Chapter 10: The Date - Part 2

(Mitzu's POV)

[Sayori] "Awwww! I forgot how cute Lusa is!"

[Mitzu] "Hehe, she reminds me of a certain pink haired girl we both know."

[Sayori] "Heehee, you're so right! They're both small, cute, and feisty."

[Mitzu] "Yeah, girls gotta lot of fight in her."

[Sayori] "Mhm! I've known Natsuki for a while now and I know she's super strong. I wonder where she gets it from…"

Well… most likely having to deal with her father…Wait! I begin to think if maybe it would be a good idea to let Sayori help us with the other two girls… We'd have an extra set of hands but then… Sayori would have more on her plate. Hmm, maybe I should bring this up with Monika and Zero.

[Sayori] "Mitzu?"

[Mitzu] "Huh?"

[Sayori] "Ummm… You were just staring off into space. Are you okay?"

[Mitzu] "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about things is all."

[Sayori] "What were you thinking about?"

Man, I hate to lie to her but, I don't want to make her worry about more than she already does.

[Mitzu] "Ah, just… Thinking about the festival ya know… Can't wait to spend the day with you."

Sayori raised an eyebrow for a second before dropping in back down and smiling.

[Sayori] "I can't wait either! Think of all the food and activities they're gonna have!"

I internally sigh since Sayori doesn't see through my lie. Although I've technically only known her for about a week, I know she's really observant.

[Mitzu] "Yeah, And I wonder what the other clubs are gonna be doing this year. Maybe the cooking club will have a buffet set up."

[Sayori] "Heehee, I hope… And Mitzu, what were… What were you really thinking about?"

Sayori quickly went from all innocent and laughing to serious in an instant. It caught me off guard, making me internally wince. Well shit, I guess there's no fooling Sayori.

[Mitzu] "U-Umm… Well, uhhhh…"

Sayori shifted in my lap so she could better see my face. Once turned about 90%, she put both hands on my cheeks and squeezed them while giving me puppy dog eyes.

[Sayori] "Please… You can tell me. I don't mean to be a burden by trying to force anything out of you but, if it's something I can help you with, then please tell me."

Sayori squeezed my cheeks even more while looking at me with pleading eyes. My eyes looked down in shame since I couldn't let her know. At least not yet.

[Mitzu] "Shayori, firsht off, your not a burden. And shecond off, pleashe, know that I want to tell you but nowsh not the the time…"

She stopped squeezing my cheeks and frowned.

[Mitzu] "While I really want to tell you… Just please understand that it would not only make things more difficult on your part, but it's something that's even out of my range right now. I promise, once I can fully assess what I was thinking about, I'll tell you."

Sayori gave me a small smile to show that she understood. Looks like I'm gonna have to tell her about Natsuki's problems eventually. I just hope it's not too much for her to handle.

[Sayori] "Okay. And once again, I know I'm probably the worst person to help. At least, from what you're saying, it sounds pretty bad. But, I would at least like to help as much as I can."

[Mitzu] "Sayori, You'd be a great help. But like I said, it's a bit out of my reach right now. And like I said once again, I promise to tell you soon."

I followed this up by embracing her and running my hands through her hair. Sayori melted into the hug and buried her face in the crook of my neck.

[Sayori] "Heehee… Your hugs have always been so nice and warm Mitzu."

[Mitzu] "Well lucky for you, that I have an endless supply of them. And they all have your name on them."

[Sayori] "Yay, Infinite hugs!"

I couldn't help but chuckle at Sayori's childish nature. I ruffled her hair before landing a quick kiss on her cheek. Her face went red and her smile grew bigger.

[Sayori] "Ehehe… You really do l-love me, don't you Mitzu?"

Without hesitation, I said…

[Mitzu] "Of course I do. There's nothing in the world that could come remotely close to stopping me from loving you."

Sayori stayed silent, but wrapped her arms around me and hugged tightly. I replied by embracing her tightly as well and rested my cheek on her coral hair. I couldn't help but notice the nice smell of watermelon, most likely from her shampoo. We stayed like this for a while, not moving or speaking. Just enjoying each other's presence.

I must've been lost in her fragrance since I all of a sudden heard small coo's coming from Sayori. She fell asleep, tightly latched to me and face buried in my chest. Heh, while this is cute, I don't think I can move… And it'd be too inhumane to wake up the sleeping bun… Well shit.

[Mitzu] "Yawn"

Hmmmm, I am still sleepy. Yesterday took a lot out of me. I slide forward a bit so I'm more horizontal on the bean bag. Once I'm able to lay back comfortably, I shift Sayori some, so she's laying more comfortably as well. I grab the book we were reading, open it to a random page and lay it on my face. Ahhh, there we go, nice and dark now.

I close my eyes and relax, letting sleep overtake me. Before I fall asleep completely, I feel like I hear the faint sound of TV static. I brush it aside though and fall into dreamland.

(Zero's POV)

[Girl] "Hey Monika! wait!"

Monika and I come to a halt. I glance at her, to see she's smiling. We both turn to see a girl running towards us. She has short black hair, tied up into a ponytail. She has black eyes and looks to be around Sayori's height. She's wearing a dark green blouse and white skirt with matching white knee highs.

[Monika] "Amaya! It's so good to see you!"

The girl who's name is Amaya comes to stop in front of us. She bends over, trying to catch her breath. Once she's composed, she stands up straight while adjusting her blouse and smiles.

[Amaya] "It's so good to see you to! I had no idea I'd run into you today…"

She glances at me for a moment before turning back to Monika with a smirk on her face. She leans in close to Monika and whispers…

[Amaya] "And it seems you've struck gold today as well."

In a harsh whisper, Monika replies…

[Monika] "Amaya!"

Monika's face went red while Amaya started to giggle.

[Amaya] "Heeheehee… But really though, I'm proud of you, now that you've found someone…"

She then turned her head towards me.

[Amaya] "And who's the lucky guy?"

[Zero] "Names Zero, pleasure to meet you Amaya."

I said while bowing my head. She did the same before speaking up again.

[Amaya] "Well Zero, I mean this in a nice, friendly way. Take good care of Monika and be there for her always. She's almost like a sister to me and the most kind woman. I'm expecting to only hear good things come from you two, got it!"

She said while putting her hands on her hips and smiling. I glanced at Monika, who was stifling a laugh and shaking her head. I chucked a little before replying.

[Zero] "Hehehe… Don't worry Amaya, I love Monika and only want to bring her happiness and good memories…"

I turn my head towards Monika, which she replies by looking back with a sweet smile. Man, that smile…

[Zero] "And she truly is the light of my life. I wouldn't trade anything in the known universe for her."

Monika once again produced a large smile while her eyes went misty. However, no tears fell. I turned back to Amaya who was looking at me stunned. All of a sudden, she smiled and started hopping in place.

[Amaya] "Oh my gosh Monika! I haven't seen much of him but he's not anything like the others! I think he's the one! I'm so happy for you!"

Wait, others?

After a few seconds, Amaya calmed down. I side glanced to Monika who still had a huge smile on her face while looking down at the ground. Oh boy, I hope I didn't break her again.

[Amaya] "Well anyway, I'd love to stay and chat, but I need to get going. It was great seeing you Monika and it was nice to meet you Zero."

[Zero] "It was nice to meet you as well. Have a good day."

With that, she smiled and began to walk past me. Once she was right next to me, she whispered into my ear.

[Amaya] "Please be great to her Zero, she's had enough of people using her and I want to see her happy."

I smiled and nodded causing her to reply with her own smile. She trotted away, leaving me and Monika. There were no people around us at the moment, only a few cars passing by every so often. I turned back to Monika who was still silent and looking at the ground.

[Zero] "Hey Moni, You okay-"

I was cut off by Monika launching herself into me at full speed, nearly making me fall over. She embraced me tightly, burying her face in my neck. I could feel my neck getting wet where her face was. Was she holding in the tears that whole time?

[Zero] "Moni?"

I quickly wrapped my arms around her, with my left hand holding the bags and my right running through her hair. I could hear her quietly sobbing, so I quickly dropped the bags and started rubbing her back. Monika also dropped the bags and hugged me even tighter.

[Zero] "There there Moni, I'm here. Take your time."

She continued to cry into my shoulder while holding me as if I were to disappear at any moment. I continued to comfort her up until she stopped crying and lessened her grip on me. She wiped her cheek for any stray tears that might happen to be there before looking up to me with a small smile.

[Monika] "I'm sorry my love, it's just…"

She once again hugged me and rested her cheek above my chest.

[Zero] "It's okay Moni, don't apologize. You did nothing wrong. And like I said, I'm here for you."

I moved my right hand and ran my fingers through her hair again and softly scratched her scalp. With a few shaky breaths, Monika was finally able to speak again.

[Monika] "It's just… Having you here and with me like this is still something I could only dream of. I know I've said it before but, you being here makes me happier than I thought I could ever be. And when you said all those things… I couldn't help but cry. You keep blessing me by being here with me and using such kind words. It's almost too much to even fathom."

I stayed silent, mulling over what she just said. I'm really this important to Monika. I'm really having all these affects on her. Although, I never really thought about all this until now. This scenario we're all in is truly… I wouldn't even know how to say it. For the first time since Mitzu and I have arrived here, I'm actually thinking deep into this. My legs felt like they were gonna give out at any moment but I just powered through it.

[Monika] "And sometimes, I wonder why this is happening… While I'm glad and don't want this to ever end, I feel like I'm the least deserving of being in this place."

[Zero] "Monika, You deserve happiness just as much as the others and everyone else in this world. Please don't question it, because as long as I'm able to be with you, there's no need for me to question anything. I'm only gonna look on the bright side and enjoy every second I can with you."

Monika kept her head resting above my chest for a few moments. I could see a small smile make its way onto her face, although she stayed clung to me. I kept up the rubbing of her hair while she completely composed herself. She gradually loosened her grip on me while I moved my right hand to cup her cheek once I could see her face. She rested her cheek on the palm of my hand while smiling in content.

[Zero] "Please Moni, don't feel this way about yourself."

[Monika] "I-I know…"

She tilted her head down while having a guilty expression on her face. Damnit, all I did was make her feel more guilty. I moved my right hand to her chin and lifted her face up once again. Monika stared straight at my chest, as to try and not make eye contact. Good going Zero…

[Zero] "Monika, I didn't mean to make you feel more guilty. I meant that I can't stand to see you beat yourself up over it."

[Monika] "I know, you're just worried about me…"

She once again smiled while taking my hand with both of hers and lightly squeezing.

[Monika] "And don't get me wrong, I appreciate it. And I'm really enjoying our first date. So we should get going! I'm excited to see what we find next."

Monika's smile looked off, as she gripped my hand and began to walk towards the pedestrian walkway bridge. I stand still, causing her to turn around once she realizes I'm not moving. She cocks her head curiously.

[Monika] "Zero?"

I kept a worried look on my face as I stared deep into her emerald eyes. I know exactly what she's doing. I can see right through the mask. But do I really keep prodding?

...guess I've already made that choice by stopping her from going on as if nothing happened. I… I can't let this continue any longer. I've set it aside for long enough. I can't let the guilt eat away at her any longer. I pull her a bit closer by her hand and place my hands on her shoulders. I take a quick glance around to make sure no one can hear us. Thankfully, the area is clear. I look back to Monika who, by now, has figured out what I'm doing. She pleads me with her eyes to drop it. Not anymore...

[Zero] "Monika… I've also been enjoying our date. In fact, I've loved spending this time with you. But… I'm not gonna let you beat yourself up anymore. Just as I'm important to you, you're important to me. More important than anyone I know I won't stand by anymore while guilt tears away at you."

Once again, Monika looks down at the ground while tears begin to form in her eyes. I hate seeing her like this, but I won't let her feel like this anymore.

[Monika] "I-I'm sorry… But while I've tried and want to believe that it can get better, it can't. N-Nothing will change the fact that I killed them. It d-doesn't matter if you say that it was a different version of m-me. I-I…"

She lifted her head back up, with tears now rolling down her eyes. I can visibly see the pain on her face.

[Monika] "I still killed them! You will never know what that feels like! But I deserve to feel like this… It's my punishment for acting as evil as I did-"

[Zero] "Enough!"

Raising my voice halted any self loathing that was making its way out of her mouth.

[Zero] "You don't deserve any pain damnit! And what happened to the talks we've had before?! You are not the same Monika. The ghost thing even told me himself!"

[Monika] "But I still remember killing Sayori! Even killing one… I-It's so painful to live, knowing what I did… You would never know the feeling of killing someone for your own selfish desires-"

[Zero] "I'M THE REASON MY BROTHER'S DEAD!"

I once again raise my voice. This time, I wouldn't doubt if everyone in the parking lot heard it. Monika stared at me, face covered in tears and eyes wide open. I drop my head while gritting my teeth and closing my eyes.

[Zero] "Believe it or not… You and me are more similar than it seems…"

I raise my head once again. Monika moved closer and once again tightly embraced me while lightly sobbing into my chest. I reciprocated with my own tight hug. I didn't think about it before saying it, but I basically told Monika the reason for my guilt… I guess if any times the right time to tell her the whole thing… It'd be now… I hope.

[Zero] "Monika-"

Ring

As I was about to open my mouth, my phone rang. Monika's sobbing stopped momentarily as I took my phone out of my pocket. The caller is… Mom?! So, I guess they're not just some off screen voice or something. Neat. Although, I don't have any memories of what she looks like. I press the call button and move my phone to my ear. That turned out to be a bad decision since a mature sounding voice blasted my eardrums.

[Mom] "ZERO! MY BABY!"

[Zero] "Ow! Dammit mom, did you have to be so loud?!"

[Mom] "Hey! Language! And yes, heehee… But anyway, it's so good to talk to you. I'm sorry it's been so long, but I've been super busy."

I dig through my given memories for a second before continuing. So, "my mom" works in another city pretty far from here. She rarely gets to come home… So she's blue skies MomC? My father is also not a part of our life anymore… Just like the other world.

[Zero] "It's good to talk to you too. How's work been treating you?"

[Mom] "It's been good. Like I said, a bit busy though. Haven't really had much time to myself or to check up on you. I'm… Really sorry sweety."

I could tell by her voice that she was disappointed in herself.

[Zero] "Mom, it's fine, really."

[Mom] "A-Are you sure? I can't help but feel like a bad parent. And I know you're all grown up now but, you'll always be my baby in my heart."

I could feel Monika smile at that, causing my face to redden a little. I can also make out many similarities that this mom and my realities mom have in common. Maybe, they're the same person?

[Zero] "Mom, I assure you, it's fine. Plus, I have Mitzu and Sayori."

[Monika] "Ahem…"

I glanced down to Monika, who's sporting a cute pout. It looks like most of the tension from before is gone. Or at least from the outside, it seems that way. So why is she "Aheming" me?

. . .

Oh yeah

[Zero] "And not to mention Mom, I have someone special to help look out for me. So you don't have to worry about something happening to me because of my shenanigans."

[Mom] "GASP… You got a girlfriend?!"

Oh boy…

[Zero] "Yeah… But please don't-"

[Mom] "What's her name?! What's she like?! Is she pretty?! Is she a school mate?! Is she with you?!"

Monika giggled at my mom's flurry of questions, which also gave her an answer to her last question.

[Mom] "Is that her?! Quick, let me talk to her! I need to hear the lucky girl!"

[Zero] "Mom! Calm down, please… And can't we talk about this another time? Right now's not the best time for it."

[Mom] "Awwww… Could I at least know her name?"

[Zero] "Her name's Monika."

[Mom] "Monika… That's such a nice name! She must be beautiful! Is she beautiful?!"

[Zero] "Mom! What did I just say!"

[Mom] "I know, I know… It's just, ever since… That day… You've been really independent. Hearing you have a girlfriend just makes me so proud of you."

Is she… No… she can't be talking about... Can she? But there's been no reference to it at all. And wouldn't I have a memory of it?! Wouldn't someone like Sayori bring it up?! I need answers… I need to ask that ghost thing about it.

Monika, having somewhat of an idea now about what happened, tightened her embrace and gave me a small kiss on the neck. Her reassurance gave me more strength to continue the conversation.

[Zero] "Y-Yeah, I know. I'm proud of myself as well. And don't worry, I'll answer any question you have soon. Now's just not a good time for me to answer them."

[Mom] "speaking of that, I should be able to come back down soon. I don't know when, but I'll let you know once I get information on that, okay?"

[Zero] "Got it… Love ya Mom."

[Mom] "I love you too sweetie. I can't wait to meet the lucky girl… Oh! And please don't get her pregnant, okay?"

[Zero] "Mom!"

My face went red again while Monika giggled. Damnit, this is definitely something Mom would say.

[Mom] "Heehee… Really though, I don't wanna be a grandparent yet. And goodbye sweetie, I'll try and call you again as soon as possible. Love you!"

[Zero] "Love you too."

With that, the call ended. I let out a long sigh which caused Monika to giggle some more.

[Monika] "Teehee… She seems like a nice mom."

[Zero] "Yeah… although, she seems just like my real mom. Could she be?"

[Monika] "I don't know. Perhaps this world mimicked your reality to better fit you in?"

[Zero] "Maybe… Anyway, you wanna get going? I'm excited for what we find next."

[Monika] "Sure!"

My plan to try and steer away from the topic seemed to have worked. Monika unlatched herself and grabbed a few bags before intertwining her fingers with mine as I too grabbed some bags. Monika looked at me one more time before starting our walk for the plaza. I could tell that it was a genuine smile. It looked like the face she had on wasn't there at the moment. Did I… Really help her some?

For the time being, I feel as I did. I internally sigh in relief while following Monika onto the pedestrian walkway. While walking, I come to the conclusion that there's no way I've helped her out completely yet. But for now, I hope this is enough. I will make sure she's 100% better one day.

Once we got to the plaza, Monika stopped for a moment to figure out which direction we'd go next. After a few seconds, she smiled and began for the plaza exit opposite of us. Before she could get out of view, I took another glance at her face. She still had the same smile that I hoped for. As we walked, I leaned over and planted a kiss on her cheek. She turned for a second and smiled warmly at me with rosy cheeks. As she turned around, she kept the warm smile as we continued walking…

3 hours later…

[Monika] "Mmmmm, it's sooo good!"

[Zero] "I know right, this is the best ramen I've ever had!"

It was currently the evening. Monika and I had spent a good 3 hours after the mall waking around the city and going to different places. After the mall, we found a small arcade, which we made an attempt to play all the games at but time only allowed us to play about half the games. While we could've stayed in there for a lot longer, we wanted to see more of the city.

After the arcade, we visited a planetarium. Turns out, Monika has high interest in astronomy. She practically gave me more information than the actual planetarium did. It was an interesting experience and I feel like I walked out of there knowing more than a nasa scientist.

After the planetarium, we found another plaza dotted with small stores and stands. Most of the stores were antique stores and shops that sold items from different countries and cultures. After a while of waking around, we started to get hungry once again. We ended up finding a park with a small lake. On the side of the lake was a ramen restaurant.

And that brings us to now. Monika and I are currently gobbling up our food while admiring the amazing view. The lakeside is covered in flora and different kinds of birds. We had chosen a seat that overlooks the lake to better observe it all. The restaurant has a traditional Japanese look to it. The interior also has the same style, with samurai armor in glass boxes and colorful paintings lining the walls.

[Monika] "I can definitely see why this place gets so much praise. Not only is the food excellent, but the architecture and landscape are such a sight."

[Zero] "You can say that again. If this place wasn't so far from home, We'd have to come here everyday."

[Monika] "That would be nice, although, constantly eating from here might get tiring so I'm happy this would only be for special occasions."

[Zero] "True true… Plus, if this was a daily thing then there wouldn't be that much special about it."

[Monika] "Mhm. Although, as long as I'm with you, anything we do together is special."

[Zero] "And I agree 100% with that."

I said while moving my hand over to hers, which is laying palm down on the table. I gently took her hand and rubbed the back of it with my thumb. This caused Monika to sigh in content while looking me in the eyes. After a few moments, we went back to eating. We still held each other's hand as we ate until we were full.

By the time we were finished eating, the sun was beginning to set. Monika and I stayed for a few minutes taking in the amazing sight of the lake with an orange glow casted upon it. Wait, I still need to give her the necklace. I began to reach into my pocket until I thought of a good idea…

[Zero] "Hey Moni, you wanna watch the sunset?"

She turned to me with a look of excitement and curiosity. On the way here, I spotted a several story tall Japanese styled tower. I remember that the top has an observation deck overlooking the lake and should also give us a nice view of the sunset.

[Monika] "Where are we gonna watch it from?"

[Zero] "That. My dear queen is a surprise."

[Monika] "Okay then. We'd better get going then, before we miss it. Unless the place you have in mind isn't too far?"

[Zero] "It's not far at all. Although, We should start heading there now."

[Monika] "Okay then, let me just pay for the food real quick."

[Zero] "Okay… Wait! You're gonna pay?!"

Monika looked at me with confused eyes while reaching into one of the pockets on her dress.

[Monika] "Yeah. I thought since you paid for everything else today, that I'd pay for this."

[Zero] "Moni, you do realize the prices here are a bit high? There's no way I could let you do that. And plus, paying is the gentlemanly thing to do. I don't mind paying this as well."

[Monika] "Zero, please. Just let me pay."

She asked with pleading eyes. Wait! In most mods, you paying for Monika would ultimately end in the bad ending. The other option, normally, is to split the bill. Then again… This isn't some mod. I guess I could still try it though.

[Zero] "Umm… Maybe we could split the bill. How does that sound?"

Monika took a moment to think over it. She ultimately let out a small sigh while looking back at me and smiling.

[Monika] "Okay. I guess that's fair. But really though, next time, let me pay completely. It's the least I could do to give back for all the stuff you've done for me."

I too sighed, not feeling too thrilled to have Monika pay for the both of us. Then again, couldn't she just spawn in money? Eh, I'm not gonna ask.

[Zero] "Okay. But don't feel like you have to give back. I enjoy doing everything I do for you. But… if you really want to, then I won't stop you."

Monika smiled, as we both took out enough money to pay for our food. Once paid for, we grabbed the bags that were residing under the table and made our way for the front entrance. Once outside, I took a second to take in the beautiful sight of the city in the midst of the sunset. That, with the croaking of frogs from the lake and the chirping crickets make for a super nice feeling.

[Monika] "Wow. The sun setting over the city really is beautiful."

[Zero] "Yeah… It's breathtaking."

As I stare at the orange tinted buildings, I get quick flashbacks to when me and Mitzu were driving through the city to head to Reno's house. It becomes a bit harder to breathe once I'm reminded of what went down that day. Thankfully, I'm able to control myself and by closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. I reopen my eyes and take Monika's hand while beginning to walk in the direction of the tower.

We walked for about 5 minutes, just chatting about small things like the flora and fauna we passed by. The air became noticeably a bit cooler as the sun started to sink into the horizon. And it doesn't help that the path we're on right now has large trees shading us. Thankfully, after the 5 minutes of walking, we made it to our destination.

[Monika] "Is that where we're going?"

She said while pointing to the wooden tower…

[Zero] "Yup. At the top, we'll have a good view of the sunset and lake. We shouldn't dawdle too much though since the sun's already disappearing into the horizon."

Monika looked towards the sun then back at me for a split second before grabbing my hand and running while pulling me for the gazillionth time today.

[Monika] "C'mon, we gotta hurry!"

[Zero] "Okay! Okay! Slow down though!"

Monika did end up slowing down a tad bit. Although, not too much since we were still jogging pretty fast. On the bright side, we made it to the entrance of the tower rather quickly. The bottom floor was open air, with Japanese styled benches, several small pots with various plants in them and a vending machine. Away from all that were stairs. And without so much as a word, Monika once again pulled me towards the stairs. Her action nearly caused me to trip, but I could only laugh it off since this side of Monika is one I love dearly.

After several flights of stairs, we made it to the top. The top viewing platform is in a large circular shape. A red, wooden railing lines the edge, with more Japanese styled benches next to the rails. A few other couples were sitting down on the benches, most likely here for the almost divine looking sunset.

We spotted an empty bench and took a seat. The bench, as I hoped, overlooks the lake and sunset. And wow… It looks even greater up here.

Once Monika and I set our bags down at our feet, we instinctively wrapped our arms around each other. The breeze up here wasn't very pleasant to say the least. Once locked in each other's arms, we turned our gaze towards the sunset.

[Monika] "This really is far beyond anything I ever could've dreamt of. It almost feels like this is a dream. And I'm gonna wake up any moment."

[Zero] "Same… And while it's hard for me to believe this is really happening as well, I'm for certain that this isn't a dream. Or if it is, then I hope I never wake up."

[Monika] "Yeah… But… Do you not miss your old world Zero?"

. . .

[Zero] "Of course I do. It's just… I'm technically dead in that world, And so is Mitzu. Assuming that really happened, there's no way I could just be revived or anything. At least, I doubt there is. And plus, there's no way in a million years I could leave you, And everyone else."

[Monika] "But, let's just say you get the opportunity to go back. Don't let me be the reason you wanna stay, especially if you really want too."

But… In a scenario where that does happen, would I wanna go back? I'd get to see my family, friends and have my old life back… But I could never. As long as Monika's not there, that's a good enough reason why I wouldn't want to go back.

[Zero] "Moni, if the option would ever arise, I still wouldn't want to. I'm telling you from the bottom of my heart that I'd never leave you."

She stayed silent for a few seconds before I felt her lean as much into me as she could. Her head rested on my shoulder and there was little space between us. Oh wait! The necklace! My dumbass kept forgetting about the necklace, but now, it seems like a good time to give it to her.

I pulled my right arm away from her and dug in my pocket. I pulled out the necklace before speaking…

[Zero] "Moni, can you close your eyes and turn away for just a sec?"

[Monika] "Umm… Sure?"

She gave a curious look before closing her eyes and turning around, so her back was facing me. I undid the necklace and moved it in front of her neck. I then wrapped it around her neck and latched it together.

[Zero] "Alright, you can look now."

She turned around and opened her eyes. She looked down while lifting the little green gem with her right hand. Once she got a good look at it, she seemed to freeze up for a moment. As I was about to ask if she was okay, she looked up and gave me another huge smile.

[Zero] "So… Do you like it-Mmpf!"

I was cut off when Monika threw her arms around my neck and pulled me in for a deep kiss. I returned the kiss while moving my hands to her back. Eventually, I broke away just as Monika decided she was gonna try and start a make out session… In front of several people. As soon as she opened her eyes, she locked my neck in a tight hug.

[Monika] "Yes. I love it. So much. Thank you my love."

[Zero] "Heh, well I'm glad you like it."

[Monika] "When did you get it by the way?"

[Zero] "Well, when I told you I was gonna use the bathroom at the mall earlier, I really just went to a shop we passed by. I saw that in the window and I guess it just reminded me of you, so I had to get it. And what's more is the cashier gave me a discount."

[Monika] "Well… I'm at a loss for words. Thank you so much…"

[Zero] "Anything for you Moni…"

And with that, we held each other tightly as the sun receded lower in the horizon. The city lights started to come on making for another spectacular sight. As much as this day has been enjoyable, it was sadly time to go home. Although, we still need to pick up supplies for the festival preparation.

Once the sun was almost completely set, Monika and I began to take our leave. It had gotten chillier since it's basically dark out now. So we stayed close together to keep each other warm. Within a minute we made it to the front entrance of the tower. Once there, we took a minute to retrace our steps and started for the direction of the plaza. Just as we started walking however, I swear I could hear the sound of TV static. I ended up just brushing It aside as someone watching a video or something.

1 hour later

We made it to the plaza and onto the train in a short amount of time. By the time we got close to the plaza, the sun had mostly set and the only lights were the lit up buildings, street lamps and cars moving down the streets.

After the train ride, we ended up stopping at a small general store. We got supplies for the festival preparation. The supplies consisted of small colorful bags, Kit Kats, book marks, and peppermints. We didn't get too much for the goodie bags since they were a bit smaller than we anticipated. After paying we started our walk home. Now, we're only a few minutes away, walking on the dark road. The only things lighting it up are the street lamps and front house lights.

The air had gotten even chillier since the sun had completely gone down. Monika was practically suffocating my arm, trying to get warm. And with the cold air and darkness made for a rather creepy feel. And to make it worse, that static sound could be heard, although it sounded far away.

[Monika] "Zero, is it just me or is there a weird sound in the distance?"

Monika said this as she hugged my arm tighter. I'm gonna lose blood flow to my arm soon. Her voice also became a bit shaky.

[Zero] "Yeah… It's probably nothing though. Most likely just someone blaring TV static."

[Monika] "Y-Yeah… Maybe."

My own reassurance didn't even make me feel that much better. Monika seems to also feel like somethings up. I noticed her eyes darting from side to side as if she's scanning our surroundings.

[Zero] "Moni, I'm sure it's nothing. You don't-"

My sentence was cut short as I heard a bush rustling to the right of us. I quickly darted my eyes towards the bush and could make out the bush shaking ever so slightly. I felt Monika's hand moving, so I quickly glanced to my side to see a knife materialize out of thin air. And it looks like the same type of knife we used against Unknown yesterday.

Monika then proceeded to aim the tip of the knife towards the bush…

[Monika] "Who's there?!"

Silence…

We stood in silence, waiting for something to jump out. We stood there for what felt like an eternity but, it was only about 15 seconds.

After a while, we traded looks before taking a step. We kept constant eye contact with the bush as we started for the house, which was now only down the street a little more.

[Zero] "Guess it's just the wind. Man, I won't lie, I was kinda scared, hehe-"

[Monika] "Zero!"

All of a sudden, the bush shook violently. Monika and I stood, frozen in fear and expecting the worst. She once again aimed the point of the knife towards the bush, ready to use it. And after a few seconds, something jumped out of the bush. Monika Yelped in surprise as the thing walked a bit closer.

[Cat] "Meow!"

. . .

A fucking cat… Monika and I slowly looked at each other. We both blinked a few times before erupting in laughter.

[Monika] "Hahahaha!"

[Zero] "Hahahaha! I can't believe… We were scared of a cat!"

As our laughter died down and we composed ourselves, we ended up petting the small feline. It's an orange cat, with subtle white stripes. We also concluded that it was a stray since there was no tag.

As we pet the cat, the distant sound of static sounded a bit closer as it started up again. Monika and I turned to the direction of the sound for a second. During that second, the cat scampered away down the street, disappearing into someone's yard.

[Monika] "Zero, do you see anything?"

[Zero] "No… Like I said though, it's probably nothing. And you have that knife on you. If somebody's out there, we'll use that on them."

[Monika] "O-Okay, let's get going then…"

As we stood up, Monika went back to hugging my arm while holding the knife pointed in front of us. The rest of the walk was quiet. As we got closer to the house, the static seemed to fade away until the only sounds were the breeze and distant cars. And finally, we made it home in one piece.

Upon entering the house, I made sure to lock the door and looked through the peephole to see if anyone was outside. Thankfully there wasn't. I let out a sigh of relief causing Monika to untense a little. We walked into the kitchen and started unloading and sorting through stuff while chatting some to get our mind off the last few minutes. Although, we could be getting scared of nothing. Who knows… I've read too many fanfics that have situations like these.

Eventually, we sorted through everything and put all of Monika's new clothes in drawers. With a mixture of the today and the day before, we both felt that we should hit the hay a bit early. Monika stepped outside while I changed into my sleep wear. I just put on a gray shirt and black sweatpants, a contrast to my normal sleepwear of no shirt.

Once I was done, I called for Monika and hopped into bed after cutting the light off. Monika walked in wearing her normal pink tank top and underwear. And how I don't go crazy over it will forever be a mystery. As I laid my head back, Monika got on top of me, straddling me. Before I could say a word, she leaned down and rammed her lips into mine.

[Zero] "Mmpf?!"

We started making out while Monika moved her Hands to my cheeks and I moved mine her thighs. As we kissed, I felt myself slowly losing control. To try and not lose control, I broke the kiss. Monika must've interpreted it the wrong way since she then started to remove her tank top. Shit!

[Zero] "Monika wait!"

I grabbed her wrists, stopping her in her tracks. She looked down at me with red cheeks and a semi-confused looking face.

[Zero] "Moni… This is too fast…"

Monika turned her head to the side and looked out the window. Through the darkness, I could see a guilty expression on her face. Damnit… Need to use better words.

[Zero] "Moni, what I mean is, it's only been about a week. That's way too fast. Now… I'm not saying I'm not open to it, I'm just saying that it should wait, okay. And don't feel bad, it was my fault too."

I moved my hand to caress her cheek and shift her head so she's looking at me again. Thankfully, she had an understanding smile and layed down on my chest while pulling the covers over us.

[Monika] "You're right Zero. If we did it now, that'd be going way too fast. I guess I just wanted to repay you for the amazing time I had today."

[Zero] "I'm glad you had fun today. As someone with no experience with girls, I thought I'd for sure fuck something up."

[Monika] "Well, I've technically never had any experience with boys, so I guess we're more or less the same."

More or less the same… Those words brought back the events from earlier today. I was about to tell her… Although I dread even thinking about it, I begin to think that Monika deserves to know my past. And what was my mom referring to in the call earlier? I have so many questions and damnit, it's making me lose my mind. I took a deep breath while Monika snuggled herself up in the crook of my neck.

[Monika] "Goodnight my love…"

She said before kissing my neck softly. Her touch really does make me feel a lot better.

[Zero] "Yeah… Goodnight Moni."

With those last words, I closed my eyes and began to rest. It felt nice since my body is still recovering from the blows I took the day before. But Unknown's gonna be out again after the festival. Eh, we'll deal with him again. And with those last thoughts, I let sleep overtake me with the same determination to save everyone, being present.

A/N

Man… Nearly 20 days since the last chapter.

Slaps myself for being so late…

But really though, I didn't mean to go and disappear for a few weeks. Life just has a knack for fucking with me it seems like. Anyway, I want to thank Mei_Sun025 on discord for helping with this chapter. He truly is a jack of all trades.

And with that, have a good day/night and stay safe!