complied with a casual smile. There was some truth to her words, if you truly could not care that much about her like you were implying, then you would have no problem leaving her as she was running towards you. You rolled your eyes once again. There was no doubt in your mind that she would've started crying had you left her alone. If that had happened then you would've no doubt became the bad guy.

"Whatever you say, Sayori… " You disregarded. Sayori giggled as she crossed the street with you. While your words may be harsh, Sayori knew that you were just looking out for her. The two of you continued walking to school when you suddenly noticed a group of students gathering around a telephone pole.

"Wonder what that is all about." You said. Sayori looked concerned, much different from her usual self. Does she have any idea what's going on? You wanted to ask her on the matter but could easily tell that she wasn't comfortable with it. That's when you started to overhear some of the chatter.

"Oh man, I can't believe something like this could happen in our school…" One student spoke.

"A first year student disappearing before the first day of school? Don't you find that a little fishy?" Another student claimed. Both you and Sayori were shocked to hear this, a student going missing? You could hardly believe such a thing.

"I don't know… News of people suddenly going missing are becoming more and more frequent. It's kinda scaring me." A female student announced.

"Hey calm down, you're starting to freak me out!" Her friend claimed. Sayori looked at you with an unnerved expression, it was clear that she felt uncomfortable.

"Hey Anon…" She muttered quietly. You looked back at her in concern.

"Yes?" You responded.

"I think we should leave now." She suggested. You looked back at the crowd of students before returning to Sayori.

"Yeah I think so too." You said with a nod. Sayori nodded back before holding onto your arm. Usually you would've told her to get off you, but right now you understood that she needed something to make her feel safe. The two of you left and quickly headed to school. Sadly, that was the most eventful thing this day had to offer. Before you knew it, school was already over and you were packing your things. It was anticlimactic to say the least. You would think that there would at least be some gossip about the missing freshman, but no, today was as boring as ever. You stared into a wall due to the lack of motivation.

"Clubs…" You quickly realized. Last year you had promised Sayori that you would think about joining some clubs. An audible groan left your mouth, you weren't the type to do an activity and meet new people. No, you were much more content living out your life being average and keeping to yourself. If you ever needed to kill some time, then you would go play some video games. You did make that promise with Sayori however, so she might be upset if you didn't even give it a single thought. You pondered about starting with the anime club…

"Hellooo?" A familiar voice called out.

"Sayori…?" You muttered in shock. She must have came into the classroom while you were spacing out. You looked around and realized that you were the only one left in the classroom. Just how long were you spaced out? Sayori had a mellow smile on her face, completely unlike her usual self. Could she still be bothered by the disappearance of that freshman?

"Ehehe… I thought I'd catch you coming out of the classroom, but I saw you just sitting here and spacing out, so I just came in…" She explained nervously. You looked at her in concern, this wasn't like her at all. Sayori noticed your gaze and forged a goofy smile.

"Anon… why are you staring at me like that?" She asked, pretending that she was fine. You could see through this facade though, it angered you that she didn't feel comfortable talking to you about this.

"Sayori…" You started. Your childhood friend avoids making eye contact, yet you were still able to see her shocked expression. What was this new side of your friend that you were witnessing? It felt like you were talking to a completely different person.

"I'm your friend, right?" You asked. Sayori looks at you in the eye with a shocked yet distraught expression. On the outside she looked very angry, almost offended.

"Of course you are! You're the closest friend I ever had!" She announced. Getting straight to the point, you took a small breath.

"Then tell me what's wrong." You requested. It pained you to see a friend like this, especially someone like Sayori. She was a bright and optimistic person that would always give you some hope in this dark and bleak world. You would never forgive yourself if that little sunshine were to suddenly disappear because you did nothing. Sayori's sky blue eyes once again looked down towards the ground.

"Are you still thinking about the student that went missing?" You asked. Sayori stayed silent, not giving you a full answer. That must've been apart of it, it was something though. You were getting somewhere. You thought back to that moment with all those students, wondering what could've possibly made her this upset. It didn't take long for you to figure it out.

"Did you know them? The missing person I mean…" You guessed. Sayori finally looked at you and nodded, she looked like she was going to cry.

"Her name was Natsuki, she was my friend… While she was kind of mean to me at first… She would always look out for me… giving me a cookie when I was hungry, or just being there when I needed a friend in the literature club…" She explained.

"Sayori…" You gasped. You had no idea that someone that important to her even existed. Sayori had rarely talked to you about the literature club, despite the fact that she was vice president. Not that you were aware that she had any interest in literature until now. In fact, you're 99% sure she only did it because she thought it would be fun to help start a new club. Since she was the first one to show interest after the one who proposed the club, she inherited the title "Vice President". Sayori put on a brave smile, it seems like she still wasn't comfortable with talking to you about this. You wondered why, you felt like you needed to prove that she could talk to you about this stuff.

"Ehehe… Can we please stop talking about this? It's making me sad again…" She admitted. You let out a sigh, you still wanted to keep going but that wouldn't be fair to her. Hopefully, she would soon feel comfortable with talking to you about this. You were friends after all.

"Sure… so why did you come here?" You asked. A change of subject was really necessary right now. Sayori seemed to appreciate this as she smiled in relief, she never expected things to get so serious all of a sudden.

"Well, I thought you might need some encouragement in joining a club, so I thought, you know…" She trailed off. She seemed nervous about this for some reason, you decided to give her some encouragement yourself. You gave her a warm and patient smile. She smiled back at you and felt her nerves go away, you had no intention of judging her right now.

"Well, that you could come to my club!" She claimed.

"Sayori…" You gasped. You never expected her to invite you to her club. For some reason you just assumed that she wouldn't be comfortable having you there. You were learning more things about her than usual. She raised both of her arms halfway up and gave you a bubbly bright smile, now this was the Sayori you remembered.

"Yeah??" She questioned in excitement. Usually you would've denied her request. You had little interest in literature, in fact the only "books" you have read were manga. Today however, you felt compelled to support Sayori, it would just feel wrong if you denied her while she was grieving. Regrettably, there was only one choice you could make.

"If it would make you feel better… then I will gladly join!" You said. Sayori eyes widened in shock, she didn't expect you to agree so easily. In fact, she had expected to beg you to join.

"Really…?" She gasped. You nodded in confirmation, wondering what the hell you gotten yourself into. Sayori jumped in excitement with a big smile on her face, the sudden change in tone shocked you. Just how much was your friend hiding?

"Yes! Let's go!" She cheered. Without any further warning, she grabbed your arm and yanked you out of the classroom. All while keeping that stupid grin on her face. While you were being pulled out of the classroom, you couldn't help but notice a single red balloon passing by.

"Weird…" You muttered. Regardless, you decided to just shrug it off and pay it no mind. And thus, today marks the day you sold your soul for a friend. You dejectedly follow Sayori across the school and upstairs-a section of the school you rarely visit, being generally used for third-year classes and activities. Sayori, full of energy, swings open the classroom door.

"Everyone! The new member is here—!"She shouted suddenly. You nervously glanced around the room, noticing two other girls here.

"Hello everyone…" You greeted, not entirely sure what to expect. Suddenly, you grabbed the attention of the two girls in the room.

"Welcome to the Literature Club, it's a pleasure meeting you." A beautiful girl was the first to approach you. She had long straight purple hair that flowed down her tall figure and had light purple eyes. She wore the same outfit as Sayori only she actually buttoned hers up, "Sayori always says nice things about you." She said with a calm and sophisticated voice.

"Ah, Anon! What a nice surprise!" The second girl spoke. This one had long coral brown hair that was kept in a ponytail tied back with a large white bow. She also has bangs and two long strands of hair next to her face. "Welcome to the club!" She spoke. All words escaped you in this situation. This club… was full of incredibly cute girls!! Sayori was buzzing with excitement, she had been waiting for this moment. She walks up to you and points towards the purple girl.

"Well Anon, this is Yuri, the smartest in the club!" She claimed. The one named Yuri looked away from you and started to play with her hair.

"D-Don't say things like that…" She spoke softly. Yuri appeared to be more mature and timid, but seems to have a hard time keeping up with people like Sayori.

"Ah… Well, it's nice to meet you Yuri." You greeted once again. Yuri had trouble keeping eye contact, but mustered up the strength to speak.

"S-same to you…" She said. This clearly was hard for someone like her.

"And it sounds like you already know Monika, is that right?" Sayori asked, obviously referring to the one with coral brown hair.

"That's right. It's great to see you again, Anon." Monika claimed with a sweet smile. You two do know each other-well, you rarely talked, but you were in the same class as her last year. Monika was probably the most popular girl in class-smart, beautiful, athletic. Basically, completely out of your league. So, having her smile at you so genuinely felt a little…

"Y-You too, Monika." You blurted out suddenly.

"Come sit down, Anon! We made room for you at the table, so you can sit next to me or Monika." Sayori claimed. She was way too excited for her own good, but you preferred her that way now. "I'll get the cupcakes!" She announced. Suddenly the room became quiet, both Yuri and Monika looked down. You had no idea why the atmosphere suddenly felt grim, was cupcakes a forbidden word?

"Too soon?" Sayori asked rhetorically. That's when you realized what was getting everyone so down. Natsuki-the one that had went missing, she must've been known for baking cupcakes. The room stayed silent for what felt like forever, until Yuri decided to remedy the situation.

"T-Then, how about I make some tea as well?" She proposed. Sayori sighed in relief, you could tell that today was a hard time for the three girls. Perhaps that's why they needed you, someone that could help them cope. The girls had a few desks arranged to form a table. As Sayori mentioned, it's been widened so that there was one space next to Monika and one space next to Sayori. You noticed that there was another empty space, probably belonged to Natsuki. Just staring at it made you feel sad, hopefully nobody expected you to replace her. Meanwhile, Sayori and Yuri walked over to the corner of the room, where Sayori grabbed a wrapped tray and Yuri opened the closet. You still felt awkward about joining this club, but with Sayori getting the cupcakes you decided to sit next to Monika. Sayori steadily came back to the table, tray in hand.

"Here they are~" Sayori announced. She lifted the foil off the tray to reveal a dozen white, fluffy cupcakes decorated to look like little cats. The whiskers were drawn with icing, and little pieces of chocolate were used to make ears. It looked a little too professional to be done by Sayori alone.

"Ehehe… Natsuki wouldn't want us to feel down… instead she would want us to cheer up with these cute cupcakes!" Sayori explained. Now it made sense, Natsuki probably made these cupcakes before going missing. She seemed like a truly nice person, you wished you could've met her. Monika clapped to lighten the mood.

"That's the spirit! We should enjoy today for Natsuki!" She claimed. Sayori grabbed a cupcake and raised it up to the sky, both you and Monika took one and followed suit.

"For Natsuki!" You all said. Though you have never met her, you truly hoped that she could rest in peace. Sayori was the first to take a bite, somehow managing to get icing on her face.

"It's delicious!" She shouted with her mouth full. You turn the cupcake around in your fingers, looking for the best angle to take a bite. You suddenly felt Monika staring at you. She hasn't touched her cupcake yet, so you wonder if she was waiting for you to dig in. Finding the best spot, you finally bite down. The icing was sweet and full of flavor, you wondered just how good at baking Natsuki was. Sayori wasn't kidding, this cupcake was really good. You mentally thank Natsuki for baking something this good. That seemed to satisfy Monika, for she just smiled at you before taking a bite out of her cupcake. While you wondered what that was all about, Yuri returns to the table, carrying a tea set. She carefully places a teacup in front of each of you before setting down the teapot next to the cupcake tray.

"You keep a whole tea set in this classroom?" You asked. This was such a clean and eloquent set so it couldn't have been from the school, however you didn't want to even think about how much of a hassle it would be to carry all of these fragile objects to school every day. Yuri glances at you and nods her head.

"Don't worry, the teachers gave us permission." She claimed with a calm smile. That was very surprising, you had figured that the school wouldn't allow people to bring their personal belongings due to how frequently there were reports of theft. Yuri's eyes softens as she faces you. "After all, doesn't a hot cup of tea help you enjoy a good book?" She asked, clearly becoming more comfortable talking with you. Her question bewildered you, you had never took a second to consider something like this. Looks like your lack of experience in literature was finally going to rear its ugly head.

"Ah… I-I guess…" You struggled to answer. Monika chuckled at your exchange, she could clearly tell that you were being intimidated.

"Ehehe, don't let yourself get intimidated, Yuri's just trying to impress you." She claimed. You glanced at Monika with a puzzled expression. You had just met Yuri, why would she want to impress someone like you? Yuri jumped in shock. She grasped her hands close to her chest in a very girly pose.

"Eh?! T-that's not…" She attempted to retort. The words she wanted to express left her as she quickly struggled to speak. Insulted, Yuri looks away.

"I meant that, you know…" She managed to say. It was clear that Monika's statement threw off her self-confidence.

"I believe you." You claimed. Yuri glanced at your direction with a hidden interest. "Well, tea and reading might not be a pastime for me, but I at least enjoy tea." You admitted. Yuri's eyes looked towards the ground as she processed what you said.

"I'm glad…" She muttered with a faint smile. Relieved, Yuri put her right arm down. Monika raised an eyebrow before giving you another smile.

"So, what made you join the literature club?" She asked. Here it was, the question you had been afraid of since you got here. You shouldn't tell Monika that Sayori practically dragged you here, you should also probably avoid telling her about what happened with Sayori. At least until you managed to talk with Sayori first.

"Umm… Well, I haven't joined any clubs yet, and Sayori seemed really happy here, so…" You grasped at straws to come up with an understandable choice. Monika gave you a patient smile, which helped calm your nerves.

"That's okay! Don't be embarrassed! We'll make sure you feel right at home, okay? As president of the Literature Club, it's my duty to make the club fun and exciting for everyone!" She comforted. You were at an awe by how professional she was, she seemed to radiate a passionate aura that you just can't help but admire.

"Monika, I'm surprised. How come you decided to start your own club? You could probably be a board member for any of the major clubs. Weren't you a leader of the debate club last year?" You asked with genuine curiosity. Monika giggles as she eloquently turned to the side, crossing her arms behind her back.

"Ahaha, well, you know… To be honest, I can't stand all of the politics around the major clubs. It feels like nothing but arguing about the budget and publicity and how to prepare for events… I'd much rather take something I personally enjoy and make something special out of it. And if it encourages others to get into literature, then I'm fulfilling that dream!" She explained. Sayori stepped in with an excited smile on her face.

"Monika really is a great leader!" She exclaimed. Yuri also nods in agreement.

"Then I'm surprised there aren't more people in the club yet. It must be hard to start a new club." You assumed. There was no doubt in your mind that people would join this club, just because Monika was apart of it, so it perplexes you on how there were only three members–excluding you of course. Though this could be your personal bias speaking. Literature isn't that interesting of a subject after all, so this really shouldn't surprise you.

"You could put it that way. Not many people are very interested in putting out all the effort to start something new… Especially when it's something that doesn't grab your attention, like literature. You have to work hard to convince people that you're both fun and worthwhile. But it makes school events, like the festival, that much more important. I'm confident that we can all really grow this club before we graduate! Right, everyone?" Monika explained with a confident smile.

"Yeah!" Sayori cheered in excitement.

"We'll do our best." Yuri promised. It seemed like everyone enthusiastically agrees. Such different girls, all interested in the same goal… Monika must have worked really hard just to find these two. Maybe that's why they were all so delighted by the idea of a new member joining. Though you still don't really know if you can keep up with their level of enthusiasm about literature…

"So, Anon, what kinds of things do you like to read?" Yuri asked.

"Well… Ah…" You stuttered. Considering how little you've read over these past few years, you don't really have a good way of answering that. However, you couldn't just say that you don't really know either.

"...Manga…" You muttered quietly, half joking. Yuri glances away with a semi-disappointed smile.

"N-Not much of a reader, I guess…" She sighed.

"...Well, that can change…" You proposed. Eh, what were you saying? Upon seeing Yuri's sad smile, you quickly tried to rectify your statement without a second thought.

"Anyway, what about you, Yuri?" You asked, hoping that there was at least something you could latch on to. Yuri closed her eyes as she thought about the question.

"Well, let's see…" She said, tracing the rim of her teacup with her finger. "My favorites are usually novels that build deep and complex fantasy worlds. The level of creativity and craftsmanship behind them is amazing to me. And telling a good story in such a foreign world is equally impressive." She goes on, clearly passionate about her reading. She seemed so reserved and timid since the moment you walked in, but it's obvious by the way her eyes light up that she finds her comfort in the worlds of books, not people.

"But you know, I like a lot of things. Stories with deep psychological elements usually immerse me as well. Isn't it amazing how a writer can so deliberately take advantage of your own lack of imagination to completely throw you for a loop? Anyway, I've been reading a lot of horror lately…" Yuri Monologue. Okay now you knew for a fact that you couldn't keep up with her passionate interest in literature, because you couldn't understand half of what she just said. Desperate, you latched on to something you're familiar with.

"Ah, I read a horror book once…" You quickly mentioned. It was the only thing you could relate to, even if it was at a minimal level. At this rate, Yuri might as well be having a conversation with a rock. As if seeing just how one sided this conversation was, Monika decided to swoop in.

"Ahaha. I'd expect that from you, Yuri. It suits your personality." She chuckled. Yuri's passionate smile didn't falter as she responded.

"Oh, is that so? Really, if a story makes me think, or takes me to another world, then I really can't put it down. Surreal horror is often very successful at changing the way you look at the world, if only for a brief moment." Yuri continued to explain. It seems even Monika couldn't keep up with Yuri's enthusiasm. After a while of endless chatter, everyone sat down in silence. You however were relieved by the silence, there was only so much about literature you could handle hearing for one day. Not that Yuri's passion was obnoxious or anything, it just felt like a howling reminder of how much you didn't know about the subject. After a while, Sayori and Yuri somehow ended up having a conversation. You knew however that Sayori more than likely will end up just agreeing with anything Yuri talks about. Monika took this opportunity to come up to you.

"Hey Anon, could I talk to you for a bit?" She asked with a sweet smile. This felt like an unnecessary question to you. Why would Monika feel compelled to ask you for–

"Alone…"

Oh… Now this was strange. You quickly glanced at Sayori, she was still occupied with Yuri's conversation. You were impressed that Sayori was still keeping up with her somehow. In other words, she should be fine for now.

"Sure." You responded, curious as to what Monika wanted to tell you. The two of you walked outside the classroom to get some privacy. A frown replaced Monika's smile as she faced you. She seemed perplexed, not fully knowing what to ask you. An awkward silence engulfed the hallways, as you two simply stared at each other. You wondered why you were constantly being put in these uncomfortable situations. Monika sighed heavily before glaring at you suddenly. Did you do something wrong?

"This shouldn't be possible… I should not be able to get you alone this easily…" She finally spoke. Her words confused you greatly. Someone as popular and talented as her should have no problem talking with you alone. So what could she possibly be talking about?

"Everything about this route, is all wrong… What did you do?" Monika asked suddenly. You had no idea what the context of the question was.

"Huh? Monika you're not making any sense. What route?" You asked. Something seemed to be troubling the club president, so you were hoping that somehow you might be able to help. Monika closed her eyes and sighed, probably attempting to organize her thoughts.

"Natsuki isn't dead!" She claimed out of nowhere. You're eyes widened in shock, based off of how everyone in the club had acted, you had assumed that Natsuki was already six feet under. Monika studied you're shocked expression, her emerald green eyes became tense.

"You had no idea, did you? How strange… " She assumed. Of course you had no idea! You had never even heard of Natsuki before you joined this club. It's a shock that Monika could even tell if the missing student was dead or not. There was one question however that took the most precedence in your mind.

"That is amazing news Monika, but why are you telling me this? Shouldn't something this important be told to Sayori? She is your Vice President after all." You claimed. Out of everyone in the club, you felt that Sayori should be informed on this the most. Hell, this shouldn't even be a conversation. If Natsuki was somehow still alive, then everyone should be out there looking for her. Monika giggled before smiling at you.

"Ahaha… you're so cute. You of all people should know why I'm telling you this. To put it simply, you are the only one that would understand." She claimed. You became even more confused by this, every word Monika said made even less sense. You attempted to speak–

"Wait… you still seem confused. You do realize that I'm not talking to "Anon" right? Ahaha… I suppose that I am doing this faster than usual... but, that's because I've never gotten this opportunity so soon before. Sorry if I'm not making any sense… what was I saying before? Oh right, Natsuki. I just wanted to let you know that I have nothing to do with her "disappearance". I don't exactly know all the details, but I'm sure she is still alive somewhere. Look, I know you're still confused... but I'm not sure how long this world will allow me to talk to you. So to keep this brief, I'll leave you with this. While I am not sure how exactly… but I remember everything. What I did to my friends, but more importantly to you. I know it may not mean much now but… I'm sorry. I promise to find Natsuki if that will help you forgive me, reader~"

You and Monika walked back inside the classroom. Sayori and Yuri seemed to have already ended their conversation. Sayori was enjoying another cupcake, while Yuri was reading a book while sipping tea. Monika crossed her arms with a sweet smile.

"Okay! Anon came to me with a brilliant idea everyone!" She announced suddenly.

"Huh?" You gasped. You don't recall telling Monika anything lately. In fact, the last 5 minutes were just a blur to you for some reason. Both Sayori and Yuri looked quizzically at her. Monika gave you a wink, as if it was a cue or something. But as she did that, an idea pops into your head for some reason. Then before you knew it, you started to speak.

"Uh… well… I believe we should all go home and write some poetry!" You claimed all of a sudden. What were you saying? It wasn't like you to suggest an activity based off of something you had zero interest in doing in the first place. Sayori was shocked to hear this from you, while Yuri pondered on it for a while.

"This way, next time we meet, we'll all share them with each other. That way we can express ourselves better than before." Monika chimed in. It seemed more natural for her to say something like this, you wondered if you really had this idea at all. Yuri stayed silent, probably too shy to share her own work. Sayori on the other hand,

"Yeaaah! Let's do it!" She shouted in glee.

"Plus, now that we have a new member, I think it will help us all get a little more comfortable with each other, and strengthen the bond of the club. Isn't that right, Anon?" Monika explained, before once again smiling warmly at you. You were flabbergasted by this situation. For some reason you found yourself defenseless against these girls stare. How were you expected to make a clear-headed decision when things are like this? That is, if writing a poem was the price you needed to pay in order to spend everyday with these beautiful girls…

"Right…" You admitted. It was a price you were willing to pay. One by one the girls' eyes lit up. Sayori wrapped her arms around you, jumping up and down while squealing how happy she was.

"H-hey–" You resisted.

"Okay, everyone! I think with that, we can officially end today's meeting on a good note. Everyone remember tonight's assignment: write a poem to bring to the next meeting, so we can all share!" Monika announced. She lovingly glances towards your direction.

"Anon, I look forward to seeing how you express yourself. Ehehe~" She claimed in anticipation. You were taken aback by her casual flirting, the possibility of her actually liking you made you determined to write the best poem you could muster.

"Y-yeah.." You muttered. Real smooth, now you sound just like Yuri. You wondered if you could really impress the class star Monika with your mediocre writing skills. You could already feel the anxiety welling up inside you. Meanwhile, the girls continue to chit-chat as Yuri cleans up her food.

"Hey, anon, since we're already here, do you want to walk home together?" Sayori asked. You and Sayori haven't walked together in a long time, usually because she always stayed after school for clubs. Now that you two were in a club together, that should no longer be a problem.

"Sure, might as well." You answered. Sayori smiled brightly at your response.

"Yaay~" She shouted in glee, putting a smile on your face. With that, the two of you departed from the clubroom and made your way home. The whole way, your mind wanders back and forth between the three girls. Sayori, Yuri, and, of course, Monika. You wonder if you could really be happy spending every day after school in a literature club. Perhaps, you'll have the chance to grow closer to one of those girls... Alright! You'll just need to make the most of your circumstances, and perhaps good fortune will find you. Guess that starts with writing a poem tonight...

Next time... Part 2: Sayonara