I'm not sure if I'm excited or just nervous, but the day consisting of catching Natsuki so off-tempo and immediately going on a date with her being in such a good mood really makes club time fly. With time to spare until we end the club, though, we, or more accurately they, discuss genres and their differences and why they like each their own. It didn't seem very worthy of mention, but we at least did something literature-related. Natsuki was the only one who did her homework on coming up with three club activities. What's gotten into her?

Regardless, the hour-and-a-half ends with us grouping up outside instead of walking off. Natsuki doesn't even wait until the door is fully closed before her excitement gets the better of her.

"So! What are we gonna do? Where're we gonna go?"

"Good question!" Sayori responds. "Something fun to do as a group… Now if only we had someone to take us…"

"Right, right. It was my idea, so I have to decide, huh?"

I wrack my thoughts. I've never been anywhere with a friend before, let alone three really cute ones. Movies? Food? Geez, I'm not apt to dating- I mean… not dating, but, whatever you call this. Maybe dating is right, actually. Dating three girls at once! Haha!

I mean, as friends, of course.

"Well, it was a spur of the moment thing, so I didn't really come very prepared. Why don't we spend the day at the park? I know a good one not too far from the school. What do you guys think?"

Yuri, who was standing behind me, steps to my side to give her opinion. "A walk in the park sounds wonderful. That's such a nice way to spend a day!"

I return her smile. I had a feeling she'd like stuff like park-walks and tea parties. Sayori never really had the endurance to take walks, but we can take frequent breaks on the benches. Natsuki, I'm not sure. I turn to her with question.

"Sure, yeah. Whatever sounds good!"

And to Sayori. "Oh, okay. They have benches, right?"

Hook, line and sinker.


We've only just gotten to the park, but Sayori is already breathing a little raggedly. I stop at the first bench we find and motion for her to sit next to me. It's right next to the entrance, but looking at her you'd think she just walked a mile. Sitting without hesitation, she puffs out a big sigh as the chance to rest presents itself. The other two stand idly by, looking around as though they don't go to this park much, regardless of it being only a short distance away from the school. Natsuki waves lightly at us to grab our attention.

"You guys want an ice cream or something? I'm buying." I guess she really did find a hundred dollars. Yuri, who probably hasn't realized it yet, gawks at her friend. We all end up saying yes, and as soon as she leaves to treat us, the very skeptical Yuri in question pulls us out of gazing at the scenery.

"Natsuki's acting very strange today. Not only with her mood, I mean, but…" she looks or the right words to say. "How do I say this? It's just that… Okay, Natsuki is one of the most selfish people I've ever known. There's no way she'd so casually offer to buy anyone anything. Something is wrong here. Maybe she's dying! Maybe she's moving away? What if… no, she'd at least tell us that, right?"

I intercept her thoughts. "Yuri. I'm sure nothing is wrong. She probably just woke up to a big surprise or something and it put her in some amazing mood. Is it her birthday?"

"Erm… no. It's not today, I could have sworn it was sometime in March or something. Or was it February?"

Natsuki eventually returns, none the wiser to Yuri's speculating. She actually bought popsicles instead of ice cream, and I got cherry. Cool. Grape for Sayori, orange for Yuri, and… also cherry for Natsuki. Coincidence? Yeah, right.

"I don't know what everyone wanted, so I just guessed." Yuri and Sayori trade theirs. I don't mind cherry, but the way Natsuki was ignoring her own to watch me eat mine made it taste a little unsettling. I try and ignore it and pretend I don't notice her intent stare. I instead focus a little more on Yuri, who is watching Sayori in order to learn how to eat one of these things for the first time. It doesn't take long before she's already biting it, finishing faster than everyone else.

As soon as I finish, Sayori nicks me with her elbow. I remember the point of this excursion and immediately rise and step once over to the pair still standing.

"Thank you very much, Natsuki. It was great!"

Her face is shocked and she folds her arms. "Yeah, you know just… ha, yeah."

Just then, I almost gave her a friendly kiss on the cheek, but I remember again that's we aren't alone. I simply give a deep nod of appreciation. I try to keep in my mind that maybe Yuri wants to be more than friends. Come to think of it, Sayori's also been pretty extra friendly since I joined the club.

What a pickle I'm in… Three girls, but I can only choose one? How unfair… Wait, wait! What am I thinking? I've only known them for less than a school week! I offer to collect the popsicle sticks and throw them away for everyone. Yuri stops me quickly and takes them from my hand, gliding over to the trash can with a light haste. While she does, I offer my seat to Natsuki. She gladly accepts, sitting gently and then subsequently leaning on Sayori, who does the same. The only difference between them is that Sayori is leaning because she's tired. I chuckle at them together.

"You two look super cute leaning on each other like that. Haha…"

Natsuki perks her head sharply, blushing a thin line over her nose. "I'm not cute! Besides, it's just for Sayori; since you got up and abandoned her…"

I'm standing right next to her. Either way, it seems I struck a nerve by calling Natsuki cute. I'd better not do that, as I remember Yuri told me about her insecurities. I glance over at the trash can again, but Yuri had already made it back to the bench, where she finds the same scene. She flashes me a knowing smile and walks over behind the bench, placing a hand on Sayori's head next to her bow. Her voice is still as soft and concise as it usually is.

"Looks like someone needs a nap. Thank you for giving her something to lean on, Natsuki. Very noble of you."

No blush this time from Natsuki. "Shhh… she's about to fall asleep. Besides, I'd do it for anyone." With that last sentence, she smirks and puffs her flat chest out the best she can. Yuri looks up at me across from them, passing me an expression of "That's how it's done." and returning to my side. I turn to the pair, both now resting peacefully in leisure before Yuri pulls me aside.

"How am I going to walk with y- I MEAN! I… how am I going to, no, how are we going to take a walk- all of us, I mean- when Sayori is asleep? Ehehe…"

I suspected as such. I have to pretend I didn't notice her fantasy about us going the trail alone.

"I dunno, Yuri. Sayori has never been in a walk with me before. Or probably on a walk at all. I guess she's just not the outdoors type. We will let her rest for a bit. We can wake her up, and if she doesn't feel like walking, we'll figure something out."

As I say it, Yuri clasps her hands like she does and nervously looks around on the ground. "I, uh, don't think I've thanked you yet."

I pause. Did she mean for taking them out today? It's not a big deal...

"I mean... for what you've done so far. I know we're not good acquaintances or anything, but I want you to know that I can never repay what you've done in the short time we've known each other. Letting a stranger into your house is one thing, but letting me live there, too..."

"Hey, hey. No need for that. I accept your thanks. Besides, it's not like I can just toss you out, right?"

"No, really. I don't have much. Well, actually I don't have anything..."

A beat.

"... But if there's ever anything I can do for you..." Yuri is starting to tear up in her eyes. I gently lift her chin again, just like yesterday. I use my other hand to wipe away a single tear.

"Yuri. Stop. I couldn't take a single thing from you if you wanted me to. It's fine. I'm glad to do it! But don't think you're in my debt or anything..."

"But I am! I don't have anywhere else to go."

That was true. It looks like she won't take no for an answer, but I can't feel like this is something I'm going to hold over her head forever. I might as well just accept it.

"Okay, Yuri. If you really want to feel that way, then that's fine. I'll meet you again at home. We can talk then. For now, let's take care of our little 'guests', eh?" This earns me a giggle and an "Okay!" I wipe another tear of hers with my uniform's jacket.

"Come on. I'll make you whatever you want for dinner."

We make it over to the other girls and find both of them asleep against each other. I joke about carrying them, but Yuri is already nudging each shoulder and coaxing their consciousness with her sweet voice. They really were adorable like that, not that I'd ever tell Natsuki. Sayori wakes up groggily, and her buddy the same way. Taking almost no time, Sayori also realizes what happened. She giggles embarrassedly.

"Ehehe~ ... Looks like we can't walk today."

"It's fine, what matters is that we all came out and had a good time."

"I concur. Although short, we did create a memory and became closer for it!" Yuri is speaking a little louder to help wake Natsuki, who is still half asleep.

"Huuuhhh... yeah. Friends..."

Eventually, we do rise properly and stand once again at the park entrance. It's only been about 40 minutes. The trail is of decent length, so we would have needed that time taken sleeping and eating popsicles to make it all the way around. I give Sayori permission to lean on my shoulder if she needs to keep herself up. We say our fond goodbyes and part ways with Natsuki, heading for mine and Sayori's neighborhood. I hope Yuri has an excuse in case Sayori gets suspicious about her walking with us to houses that aren't hers.

Luckily, the walk home doesn't have any suspicion from anybody and we walk in a calm silence, save for Sayori talking endlessly and dragging her feet on the ground as she hangs off of my shoulders comically. As we finally arrive, I give Yuri the hand signal beside me to stay back while I take care of Sayori. I bring her into her house using the key I know she keeps in a bush by her front door. I pull her around to my front and princess-carry her up her stairs. She is surprisingly lightweight.

She makes no remark for me carrying her into her private room and laying her on the bed, and I was already pulling the covers over her uniform. She probably wouldn't have changed it, anyway. She curls up in the bed. A small kiss on the forehead is the only gift I leave before I set out something easy to make for breakfast in her kitchen.

I lock her house up again and head for my own. Yuri is waiting outside, for I haven't given her a key to my house yet. We enter together, but Yuri heads toward the couch, and it reminds me that I said we needed to talk. I sit on the adjacent cushion and string along my thoughts. Yuri is the first to break the ice.

"What did you want to talk about...?"

I put my words together in my head. "Well, if you must owe me something for letting you stay here... I'll give you one more chance to go back on it."

"N-No! I want to give you something, or anything! Just so you know how much I appreciate this..."

"Alright. If you say so. From here on out, any chores that need to be done around the house, you must help me with. How's that sound?"

Her thin, slender hand graces her like chin. "Is that it?"

"Yeah, I mean... I'm not going to ask much of you."

"Oh..."

Did she have something else in mind? That was all I could come up with!

"Now, then. I also said I would make you whatever you wanted for dinner. But you're doing the dishes."