Natsuki watched Sayori stand up, grab a piece of paper, and approach her. With her head lowered, she practically dragged her feet across the floor. She had had occasional off-days in the past, and this seemed to be one of them. And it's probably because of me, Natsuki thought, suppressing a grimace.

Sayori stopped in front of Natsuki's desk and slightly raised her head. She was still downcast, but the floodgates were hopefully intact.

"…I'm sorry about earlier," Sayori said after a moment. "I didn't mean to get you all wet."

"Whatever, it's fine," Natsuki replied. "By the way, you shouldn't say it like that. That's gross."

Sayori gave her a confused look. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"Nothing, never mind. How about that poem?"

Sayori meekly handed it to Natsuki who began reading.

Your Happy Place

Flowers are pretty

The sunshine is nice

Breakfast is yummy

My friends are alright

If you pick flowers, they die

The sun always sets in the end

When my plate's empty, I cry

Who can you really call a friend?

Flowers grow back!

The sun will rise again!

I could get snacks!

Friends are there 'til the end!

I know it's hard

But put your trust in me

There's a happy place at the end

Where you will one day be

This was actually really nice. Sayori's writing was always either happy and cheerful or incredibly depressing, and today proved to be on the positive side. Natsuki also couldn't help but feel that this poem was, like Monika's, inspired by her situation. Sayori was telling her to push through these hard times.

Natsuki gave the paper back. "This is pretty good! I like how it jumps from happy to sad then back to happy."

Sayori smiled bashfully. "Thanks… I wrote it because of you, you know."

Natsuki froze. Sayori would be a stranger to subtlety. "Y-Yeah?"

"I just want you to know that I'm here, if you ever want to talk or anything."

Oh, God. Not her too. Natsuki swallowed. "Okay. I'll keep that mind."

With a nod, Sayori returned to her desk. At least she didn't seem to be pushing for the chance to speak with Natsuki. Actually, it seemed more like Sayori wasn't going to press her at all. Natsuki sighed with relief. She had just assumed the worst, which was something she realized she had been doing a lot lately. She would have to cut back on that.

Yuri was the last to share her poem with Natsuki. She sat in her usual spot next to her, the paper clutched in one hand.

She held up the poem. "Here you are…"

Yuri seemed anxious, but that was normal. Natsuki took it and mentally prepared herself as she always did before reading a Yuri poem.

The Storm

Lost in the fog, the ship could not find its way home. No matter where she looked, all the captain could see was an impenetrable wall. The wind was beginning to pick up and the ship would rock as it was struck with waves. A storm was brewing.

It had begun to pour. There was no escaping, no preventing the coming disaster. Lightning scorched the sky and thunder shook the Earth. The future was grim.

Resigned to her fate, the captain stood at the helm of the ship and gazed into the nothingness. Amidst the fog, a faint glow caught her eye. Gleaming with hope, the beacon beckoned to her. She set course for the light, her worries abated. The world grew brighter, the shoreline became visible, and the disaster was an afterthought.

The captain burst forth into the blinding light, and we were reunited at last.

Now, Natsuki got along with Yuri and all, but she still couldn't stand her writing. She could appreciate the thought that went into it, but as far she could tell, this was a short story about someone lost at sea. And what did the ending even mean? Who was telling the story? Natsuki just didn't understand this vague crap.

She didn't say that out loud, but she did ask about the ending.

Yuri almost looked amused. "Well, Natsuki, you must know my writing style by now."

She sighed. "Yeah, it's all metaphorical, I get that. But what does it mean?"

"That is something you have to figure out for yourself."

Yuri had to be teasing her. Natsuki groaned in frustration and read the poem again, but still wasn't getting anything out of it.

"Think about the major elements of the story and what they could represent," Yuri suggested.

That didn't help. "The only element I see here is water."

"Not that kind of element," Yuri said in a lightly chiding tone, "I meant the most important details. What stood out to you?"

Natsuki skimmed it again. "The storm and… the light?"

"Correct. The captain is prominent, as well. Now, what happens between these three elements?"

Natsuki could almost believe that she was still in class. Yuri made for an okay teacher when she was talking about literature. "The captain is caught in the storm, and then she sees the light and follows it to shore."

Yuri, clearly pleased, gave her one last prod, "So, what do you think that could represent?"

Wracking her brain, Natsuki stared at the poem and sank into deep thought…

Oh. Oh. Apparently, she went three-for-three in inspiring poetry. Natsuki didn't really like everyone writing about her, but she definitely wasn't going to bring it up.

"Okay, I think I got it," she said, and Yuri leaned forward in anticipation. "The ending is still a little confusing, but I think… you're the light?"

Yuri blinked. "Ah - I suppose that's one way to interpret it." After a pause, she nodded. "That works quite well, actually."

Natsuki allowed herself a smile; she had successfully figured out one of Yuri's poems, though she literally had to be given a step-by-step process.

After Natsuki handed the poem back to Yuri, Monika returned to the front of the clubroom. "Okay, everyone! Are we all finished?"

The girls nodded.

"Great! That's going to be it for today, so I'll see you all tomorrow!"

While the others gathered their things, Natsuki was quick to start packing her own bag. She had a sneaking suspicion that Monika was going to grab her before she could leave. Zipping it shut, she slung the bag over her shoulder and made for the door.

"Hey, Natsuki, wait!"

Damn it.