The bus stopped and Sayori practically bounced out, Natsuki close behind her. The neighbourhood looked nice and quiet, but the buildings all looked very different from where Natsuki lived. There were a few familiarities, but she was fairly certain she'd never been here before.
They walked for a bit until Sayori turned into the driveway of one particular house.
"This where you live, then?" Natsuki was trying to sound as casual as she could as she looked around. The house looked very... clean, for lack of a better word. The outside walls were all a pretty dull colour, but looked smooth to touch. The grass was mown, and the bushes on the front lawn looked very tidy. The ideal Japanese home, she supposed.
She wasn't sure why she thought that.

Sayori unlocked the front door and they stepped inside into an equally clean and tidy hallway. Brown and beige colours gave the whole place a rather muted but warm feel, although the lack of photos or paintings on the walls struck Natsuki as odd. There was only a single mirror on the wall.
Sayori strolled into the kitchen and opened the fridge, taking out a glass of milk and downing it in one go.
"Would you like some?"
Natsuki raised her hand politely and shook her head. Venturing into the kitchen, she sneaked a peek at the lounge through an open doorway. Floor-to-ceiling windows kept it well-lit, and a large sofa in front of the TV looked ideal for a happy family to sit down and watch something together. The house was otherwise empty though, but that didn't bother her.
Sayori led her up to her bedroom, where the illusion of a tidy and well-kept home was instantly broken. Clothes littered the floor, unfinished homework hid the desk completely from view, and the bedsheets were only halfway on the bed.
Natsuki cautiously stepped inside, as though it were a minefield. Truth be told, there was a good chance she'd step on something in this mess, and she wanted to be careful.
Sayori, however, simply bounded across the room and jumped onto her bed happily.
"This... isn't quite like the rest of the house."
"Not really, sorry..." Sayori giggled and scratched the back of her head awkwardly. "My neighbour used to come visit and help me tidy and things."
Natsuki glanced up over the giant stuffed cow with the disturbingly huge udders at the foot of the bed and out the window, at what she assumed was said neighbour's house.
"Why'd they stop visiting?"
"Ahhh I'm not sure. I guess we just grew apart around the time the club started... we couldn't walk home together anymore, I suppose, and it took too long for him to wait for me."
A him? Natsuki gazed at the house curiously. She wondered what might've caused a guy and a girl to grow apart like that. Maybe he'd gotten a girlfriend? Natsuki's knowledge of relationships and social interactions was mostly based on what she'd learned from manga, but that seemed like a fair possibility.
Anyway, the love life of the neighbour wasn't so important right now. She needed to somehow find somewhere to sleep. As if reading her mind, Sayori ran off down the hall and quickly returned with a sleeping bag and pillow.
"You can sleep with these. Make yourself at home! Ehehe~"
Natsuki took the sleeping bag and started pushing clothes out of the way with her foot.
They didn't smell bad or anything, but she'd rather not touch them directly, especially after she uncovered what appeared to be a used pair of Sayori's panties.
Shuddering, Natsuki set up the sleeping bag and pillow. It wasn't much, and certainly wouldn't beat her bed back home, but it would do.
She could get used to this.

The rest of the day went by slowly. Natsuki read manga online on her phone, she and Sayori heated up frozen pizzas for dinner, and then it was already time for them to get ready for bed. Having not had the chance to bring any spare clothes with her through her incredible lack of foresight, Natsuki just took off her uniform and changed into the spare shirt she often brought with her. She kept the same underwear on.
After brushing her teeth she returned to the bedroom. Sayori was also already changed and had brushed her own teeth. She was laying on her bed, hugging her blanket as Natsuki approached, sliding into the sleeping bag.
It was less comfortable than she'd hoped, but not impossible to sleep in.

"Sooo...~"
Oh brother.
"What...?" Natsuki opened her eyes again to look up at Sayori's bed.
"Soooo? What's new?"
"New...?"
"Got a boyfriend? Girlfriend~?"
"No."
Silence.
"You?" Natsuki asked.
"Nope! Single and ready to mingle!"
This really wasn't a conversation she'd ever expected to have with Sayori.
"What about Yuri?" Sayori seemed determined to have this conversation, though.
"What about her?"
"Do you think she does?"
"... Probably not."
Who'd want to hang out with a bookworm who didn't even go out to parties?
"Why not? I think she could!"
"How'd you figure?"
"She's got a nice body~" Sayori wasn't holding anything back. They were actually doing this. In manga, whenever girls had a sleepover, it seemed almost traditional for them to discuss every tiny little detail about their lives.
Natsuki had been convinced it couldn't be real.
"But what about Monika?" Sayori rolled over to look down at Natsuki, who was laying next to the bed.
"Monika?"
"Yeah. Do you think she's got a boyfriend?"
Natsuki thought for a moment. Why not, right? Unlike her, Monika was popular, good-looking, and didn't have some horrific family situation at home. None that she'd heard of, anyway.
"She might."
"I bet she does. She always seems so happy."
Good for her, Natsuki thought.
"Is there anyone you like?" Sayori wasn't done with her yet.
The pink-haired girl sighed.
"No."
More silence. Sayori was staring at her as if expecting her to ask the same question back.
Another sigh.
"You?"
Sayori lay on her back again in bed, staring up at the ceiling.
"I used to really like the guy next door. He would always come by and help me cook, clean my room, sometimes even help with my homework. It was really nice."
He sounded like the dependable type.
"Did you ever ask him out?"
"No, I was too shy..."
"Maybe you should. You might as well, right?"
That's what manga had taught her. Take the opportunity, ask the guy out, he'll always accept.
Well, probably not always, but what was the worst that could happen?
"You really think I should?" Sayori asked.
"Why not? Gather your courage and ask the guy out! I mean, it's not like he doesn't know you well enough already, right?" Natsuki tried to sound as encouraging as possible. Truthfully, she doubted she'd ever have the guts to ask someone out in person, but that didn't mean she couldn't help someone else do it. Hell, if it worked out, she'd even be happy for Sayori.
"Maybe..." Sayori thought it over. "Yeah... yeah maybe I will. Thanks, Natsuki!"
Natsuki smiled. She'd done her good deed of the day, but she was starting to feel the weight of her eyelids.
"I'm gonna sleep now, Sayori. Goodnight."
"'Night!"
Despite the hard floor beneath her, only slightly cushioned by the thin material of the sleeping bag, Natsuki fell asleep quickly.
No dreams tonight.
For the first time in what must've been years, she slept well.