(Monday, 5:00PM; House; Akihito's PoV)

Monika pulls out her phone and calls Yuri. After a few seconds, she picks up.

Yuri: "Hello?"

Monika: "Yuri, hey! It's me!"

Yuri: "Oh, hello Monika. Any reason as to why you called? Do you perhaps need help with the math homework?"

Monika told me that Yuri and her share math, and Monika asks Yuri for help a lot.

Monika: "No, not this time. I already finished it."

Yuri: "Oh, is there something you want to talk about?"

Monika: "Yeah… I do."

Yuri: "What is it?"

Monika: "It's um… about today."

Yuri: "What about today?"

Monika: "Your… fall."

Yuri: " My fall?"

Monika: "You know, at the club?"

Yuri: "What do you mean?"

Wow, Yuri's playing this out really well. She must not want to talk about the whole thing, or she's hiding something.

Monika: "Yuri, when you went to make tea for everyone, you fell in the hallway, remember?"

Yuri: "Oh yes, I tripped. Why do you want to talk about that?"

Monika: "Well when I came to check on you… I saw these… scars on your arms…"

Yuri: "W-what are you talking about?"

There it is. Yuri's scared and definitely hiding something. You can tell it in her voice.

Monika: "Yuri, I'm calling because I'm just concerned. What were those scars?"

Yuri: "I-I don't know what you're talking about!"

Monika: "Yuri, please. I'm just trying to look out for you. I promise I'm not going to make fun of you, or tell anyone about anything."

Kinda lying there, since I'm right here. But that doesn't matter right now.

Yuri: "I-I don't have any scars… I don't know w-what you're talking about."

Monika: "Are you sure?"

Yuri: "Y-yes!"

Monika: "Then do you mind sending me a picture of your arms?"

Yuri: "F-for what?"

Monika: "Just so that I know I don't have to worry about you anymore. I promise I won't share those photos with anyone."

Yuri: "O-oh… I-I would but um… m-my mother, yes… m-my mother is calling me! So sorry to cut this short! Bye Monika!"

Monika: "Yuri, wait!-"

Yuri immediately cuts the call.

Monika: "Well, that wasn't helpful."

Aki: "Well… I wouldn't say that."

Monika: "What do you mean?"

Aki: "Well now I know that Yuri's hiding something."

Monika: "How can you tell?"

Aki: "Well, through her voice it was obvious that she didn't want to show her arms. Also, when I offered to check her arms, she said no, in a rather scary manner too."

Monika: "So you're saying that we have to go digging again?"

Aki: "As much as I hate to say it, I think we're dealing with something serious here. Most likely as serious as Natsuki's situation."

Monika: "So what do you think it is?"

Aki: "Well, according to your words, there were cuts on her arm, not bruises. That means that this isn't something related to abuse."

I think over it for a bit, thinking how there can be cuts on Yuri's arm. Then it dawned upon me.

Aki: "M-Monika?"

Monika: "What is it?"

Aki: "I-I… I have an idea… on how she has cuts… and I don't like it…"

Monika: "W-what is it?"

I can't bring myself to say it. But I have to, or else Monika is gonna get worried. But once I tell her she's gonna get worried, so there's no point. AAAARGH WHY IS THIS SO HARD?! JUST SAY IT GOD DAMMIT!

Aki: "I think Yuri's a victim of…"

Monika: "Of what?!"

Aki: "S-self… harm…"

Monika: "No… no this can't be… she doesn't seem like the person to do that… NO! I CAN'T ACCEPT THIS! AKI TELL ME YOU'RE JOKING! PLEASE!"

I stay silent, I can't bear seeing Monika like this. I hold Monika into a hug, to calm her down. She starts crying into my shoulder, but it seems as if she's calmed down a little.

Monika: "Please…"

Aki: "I'm sorry… but I can't think of another thing…"

Monika: "There has to be something!"

Aki: "Monika… you said that there were many cuts on her arm… if it was only one then I would've called it an accident… but… yeah."

Monika: "B-but… why?"

Aki: "Why what?"

Monika: "W-why would she do that?"

Aki: "I… can't answer that. It could be any reason… depression, something going on in life, or just because she feels like it."

Monika and I stay silent for a few minutes, not a single word exchanged between the two of us, just staying embraced in each other's arms. Slowly, Monika releases herself from my grasp.

Monika: "W-what do we do now?"

Aki: "I don't know. We can't do anything. I mean, for all I know, and hope, we could just be jumping to conclusions."

Monika: "I hope that's the case…"

Aki: "As of right now, all we can do is wait for tomorrow. We, or rather you, can find out more information tomorrow during the club meeting."

Monika: "Hold on, why me?"

Aki: "Because you're closer to Yuri than anyone else in the club. I'm probably the least, as we've never really had the chance to actually talk and get the chance to know each other."

Monika: "So you're making me do all the work?"

Aki: "No, of course not. I'll still be telling you what to do and planning about what we're gonna do next. It's just that you're going to be getting the information from Yuri."

Monika: "Oh ok. So basically you're the mastermind, and I'm the puppet."

Aki: "Technically yes, but not in a negative connotation."

Monika: "Yeah. I would normally be against being a puppet, but in this scenario you seem to be the better mastermind, considering how well you handled Natsuki's situation."

Aki: "Well I mean, you were a big help in that. You were the one who found out that Natsuki was being abused. Only after that I could really put together a plan. And this is kinda the same, I can only make a plan after you get information."

Monika: "I guess that's true. Does that make me the mastermind?"

Aki: "No that makes you Monika and makes me Aki. This conversation and roleplay is stupid and irrelevant."

Monika: "Right, sorry. So are we just gonna wait until tomorrow and ask Yuri?"

Aki: "Pretty much."

Monika: "So what do we do now?"

Aki: "Well I was thinking that we could-"

DING DONG

Aki: "What the… I'll get it."

I get up from the couch and head up to the door.

Monika: "Did you invite anyone here?"

Aki: "Nope."

Monika: "Did you order something?"

Aki: "Never done anything like that in my entire life."

I check the hole in the door to see who's ringing my bell.

Aki: "Oh you gotta be kidding me…"

I open the door to my two neighbors.

Aki: "Any reason why you two are here?"

Natsuki: "Jeez, what a way to greet someone."

Sayori: "Are we interrupting anything?"

Aki: "Eh, not really. What do you guys want?"

Sayori: "We're making dinner at our place, and we were wondering if you wanted to join!"

Aki: "I guess, I didn't have any dinner plans. You got room for one more person?"

Sayori: "How come?"

Monika: "Well, it'd be rude to invite one person and leave another hanging, wouldn't it?"

Sayori: "Monika! You're here?"

Aki: "No, it's just your imagination."

Monika then comes over to where I am, and jabs my arm.

Aki: "Ow, what the hell?!"

Monika: "That's for calling me imaginary."

Sayori: "Monika, would you like to join us for dinner?"

Monika: "I'd love to! What time?"

Sayori: "It's already finished. We came over to ask you guys to come over now."

Aki: "Sure, I'm down. Shall we head out?"

Monika: "Yep!"

Monika and I then head out, and follow Sayori and Natsuki towards their house. Once we arrive, they direct us to the dining table, and they shortly bring out the food. We start eating, and enjoy our dinner. After we're done, Monika heads towards her home, and I head toward mine. Once I reach my home, I head upstairs and head to sleep.

(Monday, 6:00AM; House; Akihito's PoV)

BEEP BEEP BEEP

Ugh… another day of school. Honestly, what's the point of school? It's completely useless, and students don't even like it. Hell, I bet the teachers don't even like it. Eh, I can't really complain, since I can't change the world. I get out of my bed and do my morning routine.

Once I'm done, I finish breakfast and pack my bag. After that, I head outside and start my trek towards school with Sayori and Natsuki. Once we reach school, we three part ways and head to our classes.

(Monday, 4:00PM; School; Akihito's PoV)

Wow, the school day went by so fast. I could've probably described that whole section in two paragraphs. Anyways, time to head to the club. Upon arriving to the club, I see that everyone has arrived.

Monika: "Hey Aki!"

Aki: "Hey. What's the plan for today?"

Monika: "Nothing much, you can just chill for today."

Aki: "Alright."

I take a seat at a nearby desk, and begin to browse my phone. Maybe I can do some reading on it. After a few minutes, Monika gets up from her desk, which is really the teacher's desk, and heads towards the back of the room. I guess she's gonna try and talk to Yuri, since she's usually seated at the back of the room.

I can't really see what they're doing without looking like I'm stalking them, and they're out of hearing distance, so I'm stuck with my own curiosity. After a few moments, both Monika and Yuri head back towards the front of the club and out the door into the hallway.

Once they leave the room, I retreat back to my phone, only to be interrupted by someone tapping my shoulder rather aggressively.

Aki: "What is it?!"

Sayori: "Why did they go out?"

Aki: "How am I supposed to know?"

Sayori: "I don't know, don't you have some sort of telepathy powers with your girlfriend?"

Aki: "Sayori, that's not how a relationship works."

Sayori: "Well she would've at least told you what she was doing!"

Aki: "Well, sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but she didn't. I have no idea why Monika and Yuri went out just now."

Which is a complete lie, but I can't have her knowing the whole plan.

Sayori: "Are you suuuure?"

Aki: "Yes. I am."

Sayori: "But are you suuuure?"

Aki: "Yes I am suuuure. Happy?"

Sayori: "Hmm… if you say so…"

Sayori then leaves and heads back to her normal spot. I shake my head and retreat back to my phone, only to be interrupted by the sound of the clubroom door opening. In comes Monika and Yuri. Monika then turns towards me and motions me to come outside to talk. Is this gonna be a repeat of the Natsuki situation?

I follow her command and head outside the clubroom. We head to the end of the hallway, where we spoke last time when we were finding out about Natsuki's situation.

Aki: "Alright, what did she say?"

Monika doesn't answer, and just simply stares at me. Her face doesn't show any emotion at all. No sadness, no happiness, nothing.

Aki: "Uh, you there? What did Yuri say?"

She still doesn't say anything. What's going on with Monika?

Aki: "Monika? What did she-"

Monika: "Nothing."

Aki: "What do you mean?"

Monika: "She didn't say anything."

Huh?!