"Monika?"
"Ah!" said girl almost jumped out of her chair when the voice of one of her club members broke her out of her thoughts. Said club member was Natsuki, who seemed to have also been startled by the president's reaction.
"Whoa, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. You looked spaced out, but I guess you were more out of it than I thought."
Monika sighs, running her fingers through the loose strands of hair hanging in front of her ears. "It's okay. I've just… I have a lot on my mind right now."
Now it's Natsuki's turn to wear a faraway expression. "Yeah, I know what you mean."
"Eh? What's on your mind, Natsuki?" Monika asks before she can stop herself. She knows there isn't a point; Natsuki isn't real. Not like her. But it was force of habit. Something for old time's sake, she supposes.
"Eh? Did I say that out loud? Well, I-I" Natsuki stammers, fidgeting in place, and Monika wonders if the assets got mixed up and she's actually talking to Yuri. "Well, I guess… I kinda realized something last night and… it's made me think."
"Realized something?" Monika couldn't help it. She was curious now. She doesn't recall this being part of the script, not that she knows how she knows the script. If this was the first time the game was being played, or a time out of many, Monika couldn't be certain. "What do you mean?"
A strange look comes over the short girl's face, one that Monika had never seen on her before. A sort of anxious thoughtfulness. "I… I don't wanna talk about it. Not now, anyway." Natsuki then muttered something under her breath, too low for the president to hear. Looking at the dialogue history, though, revealed it.
~Natsuki: Not like you'd even believe me.~
An odd thought popped into Monika's brain when she read that. Could it be? Am I not the only one?
She shook herself. That was a ridiculous thought. "It's okay, Natsuki." She told the girl. "You don't have to tell me. I'll never force you to talk about anything you don't want to, I can promise you that."
Natsuki gave Monika a small smile. "Thanks. Now, I'm gonna go grab the cupcakes."
Cupcakes? Then, she remembered. Oh, the new member's coming today. New member…
Player! Her thoughts were suddenly made of staticky fire. The Player! A person! A real person! Player! Real! Person! Player! Person! Real! Real!
Monika shook her head again, harder, grateful that natsuki had left and wasn't there to see it.
Yuri arrived next. Was it Monika's imagination, or did the purple-haired girl look even more nervous than usual. "H-hello, Monika."
The president gives the girl a warm smile in hopes of easing her tension. Again, she knows Yuri isn't real, but she still does these things for her. 'Hi, Yuri. Are you excited for today's meeting?"
"Eh? Oh, yes. O-of course. I brought my favorite novel in case we have time to read. I can also make tea."
"Tea? Oh, that's wonderful. I'm sure that will go great with Natsuki's cupcakes."
"N-Natsuki made cupcakes?"
Monika nodded. "She made them for our newest member."
"Newest member?!" Yuri almost yells, a very uncharacteristic reaction from her. Monika almost expects some goofy anime effect to play.
"Yeah. Sayori's bringing her friend to the club today. It's okay if you forgot; I didn't remember either until Natsuki reminded me."
Yuri doesn't look much calmer. "O-Oh, yes. Of course. I-I'm going to get the tea set."
As Yuri scampers off, the president can't help but feel a little uneasy. She can't help but notice that Yuri is even more anxious than she usually is. This, combined with Natsuki's unusually standoffish attitude gave her a strange feeling. A feeling that something odd was happening. But whether said something was to the club members or the whole game, she couldn't say for sure. Or maybe, she muses, after my epiphany, I'm just paranoid. That could be it. Just because my world has been destroyed, doesn't mean it was for everyone else.
No sooner than she thought this, than the vice president bounded through the door. "We're here~" She chirps. She's even more unkempt than normal. Her big red bow is lopsided, her blazer is unbuttoned, and her slippers are on the wrong feet. But then Monika looks behind her.
It's him. If you were to ask monika later what MC looked like, she wouldn't be able to tell you. She might be able to give you some details: black hair, and the boys' school uniform. But at the moment, his vagueness didn't matter to her. At that moment, all thoughts in her brain froze.
It was the Player. The only other real person here. A glimpse into the true reality. He was everything she could ever dream of. Player, real, here, now, Player! It was an all-consuming, inescapable desire. Monika wanted him, needed him. And it terrified her.