Eyyyyyyy, I'm back! Lemme tell you, I didn't plan for there to be such a long wait between chapters, but I had a hell of a hard time figuring out how to continue this story. I wanted each chapter to have some sort of theme, a specific plan or action by Natsuki to get the action she wants. Ultimately, I wasn't sure how to proceed through this avenue without veering too wildly out of character. It had to maintain a sense of realism to me, both in terms of what Natsuki could do and what she would do. I think I have some more ideas down, now. I also wanted to incorporate Yuri and Monika as the beta couple, one facing the exact opposite problem. I've never written a lesbian ship to my knowledge, not because I have any issues with it, but just because I'm a straight dude who tends to write straight ships. I teased it a bit in chapter 5, but I think it's time I broaden my horizons in earnest. It will never be the main focus of this story, but it serves a purpose. I also want to make it more than just pure fanservice. Relationships are supposed to have meaning, and I don't wanna be the author who shoehorns in a lesbian relationship and then have it serve no real narrative purpose.

Also, real life got in the way of things, as it often does. From November to now, I've had a lot of stuff going on in my life. I finished my senior thesis in the nick of time, jumped into a full-time work schedule through all of December and most of January, and am now wrapping up my minor to graduate college this May. In addition to balancing school and work, I'm also contributing to the writing of Doki Doki Pyrrhic Pursuit, a Natsuki-focused mod that the fine folks at Disheartened Games are making. I have every reason to believe that we have something beautiful in the making here, but you'll have to wait until the release date to find out what it entails. I also saved up for a relatively cheap gaming laptop, an Acer Nitro 5. The specs aren't God's gift to PC gaming, but they're a massive improvement over my old Acer Aspire.

Even with all of this exciting news, real life has found a way to screw me over just a bit. As of the time I'm writing this, I'm currently infected with COVID-19. I took the necessary precautions seriously from the start; I just got unlucky, it seems. There's no need to worry about me; I'm not suffering any of the severe symptoms. However, I definitely ain't feeling too good right at this moment. I got tested Thursday and now I'm set to be quarantined until the 15th. I can't leave my house, I can't make money, and I have no avenue for a social life outside of Discord servers. This isn't exactly the kind of hot date I was hoping for this Valentine's Day, but I can't blame Cupid for trying, I suppose. Is anyone actually still reading this? Who cares!? On with the show!

The two women stared into each other's eyes, basking in the afterglow. Mere inches apart from one another, their messes of brown and violet hair remained intertwined in loose bundles. For quite a while, the only sounds that filled Monika's bedroom were the soft breaths that came from her and her girlfriend. It had certainly been, er, louder just a few minutes ago. Now that the deed was done, she found herself gazing into an ocean of purple. Vast and deep, it was almost as if she could actually drown herself in it.

"H-how?" Monika finally broke the silence between them. She still needed a few more seconds to drink it all in before she continued. "How does it get better every time?"

"You know what they say, my dear," Yuri whispered softly. There was no hesitation or shyness in her voice, only a strange sense of confident playfulness. "Practice makes perfect."

"Oooooooh, so suave," Monika giggled, blushing deeply.

Despite being in a relationship with her for four, almost five months, Yuri continued to surprise Monika. Maybe it was simply that Yuri no longer felt so anxious around her, or maybe Yuri thought showing off her knowledge of romance tropes made her more attractive. Either way, when the two of then now found themselves alone, Yuri commanded a silver tongue unlike any to be found even among her former debate club members.

Oh, and the other things that tongue could do were also very nice.

Yuri caressed her lover, then kissed her deeply. There was no lust within it, only pure passion. Unfortunately for her, Monika broke it far sooner than she would have really liked.

Behind Yuri, the light of an early morning sun shone through an east-facing window.

"You know, I always thought the best way to start a morning was a mug of coffee and some upbeat music," Monika stated. "As always, you prove me wrong."

"I've learned a lot of tricks from my books, that's all," Yuri cooed.

Monika arched an eyebrow. "Oh, really? Well, I got some tricks of my own."

Before Yuri had time to ask questions, Monika reached under the covers and grabbed one of Yuri's bare breasts. The sudden moan that followed was exactly what she wanted, at least if her victorious smirk was any indication.

"You know," Monika began, relinquishing her grip on Yuri's tit. "I don't know how MC doesn't keep from doing this to Natsuki every morning."

"She'd probably eat him alive if he so much as kissed her the wrong way," Yuri joked. She and Natsuki had never really been friends. Their literary taste remained on completely opposite ends of the spectrum, and every time Yuri even so much as suggested a full-fledged novel to Natsuki, she found herself face-to-face with pure wrath. Natsuki seemed to take every little thing so personally. It scared Yuri, to be honest. Then again, pretty much any kind of social interaction with anyone other than Monika scared Yuri at least a little bit. Yuri supposed that once you saw someone naked, you saw them as they truly were. Maybe that's why she could be so confident in front of Monika. She had yet to find any other explanation.

Monika shook her head. "No, I don't think so. If anything, I have it on good authority that MC is the one holding out, not her."

Yuri frowned and cocked her head. "Wait, what?"

Monika nodded, frowning with some degree of seriousness. "Yeah, it's a shame, I say. It's clear that she's opened herself up completely to him, yet for some reason he just won't make the move. And to make the whole situation even more complex, she refuses to just tell him point-blank what she wants. Apparently it's 'slutty' for two people in a genuinely romantic relationship to want to have sex."

Yuri rubbed her temples and sighed. "It's Natsuki. Things can't be simple with her. Ironic, since her poetry is exactly that."

"Now that's not entirely fair, Yuri. We don't know the things that her father told her about sex. For all we know, he could be strictly pro-abstinence. And while I agree that you shouldn't just put yourself out there willy-nilly to anyone that asks, I think fate made the two of them cross paths for a reason."

"Just like us, right?"

Monika grabbed Yuri again, but this time, it was just to wrap her up in a hug. "Exactly like us."

For just a few brief moments, Monika and Yuri held each other tightly and savored the moment. Unfortunately, just as the two had gotten comfortable again, Monika's phone began to buzz underneath her pillow. Sighing, Monika rose from Yuri's grip and pulled out her phone. Despite the fact that it was a Saturday, Monika's schedule was as busy as ever. Outside of her academic and athletic pursuits, she maintained a job as a barista for a local coffee shop. It just so happened that her manager was in the habit of scheduling her to work on Saturday mornings.

Monika climbed out of bed and strutted over to her dresser, still naked. "Well, looks like I need to get in the shower, now."

Yuri groaned. "Can't you just call in sick, today?"

Monika pulled out a pair of white panties, some skinny jeans, and her uniform top. "I didn't win employee of the month 6 times in a row by calling in sick whenever I felt like it. As dad says-"

"-I'm well aware of what your dad says," Yuri interrupted with a huff.

"On the road to success, you're already halfway there once you show up," Monika and Yuri spoke at the same time, though in very different tones. This was the proverb that Monika had followed ever since kindergarten, and while Yuri certainly didn't disagree with it, she wished Monika's dad had also taught her how to learn to stop and smell the roses once in a while. It seemed that idleness of any sort was a mortal sin in her family.

Neither said anything else. Yuri watched Monika strut out of the room, clothes and towel in hand. As Monika shut the door behind her, Yuri just gazed up at the ceiling and sighed. This had been the third 'date' in a row that had turned out to be nothing more than Monika inviting her over for a quickie in bed. It wasn't as if Yuri didn't enjoy the sex, far from it. However, when it came to romance, Monika always seemed to leave Yuri wanting more.

She wondered if that was a result of her frequent escapades with idealized partners in romance novels. Though she was no stranger to a good love story, Monika had been Yuri's first real. . . Well, everything. As a lesbian, and a shy one at that, Yuri had never had many opportunities for a relationship in spite of her, er, appealing posture. But then Monika had come along and awakened something deep within her. Yuri had never expected for someone so smart, so talented, and so outgoing to ever give her a chance, but here she was, naked and post-coitus in Monika's bed.

It had all started out by a happy little accident: Sayori had come down with a cold a few months ago and missed a few days of school. To fill the absence, Monika had appointed Yuri to a temporary vice-presidency. Yuri wasn't sure if it was because of how seriously she took literature or if it was because she wanted to make sure MC could walk Natsuki home safely, but she gladly accepted the responsibility.

One of her newfound duties had been to stay after the Friday meeting to help Monika develop a schedule for the next week. The two of them had chatted idly as they worked, and Yuri quickly discovered that she and Monika had a lot in common, not just in terms of literary taste, but in morals and philosophy as well. Monika seemed to admire Yuri as an intellectual equal, and even deferred to her on a few topics. It made Yuri feel very good about herself. Once the after-club work was over, Monika helped Yuri move the tea set back into the closet. The plan after that was to go home and enjoy a nice evening with a good book.

Even the smartest people have their plans go awry, though. Yuri was no exception to this. However, at least in this one isolated example, a plan going awry turned out to be for the best.

The innocent meeting between President and VP quickly spiraled into something more when Yuri accidentally bumped chest-first into Monika. Their breasts smushed up against one another. In that confined, dark space, with no one around to hear them, the two of them came to a standstill, overcome by a sense of mutual embarrassment. And yet, neither pulled away. They stood together, practically frozen, until some animalistic heat finally bubbled over. Monika had wrapped her arms around yearly and kissed her deeply as Yuri frantically and awkwardly explored her body. The impromptu make-out session that followed had to have lasted for at least 10 minutes, separated only by brief instances where the two of them broke away for air.

Back then, if one were to ask Yuri what exactly propelled such passion between them, she would've said love. Even now, her crush on Monika had not wavered; Monika had almost everything she wanted in a partner. And yet, at the same time, she couldn't shake the feeling that Monika was simply using her as a way to get off. The pair had relatively few real "dates" in the months following their relationship, yet there was at least one sexual encounter between them every week. As far as she knew, she was Monika's first female partner. In fact, Monika had even joked to Yuri that she had awakened her bisexuality. In a way, that made Yuri wonder if Monika really did see something within her. Ultimately, though, Yuri remained somewhat unhappy. Too bad the sex was too good for her to resist Monika's siren calls.

Perhaps the biggest disappointment to Yuri, though, was the fact that Monika insisted on keeping their relationship a secret. As far as Yuri knew, nobody else in the entire school was aware of the fact that Monika was dating another girl. Hell, Yuri had even caught a few male swim team members blatantly trying to flirt with Monika on one occasion. To Monika's credit, without knowing that Yuri was watching, she had brushed them off firmly, yet politely. That had to count for something, right? If Monika was loose and easy, she gained nothing by turning them down when she thought she was alone.

She'd never admit it to her pink-haired rival as long as she lived, but there was envy in her heart for what Natsuki and MC had. MC treated her as a lover should, even if he had yet to make a deeper move. Who had taken Natsuki in when she had nowhere else to go? Who had sacrificed countless hours of time propping her up? Who had made Natsuki's life so much brighter with no shallow motives to speak of? Had MC been a woman, Yuri would've had a hard time choosing between him and Monika. Thank God fate had everything accounted for.

Gradually drifting out of her thoughts, she glanced over at her smartphone lying on the table. She lazily snatched it and gazed at her lock screen. Monika's smiling, confident face stared back at her. Despite her current frustrations, she smiled back.

Maybe I should tell her how I really feel. . .

At once, she shook her head.

If she was using me as a glorified sex toy, confronting her about it wouldn't fix things. If this was just how Monika was in a relationship, complaining about it would only make me seem like a nag. Damn it, why does social interaction have to be so complex!?

She rubbed her temples in frustration. Minutes passed by as she lied in bed, struggling with what to do about her feelings. Finally, with a defeated sigh, she climbed out of bed, threw on her clothes, and headed into the living room. She was greeted by the good odors of freshly-brewed coffee and buttered toast. Yuri must've spent more time thinking than she realized, for Monika had already showered, gotten dressed, and found a place on the couch. She was rather preoccupied with her simple breakfast. Yuri came over and sat beside her.

After a moment of pensive silence, Yuri settled on a suitable topic. "So, do you have any ideas for getting the two lovebirds to have intercourse?"

Monika shrugged. "I wasn't planning on getting too terribly involved. I mean, if MC is anything like my past few boyfriends, he's got to come around eventually."

Yuri's brow furrowed downwards. "Must you rub your past relationships in my face?"

Monika's face showed no change in temperament, but she did turn to face Yuri. She quickly realized that her girlfriend was not happy at all, a sharp turn from when she left her in the bedroom.

"Is something wrong?" Monika inquired innocently.

Yuri locked eyes with her. Monika's eyes were as beautiful as rolling grasslands in the springtime, and they were also as green as Yuri's own envy. Something was indeed wrong, but Yuri wasn't certain who was more at fault for how she felt. Was there any validity to her current disappointments, or was she being too clingy to a girl that had bestowed unto her the first tastes of romance?

Ultimately, after a long period of silence, all Yuri did was plant a simple kiss on her cheek. As was to be expected, she had second-guessed herself into believing that her complaints had no merit. "Nothing's wrong. F-forget I said anything. I must be, uh. . . a little grumpy from not getting an adequate night's sleep."

Monika's eyes narrowed skeptically. "Are you sure? You know you can talk to me about these things, right?"

Yuri could feel her heartbeat thudding in her chest. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and managed to relax herself. "N-nothing's wrong, I promise!"

"Hmmmm," Monika grunted, clearly not convinced. Regardless, she placed a hand on Yuri's and squeezed it. "Alright, if you insist. Listen, I-"

Beep! Beep! Beep!

Both girls jolted at the screeching and buzzing emitted by Monika's phone alarm. She scrambled to her feet, nearly knocking her coffee all over her jeans in the process, and gasped. "I need to get going if I'm going to make it to work on time! B-bye Yuri! I'll see you later!"

And with that brief farewell, she rushed towards the front door. She had her phone in one hand and her coffee in the other, yet she somehow managed to yank the door open with one of her shoes. Then, she rushed out, pulled the door behind in the same fashion, and was gone. In one way, the whole ordeal had been a comical display. In another, it served as a sad reminder of how booked Monika's life had become.

Yuri sighed. What could she do about this whole ordeal? She loved Monika, she really did, but these scheduling conflicts could not stand in her way forever. . .

Then, a thought crossed her mind. Perhaps she could ask for help, as well as give some in return. She pulled out her phone, scrolled through her contacts, and found Natsuki's number.

Yuri swallowed. The thought of talking to Natsuki willingly was scary and rage-inducing at the exact same time. Nevertheless, both of them wanted something the other had. If this didn't call for a truce, what did?

Dialing the number, she waited through 4 rings until Natsuki finally picked up.

"No, I don't want to read Portrait of Makarov," Natsuki greeted sternly.

"Uh, f-first of all, it's Markov," Yuri corrected. "Second of all, that h-has nothing to do with why I called you in the first place!"

"Then what do I owe the honor?" Natsuki replied sarcastically.

"I think a truce is in order."

Silence.

". . . I'm listening," Natsuki finally allowed.

Yuri smiled. One foot is in the door.