Part seven: Festival: Natsuki
[?]
"WITH A SNOTTY FUCK, GET YOUR ASS OUT OF BED AT ONCE BEFORE I COME UP AND KICK THE SHIT OUT OF YOU!"
And that's what woke me up.
I grab my phone from my nightstand.
[Natsuki]
"Right... Today's the festival."
I got out of bed enduring Dad's shouting as I hurried to get ready and grab the cupcakes I left in the kitchen, luckily he didn't eat them.
I feel as, from behind me, he places his hand on my shoulder and a shiver runs down my spine.
His tobacco and alcohol breath disgusts me.
[Hirokano]
"Where are you going?"
[Natsuki]
"To s-school, today is the f-festival and I have to bring these cupcakes."
[Hirokano]
"So you're still with that childish crap..."
He takes one of the cupcakes from the tray, takes a bite, and then stamps it on my face.
[Hirokano]
"Disgusting..."
[Hirokano]
"Go away already."
I leave the house without a word, staggering out with the tray of cupcakes.
These trays are really hard to carry and my urge to cry right now isn't helping at all.
By some miracle I made it to the clubhouse, no one was there yet.
Weird.
[Natsuki]
"I guess everyone else was running late."
Although I noticed that on the desks there were several sheets and there was also the other tray of cupcakes.
So I'm not the first to arrive.
I left the tray of cupcakes and took the opportunity to run to the bathroom before someone saw me with a face full of frosting.
I checked to make sure no one was in the bathroom and turned on the water.
The water was pouring down, filling the silence.
[Natsuki]
"How I hate you..."
[Natsuki]
"You old drunk shit."
I grumbled as I wiped the icing off my face.
For a few seconds, I stared at the mirror as my eyes watered.
[Natsuki]
"You're a useless piece of shit..."
[Natsuki]
"How can you let that asshole treat you like that?"
Frustration and will go take over my body for a moment and I let out a scream from the bottom of my lungs.
[Natsuki]
"GRAAAAAAAHHHH!"
I hit the mirror hard leaving my hand sore from the impact, the mirror is intact.
[Natsuki]
"You puny little shit."
Back at the club, Monika is arranging the decorations along with Yuri.
[Natsuki]
"Hi, girls."
[Monika]
"Good morning, Nat."
[Yuri]
"Hi, Natty."
I hate it when she calls me that, it makes me nervous.
[Natsuki]
"D-Don't call me that!"
[Yuri]
"Hehe, your face is all red."
She says with a goofy little smile, how I hate it when she acts like that.
[Natsuki]
"Hey..."
[Natsuki]
"What about Kurochi?"
[Natsuki]
"When I arrived there was the tray I left at his house and I assumed he'd be with you guys."
[Yuri]
"No idea, I haven't seen him today."
[Monika]
"Oh, right..."
[Monika]
"He ran off a while ago."
[Nat&Yuri]
"What?"
We were both confused.
[Monika]
"He was the first one to arrive after me, then he said he would go get Sayori, he ran off and I didn't know anymore."
[Monika]
"They must have stayed doing something else."
How strange, I'll call him on the phone to ask him what happened.
[Natsuki]
"Well, I'll go out for a moment."
I leave the club room and take my phone to dial Kurochi.
...
...
Nothing.
[Natsuki]
"Shit."
...
It's been two hours since I first called, I haven't stopped trying now and then while trying to concentrate on the festival.
Yuri keeps asking me if I was able to contact him yet.
I try one more time.
I don't know how many times I must have dialed him.
[Natsuki]
"Come on fuck, answer the fuck up..."
After a few seconds of ringing, he answers.
[Kurochi]
"Hello."
Fuck, finally.
[Natsuki]
"KUROCHI! WHY DIDN'T YOU ANSWER THE PHONE!?"
[Kurochi]
"I-I..."
[Natsuki]
"Fuck, you had me worried sick, are you okay? Monika told me that out of nowhere you ran off..."
[Natsuki]
"Is everything okay?"
[Kurochi]
"Natsuki, I-I..."
[Kurochi]
"Y-Yes, I had to attend to a family emergency, but everything is fine now."
[Natsuki]
"So... Will you come or are you still too busy?"
[Natsuki]
"N-not that I want to see you, it's just to tell the others."
[Kurochi]
"I can't, I'm sorry."
[Natsuki]
"I understand..."
[Natsuki]
"Hey, do you know anything about Sayori?"
He was supposed to have gone after her.
[Kurochi]
"S-she's not feeling well, she won't be able to go either."
[Natsuki]
"I see."
[Natsuki]
"I guess I'll see you tomorrow."
[Kurochi]
"See you tomorrow, Natsuki."
He hangs up the call.
I'm glad to hear he's okay, but for some reason, something doesn't feel quite right.
After a while Yuri leaves the club, he had finished reciting his poem and now it was Monika's turn.
[Yuri]
"Did you hear from Kurochi or Sayori?"
God, can't she call?
[Natsuki]
"I just talked to Kurochi..."
[Natsuki]
"He said that neither he nor Sayori will be coming today."
[Yuri]
"Oh no... why?"
[Natsuki]
"He said he had a family emergency and Sayori isn't feeling very well."
[Yuri]
"Too bad..."
We were silent for a few seconds before Yuri spoke again.
[Yuri]
"Could you pass me Kurochi's number? If you don't mind, sure."
[Natsuki]
"[It's okay...]
Agh, I guess that explains it.
I write Kurochi's number on a piece of paper for him.
[Yuri]
"Thanks, Natty."
[Natsuki]
"F-FUCK, DON'T CALL ME THAT!"
Shit, she likes to get on this woman's nerves.
[Yuri]
"Hehe, you're so cute when you get mad."
[Natsuki]
"I'm going to hit you Yuri..."
Monika leaves the club and warns me that it's my turn to read my poem.
[Natsuki]
"Well, I guess it's time."
Even though I don't want to admit it I wish Kurochi was here to listen to my poem.