Chapter 2: Giving it a shot
Wait, I haven't been here for even two minutes and the school idol we got for a club president is already giving out assignments? Damn, she doesn't waste any time doesn't she? I don't even know the names of anyone around here except for Monika, Natsuki and Sayori. Gotta object now.
"Wow wow wow, hold your horses Monika! I'm a new member remember? Can't anyone at least give me a cold welcome here? Where are your manners? Nobody has even asked my name!" I exclaimed in a disgruntled tone
After realizing what I've just said, Monika raised her eyebrows again and face palmed as hard as she could, then she finally replied.
"Oh my! Sorry about that! I just got too excited with this flow of new members! Sayori, could you do the honor?" Monika asked to Sayori, whose eyes got filled with joy when she made the request
"But of course! Everyone! This is Zhou! A new member of our literature club!" Sayori said loudly in her usual cheery way which made everyone turn their heads towards her
Well, she said it, I'm now a member of a damn literature club, I guess I gotta step up my reading habits if I wanna fit in here, just reading one book ain't gonna get me any brownie points, at least the extracurricular activities will help me out in any subjects that require a bailout. That's if my scores ever need a bailout. Might as well get acquainted with the other members. I should ask Sayo for their names.
"Well, can I get the names of the other members? I think that's the least you can do" I said to Sayori and then I leaned on her ear "After blackmailing me into this"
"Sure! You might obviously know Monika and I, but you surely don't know that purple haired girl on the corner there! That's Yuri, the smartest person in the club!"
"Sayori! Pl-please don't go saying things like that... I-it's the second time..." Yuri said, although the last part was barely audible
"Hey, don't be embarrassed uhhh... Yuri, If I got told that I'm the smartest in a group I wouldn't be embarrassed, I would just try to shake the compliment off" I told to Yuri, trying to comfort her
"T-thanks... I guess..." She mumbled
"Aaaanyway! Let's continue shall we? The girl over there with the tray covered in aluminum foil and pink hair is Natsuki! Always full of energy and the lead baker of the club!" Sayori continued
"Yup! That's me! The one and only Natsuki!" Natsuki replied smugly, it's surprising to see how quick she forgot about the confrontation thirty seconds ago
"Well, I'll get a whiff of whatever you're carrying there later Nats, I'd like to critique your cuisine!" I exclaimed in a friendly way, trying to see if she actually forgot
"Sure, whatever... And don't you dare calling me 'Nats' again!" She spurted defensively
"Whatever, 'Tsuki" I teased, to which she replied with an inaudible mumble, she likely said 'Baka' or any word for idiot or bastard in Japanese
"And well, last but not least important! Mizu! My childhood friend and also a new member here!" Sayori exclaimed
"'Sup?" Mizu replied in English
"'Onda compadre" I replied in Spanish whilst at the same time extending my hand to shake it with Mizu, but he ignored the gesture and kept looking at the space or at Monika, likely the latter
"Jeez Zhou, talking in 'Italian' again?" Natsuki spurted
"Actually Natsuki, that was actually Spanish, a language that you know as 'Taco'" I replied
"Really? What's the difference then? As far as I'm aware it's the same thing" 'Tsuki asked
And then unexpectedly, Yuri jumped and talked, answering the question.
"Actually, Spanish and Italian are two really different languages, despite both being part of the Romance language family, they have different sets of pronouns, words, pronunciations, etcetera. There might be some similarities then and there, but the differences outweigh the similarities... O-oh, s-sorry for rambling too much..."
I was amazed at the way the shutter less way Yuri managed the explanation, which I could only nod in approval and nervously smile in response.
"Ye-yeah, what Yuri said... I didn't knew you were into foreign languages this much!" I said excitedly
"See why Yuri earns the title of the smartest now?" Sayori jumped
"W-well. My family holds in high regard the possibility of communication and the art of the conversation even in other languages" Yuri nervously stated whilst fidgeting with her hair
"Vedo, e sono felice per quello" I said in the best Italian I could brandish
"Heheh, grazie mille" Yuri replied in a really polished Italian
"Okay okay! I get it! Now stop talking in pizza or whatever! This isn't Rome!" Natsuki exclaimed
"Right, we'll knock it off" I said whilst dismissively waving my hand at Nats and chuckling a bit
I was having the time of my life, and so seemed Sayori and Yuri, but then Monika decided to make a reality check on us, she clapped her hands to catch our attention and spoke.
"Okay everyone! I am so glad that we're getting along, but sadly we all have to go now, it's 5:15, which means we are done for today! Thank you all for coming to today's meeting and I hope you all bring your poems for sharing tomorrow! Also, Mizu, Zhou, are you guys really joining us? You guys don't really have to" Monika announced and asked
"Well, I'm surely joining, this place seems like fun! What about you Mizu?" I said
Mizu was quickly snapped of some sort of trance he was in thanks to my question, seriously, he looked like a complete dumbass staring at a nearby mirror to get a look at Monika without her noticing.
"Eh? What? Sure, I'll stay, I promised Sayori I'd do so" Mizu replied
"Well, in that case I dismiss this meeting of the literature club! See you all around!" Monika exclaimed
"Damn it! And you guys never got to taste my cupcakes!" Natsuki spurted out of nowhere
"Don't worry about it Natsuki! We can all grab one and eat it on our way out!" Sayori said
"That doesn't sound half-bad!" I said excitedly
Afterward I grabbed a cupcake of the tray Nats had uncovered, waved goodbye to everyone, walked out of the classroom and headed for my car to finally end the day but before I could get to the stairwell, somebody grabbed my right arm, I turned around and to my very surprise Monika was the one who pulled my arm, I got momentarily hypnotized by those emerald green eyes of hers, but I quickly regained my composure and asked the pertinent questions.
"Monika, what's wrong?" I asked
She stood there for like, five seconds didn't answered my question, and didn't let go of my arm with a shocked face. I of course started to lightly freak out. I began to address her formally to see if she would snap.
"Ehhh... Sekemoto-senpai? Hello?" I hollered
Finally, she snapped out and asked me a question that let me confused as fuck.
"I-it... Is it really you?" She asked
I had no idea of what she meant, looks like she was having an episode of a mental condition or something, I raised an eyebrow and answered (Or rather, I questioned her).
"What the hell are you talking about? Of course it's me! Monika, you okay? Need help of any sort? I can take you to the hospital" I said
She ended up shaking her head and rubbing her temples only to dismiss the question, after that moment of awkwardness, she remembered something.
"Well, that doesn't matter Zhou, what it actually matters is that you haven't signed the sign-up papers to make your entrance to the literature club official! I have the papers right here, all I need is your signature, wait, they're in my bag..." Monika said before shortly starting to look for the papers and a pen in her bag
"Ah, that was it right? Sure, I can sign, I already said that I was going to join the club right?" I replied
"Sure... Here take this... Oh! And you can use my pen" She said whilst handing me the sign-up papers
I ended up using a nearby wall as support to sign the papers, returned them to Monika and I was finally on my way home, I also gave a bite to the cupcake I grabbed earlier and boy, that was delicious, maybe I should commission Natsuki 20 of these all for myself! I'll tease her about it tomorrow, but right now what's important is the business at hand, which is heading home.
I got in my Crown Vic and started up the engine, but just before I could set the transmission in reverse, somebody knocked on my window again.
*knock knock*
Considering the strength of the knock, there was only one person who could be knocking, I turned my head around and my suspicions turned correct, it was Sayori once again, this time with her friend Mizu holding her hand, I wonder what she wants. I rolled the window down and expected her to talk, but she didn't, so I had to coax her myself.
"Okay Sayori, what do you want now?" I asked in a disgruntled tone
"Oh nothing! Just a lift for me and Mizu!" She replied cheerfully
"Fine then, hop on in, whatever that is necessary to keep your mouth shut" I said whilst unlocking the rest of the doors
"Hey, is there something you two aren't telling me?" Mizu asked
"That, is none of your concern pretty boy" I said, obviously annoyed
"Oh, don't mind him Mizu! He's just a little grumpy that's all!" Sayori exclaimed whilst getting on the passenger seat
"Alright, whatever you say cinnamon roll!" Mizu said before opening the rear left passenger door and getting in
Sayori just giggled at the comment, once I stopped hearing the door ajar chime I stepped on it and before we knew it, we were already out of the teacher's parking lot and on the way back to our houses, I knew where Sayori lives, just across the street, but I've never known where Mizu lives, so I asked to know where to drop him off.
"So uhhh... Mizu, where am I gonna drop you off?" I asked in the friendliest way possible
"If you want drop me at Sayori's house, I don't live very far away" Mizu answered
"Nah really, where do you live buddy? I don't want you walking off into the unknown, specially with this kind of weather" I said, referring to the fact that the day was getting cloudy
"Oh Zhou-kun, don't worry about it! Mizu lives right besides my house!" Sayori quickly replied
"Ah well, in that case we're near to our final destinations!" I exclaimed
And then I just had to hang right and then we were on our street, I pulled over right in the middle considering there was no traffic to be seen, Mizu got out first and thanked me for the ride.
"Hey, thanks Zhou, I appreciate the ride!" Mizu said whilst getting out
"No worries there buddy, see you tomorrow at the club" I told to Mizu, who had already closed the door and was on his way home mid-sentence
I glanced at the passenger seat and Sayori was still there, I proceeded to ask her why she wasn't heading home.
"Sayo-chan, what's wrong?" I ask
"Awww, you called me 'Sayo-chan'! You like me already?" She says
"Well, I kinda hate you for the whole blackmailing thing but I guess it was worth it considering you are a pretty nice person and that the club isn't half-bad" I say
"Whaaaat? Sorry, I didn't quite hear you!" She teases
"Alright alright, you got me, I like the literature club" I confess
"HAHA! That's great! So that means I'll see you tomorrow right?" She asks
"Nope, I will miss tomorrow's meeting, I ain't got no poem to show"
"WHAT?! Really?!" She asks perplexed
"HAHA! Fooled you! Of course I'm going, I have to mess with Natsuki, she's so cute when pissed!" I say whilst playfully hitting her on the shoulder
"Heheh, in that case, see you Zhou-kun!" She says before opening the door and heading to her house
After we're done chatting, I head to my house and I park the car in the driveway, shut off the engine and head inside for some nice dinner, I take a loaf of sandwich bread from the shelf and I place it on the counter to chop it, after chopping two portions I grab a bit of bologna from the fridge with some ketchup and mayo, and I slap all of that on the slices of bread, I quickly eat that to wash the dishes and head to my room, I get undressed and remain in my briefs considering there was no one else around in the house, I had no homework, but I remember that I need to make a poem for tomorrow's club meeting, so I grab a pen and my literature notebook and I start trying to write a poem on the rear pages. I'm pretty bad at poetry, but the least I can do is give it a shot, I mean, I gave the literature club a chance today and it ended up being good! Who says that poetry can't be the same? Wait, I have an idea!
Slipping away
I always thought that getting out of my comfort zone was a bad idea.
I always thought that things could go wrong if the routine was broken.
But then I realized.
What is the point of remaining in the routine if life becomes monotone?
What is the point of staying comfortable if everything is easily predictable?
What is the point of condemning those that break their routines when you secretly desire to do it as well?
At the beginning it hit me like a ton of bricks. Being forced to change and adapt.
But after a while, I felt fulfilled.
I felt liberated.
I'm very glad I took the chance.
After writing the poem, I finally laid in my bed, exhausted, tired, I really wanted to sleep. But something was off, something kept my mind working overtime, And then I remembered. It was Monika, the way she acted, the question she made, it kept me going for a while and I still couldn't quite figure it out, but I was exhausted and my mind simply blacked out on me. I guess I'll figure it tomorrow.
La nota: So yeah, second chapter up! As always, reviews are appreciated and I'd like to thank those who reviewed 'A smoke and a good book' because y'all inspired me into writing 'Giving it a shot'! The third chapter has no specific release date, but it should be before September! I'd also like to have feedback on the portrayals of the DDLC characters, I don't know, but I just feel something is off with their lines. Anyway, this has been Lima and see y'all next time!