Part six: Just four in here?
[Natsuki]
"Hi! Sorry for the delay in arriving, I had lost my poem for today and just found it."
Yuri, Monika, and Shiromi, the new boy, had already arrived at the club.
No questions about Kurochi.
Monika was sitting at the teacher's desk and at the back of the room were Shiromi and Yuri reading a rather large book.
[Monika]
"Hello, Natsuki."
[Monika]
"It's good you came, could you help me?"
[Natsuki]
"Sure, what can I help you with?"
[Monika]
"Could you pass me the box with folders from the closet? A teacher left it there and asked me to check if the club files were in there."
Natsuki wordlessly walked over to the closet and searched through the boxes of things there until she found the box of folders that Monika told her about.
She would take the heavy box to Monika and leave it on the desk.
[Natsuki]
"Here you go."
[Monika]
Thank you very much, Na-"
Suddenly the door opens with a loud bang drawing everyone's attention.
[Kurochi]
"Fuck..."
[Kurochi]
"Sorry I'm late, my schedule got scrambled."
Natsuki looks peculiarly relieved.
[Natsuki]
"Good thing you came."
Monika changes her friendly, smiling expression to a rather more serious one.
[Monika]
"Good afternoon, I thought you weren't coming back to the club anymore..."
Yuri and Shiromi merely watch from the back of the room.
[Kurochi]
"¿Why? I'm still part of the literature club, I never said I wouldn't come back."
[Monika]
"Well let's see..."
[Monika]
"You disappeared on the day of the festival and you didn't show up for the rest of the week either."
[Kurochi]
"I-I..."
[Monika]
"Don't try to excuse yourself with some idiocy, I know why you didn't come and you know well that I know everything."
[Monika]
"So I'm going to rephrase what I said..."
[Monika]
"You're not coming back to the club anymore, you're not part of the literature club anymore and I want you out of here right now."
That made me petrified, will it be because of what she said in the hospital?
[Kuro, Nat & Yuri]
"W-What?!"
[Shiromi]
"Huh?"
[Monika]
"You heard me, I don't want a single word from you or you two."
Monika turns to look at Natsuki and Yuri only to stare at me again.
[Monika]
"Understood?"
[Kurochi]
"B-But..."
[Monika]
"No questioning, I'm the president of the club and if I see it pertinent you're out of here."
[Yuri]
"Monika, don't you think you're overreacting?"
[Natsuki]
"Y-Yes! Expelling Kurochi from the club just for being absent for a few days is too extreme!"
[Monika]
"When did I say it was just for that? Didn't Kurochi tell you about why neither he nor Sayori was around last week?"
I swallow saliva.
Natsuki looks surprised and overwhelmed.
[Yuri]
"What are you talking about, Monika?"
[Monika]
"Sayori tried to commit suicide because of Kurochi..."
[Yuri]
"W-what?"
[Monika]
"She told him how much she loved him..."
Monika's voice starts to crack.
[Monika]
"She told him how much it was hard for him to find a reason to get up..."
[Monika]
"Kurochi is the reason she gets up every morning..."
[Monika]
"And what was it that he said?"
[Kurochi]
[Monika] "Monika, please..."
[Kurochi]
"I don't think it's good to talk about this here or now."
[Monika]
"SAY WHAT IT WAS THAT YOU TOLD HER!"
[Kurochi]
"You'll always be my best friend..."
[Monika]
"And you think that was the best thing to say?"
[Kurochi]
"And how the fuck was I supposed to know that would happen!?"
[Monika]
[KUROCHI] "FUCK'S SAKE KUROCHI, YOU'RE HIS BEST FRIEND!"
[Monika]
"She brought you here because she wanted to spend more time with you."
[Monika]
"And what did you do?"
[Monika]
"You spent two weeks glued to Natsuki and Yuri without even paying an ounce of attention to your best friend."
[Monika]
"How do you think she must have felt?"
[Kurochi]
"You know what?"
[Kurochi]
"Fuck you, Monika!"
[Kurochi]
[KUROCHI] "I SAVED HER FUCKING LIFE!"
[Kurochi] "What did you do?"
[Kurochi]
"NOTHING!"
[Monika]
"Don't want to blame me, you're supposedly the closest to her, you should have seen it."
[Kurochi]
"What about you?"
[Kurochi]
"You had her poem, didn't you?"
[Monika]
"W-What poem?"
Monika is nervous.
[Kurochi]
"You know what poem..."
[Kurochi]
"You were the last one to talk to her on Sunday..."
[Kurochi]
"You had Sayori's poem with you and yet you didn't do anything."
[Kurochi]
"I was the one who saw the poem and went running to Sayori..."
[Kurochi]
"And you?"
[Kurochi]
"Why didn't you do anything if you were the one who had the poems from the night before?"
Monika is noticeably speechless.
[Nat&Yuri]
"Wait... What?"
[Natsuki]
"Is that true, Monika?"
[Monika]
"What, now you're going to take her side?"
[Monika]
"One kiss and you're already putting your hands in the fire for him?"
[Kurochi]
"YOU TOLD HIM!?"
[Natsuki]
"I'M SORRY! I DIDN'T HAVE ANYONE ELSE TO TALK TO ABOUT IT!"
[Natsuki]
"I didn't feel comfortable telling Yuri that we kissed and Monika is the only other person I trust..."
[Yuri]
"YOU WHAT!?"
[Shiromi]
"I think I should get out of here until things calm down."
[Monika]
"Shiromi, just go away quietly..."
[Natsuki]
"Don't change the subject..."
[Natsuki]
"So what if I'm on your side, will you expel me too?"
[Monika]
"You know? That's a good idea..."
[Monika]
"You are no longer part of the literature club..."
[Yuri]
"B-But Monika..."
[Monika]
"Do you want to leave too?"
[Yuri]
"N-No... I'm sorry."
Yuri sits back down.
[Natsuki]
"Well... Then let's go."
[Kurochi]
"Are you sure, Natt?"
[Natsuki]
"Yes, if you go I'm going with you."
[Monika]
"Perfect... bye."
[Yuri]
"B-Bye Kurochi."
[Yuri]
"Bye Nat..."
Natsuki takes my hand and leads me out of the club room, I see Shiromi leaning against the other door of the club.
He looks familiar, but I don't remember from where.
...
With Natsuki we went to the vending machine for something to drink, so much discussion dried up my throat.
[Kurochi]
"You didn't have to make him kick you out of the club too."
[Natsuki]
"You don't worry about it..."
[Natsuki]
"It's not your fault what happened..."
[Natsuki]
"And she had no right to talk to you like that or pull you out of the club."
[Kurochi]
"Here."
He passes Natsuki a bottle of raspberry juice.
[Natsuki]
"Thank you, Kuki."
[Natsuki]
"Hehe... Kuki."
[Kurochi]
"Don't call me that."
For some reason, I like that he called me by a cute nickname.
[Kurochi]
"If nothing else, call me by a nickname that isn't the same one Mrs. Rekioga uses."
[Natsuki]
"Okay... Kuchi."
Kuchi... I like it.