"Natsuki, please come out from there," Monika implored, standing outside of the girls' restroom, rapping gently on the door with her knuckles. The walls around them were plastered with various advertisements for their school's various clubs, from the Occult Club to the Research Society. Down the corridor away from them, the sounds of the school festival could be heard, the students of their high school milling about and partaking in the activities the various clubs had set up.

Natsuki's voice could be heard through the door, the pitch of her voice high and distressed.

"N-no! Nobody should see me like this! T-this is embarrassing!"

Kei stood about, his arms crossed with worry. "Monika, have you seen something like this before?"

"I-I've never seen something like that," the club president responded with a whisper. "Unless the Occult Club wasn't kidding about having actual magic powers."
"I don't think they'd do something that nasty," Sayori replied, frowning. "Besides, why would they do that to Natsuki?"

Yuri, for her part, huddled down at the bottom of the wall, head in her hands. "H-how could this happen? W-why did she….how did she turn into that?!"
"Come on, Natsuki. We promise, you don't have to stand up in front of everyone and present a poem!" Monika reassured her. "Please?"

"No!", Natsuki cried through the door. "Not until you figure out how to turn me back!"

Monika turned to Kei, backing away from the door. "Did Yuuki get back yet? Please tell me he got someone."

The boy quickly checked his phone, before looking back at her. "He'll be back in a bit. Miss Toyosaki has keys to the restroom-"

"Natsuki, please come out of there."

Kei and Monika looked back to see Sayori taking Monika's place at the door, hands resting gently on it to keep her distance.

"Look, Natsuki, I….you don't need to come out of there if you don't want to," the young woman assured her. "….but we can't help you if you don't."

"P-People will just stare at me like some kind of weird person! T-they won't even recognize me!"

"You can trust us, Natsuki," Sayori promised, her voice soft. "We won't let anyone bother you or do anything to you. You're our friend. Me, Kei, Monika, the others….we'll protect you. But please….you have to come out of the restroom."

A moment passed.

Yuri looked up. "Do…..do you think that worked?"
Kei flashed a little smile. "If it's our Sayori, she can do anything."

Sayori, for her part, was engrossed entirely in paying attention to the restroom door, her mouth hanging slightly open in anticipation. If she heard Kei's words, she hadn't made any sign that she did.

Then the restroom door swung open.

And from the girls' restroom emerged a girl in the form of Yuri, wearing Natsuki's favorite ribbon, red against her purple hair.

One week ago….

Touto was a quiet town.

It was, all things taken into account, nowhere near as crazy, nor bizarre, nor noisy as many other towns in Japan. Not much of note happened in Touto; at least, nothing recent. It was no Itomori, neither was it Inaba; no rumors about dog-like children or obsessive conspiracies of senior citizens were to be found here. It was on the cusp of being a city in all but name, teetering on that border between backwater town and regional center of business.

It wasn't that nothing ever happened here; like all towns and cities and the like, Touto had its own grey clouds that hung over the town's pristine past, but so did any other town. As towns went, though, Touto had it all; all the modern amenities, a decently-sized population, and a high school that was the envy of others for miles around. Indeed, this very high school was the pride of Touto, perfect for a town that was a city in all but name.

Sakuraba High, the biggest high school in Touto, was well known for its variety of clubs and the enthusiasm of the student body. One of the oldest educational institutions in Japan, Sakuraba had gone through many changes to adapt to the country's changing needs, only becoming a high school in the last seventy-odd years of its existence. Most parents in Touto and the town over sent their children to Sakuraba for education's sake. Some of its most famous clubs included the basketball and volleyball teams, who were often found competing against other teams, and their much-vaunted debate club, some members who had gone on to become members of government.

So it was that two students of this high school were meeting up, on a particular street in the town's suburbs, on a completely ordinary day.

…..

"Heeeeeeeeyy!"

A young man looked up to see a girl running toward him from the distance, waving her arms in the air as if she were totally oblivious to any attention she might draw to herself.

The young man was smaller than average, a wiry frame contributing to the illusion of smallness, barely a head higher than the girl running right at him. He had a head of smooth, straight brown hair, gently combed to keep it well out of the frames of his thin-rimmed glasses, over deep, hazel eyes. He had an air of laid-back, relaxed calm about him, his neat appearance seeming almost effortless, a contrast to the unkempt, but energetic, girl running towards him.

A small smile crossed the young man's face, almost instinctively, at her appearance. Anyone else might be annoyed by how carefree she seemed, but he couldn't help but smile.

Being Sayori's minder was something of a full-time job, but the young man, a youth by the name of Kei Hongo, didn't mind. As far as he was concerned, he was only doing for Sayori what any friend would for theirs.

Today, she was practically skipping down the road towards him, a sight for sore eyes.

'Looks like I didn't have to come over this morning. It's nice to see her like this.'

The smile stayed on Kei's face as Sayori approached, panting, her eyes shut in effort as she clambered across, propping herself up by laying a hand on the young man to steady herself.

"Whoa there, you okay?" the young man asked, offering her his other hand to help her up. "You look like you just ran ten miles to get here."

"I overslept again!" Sayori whined, embarrassed, before taking Kei's hand and propping herself up, composing herself and grinning triumphantly, whipping between expressions quickly like changing masks. "But I caught you this time! You didn't need to come over!"

"Caught me halfway there, you mean?" the boy responded teasingly, arching an eyebrow. Sayori's mouth hung agape mid-sentence, her hand raised to gesture, before pointing her two index fingers together and pouting.

"Eeeeeehh? You say that like I'm late every morning. That's mean!"

Kei chuckled lightly, rubbing the back of his head before sighing. "Good grief, Sayori. Well, I suppose I'm guilty as charged. What's my punishment this time?"

"I'll have to think about it," she replied, wagging her finger at him, before smiling sweetly. Kei already knew what he'd have to do; the "punishment", such as it was, would involve treating Sayori to something sweet, like cheesecake or caneles. Ever since they'd read that manga about the pianist girl and the violinist boy that turned Sayori's attention to the pastries, she'd loved them after trying them once; the damn things were so expensive to buy, and she loved eating them when the bakery they hung out at stocked them, and so it was Kei's wallet that bore the burden.

Not that he minded getting them for her. It was for Sayori, after all.

"Still, I guess that means you don't have it in you to be mean even if you want to~" She closed her eyes, giggling once more. "Ehehehe~"

Kei rolled his eyes, shaking his head, but the smile on his face was unmistakable. "Alright, alright. We should get going. You know Mr. Arima will kill us if we're late again."

And so, the two took off, Sayori skipping alongside Kei, and Kei with his hands in his pockets, walking at a steady pace next to her.

Sakuraba High was a big high school, and so as the two of them got closer, the streets became speckled with students making their daily commute. Indeed, the school was visible from a fair distance away; a large series of modern-looking buildings, a large campus with carefully tended greens and covered footpaths linking the main building to the gymnasium to the left and parking lot to the right. In front, the school crest was enshrined in the form of a statue; three carp, ascending a waterfall, along with an inscription by the founder.

A few people drove to school, mainly the upperclassmen that lived in the next town over; this was about the time people started learning to drive, sometimes out of convenience, sometimes just to show off to their girlfriends. Kei had considered it himself; asking his dad to drive him and Sayori to places wasn't exactly comfortable, after all, and he was getting to the age where he had to start looking out for himself.

As for the car? His father was out of town often, so perhaps, Kei mused, he'd simply ask for permission to use it. That is, if his dad would spare him a few seconds of conversation.

'I'd probably get pulled over a thousand times if I drove with Sayori, though,' Kei mused, a small smirk on his lips. 'She'd make enough noise to wake up every neighborhood we drove through. We'd be a mobile alarm clock for half of Touto.'

"By the way, Kei," Sayori spoke up, snapping the boy out of his fugue. "Have you decided on a club to join yet?"

"Huh? Oh, right."

Kei nodded at that. Most students his age were joining clubs of some sort after school; Sakuraba High was the sort of place to let anyone start any club, provided they could convince the staff and the student council to allot them a budget, and had enough members- about four or five- to stay afloat. Only the rare student didn't attend a club, usually because they wanted to slack off, or because they had some sort of job they were doing. Sayori herself was vice president of the Literature Club, something he'd heard her talk about happily quite a lot recently.

Kei himself had, until recently, been attending the Anime Club; it wasn't the most popular club, given the subject matter- after all, it wasn't as if anyone wanted to be known as some sort of shut-in-, and they hadn't exactly had many members. Indeed, the club was recently shut down by the student council, taking up too much budget without justifying its existence through membership, leaving Kei a journeyman in the world of clubs that were already packed full of members. Sayori had insisted he join another club, but it wasn't easy finding a new place to fit in.

'Still, I have just the place in mind. Maybe I'd get around to doing what I've been thinking of doing for a while now….'

"You told me you'd find a new club," Sayori reminded him, frowning. "You know, getting by on anime and your grades isn't going to be enough when you head to college. You're okay now, but imagine if you ended up as a shut-in? The thought would kill me!"

"You worry too much sometimes," Kei replied, before flashing her a smile. "Honestly, it's fine. I've narrowed it down to just one club."

"Oh?" the girl looked at him curiously, tilting her head. "Where? Don't tell me you're going to the Occult Club!"

Kei snorted dismissively, shaking his head. "No, no, you don't need to worry about that. They already tried to recruit me by showing me a ton of pictures of crop circles and sightings of UFOs. I politely told them no."

"The Body Improvement Club?"

"Do you honestly think I'd fit in there? I'm touched," Kei gave her a teasingly flattered look. "But no, those guys would crush me like a bug just by looking at me. And I'm not exactly weak."

"Then where?"
"Well," the boy started, looking away from Sayori for a moment, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly as he often did around her. "…..I was thinking…."

He was also looking away because she was starting to push her head towards him, head tilted cutely, bright blue eyes staring right into his. He couldn't concentrate when she was like this, not one bit.

"Yeeeees?" she asked again, urging him to continue.

"I was thinking…I could, you know, tag along with you. To the Literature Club!" Kei suggested. "You know, just to see if it's the kind of place I could go to."

Sayori stared at him oddly.

"A-are you sure you want to do that?" she asked suspiciously. "You're not much into literature, last I checked."

"Hey, now, I read! Manga counts, despite what people say!" Kei answered indignantly, before exhaling. "But no, I'm sure I want to come along. If I have to be in a club, I might as well try something new! Besides, then I'd get to spend more time with you, Sayori."

The girl had an unreadable expression for just a moment, the slightest tint of red on her cheeks appearing on her cheeks. Kei caught a glimpse of it, but he couldn't tell what it was.

The moment passed. She resumed smiling once more, like she always had.

"That's great!" she chirped, ignoring Kei's visible sigh of relief. "Okay, I'll meet you after class today, and I'll take you along with me! I just need to tell our president that you'll be joining us! Now that I think about it, we'll also need an advisor for the club from the staff…."

"No problem," Kei reassured her, another easy smile on his face. "Besides, aren't you guys short on members?"

Sayori's eyes flitted away from him. "It miiiiight have something to do with that, maybe….."

"Suuuuuuure. Alright," the boy shrugged, closing his eyes. "Well, I can't help myself. I'll play along."

"Ehehehe~" Sayori awkwardly giggled, her eyes shifting away from him as she spoke. "Well, you're not wrong…."

"Now come on," Kei encouraged her, picking up the pace towards school. "We keep tagging behind like this, neither of us are making it to class, let alone the club."

"Oh, right!"

As they begun scurrying towards school, the toll of the school bell not far off, they were entirely oblivious to the pair of emerald eyes watching them from afar.

Her eyes focused especially on Kei, following them as he turned to Sayori to talk about something unheard, following them as they ran towards school, before they vanished around the bend of the street.

"That will be all for today, class 3-A. Please make sure you have notes on foreign involvement in the Boshin War completed for next week. There will be a quick test on it next Monday- o-ooh my!"

With a squeal, the teacher tripped over her own feet as she moved to leave the desk. Behind her, the chalkboard was full of hastily-drawn diagrams, explaining in pictorial form the role of the French and British in the conflict. Several textbooks and a pencilcase almost flew from her hands, as she managed to hold the whole pile back. The sound of restrained laughter could be heard. This wasn't an uncommon occurrence, given who she was.

Kei sighed, closing his eyes. He was willing to tolerate clumsiness from Sayori- after all, she wasn't expected to be some sort of professional-, but a grown woman put in charge of a class of teenagers really ought to know a little better. This wasn't one of Kei's anime, after all; clumsy teachers weren't supposed to be the majority.

'Good grief. Then, I suppose, some people don't change all that much from their teens.'

Indeed, the lady at the front, Miss Toyosaki, seemed like she'd barely aged since she left high school.

She was a fairly tall woman, dressed in a dark blue sweater and long grey skirt, dark blue hair reaching down to the small of her back, and opaque glasses hiding her eyes from view. She'd joined the school two years ago, as a history teacher; their previous history teacher, who'd retired the same year, was a reenactor obsessed with the Heian era who'd been laid off when he came into school with blackened teeth, a powdered face and a kimono.

Though Miss Toyosaki wasn't nearly as bad, being a klutz of a teacher wasn't helping. She was fairly popular with the male population of the school, and more than a little portion of the female; after all, an attractive, clumsy young teacher was something straight out of the fantasies of more than a few people, Kei not being one of them. She was also a competent-enough teacher, at least, compared to their predecessor; that, however, had been eclipsed by her klutziness. Overall, she had the air of a young mother getting used to her life taking care of a rabble of rambunctious children, rather than a teacher in one of the best schools in Japan.

"Anyway, as I was saying," Miss Toyosaki continued, adjusting her glasses with her free hand, hugging her books to her body closely. "P-please take notes on foreign involvement during the Boshin War for Monday. Class is dismissed. I will see you all tomorrow."

Her cheeks slightly red with embarrassment, she rushed out of the room as her students stood up, the chatter growing in volume as they began talking among themselves, packing up and ready to attend their clubs. Normally, Kei would be packing up himself, preparing to go wait around the school gate for Sayori to finish up like he had for the last couple of weeks.

Today, however, he was waiting for Sayori to pick him up. After all, he did promise to head to the Literature Club with her. He smiled to himself, sighing.

'The Literature Club, huh? Makes sense, now that I think about it,' Kei mused, nodding. 'She's always had a way with words, after all. Even if I'm ninety-nine percent sure she only did it because she thought it'd be fun to start a new club. And we should all try something new, from time to time. Maybe it'll be good for me. Maybe I'll get to meet some new people. And if nothing else, I'd get to see Sayori a little more.'

Kei had been mulling over joining the Literature Club for a while; actually, he'd been mulling it over since the anime club was shut down, for reasons aside from spending time with his best friend. He'd heard Sayori talk about it a few times; the way she threw herself into it, Kei knew it was something special to her. She'd heard her talk about what they'd be doing there, what sort of stuff they wanted to get up to; nothing concrete, not yet, but he was sure she'd come up with something nice.

Sayori had always been the one to drag him to see new things, and he'd always been the type to go along with the flow. Not that he minded; as long as it was with someone he liked, he was willing to try anything once.

'…..that sounded less dirty before, now that I think about it.'

"Hey, you spacing out on me, man?"

Kei was snapped out of his thoughts, for the umpteenth time, by a familiar voice. A casual-looking boy was leaning on the desk in front of him, a grin on his face. His messy, dusty-red hair was by far his most striking feature, aside from his red eyes, a mischievous gleam constantly twinkling in them. He knew him well; Kei stood up to face him, a small smile dancing on his lips as he looked up. The boy was taller by Kei by a fair bit, roughly five or six inches, helped by his fairly unkempt hair extending up, resembling a small, but intense, flame.

"Hey, Yuuki. Didn't notice you there."

Yuuki Ichimonji was Kei's other friend at Sakuraba, aside from Sayori. The two of them had met during the first weeks after starting high school; he'd moved all the way out from Tokyo for family reasons, and Sakuraba was the best school in the region to send him to. Though Yuuki wasn't as close to him as Sayori was, that didn't stop Kei from hanging out with him from time to time; he'd even tagged along a few times when Kei and Sayori were out in town.

Indeed, much of Kei's time after school in recent times had been spent talking with him while waiting for Sayori to finish up; Yuuki's own club, the Entomology Society, had been shut down along with Kei's by the student council for lack of membership, and so both of them had suddenly had a greater deal of time to spend with each other.

"You up for heading downtown today?" Yuuki asked casually, running his fingers through his hair. "I wanted to drop by the game store today, now that I got the money to buy something nice for myself this month. I was thinking I'd grab me another-"

"Actually, I'm staying behind today," Kei explained, shaking his head. "Sorry. You're riding alone for now."

"Huh? I thought the Anime Club was done. Did they get more members? Man, I really should've joined-"

"Well, no, but, well…..I told Sayori I'd join the Literature Club," Kei sheepishly explained. "I'm just here waiting for her to finish class so we could go up together."
"Whoa, the Literature Club?" Yuuki's eyes lit up, as he playfully punched Kei in the arm. "Dude. I'm a little jealous! Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Excuse me? Why would you be jealous?"

"I hear they've got some great catches there," he explained, his eyes sparkling at the mention of them. Unlike Kei, who didn't feel quite interested, Yuuki was quite content ogling the many beauties that went to Sakuraba. "They got that one girl from class 3-C. Aisaka, I think, her name was? I hear she's a great baker. And there's Ikezawa from my class; man, looks and brains, my type of lady. Oooh, and the president. She's-"

"Yuuki, I'm not there to check out girls," Kei cut him off brusquely, trying to ignore what he'd just said about Ikezawa, whoever she was. "I'm just there to check out the club. I actually want to attend the club. Well, at least, if it's any good."

"Oh, but of course," Yuuki pretended to dramatically sigh. "You've got your eye on Sayori, don't you? My mistake. I thought you'd changed your mind at last, seen the light of other girls. Guess you're still the same old Kei, huh?"

"It's not like that!" Kei replied, frowning, before lowering his voice. "I mean, I'm not just joining for Sayori, okay? She's my friend, that's all we are. Can't I join just to hang out with her and try something new? Just because the Literature Club is full of girls doesn't mean I'm looking for a date when I join it."

"I'll believe that when you quit making googly-eyes at her every time you're together," Yuuki shot back, rolling his eyes.

"Googly-eyes? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just saying, Kei," Yuuki pointed out. "She's pretty cute- as if you haven't noticed-, and Sayori's got that whole 'girl next door' vibe going for her that guys and girls die for. It's like being around the heroine from one of those shojo manga, you know? Besides, I heard that the basketball captain Gouda from 3-C's got his eye on her too, for one. And there's Akiyama from the Culture Club in my class-"

"Yeah, just….i-it's not like that, okay?" Kei responded, shaking his head. "Sayori and I are….friends. Good friends. That's all."

Yuuki frowned, resigned. "If you insist, Kei. As you do."

"You've been saying the same thing for three years," Kei answered. "Besides, even if I….did feel that way for her, it's not like she'd look my way anyway."

Sensing a cue to change the subject, Yuuki took it. "Well, in any case, I might as well tag along with you. Going into town by myself would be boring anyway."

"You're coming with me? To the Literature Club? You're not the writing type," Kei answered.
'Then again, neither am I.'
"I mean, cute girls, man!" Yuuki pumped his fist, a gleeful grin across his face. "You're telling me I should pass that up? Maybe they'll want two new members instead of one! And besides, it'll be great! Us two, sharing a club for the first time? You, me and Sayori? It'll be like the Three Musketeers!"

Kei's eyes narrowed. "I doubt they'll let you in if they find out you're only in it because you heard that they had cute girls there."
"Can't hurt to try, right?" Yuuki replied, shrugging. "Besides, even if I don't get in, it'll be nice to scout out the talent. And it'll look less suspicious."
"Suspicious?"
"Well, if it's one guy showing up to a club full of girls, they'll think you joined because Sayori told you there were girls there," Yuuki pointed out, gesticulating absentmindedly. "Buuuuuut if you show up with me AND Sayori, they'll actually buy that you're there to join the club; a guy wouldn't bring his guy friend to hit on all the cute girls, he'd want them for himself. And if they doubt you, we'll have your back!"

'I feel like you're just saying that so I'll agree to take you with me,' Kei thought, resisting the urge to mutter it out loud. 'Still, he has a point. It'll look less suspicious if I bring him along.'

"Hellooooo?"

Both boys looked up as Sayori poked her head into the classroom, her eyes scanning the room before finding Kei at his desk. She smiled, darting in quickly, nodding to Yuuki as she walked past.
"Hey, you two," she greeted them, before looking towards Kei. "I thought I'd catch you coming out of class, but then I saw you two in here, talking. Can I ask what about?"
"Just talking about the latest chapter of HeroAca," Yuuki lied without missing a beat. "I assume you know all about it, right?"
"Oh! Yeah, that one!" Sayori nodded. "Yeah….I could never get into it myself, but it's one of Kei's favorites."
Kei chuckled, a little embarrassed. "Y-yeah, that. Sure."
"Don't rat me out here, dude," Yuuki muttered under a cough. Kei resisted the urge to shoot him a glare. Thankfully for Kei, Sayori was completely oblivious to Yuuki's barely-veiled comment, as far as he knew.
"So, you ready to go?" Sayori inquired patiently. "The others are waiting for you now. Natsuki made cupcakes and everything, don't you know?"
"Score!" Yuuki cheered at the notion of cupcakes baked by the famed Natsuki, but Kei wasn't quite so convinced.
"Wait a second. Cupcakes?" the boy gave Sayori a flat, knowing look. "…okay, Sayori. What did you tell them? No way she made those right after I told you I'd be joining just this morning, unless she's some sort of miracle worker."

"Ehehehe~" She put her fingers together, looking away, her mouth giving away her intentions. "…..I kinda told them I'd…..bring in a new member yesterday….."

Kei sighed, shaking his head. "…..you do realize this would've backfired if I wasn't already planning to go to the Literature Club, right? What would you have done then?"

'…..I have the feeling that Sayori planned this all out from the start,' he thought. 'No way she's that much of an airhead. Still, I'll go along with it.'

Sayori pouted, looking down at Kei pleadingly. "Are you saying you won't go now?"
"No, I'm going. Don't worry about it," the boy replied, once more defeated by his childhood friend. "Just…..next time, don't make promises you're not sure you can keep, okay?"
"I'm coming too!" Yuuki declared, pointing his thumb at himself, managing to draw her attention away from Kei. Sayori stared at him quizzically.
"Really? You too? I thought you found literature boring. That's all you complained about last year, wasn't it, because of Ms. Katsuragi's class?"
"Please, a guy can have interests that nobody expects. And besides, those books were boring," Yuuki replied, pretending to be offended. "Plus, cupcakes and literature that isn't written by some old guy with too much time on his hands? You had me at hello! Also, I don't want to end up like some NEET later, man."

'You're just going because a cute girl made them,' Kei mentally grumbled. 'You can really be a shameless pervert sometimes, Yuuki. Selling your soul for a cupcake…..still, thanks for the save.'

"Alright, if you say so. Well, if you two are done, let's go!" Sayori encouraged both of them, skipping along ahead of the pair, barely containing her enthusiasm. "I can't believe I got two people to join for the price of one~!"
Yuuki shot Kei a cheeky grin; he couldn't be any more pleased with himself if he tried. Kei simply groaned.

'I'm so sorry, Sayori, for letting him come along….'

Sayori frowned, a grave look on her face as she walked ahead of Kei and Yuuki. "That's not possible, Yuuki."
"Totally is," Yuuki fixed her with his own look, just as set in his own position. "That's just how it is, I'm afraid."
"No. There is no way that muffins are better than cupcakes," Sayori declared, with all the passion of a patriot fighting for her country. "Cupcakes are amazing!"
"Muffins can be savory and are a LOT more versatile than cupcakes are! You can't make a savory cupcake and bring that for lunch! That's why they serve muffins at cafes!"
"Cupcakes are a great dessert! Plus, you can eat more of them because they're so small and you can decorate them and make them look cute!"
"Yeah, except because they're so small, you've got to pack so many more of them! Muffins are way more filling and you can pack them anywhere. Back me up on this, dude!"
"Come on, Kei, tell him he's wrong!" Sayori protested with a pout. Kei closed his eyes, in part trying to distract himself from her (that pout had weakened his will many, many times), but mostly out of exasperation.
"Both of you, they're both good pastries with their own good qualities," he decided. "Cupcakes are pretty cute looking, but muffins have that sort of….practical vibe to them."
'How in the world I ended up behind my only two friends in the world arguing about cupcakes and muffins, I'll never know.'
"…..I guess you have a point," Yuuki conceded with a shrug.
"That makes sense," Sayori agreed, nodding. "…all this talk about cupcakes and muffins made me a little hungry, though. Ehehehe~"
"Good grief," Kei remarked, shaking his head. "Aren't we getting cupcakes from Natsuki anyway? That's what you said, anyway."
"Yeah, so this conversation got me all ready for cupcakes!" the excitable girl declared, fire in her eyes at the idea of delicious cupcakes. "Just what you need to whet the appetite!"

Kei, Sayori and Yuuki were walking down the third floor corridor as they discussed what was clearly a matter of global importance. This part of Sakuraba tended to be abandoned after school was over, generally occupied by the third-year clubs and activities. Kei had only been up here to attend the Anime Club, meeting Sayori on the staircase leading downstairs after both of their clubs were over to walk home. In recent weeks, of course, he loitered around the school's gate instead, waiting for her to finish up at the Literature Club.

At the tail end of the corridor opposite them, the Occult Club were meeting, several people in black velvet robes piling into a classroom from which the distinct stench of cow's blood emanated. The Music Club was meeting above them, the distinct sounds of footsteps across the ceiling; Kei had heard the front man of the club, consisting of nothing but girls, was a complete ditz everywhere else in life but a maestro on the guitar.

"Here we are!" Sayori signaled, as she turned left, energetically opening one of the many doors along the corridor before skipping in. Yuuki could hardly hide his glee.

"Man, aren't you excited?," he asked Kei as he turned to him before walking in. "This is going to be awesome! Come on. You're never really excited about stuff, are you?"
"Growing up with someone like Sayori, I'm going to seem pretty muted in comparison," Kei pointed out. "Don't worry about it. I'm plenty excited."

'Just not for the same reason you are.'

"Come on, Kei! They're waiting!" Sayori called from within, waving for the two boys to walk in. They obliged, entering the classroom, looking around to scout out the surroundings.

The classroom was basically no different from any other classroom in Sakuraba; cubbyholes at the back for bags, a closet close to the left side of the room closest to the windows, desks bare except for one at the front, where a tray with an aluminum foil covering was placed; presumably the cupcakes belonging to Natsuki. Several other desks were kludged together into a makeshift larger table, seats haphazardly scattered around it in a deformed ring.

The chalkboard at the front had "Literature Club in session" written in a surprisingly elegant script, a circle hastily scrawled around it. Another chalkboard was nailed to the left side of the room, notices for Class 3-D pinned on them; among them, recruitment posters for the Occult Club, the Jersey Club and the Research Society, the last two of which Kei had absolutely no idea what they actually did. Across the back, calendars, lists and charts were plastered on the wall, along with an abandoned register sheet, on which Sayori's name was visible from the front; this was her classroom, Kei remembered.

"Everyone! The new member is here!" Sayori announced cheerfully. "I even brought another one with him!"

Someone approached Kei and Yuuki. She was tall; Kei estimated she was actually a fair bit taller than he was, roughly about Yuuki's height. Her smooth, dark purple hair was splayed across her shoulders and fell in a wave across her back. Her frame was, to be frank, voluptuous; puberty had certainly been generous to her, from her bountiful bosom to her curvy waist. Her hands were behind her back, almost coyly, and a polite half-smile grew on her face as she approached. Her calm purple eyes studied Kei as she came closer, not quite piercing through him, not quite meeting his gaze.

"Welcome to the Literature Club. You must be Hongo," she said, eyeing him up and down. "It's a pleasure finally meeting you. Honda always says nice things about you….."

Something struck Kei as odd about the girl, specifically something in the way she stared at him. He couldn't quite understand it, though, not until he knew her a little better.

"And….Ichimonji," the girl turned to Kei's male companion, a polite smile aimed at him. "This is an unexpected surprise."
"Hey, hey, I can like books too, Ikezawa, but I figured I'd tag along with a friend of mine," Yuuki explained, gesturing to his companion. "Kei, this is Yuri Ikezawa, class 3-B. Ikezawa, this is Kei Hongo, class 3-A. He and I go way back."
'That's Yuri, huh? I've never met her before, not properly,' Kei thought to himself. 'I've seen her around school a few times, but that's it. She seems nice enough, if a little quiet.'
"Nice to meet you, Ikezawa," Kei replied politely. "Always nice to meet one of Sayori's friends."

"Seriously? You brought your guy friends? Way to kill the atmosphere, Honda."

Coming up behind Yuri, a small girl approached. Unlike Yuri, her frame was smaller, quite slender and frail-looking- automatically a sign to Kei to not underestimate her. Her hair was a bright pink, tied in small twin pigtails with red ribbons, a small tuft of her hair tied in a crisscross of ribbon to keep it out of her face. Her hands were on her hips as she strutted to a stop, an annoyed expression settling on her face, her pink eyes eyeing both Kei and Yuuki suspiciously, before her gaze settled on the red-headed boy, recognition settling in. At that point, she was content to make her disapproval even more clear.

"Oh, you brought this guy?!" she snapped irritably. "No WAY am I going to be okay with this!"
Yuuki raised his hands defensively.
"Hey, what gives? I haven't even done anything yet!"
"Yeah right, Ichimonji. I've heard all about you. If you're not here to flirt," Natsuki resisted the urge to snort as she said this. "I'm the queen of the Moon Kingdom!"

'That's Aisaka? Huh. Sayori always talks about her amazing cooking,' Kei remembered; Sayori did love Natsuki's baking, speaking of her as if she were a Michelin starred chef every time she told Kei about her. 'Always tells me I should go meet up with her and do some kind of group cooking session for her. Though I'm pretty sure it's because she just wants a free meal. Didn't expect her to be quite so sour, though.'
"What are you looking at?" the smaller girl, presumably Natsuki, turned towards Kei, her hands now at her hips, studying Kei with a hostile glare. "If you want to say something, say it."
"We haven't met before, but Sayori raves about you all the time. You must be Aisaka," Kei answered calmly, smiling to show he had no ill intentions. "I'm Kei Hongo, Sayori's friend. It's nice to meet you. Looking forward to trying your legendary baking, or so I'm told."

Natsuki visibly almost sputtered at Kei's response. Her expression flickered between annoyance, surprise and pride, before settling on awkward dismissal. She folded her arms, her eyes avoiding Kei, though her cheeks were pretty clearly reddened; from pride or embarrassment, Kei wasn't sure.

"H-hmph. Flattery won't get you anywhere," she protested, though the wavering tone of her voice told Kei she wasn't quite sure if she really wanted to dismiss the compliment. "And I know who you are, Hongo. Honda won't shut up about you, you know."

'A real life tsundere. And I thought I'd seen everything,' the boy thought to himself, amused. 'Next thing I know, she'll be beating me over the shins while calling me an idiot.'
"You can just ignore her when she gets moody~" Sayori whispered into his ear as she passed by, turning to the others.

"So, this is Aisaka, always full of energy!" the vice president started, pointing towards the small girl currently attempting to look anywhere but at Kei. "Ikezawa, the smartest in the club," she continued, gesturing towards the tall girl, who closed her eyes and looked away, playing with her hair awkwardly.
"D-don't say things like that," she complained awkwardly. Kei noted her awkwardness; someone as quiet as she seemed probably didn't quite play well with someone as energetic as Sayori, or someone as sour-seeming as Natsuki.
"And, of course-"

"Ah, Hongo, what a nice surprise. I didn't know she'd be bringing you in."

A familiar voice chimed in from behind Yuuki and Kei. Yuuki's face lit up, as he turned to Kei first.
"That, my friend, is the president herself," he explained, almost awed. "Told you she was a keeper!"

'Oh, she's president of the Literature Club?' Kei mentally noted. 'Sayori never told me it was her….'

Both of them turned to meet the gaze of the girl behind them.

She was somewhat taller than Kei, carrying herself with the graceful air befitting the girl who was Sakuraba High's idol. Her long brown hair was tied in an elaborate ponytail, a large white ribbon keeping the whole ensemble together. A gentle smile formed on her lips, her green eyes meeting Kei's. She had an athletic build, slender yet curvy; she wasn't quite as curvaceous as Yuri, but she still managed to look perfect, or so Kei had heard from everyone who'd been in her presence for longer than a few minutes. Kei seemed to be the only boy in all of Sakuraba High who didn't believe he was standing in the presence of a goddess in human form.

For before Kei and Yuuki stood the most popular girl in Sakuraba High, Monika Nijima.

A half-Japanese transfer student from America who moved to Touto the year Kei and Sayori started, Monika had rapidly grown in popularity among the student population; practically everyone praised her, either for how talented she was, how beautiful she was, how smart she was, or all of the above. The school liked to show her off, too; whether it was the debate team, a piano recital, the swim team or what have you, Sakuraba would make sure to put Monika on the front lines. It was as much tactical as it was to show off; she seemed to be absolutely perfect at whatever she chose to do.

Kei wasn't the type to be aware of such things, however; most of this, he'd heard second-hand through Yuuki, who was the type- and, it seemed, the hypothetical president of Monika's fan club.

"And it sounds like you already know Monika," Sayori continued, her eyes following Monika's gaze towards her childhood friend. "Is that right?"
Yuuki stared at Kei in shock. "Wait, what? You and Nijima know each other?!"
"That's right," the president gently replied, turning back towards Kei, meeting him with a sweet smile, as if greeting an old flame with whom she was amicable. "Hello again, Hongo."
Kei nodded back at her politely, returning the smile as taciturnly as he could. "Hey, Nijima. I'm guessing you and Sayori share a class now, and that's how you two met?"
"That's right-"
"Dude, mind explaining how you two are, y'know, buddies?!" Yuuki interrupted the brunette, resisting the urge to grab and shake his friend's shoulders in confused excitement. "You never told me that Monika freaking Nijima was your friend!"
"We're not friends, per se," Kei corrected him, the vaguest hint of exasperation in his voice as he carefully extricated himself from Yuuki's grip. "She's more of an acquaintance. We just know each other, nothing more."
"Hongo and I shared the same class last year," Monika explained. "Actually, he and I were neighbors in class. We talked, worked together on a few things in class, but we weren't quite friends. Still, it's quite a shame I didn't get to know him a little better. He's quite the hard worker, Sayori, and he has a good head on his shoulders. I can understand why you'd want him for our club. And your friend here must be…?"
"Yuuki, Yuuki Ichimonji," the red-headed boy introduced himself, attempting to sound confident and utterly failing as his voice broke, making him sound more like the awkward teenager he was than the suave charmer he was attempting to be. "I….uh…..yeah, I'm a friend of Kei's!"
"Well, any friend of Hongo's is a friend of mine," Monika answered, smiling sweetly, ignoring the blatant attempt at charming her with coolness. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ichimonji."
"I'm beginning to think the whole club already knew who I am before I even walked in," Kei half-joked, turning to Sayori. "Let's see….Nijima was my classmate, there's you, Sayori…..did you tell literally everyone in the club about me?"

"Well….." she avoided Kei's gaze, giggling. "When I have the best friend I could ever ask for, how couldn't I brag about you?"

"It's true, Hongo," Natsuki spoke up, still avoiding looking directly at Kei. "Given how she talks about you, I expected you to come in here in shining armor on a white charger like some knight from a TV show."

"I've heard all about you from Sayori here," Monika elaborated, her voice seeming slightly wistful as she took a seat at the makeshift table. "You're quite the reliable friend. No wonder she likes you so much."

"It's nothing. Just doing what anyone would for a good friend of theirs," Kei modestly replied, rubbing the back of his head. "Really, Sayori does just as much for me as I do for her. So, uh, what are we doing right now?"

"Come sit down here!" Sayori hastily went over to one of the chairs at the table, placing her bag down on one and patting the seat between hers and Monika's. "Sit between me and Monika! Yuuki, you can, um, pull up a chair or something; we really didn't expect you'd come along too, so we didn't make you space, sorry! While you two do that, I'll get the cupcakes~"

"Hey!" Natsuki interjected indignantly, already stomping past her to retrieve the tray. "I made them, I'll get them!"
"Then, how about I make some tea as well?" Yuri offered, having composed herself from her earlier embarrassment. "It would be a good accompaniment. It could be an afternoon tea of sorts, right here in the club."

"That sounds nice," Monika replied. "The kettle and leaves you brought should be in the closet at the back; I had to move them earlier because the teachers placed some textbooks where we usually keep them."
"You keep a tea set in here?" Yuuki inquired. "Won't the class who actually uses this place get it all screwed up?"
Yuri nodded quietly, at both her classmate and Kei. "The teachers gave us permission. Don't worry about it; we usually keep it out of the way, right at the top."
"Yeah, but why?"
"Doesn't a hot cup of tea help you enjoy a good book?"
The redheaded boy shrugged. "I…..guess so. Sorry, I wouldn't know. Kei?"
"Hey, uh, do you need help getting those out?" Kei offered politely, not wanting to seem completely useless and completely avoiding the subject.

'Also, this whole thing feels a little awkward,' he admitted inwardly. 'Between Aisaka already baying for my blood, Yuuki being Yuuki and Ikezawa seeming sort of overwhelmed by all this. At least Nijima and Sayori aren't doing anything strange.'

Yuri smiled back, but shook her head. "No need. I appreciate the offer, though. I can handle it."
"Okaaay, are you ready?" Natsuki declared, an enthusiastic grin on her face as she carried the tray back to the table. With a flourish of the hand, she plucked the foil off the tray like a magician's trick. Sayori's eyes widened in wonder, as did Yuuki's; Monika simply calmly smiled at the display.

It was a dozen cupcakes, immaculately presented and decorated to look like little cats, with little chocolate ears and icing whiskers. They were fluffy, light and perfectly sized. There was no doubt about it; Natsuki was as talented as Sayori had said.
"So cuuuute!" Sayori squealed, her hands clenched and raised as she pored over the cupcakes, almost drooling.
"That's our Aisaka for you," Monika noted, a small hint of pride in her voice. "Coming through for the club when she's needed."
"Ehehe," the small girl half-modestly chuckled. "Well, you'd be doomed without me, wouldn't you? Just hurry and take one!"
As Sayori and Monika took one, Kei and Yuuki followed suit. The red-headed boy scarfed his down almost immediately like a hungry dog, whereas his calmer compatriot took small bites, taking care not to get too many crumbs all over him.
"This is delicious!" Yuuki and Sayori declared in unison, Sayori with her mouth full and icing on her cheeks, and Yuuki with sparkling eyes and his top lip covered with icing. Monika simply nodded in agreement, quietly enjoying hers without making herself look quite so awkward.

'If I weren't here, I'd have assumed that was rehearsed,' he mused. 'Oh, well. Time for me try some, if these two agree.'

As Kei took bites, he couldn't help but notice Natsuki staring at him when she thought he didn't notice, avoiding his glances whenever he looked back. The taste, however, brought a smile to his face. The fluffiness of the cakes, the sweetness of the icing, the lightness of the taste; they were perfect.

'These really are delicious!´ he concurred, nodding to himself as he polished off the last bit of cupcake. 'Sweet, flavorful, fluffy; whoever taught her how to bake, they did it well. I've only had stuff this good from that bakery Sayori likes.'

"These are really good, Aisaka," Kei finally said, a thumbs up in his free hand. "Thanks."
"W-why are you thanking me, Hongo? It's not like I…." Natsuki defiantly declared, arms crossed, blushing on her cheeks. "It's not like I made them for you or anything!"
"Didn't you make them because Sayori said you were getting a new member yesterday?"
"Well, maybe! But not for, y-you know, you! Dummy! And definitely not for you, Ichimonji, so don't you get any ideas! And by the way, it's not a bento box, or yakisoba, Hongo, so don't judge me, okay?"
Kei shot Sayori a look. "You told her about me making you bento?"
"She saw me eating the one you gave me last Wednesday," Sayori explained, twiddling her fingers guiltily. "I couldn't lie to her about it, so I told her you made it, and let her try a bit."

Bento making was one of Kei's few skills; it wasn't exactly something he advertised, given what it was. Though it was traditionally something left to parents and homemakers, with Kei's father away on work so often, it was left to Kei to make his own lunch. After Sayori had tasted- and loved- one of the boxes he'd brought for himself, Kei took to making two boxes every day; one for himself and one for Sayori, in addition to the one her mother made her every day. It had become something of a tradition of theirs to meet up on the campus, underneath one of the trees, to eat lunch together.

"It was…okay, I suppose," Natsuki elaborated dismissively, waving off a nonexistent fly and trying to avoid a smile. "It wasn't five-star cooking, or something."
The excitable girl looked confused. "But you said it was the best food you'd ever-"
"S-shut up! He doesn't have to know that!" the pink-haired girl yelped, embarrassed.
"It's alright," Kei shrugged, laughing a little. "I appreciate the compliment. From a baker this good, that means a lot."
"You two are unbelievable," Natsuki muttered under her breath, caged in by the deadly duo. She continued muttering off under her breath as Yuri approached the table, placing a teacup in front of each member- having to hand Yuuki his as he had no space on the table of his own- before setting down the teapot next to the cupcake tray.
"So," Monika started, crossing her legs and studying Kei. "What made you consider the Literature Club? As far as I remember, this wasn't your sort of area."
"Sayori seemed happy here," he answered. "Couldn't help but see for myself. Also, the last club I was in shut down; you know how cutthroat the student council can be about funding."
'Not really why I'm here, but Monika doesn't need to know that.'
"Oh? Which club was that?"
"The Anime Club," Kei sheepishly admitted. "I know it's not exactly what you expected-"
"No need to be embarrassed," the president reassured him with a smile. "We'll make you feel right at home here at the Literature Club. It's my duty to make the club fun and exciting for everyone!"
"Wait, weren't you head of the Debate Club?" Yuuki interjected. "What happened with that?"
"Like Hongo said, the student council can be cutthroat and ruthless, and so the clubs have to be ruthless too," Monika replied with a sigh. "I couldn't stand the politics. It was nothing but arguing about the budget and publicity and event preparation. I'd rather take something I enjoy and make something special out of it; and if this club encourages people to get into literature, then I'm fulfilling that dream! I've gotten you two into it, haven't I?"
"Ah, yeah, that'd do it," Yuuki admitted, nodding. "Actually, I was part of it in first year, but…well, yeah, the politics kinda put me off."
'Well, I'm not here for that, and Yuuki's only here because he heard there were cute girls and he's probably going here to flirt. I'm so, so sorry, Nijima. This isn't at all what you wanted, is it?'
"Monika really is a great leader!" Sayori proudly declared. Kei lifted an eyebrow curiously.
"Well, must be hard to start a new club unless you are, right?" he answered. "Have you had any luck with getting new members?"
"Not many people are very interested in putting out all the effort to start something brand new, especially after the first few weeks of the year," Monika sadly admitted. "…and, in any case, there's not much interest in the Literature Club even with all that."

"Why's that?" Kei inquired, confused. Monika sighed.

"The truth of it is, well, we're fighting for members. Everyone who hasn't signed up for a club has something else to do, and well, I'll be honest, trying to sell people on a club about reading, say, the works of Soseki or Dazai isn't particularly interesting to people our age."

Yuri frowned at that. "A shame. No Longer Human is a classic. The rest of his work is rather underrated, especially for a writer of his caliber."

"That's why I tried to make the club a little more about….well…I'm really working that out right now," the club president continued. "In any case, anything seemed like it'd be a lot more interesting than a book club."

Natsuki opened her mouth as if to speak, but, seemingly thinking better of it, she shut up, letting her president continue.

"Sadly, aside from the girls and you boys, nobody else seems to want to join the club," Monika sadly admitted. "I managed to convince both the council and the staff to let me start it, but I need both members and an advisor within a few weeks or else they'll pull funding. It makes school events, like the festival, that much more important for club numbers. If we don't get at least one more member, I'm…not sure we'll survive another week."
She lightened up, flashing a smile. "Still, I'm confident that we can all really grow this club before we graduate and I know we'll all do our best. Right, everyone?"
"Yeah!" "We'll do our best." "You know it!"
Sayori, Yuri and Natsuki were, for once, completely in sync, all of them dedicated to the same goal as their leader. Kei was impressed.
'…..for Sayori's sake, I'll do my best to help keep this club afloat,' the young man resolved. 'It seems like it makes her happy, and as her friend, it's my job to support her in what she likes.'

"So, in the interest of changing the subject to something…..cheerier, Kei, what kind of things do you like to read?" Yuri inquired politely.
'Oh crap.'

"Well, um…." Kei fumbled, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. The last book he'd read was one of the mandatory ones for class; Kei wasn't much of a reader, though he had a familiarity with many of the concepts. Granted, it was through manga, but it counted.
"….manga…." he muttered sheepishly. Natsuki perked up at that, and made to say something, but seemingly deciding against it.
"…..not much of a reader, I guess," Yuri looked away, a sad smile on her face. Kei felt a little irritated at that; whether she'd intended it or not, there was more than a little bit of passive-aggressiveness he wasn't quite okay with. He left most of his objections unsaid out of politeness, however; he wasn't looking to argue with Yuri, not so soon after he'd first met her. Instead, he closed his eyes.
"I could try to read a little more, I suppose," he conceded, before changing the subject. "Anyway, what about you, Ikezawa?"
"Well, let's see," she began, tracing the rim of her teacup. "My favorites are those novels that build deep and complex fantasy worlds; the level of creativity and craftsmanship behind them is amazing to me. Telling a good story in such a foreign world is equally impressive. That's not all, of course."

She took in a deep breath. "I also find myself immersed by stories with deep psychological elements. Taking advantage of the reader's lack of imagination to throw you for a loop has always been something impressive to me. "
"I'm…not much of a horror fan myself," Kei confessed. Aside from reading some random manga about spirals that he was pretty sure was written by that one man who'd written a bunch, horror wasn't his area. "Then again, I've never quite heard it described like that. That's another way to think about it."
"If a story provokes thought, or if I feel that it immerses me, I can't bring myself to put it down," Yuri confessed, a slight smile on her face. "As for horror, I've recently begun researching real life hauntings; out of curiosity, of course."
"I can't stand horror either," Natsuki muttered, looking over at Kei. Yuuki grinned.
"Hates horror, makes cute cupcakes…next thing you tell me, she writes cute poems too!"

The air suddenly changed in the room. Kei could visibly see the cogs whirr in Monika's head, as a plan formed itself in her mind.

An mischievous glint crossed Monika's eyes. "Well, actually…."

A terrified look crossed Natsuki's face. "No!"
"I actually found a piece of paper last time we held a meeting, in your handwriting," the president revealed. "It was quite-"
"G-give it back!" the pink-haired girl screeched in abject terror.
"D'awww! Everything about you screams cute~" Sayori chirped, reaching around Natsuki's shoulders for a hug.
The smaller girl squealed in fury, struggling against the sudden hug attack. "I-I'm not cute! Give it back!"
"Oh, fine," Monika conceded, handing her a small, folded piece of scrap paper which Natsuki hurriedly snatched from her hands, scrunching it up and hiding it in one of the pockets of her blazer. "It wasn't badly written, though."
"Hey, I wouldn't mind seeing them!" Yuuki spoke up cheerfully. Natsuki glared at him, crossing her arms.
"No way, Ichimonji!" she yelled. "Why would I show a pervert like you those? You'd do something creepy with them, I bet."
"Like what, pin them on my wall? Who do you think I am, some kind of stalker?"
"I think you're exactly that!"
"Actually, I'd like to see them too," Kei admitted calmly, cutting off the two before they got too far into their argument. At that, the small girl immediately backed down.
"N-no way," she said, her voice far less harsh. "…you wouldn't like them."
"Seriously? I get the yelling treatment and Kei gets her to play nice?" Yuuki complained, completely ignored by everyone else except Sayori, who merely gave him a consolatory pat on the shoulder.

"I can see why Aisaka wouldn't want us to see her poems," Yuri admitted with a frown. "Sharing writing takes more than just confidence. You have to be completely willing to open up to your readers, to show them every part of yourself."

"Hm…." Monika thought for a minute, before snapping her fingers. "I have an idea, everyone! Let's all go home and write a poem of our own! Then, next time we meet, we'll share them with each other! That way, everyone is even!"

"What?! T-that's a horrible idea!" the pink-haired girl protested.
"Actually, that's not a bad plan," Yuuki nodded in agreement. "That would build up confidence a little bit. Audience of your peers and all that."
"S-since when did you become a literature expert, Ichimonji?" Natsuki turned on the red-headed boy. "I bet y-you didn't even like literature before you walked in here!"
Sayori cheered, nodding at Yuuki and Monika. "I like that idea! Let's do it!"
"You too?!" Natsuki was in disbelief, as she was outnumbered. She retreated, arms crossed, an embarrassed red tint over her cheeks.
"And now that we have two new members," Monika continued. "I think it will help us all get a little more comfortable with each other. Although…..given so many of us already know each other, that might not be much of a problem."
Her eyes lay especially on Kei, Sayori and Yuuki.
"Sounds like a good idea," Kei replied with a smile, before realizing something. "Just…..you know, I've never written a poem before."
"Neither have I," Yuuki pointed out, his earlier enthusiasm slightly fading. "And hey, I didn't agree to join yet! Like, I agreed to tag along with Kei here to check the place out, but now that you mention poems…."

"Well, what did you think a Literature Club did, Ichimonji? Sit around and eat cakes all day? That's the Music Club's job!" Natsuki snapped, but Monika hushed her, stepping forward.

"Well, if you do feel that this isn't the right club for you, I understand completely. But…." She continued, a warm smile on her face. "…..It would be nice if you were to reconsider, Ichimonji."
Kei resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Yuuki's doubt was genuine, but it wouldn't last so long, not in the face of these beautiful girls asking him to stay.

'I'm so sorry, Sayori,' he thought. 'He'd write a thousand poems if it meant he gets to stay around here.'

"…well, seeing as you asked so nicely, I….I think I'll stay," Yuuki replied, voice almost breaking at the prospect of Monika asking him nicely to do something. Sayori looked over at Kei; she was pretty familiar with his ways. Kei simply shook his head back in response; the excitable girl simply giggled.

"…well, at least you didn't only come for the cupcakes and the cute girls," Natsuki conceded, sighing. "Still, don't you dare think this means I'm going easy on you, Ichimonji. Same thing goes for you, Hongo!"

"I already decided I'd join," the boy replied with a shrug. "Don't worry. I don't need persuading. Besides, I'm here for a friend."

"Then it's official," Monika declared, dusting off her hands for a job well done. "Welcome to the Literature Club, Kei and Yuuki! I think we can officially end today's meeting on a good note. Everybody, remember tonight's assignment."
"I'm looking forward to what you're going to write, Kei!" Sayori reminded her friend cheerfully. He rubbed the back of his head, chuckling awkwardly.

"Hey, it's not going to be that great, okay, Sayori?"

"I'm sure it'll be fine," she replied, reassuring him with a sweet smile. "Don't worry about it! That's what we're here for, right?"

"…I'll give it a go, I suppose."

'If it makes Sayori happy, I'll give it my all,' Kei resolved to himself. 'Damn. That really does make it sound like I feel that way for her, huh?'

The Literature Club meeting took a while to actually wind down. Yuri and Natsuki were busy cleaning up their food and drink, Yuuki was busy trying (and failing) to impress Monika, and after the desks were returned to their rightful place, Kei and Sayori had decided to abscond, walking home together. This wasn't the unusual part of their routine; after all, Kei had always stayed behind to wait for Sayori.

No, the odd part was that, for the first time, they were leaving the same club together.

It was already late afternoon, with the sun beginning to lower in the sky. Students were making their way home from the various Sakuraba clubs that existed; they'd already passed the volleyball team, who seemed to be on their way into downtown to celebrate another successful win against Kazuraba High, their traditional rivals. They would probably be heading into Toriyama, the noodle place in town that Kei had occasionally taken Sayori to; the staff occasionally mentioned that other Sakuraba students tended to frequent their shop.

"So, what did you think of the club, Kei?" Sayori inquired curiously. "Pretty cool that I'm helping run an actual club, right?"

Kei shrugged. "The members are…..interesting, for sure. Especially now that Yuuki's one of them. I feel like Aisaka's going to strangle him before too long."

The excitable girl giggled lightly. "He didn't join for the literature, did he?"

"You know him. He's a smart guy, but he'd rather use that to get girls than for the greater good," the laid-back boy noted with not a little exasperation. "He could be the next Nobel Prize winner or the guy who cures cancer, and he chooses to use his powers to get girls."
"Maybe he'll choose to use his powers for good one day," Sayori sagely answered, a hint of feigned resignation. Kei snorted; he was a good guy, but the day Yuuki Ichimonji wasn't interested in getting with hot girls was the day pigs flew, Hell froze over, the blue moon rose and lightning struck twice.
"So, how long have you actually, y'know, written poems? I've legitimately never seen you write one."

"Weeelll…." Sayori looked away, twiddling her fingers coyly. "I….um…."

'Bingo.'

"…..knew it," Kei concluded, sighing. "You're just as inexperienced as I am, and you only started the club for fun."

"Hey! Just because that may or may not be true doesn't make it any less important," Sayori pointed out, puffing her cheeks out. "Besides, it's always healthy to try something new!"

"True, true," the boy conceded. "Still, it's nice to know we'll be trying this together. Like old times, huh?"

"Like old times," Sayori repeated, smiling happily. "Going around, trying new things, enjoying the experience for ourselves. Remember the first time we went to the beach with both our families?"

"Oh, don't remind me," Kei answered with a groan. "…you managed to slip a starfish into my shorts when you buried me in the sand."

"Ehehehe~ It was an accident. I didn't expect a starfish that far up the beach!"

"That was the most uncomfortable thirty minutes of my life!"
"But we got it out, didn't we?"

"That pair of shorts had a short, but beautiful life," Kei remarked wistfully, before quietly chuckling. "Still, it was pretty fun, wasn't it?"

"It was pretty fun, yeah!" Sayori nodded in agreement. "So, anyway…..you seem awfully chipper today. Usually you're kinda doing your whole 'quiet guy' thing; you talk, but you seem like you're thinking about something else."

"Well, I'm getting to hang out with my best friend, in the club she loves, watching her do what she likes and now I'm walking home with her with the setting sun on our backs," Kei answered casually. "What's not to like?"

Her cheeks were tinged with pink. "Well, y-you don't have to be so charming about it, Kei. Besides, I was about to say it's probably because of the girls!"

Kei lifted an eyebrow, intrigued by what she was implying. "Hey, now. I'm not Yuuki."

"I know, but…." Sayori's eyes suddenly flitted away from Kei. "…..don't you at least find them a little cute?"

"That's a question for Yuuki," Kei answered, dodging the question. "As for me? I'm here as your friend, first and foremost. Eating the eye candy isn't at all why I'm here."

"Seriously? Not even Ikezawa? I've heard a LOT of people would jump at the chance to be with her," Sayori noted, an odd tone to her voice, as if she were testing Kei. "And Aisaka….well, I mean….she's real cute. And there's Monika-"

"Like I said, I'm here to hang out with you," Kei answered, rather suspicious of what Sayori was trying. "Besides, why the sudden interest in my romantic life?"

"Weeeelll, as your best friend," Sayori declared proudly. "It's my job to make sure that you aren't making any rash decisions! That way, you can be happy!"

"Don't worry about it, Sayori," he answered, reassuring her. "You can rest easy, I'm not going out of my way looking for Mrs. Hongo just yet."

"Well, if I catch you on a date with any of them, don't say I didn't see it coming~" Sayori lightly teased him, before a frown crossed her face.

Something about the way she said it stuck out to Kei. He didn't know what it was, but there was something about it; as if she was certain he'd do it. He wasn't quite sure if it this meant that it would bother her, or if she'd be supportive of his efforts to romance one of her club members. He tabled it for later; no point acting on something he didn't know everything about.

"I'm feeling a little hungry now, hehe," the excitable girl mentioned. "Do you wanna make a run to the bakery?"

"…..Caneles or cupcakes today?" Kei inquired, checking his wallet already. He probably had enough to pay for food for both of them, but it never hurt to be sure.

"I'm feeling cupcakes. Natsuki really makes some great ones, and I wanna see if the bakery's just as good!"
"Your wish is my command, Sayori," Kei remarked, a smile on his face even as he sounded defeated.

As the pair walked away, they were completely oblivious to what was going on behind them.

Specifically, they were oblivious to the pair of green eyes staring at the back of Kei's head. The girl to whom they belonged to had only just left her own club room after finishing up.

Monika's hand drifted up the strap of her leather bag, as she stood at the opposite end of the road from the pair.

Kei and Sayori rounded the street corner and disappeared, heading downtown.

Monika exhaled deeply, shaking her head, and continued down the street, looking down at the ground as she did.

A/N: Welcome to my latest attempt at hard-hitting fanfiction, Doki Doki Ghost Stories.
This is heavily inspired by anime such as Bunny Girl Senpai and Bakemonogatari. As such, expect some...supernatural weirdness going on. It's going to take a bit to ramp up as I need to establish some verismilitude, but we'll try to get the story going as fast as we can. In any case, sit back, enjoy the ride (I hope) and get ready for...oddness.

Also, it's only called Ghost Stories because I thought it was a cool name and I had nothing else. There won't be any ghosts. Anymore. There were ghosts in the first draft but I'll save that explanation for another time. Anyway, hope to see you all next time!