When I woke the next morning, I felt a lot better than I did the day prior. I looked at the clock and saw it was just past 4:30. I got up to use the restroom. When I walk out of the toilet, I see a light on in the kitchen. I walked down and saw Meiji's mom and dad sitting at the kitchen table, sipping on what I assumed was coffee. Meiji's dad was looking at something on a laptop and Meiji's mom was browsing her phone. Meiji's mom was the first to see me and stood fast, putting her phone down. "Meiji? Are you okay? Do you still feel sick?"
"I'm feeling much better," I said. "Just needed to use the toilet."
Meiji's dad took his wife's arm. "Come on, dear, cut the umbilical cord a little bit."
"He's my baby," she said. Meiji's mom then poured me a cup of tea. "Have some of this," she said, handing me the cup.
"Thanks Mom," I said, sipping at it.
"Did you sleep alright?" she asked, feeling my forehead again.
"Mooom," I groaned, but smiled a bit. "Yeah, I slept well."
"Well, if you go to your new club today, please just take it easy."
Meiji's dad looked over at me in surprise. "New club?"
"Sayori managed to get me to join her literature club," I explained.
"Really? I'm proud of you, Meiji," he said. "It's good for you to do extracurricular activities and colleges look favorably on that sort of thing."
I chuckled. "I'll be honest, Dad, I haven't thought too hard about colleges, but I'm going to change that after the festival."
"I'm glad to hear you taking that seriously," he said.
"Me too," Meiji's mom said, "but you don't have to be awake this early. You should still be sleeping."
I chuckled. "I'm going, I'm going. See you guys later, alright?" I headed back to bed, but the moment I remembered that I hadn't written a poem. I brought out my laptop and quickly turned it on, hoping that my old poems were still on my hard drive. Thankfully, they still were. I found one that I liked and began to transcribe it onto paper.
Through His Eyes
To remember how she had been was
both a blessing and a curse to him
as she had been the glass that swarmed
around his fresh and liquid state.
The sidewalks flooded with mobs
of businessmen about their day,
ignoring others, eyes all downcast
as they flowed over smooth gray stone.
Among the empty minded fold
the man did stroll, small pack in hand
a lifeless gray building would mark
the terminus of his journey.
He clambered in to his small car
and soon he'd joined the slithering swarm
of vibrant steel as they all crawled
towards the quickly setting sun
The sun had gone behind the clouds
the moment he escaped the metal
prison which had held him for
eternity, or so it seemed.
And so, he found himself aloft
a branch which looked over a glade,
the putrid smell of smog and smoke
cleansed by a petal rosy breeze.
As he stared out among the green
imagination overlaid
the empty fields of golden hue
replaced with men of iron and steel.
He fancied sounds of battle and
imagined storms that filled the sky;
the sounds of dying men which cloaked
the whispers of the nearby brook.
His hands alit beside his ears
and eyes, in an attempt to bind
the vicious sights and sounds which
invaded his evening dreams.
The gesture was in vain
and he cried out as out the branch
he slipped and fell, impacting hard
the saturated earth beside the tree.
The nightmare ended, there he lay,
his heavy breathing all he heard.
As he sat up a silence fell
among the scattered trees and ferns.
An image fell into his lap,
a woman, fair and slim and smiles.
a woman worth a million words
never again to be expressed.
As he stood and cleaned himself off,
a silent tear escaped his eye
and lit upon the grassy glade,
a testament to lover's past.
I folded the paper and put it in the school pants pocket, then lay back down in bed. After making sure the alarm was set, I dozed off once again.
BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP!
Wake up, Josiah! Wake up damn it! We forgot to write a poem! Meiji was practically screaming in my ear as the alarm went off.
"Ugh…don't shout," I said as I sat up groggily and rubbed my eyes. "I wrote one earlier this morning."
Wait, you did?
"You were still asleep."
I must have been. What was the poem?
I reached into the pants pocket and pulled out the paper. I read over it again so Meiji could see it, then folded it back up and put it back into the pocket. "Well?"
That's…a sad poem.
"It was meant to be when I wrote it a couple years ago," I said while I was gathering the school uniform and a clean pair of boxers. I then headed downstairs with the clothes and headed to the shower.
I wonder what the others will think about it, Meiji said as I started the water.
"Well, I didn't have much time to write anything, and I did say I wanted them to see my older poems. We'll write a new one tonight," I said.
We?
"Yeah we. I didn't tell them about me yet, even though I meant to on the first day."
It slipped my mind too. When do we do it? And how?
"Leave it to me, alright?" I said with a confidence I didn't feel at all. In the silence as I washed up, my mind wandered as it normally did whenever I showered. What was I going to do? I couldn't keep lying to them, but how would they react? Would they even believe me? Judging from the message Monika left, I'm sure she'd believe me.
You okay there? You're spacing out on me, Meiji said.
"Oh damn, sorry." I rinsed off.
Seriously, are you alright? He asked. And don't lie. I couldn't read your inner thought, but I could at least feel tension.
As I was drying off, I sighed. "Honestly? I'm tense as hell. I don't know if I should trust Monika or not. I don't know how to broach the subject of the two of us without hurting Sayori. I hate not knowing what to do!"
You sounded so confident earlier, Meiji said.
"Because I didn't want to make you worry."
Dude, I've not been in control of my own body for the past three days. All I can do is worry and think.
"I…I'm sorry Meiji. I just…" I felt tears forming in my eyes, this time my own. "Knowing what I know, and with the added stress of being sick and unintentionally hijacking your body…it's too much to bear sometimes…"
If we're going to be stuck together, you need to be more honest with me, Meiji said.
"I…yeah you're right, but that applies to you too. I'll be more honest in the future."
You'd better!
I got dressed and, after making sure my poem was in my pocket, I grabbed the bag and walked out. "Is October weather always this nice?" I asked as I walked to the gate to get Sayori.
It's not unheard of, Meiji said.
"Yeah I get that." I headed over to Sayori's door and was about to walk in when the door opened quickly.
"Meiji?!" Sayori looked like she had just gotten dressed five seconds ago. "What are you doing here?"
"I was going to wake you up if you were still sleeping," I replied, "but it looks like you got up earlier."
She went red. "You haven't been to my house to do that in a while," she admitted.
"Well, I aim to change that. We still have time, though, so let me help you clean up." I put my bag down and began fixing her hair. "Geez, your hair is a mess."
"Ehehe…" Sayori looked a bit nervous but at the same time happy. "You know, it's funny…"
"What's funny?" I asked as I ran my hands through her hair to try and straighten it out.
"It's…weird to have a friend who does these kinds of things with you," she said.
That was earlier than expected, but then again, this scenario did happen in the game.
Aaah, make her stop! It's embarrassing…
"I don't think it's weird at all," I said, replying to both Sayori and Meiji. "Sayori, believe it or not, but I care about you." I tried my best to untangle some of Sayori's messy hair and had only some moderate success. I then noticed some toothpaste stains on her collar. I did my best to subtly wipe it off and luckily managed to get it all. After that, I moved her bow up so it was sitting on top of her head. I stood back and stroked my chin, looking at her with faux appraisal. "Hey, Sayori, I've always wondered, but why do you leave your blazer unbuttoned?"
"I'm not telling you," she said, making a pouting face.
Button it up for her.
Trust me on this, it's better we don't. "Well, I guess I've gotten so used to seeing you in that blazer that it would be weird to see it buttoned up. But it does look a bit small on you." I tugged on the sleeves a bit. "Couldn't you get at least a bigger one so that it covers your sleeves? It's getting colder, you know."
"But I have my coat," she said, indicating the long brown coat she held on her arm.
"I guess so, but you'd look a lot prettier with a properly fitting blazer."
I felt Meiji get super embarrassed. Sayori's face noticeably reddened. "Y-You think I would…?"
I would never say that! I'd think it!
"I do."
"Do you think…if I got a boyfriend, that he's let me keep my blazer unbuttoned?" she asked, fiddling with her fingers again.
"I think that if he's telling you how to dress in a way so silly, then he's not worth your time," I said. "I've never had a girlfriend myself, but if I did and she tried to change the way I dress in a manner such as that, I'd dump her so hard. It's not like you've been scolded by the teachers, and I don't think leaving the blazer loose is against any school dress codes. Never let people control you, Sayori."
This coming from the guy who hijacked my body…
I didn't do it on purpose!
I know, I'm just teasing.
Oh, just you wait…
She smiled. "You think so?"
"I do. I know if it were me, if we started dating, I'd be perfectly content letting you wear your blazer like that. If you didn't, not only would you be harder to find, but it's such a Sayori thing for you to do."
"Meanie…" she glared at me, but I could also see the blush deepening.
"Sayori, your little idiosyncrasies make you as cute as you are," I said.
"Wha…you know what that word means?"
"Now who's being the mean one?" I asked, chuckling. "Come on, we've dawdled enough. We should get going or we're going to be late."
As we walked, Sayori spoke up again. "Are…you sure you're feeling okay to go to school today? You still don't look back to normal."
"Well, maybe Muramoto-san's cupcake cured me," I joked before going serious. "I'll be honest, I don't feel quite back to 100% but I feel good enough to come to school. Just don't expect me to do much today in the club."
"I don't think anyone will force you," Sayori said with a caring smile.
As we approached the school, more students joined us. At the front gates the student council members stood…along with Tani. At first I almost didn't recognize her, but when we got closer, I saw that she had used much less makeup on her face, unlike those she had the day before. Her hair brown now, and she'd taken her blue contacts out, showing off some admittedly lovely brown eyes. Unlike the day before, her uniform wasn't sloppy. She was leaning against the wall with her hands behind her back, looking away from everyone. When she saw me, she seemed to steel herself and walked up to me, hands tied into fists. I stepped protectively in between her and Sayori. "Go inside."
Sayori grabbed my shoulder. "Please…don't do anything rash," she begged.
"I promised you I wouldn't, remember? Now go."
She began moving towards the school, but Tani saw her. "Wait!" she called out. "I need to talk to both of you!"
Sayori froze, looking uncertainly at me. I looked at Tani. "Whatever you have to say to her, you can say to me."
"I'm afraid it can't," she said.
Once more I stood between her and Sayori. "Alright, what is it?" I asked, glaring at her.
Tani took a deep breath, and bowed very low towards us. "I'm so sorry to the both of you!"
Her apology was loud, but it sounded sincere. Sayori leaned in close and asked, "I thought you said you weren't going to say anything to her about me?"
"I didn't," I replied, just as confused as Sayori.
She stood back up, looking anywhere but at us. "After…Monday, I went home and thought long and hard about what I'd done. I even talked to my parents about it, and when I told them they told me I was acting like a bully. I didn't realize…I don't expect you to forgive me, but I just wanted to let you know that I won't be acting like how I have been anymore."
"Words are just words," I said. "Please prove those words with your actions."
"You have my word! I will make it up to the two of you and everyone else." And with that she headed inside.
"Well…that was unexpected," I said as I turned to Sayori, only to find her on her knees, visibly trembling. "Sayori?!"
"Ehehe, sorry, I guess I wasn't prepared for that encounter today," she said as I helped her to her feet.
"Come on, I'll walk you to your classroom," I said.
She didn't protest as I headed inside with her. I stayed close just in case she collapsed again. Meiji, who had been tense throughout that whole ordeal, was relieved and happy enough to lead me to Sayori's classroom. The classroom she was in was nearly identical to mine except it faced the opposite direction with the windows on the right side of the board instead of the left. "Thanks, Meiji, I guess we really are better at taking care of each other than we are at taking care of ourselves." She smiled, but I could tell that her smile was bittersweet.
"I take care of you because I care about you," I said. "Anyway, I'll see you in the clubroom later. I can't wait to read your poem."
She giggled. "Me too. Later, Meiji!" She headed off and I saw, to my amusement, that she sat at the second seat to the back next to the window.
"She's got the protagonist window seat like us," I said to myself as I headed to Meiji's classroom.
What do you mean?
You know how in school anime the male protagonist has that window seat? Like we do?
Ooooh, I hadn't considered that.
Makes me wonder if the others have the same seats in their classroom?
I wouldn't be surprised.
When I reached Meiji's classroom, people quieted down and looked at me. One of the students approached. She was tall and had long bright brown hair. She had a red bow tying her ponytail together and wore her blazer loosely like Sayori. Her eyes were almost an aquamarine color "Chizu-san, are you feeling better today?"
That's the class rep, Fujiwara Sayonika.
Sayonika? Unusual name, but alright.
"Ah yes I am. It was just some food poisoning," I replied. "I'm not feeling quite back to normal, but I can at least come to class no problem."
"Oh good. Did you want the notes from yesterday? I made copies for you and Tani-san."
"Tani-san wasn't here either?" I asked curiously, looking over at her. She was sitting with her head on her desk, arms covering her face so it couldn't be seen.
"No, she wasn't. After your brutal takedown yesterday, she probably stayed home out of embarrassment."
I rubbed the back of my head. "I did go overboard yesterday, didn't I? I'm sorry, Fujiwara-san. I guess I just snapped."
"I don't blame you," Sayonika said. "No one here was willing to stand up for you. Even me, I'm ashamed to say…"
She's one of the few people in class who's nice to me…and I haven't appreciated it… I could feel more guilt washing over me, springing from Meiji. I've been distant from them…
"With the way I've acted until now, I'm not surprised," I replied. "I don't exactly exude a friendly attitude to my classmates, do I?"
Sayonika giggled. "If I'm honest, no. That's why I was shocked but not really surprised when you snapped on Monday."
"Well, I promise I'll behave better. And honestly, I'm glad you're in this class with me. You're one of the only people in the school who treats me kindly, even if I didn't deserve it."
And I don't…
Stop being so hard on yourself!
"Well, it is my job as class rep," she said, "but I guess I am a naturally helpful person."
"Well, I haven't said it, but I am grateful. Really. And yes, I would like the notes from yesterday if you're okay with it."
"Of course!" She rushed back to her desk, which was three ahead of mine. She returned with a small stack of photocopied papers. "Here you are, Chizu-san."
"Thank you, Fujiwara-san."
"Anytime!" She flashed me a wide smile before returning to her desk. I saw a few girls who I assumed were her friends walk over to her and talk to her, occasionally looking in my direction. I went to the desk and sat down. There were ten minutes before class so I began looking over Sayonika's notes.
After a bit, Meiji spoke up, and judging from his tone, he felt extremely down. Maybe…I should let you take permanent control…you seem to have a better knack at my life than I do.
WHAT?! WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU WANT THAT?!
BECAUSE YOU'RE THE ONE MAKING FRIENDS LEFT AND RIGHT!
I froze. I still had no idea how hard this situation was on Meiji, and honestly, I was too preoccupied to think about it. Meiji…I–
No! Don't you dare feel sorry for me! You've been working so hard on my behalf and I don't deserve it! I don't deserve this life! I should just–
While he'd been talking, I'd headed out of the classroom and, heading to the hidden hallway, brought my head back and hit the wall with my forehead. Enough! You don't think I want you to get better?! I'm trying to lead by example here! Believe it or not, I was a lot like you when I was your age.
You were?
Yeah. I was a loner, but I got lucky. Two of the popular people in school kept on trying to hang out with me. I tried pushing them off because I thought they were annoying, but they grew on me. In fact…those two were the last people I saw before coming…here… A wave of homesickness washed over me for the first time. "Oh God…Jamie…Harv…"
Hey hey, I'm sorry. I guess I haven't been feeling a lot like myself lately.
Well, how could you? It's not like I've even tried to give you control back yet. But…today, we're going to tell everyone. After we share poems.
Alright…
I headed back into class and sat back down. The teacher came in seconds later and began the class. I once more took copious amounts of notes. When lunchtime came around, I put the books away. "Okay, I think I need a walk to cool my head," I said, standing and heading out. Where do you think the clubroom is? I asked.
I don't have any idea, Meiji replied.
Then let's just look around.
Why not ask Sayori?
Because she'd want to show us around, and this might be one of the few times we can get Monika alone.
Damn…forgot about the antagonist.
She's not the antagonist, I explained. But we do need to be careful around her. I don't know what she knows, or if she realizes how the game ends.
Alright…
Here's a thought, let's ask a teacher. I flagged down one of the teachers and asked. He directed me to another part of the building. I headed there straightaway. Strangely, the closer I got, the less people I saw. "Guess the declining birthrate is impacting this early," I murmured.
Not funny.
I know. When I reached the doors to the clubroom, room 3-D, I didn't hesitate. I definitely did not gently open that damn door. However, when I did so, I saw nobody inside. "What the hell…?"
The clubroom was definitely a full-sized classroom. There were twenty-five desks all laid out neatly in rows. There were three large windows opposite the door with peach colored shades, all closed. I reached over and hit the light button and the lights in the center of the ceiling turned on, giving better illumination. In one corner of the room was a gray locker. The back wall and bulletin boards were scattered with pieces of paper containing announcements, but when I looked at them, they seemed to be a few years out of date. "Does this even get used for classes anymore?" I asked as I headed to the closet. "So why would the teachers care about Natsuki's manga?" I looked up and, sure enough, her manga was on the top shelf. I reached up and carefully moved it to within arm's reach. As I did so, I saw a tea set sitting neatly on one of the shelves. Next to it was a water boiler.
Yuri was right, that is similar to ours, Meiji said.
"Well, I'm not gonna mess with it," I said as I headed out of the closet. I went to the teacher's desk and saw that the computer was off at the moment. Finding nothing else of interest, I made sure everything was as I'd found it and headed back out, shutting the lights off and closing the door. As I walked back, I looked out the window. The back of the school was a larger area with a few pathways among the grass. There were trees scattered along the pathway with benches placed in just the right spot to be covered by shade. I saw a few people sitting at the benches, eating lunch and talking while others were sitting against the tree trunks. I caught a glimpse of a tall, busty black-haired beauty sitting underneath one of the trees, reading something. I smiled. "That is definitely something someone like her would do during lunchtime."
Really? I would have expected her to be in the library. It is a bit chilly outside today. Besides. There's less chance of that happening.
"That?"
To her left.
I looked and saw a group of teenagers pointing at her from a distance and laughing. "Are you kidding me…Yuri too?!" I took off running down the halls, not caring if it was against school rules like in most Japanese schools. Meiji didn't even bother to tell me about it, he just kept directing me to the back entrance to the school. When I got there, I stepped outside and made my way over to where Yuri was now being verbally assaulted.
"…you slut!" one of the guys was saying as I approached, giggling cruelly at her. I saw Yuri just hide more behind her book. "You're the silent kinky type, aren't you baby? Come over and I'll show you a good time."
"Seriously, what's with those udders? Betcha they could produce enough milk to feed the entire school," one of the girls teased.
Yuri continued to ignore them, but this only irritated them more. "And what's with this book? It looks so creepy," one of them said. She reached over and took it, lifting it out of Yuri's reach.
I reached over and snatched it from the girl's grasp before anything else. The girl looked back at me startled. I smiled politely, keeping my smartass comments in control as best I could. "Hello there. Sorry to interrupt."
"And here's another loser," one of the guys said in a haughty tone.
"M-Meiji?" Yuri looked at me confused.
"Hey. I came to get you. Monika wanted to talk to you."
"Eh? What about?"
"She didn't say. Come on, she's waiting in the clubroom." I held out my hand to her.
She blushed, but took my offered hand. I helped her up and handed her the book. "Thanks…" she said.
"Hey, what's the big idea butting in, you nerd?" One of the girls, a smaller one who appeared to be the leader, grabbed my shirt and pulled me back. "You've got big balls, interfering in our conversation."
Oh shit…that's Kawahashi Yae! She's worse than Tani-san was!
I raised an eyebrow and turned back, brushing her hand off. "Aaah, my most sincere apologies," I said in a sincere tone. "But this is really important and can't wait."
"You don't get to interrupt us!" the girl I took the book from shouted.
"I'd leave him alone if I were you," another voice said from behind me. Turning, I saw Tani walking up, glaring at the other girls. "Seriously, he's not someone you should be messing with."
"Since when did you start defending this low life?" the leader asked.
"Since nunya…nunya bizness," Tani said, walking up and getting into the leader's face. "Now back off."
"I don't have to listen to you!" the leader shouted.
"Then listen to me," yet another voice said. Turning, I saw Monika walking up, glaring angrily at the group of girls. Her face was contorted into a rage I had never seen in the game. Her hands were balled up into fists as she approached. "Yuri is in my club, Yae. You don't get to lay a hand on her without my doing something about it!"
Yuri was looking between the girls, clutching her book out of fear. She was hiding behind me. I sighed and stepped forward. "Okay everyone, enough of this. There's no need to escalate this any further. Let's just…go our separate ways for today and cool our heads."
"Not a chance in hell," Yae said angrily. Yae was a bit smaller than Monika and was dressed very primly in her school uniform. She had short brown hair, brown eyes, and an attractive figure. I filed that away for later just in case I needed to take her off her guard.
"Then it looks like it's my turn to be the more mature one here." I put a hand on Tani and Monika's shoulders. "Ladies, let's just go, alright? Lunch is almost over."
"Yeah, run bitches!" Yae shouted as I led the three girls inside. "Go comfort the cutting freak!"
The moment we all got inside, Yuri collapsed. I immediately knelt beside her. "Yuri? Are you okay?" I asked.
Her face was a mixture of emotion, fear, relief, confusion, all wrapped into one. She was on her knees clutching her book so hard her knuckles were turning white. "Uuuuu…I…"
"Deep breaths," Monika said, kneeling next to Yuri as well. "Just take deep breaths."
Tani stood back, glaring outside. "Honestly…I can't believe I used to call those bitches my friends. I really am sorry about all they said," she looked at Yuri. "I'll understand if you don't forgive them…or me for what I said to you all those times."
She…wow, she really has changed, Meiji said.
Agreed, and for the better. We could become friends with her someday.
Maybe…
I saw tears forming in Yuri's eyes and I grabbed Meiji's handkerchief, handing it to her. Sniffling, she took it and dabbed at her eyes. "I-I…thank you Meiji…Monika…Tani-san…"
Monika wrapped her arms tightly around Yuri's trembling frame. "You're one of my precious club members. There's nothing I wouldn't do if it meant keeping you safe." She looked at me. "That includes you too, Meiji."
"Chizu-san, you joined Monika's club?" Tani asked.
"Just recently, yeah."
"I didn't think a nerd like you liked literature-I mean…aaaah…I'm sorry, force of habit." She looked away guiltily.
"It's fine, you're still learning. Thanks for stepping in. Not sure I would have gotten away from that without getting pretty hurt."
"Stay out of trouble," she said as she headed back inside. "I'll let them know you're gonna be late." She ran down the hall.
"Who was that?" Monika asked.
"A classmate who I finally stood up to recently," I said. Turning to Yuri I asked, "Can you stand? Do you need to rest in the nurse's office for a bit?"
"N-No, I'll be fine," Yuri stammered, trying to stand up on her own. Monika and I helped her up. "Thank you…but why did you get involved? You could have gotten seriously hurt."
"For the same reason Monika stepped in. I may not know you well enough yet, but you're a fellow club member. I won't let anyone hurt you in any way to the best of my ability." I looked at Monika. "The same applies to you." Monika's cheeks went a shade redder than before. "But anyway, let's get you back to your classroom before the bell rings. We don't want you to be late."
"What about you?" Yuri asked.
"If I'm late no one will bat an eye," I said. "Come on, let's go."
Monika and I walked Yuri back to her classroom. She thanked the two of us, looked at me briefly while blushing, then headed to her seat, which to my surprise was the same main protagonist seat. Looking at Meiji's phone, I saw there were five more minutes for lunch. "Monika, I can walk you back to your classroom too," I said. I offered this hoping she'd be far enough away that we could talk a little bit.
"You're just as sweet as I though you would be," Monika said, and with that I was positive. This Monika was completely self-aware. However, I couldn't be sure if she remembered the complete game or not. "But my classroom is right next door." She walked over to me and whispered, "Please be more careful next time."
"I will."
She giggled and headed to her class. I hurried to mine, making it just seconds before the bell rang. When I got to my seat, I was surprised to see Tani had switched with the guy who had been sitting behind me. "How's your club member doing?" she whispered.
"She looked a little upset, but better," I replied.
"Good." And that was all she said to me throughout the latter half of the school day. When the bell rang, I stood and stretched. I turned to say goodbye to Tani, but she was already gone, having rushed out the door the moment the bell rang.
Grabbing my bag, I headed out and down the halls, making my way towards the clubroom. The hallway was crowded as I headed down, but as I got closer to the clubroom the crowd of students and teachers began petering out. I opened the door. I walked in and saw Monika at the teacher's desk typing something. Yuri was sitting at one of the desks reading and Natsuki was grabbing her manga from where I'd placed it before. Sayori was missing still. "Good afternoon, everyone."
"Hi again, Meiji!" Monika said, turning and minimizing whatever she'd been working on. "Glad to see you didn't run away from us, hahaha!" Her smile was infectious despite who it belonged to.
I smiled back. "My word is my bond, after all." I lowered my voice. "How's Yuri doing?"
"She's still a bit shaken up," Monika said, looking over at her with a concerned look. "But I think her tea helped her calm down."
"Oh good, I'm glad. Mind if I go check on her?"
"Of course!"
I walked over to Yuri cautiously. "Yuri?"
She looked up at me startled, then smiled. "Ah Meiji, thanks for keeping your promise. I hope this isn't too overwhelming a commitment for you." Looking away, she added nervously, "making you dive headfirst into literature when you're not accustomed to it…"
"Oh, come on! Like this guy deserves any slack!" Natsuki said, looking up from a desk a couple feet away. "Sayori told me you didn't want to join any clubs this year. And last year too!"
"True, but I woke up a few days ago and had what you'd call an epiphany," I replied, making sure to say the last word louder so Monika could hear it. "I realized I didn't have much time left before graduation, and I wanted to spend some time enjoying myself and expanding my horizons a bit more."
"Well…good! Because if you just planned on coming here to hang out or whatever, I would have been pissed. You need to take us seriously or you won't see the end of it!"
"I'll keep that in mind, Muramoto-san," I said.
"I'm surprised at you, Natsuki. You've got a big mouth for someone who keeps their manga in the clubroom," Monika spoke up.
"Whoa whoa whoa, are you dissing manga there, Madame President?" I asked, chuckling at her. "I happen to believe all forms of literature have something to offer, whether it be books that are hundreds of years old or manga that was published last week."
The door to the clubroom opened quickly. "Meiji! There you are!" Sayori stood at the door, panting heavily as if she'd been running. "I was going to lead you here but I guess you figured out where we were already?"
"I asked a teacher at lunch and checked out the clubroom for a few minutes," I admitted.
"Oh okay! So…what were you guys talking about before I came in?" she asked. After I brought her up to speed, she smiled. "Is that all you're worried about? Don't worry, Meiji gives his best as long as he's having fun. He even helps me with busywork without even asking, like cooking, cleaning my room…"
"How dependable…" Yuri said, eyes closing wistfully.
"Sayori…for one, your room can get pretty messy," I said, "and this may sound strange for me of all people to say, but a cluttered room is the sign of a cluttered mind. Living like that can only encourage a more cluttered lifestyle, so I clean it to help unclutter your mind and mine. And as for cooking, well, need I remind you of the incident?"
Sayori blushed. "No…"
I was so scared when she somehow set water of all things on fire. Thinking back, I yelled at her a bit much.
"I didn't think I had to. Honestly, Sayori, I was scared something would happen to you, and I still am, so until you're better at cooking on your own, no cooking for you without adult supervision." Sayori blushed harder. "Also, the way I reacted back then was a bit much, so I'm sorry."
"You two are really good friends, aren't you?" Yuri asked. "I might be a little jealous…"
"She's my bestest friend," I said, putting an arm around Sayori's neck and ruffling her hair. I looked at Yuri. "But that doesn't mean I can't become friends with you all. In fact, I'd consider it an honor if we could become friends."
Yuri's face went red as well. "Y-You mean it?"
"I do mean it," I replied. "And not just you, but Monika and Muramoto-san, who I know have been eavesdropping," I said, turning to give both of them quick glances.
Monika giggled. "You caught me."
"Oh please, it's hard not to!" Natsuki said, glaring at me.
"Fair enough." I chuckled and turned to Monika. "So, Madame President, is there anything you have planned today?"
"Nothing aside from poem sharing, but we can do that later," she said.
"Heh, oh great, the tension is killing me," I said as I took a seat at a desk nearest to the teacher's desk where Monika was still sitting. I pulled out the next volume of Parfait Girls and Portrait of Markov.
I started with Portrait of Markov. The plot continued to develop from the chapter I left off with. Fujiko made her way home and asked her new sister about what the Third Eye was. Masae looked a bit uncomfortable and Fujiko was about to tell Masae to forget it but Masae explained. Apparently, the Third Eye was a town myth about an experiment done on locals by the government during World War II. The abandoned facility where human experimentation on POW's was located in the mountains near Yuuna. The rumor went that the experiments were meant to bring out some sort of psychic power the researchers believed existed in humans called the Third Eye, but what that meant varied from person to person in the town. Some even claimed that after Japan surrendered, the researchers didn't shut down the facility and were still there, looking for what they believed was the perfect sacrifice.
With that information, Fujiko, ever the curious but self-conscious teen (especially over her developing body), decided to visit the town's library and do some research. The computer was down for repairs, but she was a very good researcher. She found a stack of books detailing local legends and began taking notes and comparing. Meiji and I were even more hooked than before and when the chapter ended with Fujiko going out with her new family for a welcome dinner, I found it hard to put it down.
Next, I picked up Parfait Girls. The plot only got more interesting as I continued. The first club meeting of the new cooking club started the very next day. Minori had taken on the role of club president by this volume and the first scene was of her sitting in her room, trying to plan out club activities for the cooking club. One of the panels showed her room as covered with pieces of crumbled up paper. She looked like she was about to cry, but then an idea struck her. She quickly wrote it down. She texted the other club members and announced they would be doing a taste competition. She had two suggestions, either make the dishes at the club or make them at home and bring them in the following day. When everyone agreed to make them at the club, she told them to bring any ingredients they might need in case the school didn't provide any. When they all showed up with ingredients for their own cupcakes, I chuckled audibly.
"What's so funny?" Monika asked, looking over at me.
"Oh, the irony of this," I said. "Their first challenge is cupcake making and they have to share it with each other. Reminds me of our poem sharing."
"Speaking of which, I think it's time to share poems," Monika said. "You did remember to write a poem, right?"
"Damn right, although I will admit this is an old one. I wanted to get your opinions on my older work before I tried something new."
"That's alright," she said. "I look forward to seeing it."
Monika was about to call out to the rest, but I held up my hand. "Allow me." I looked up at the ceiling and whispered, "Markiplier, forgive me for what I'm about to do." I turned and inhaled. "Okay, everyone! Shut your traps! Ding Dong! Bing Bong! Time to read your poems! Here Monika doth decree that it's time!" I pointed at an imaginary watch at my wrist at the last word.
"What the hell was that?" Natsuki asked as she stared at me.
"Just alerting you all," I chuckled as I pulled out my poem from my pocket.
"Well, now that everyone's ready, why don't we partner up and share poems?" Monika said.
"I can't wait-!" Sayori said. I watched as Sayori and Monika began to retrieve their poems with great enthusiasm. Monika's poem was in a very neat looking composition notebook whereas Sayori's was on some loose-leaf notebook paper from a spiral notebook. It also looked a bit wrinkled like mine. After the others retrieved theirs, I walked straight over to Monika. Moment of truth. Wish me luck.
Dude, you've got style and flair, you'll be fine.
That's how I became the Nannyyyy, I chuckled as I smiled at Monika. "Hey Monika."
"Hi Meiji! Having a good time so far?"
"I am, for the most part. It's nice to have a dedicated space to read without much interruption."
"For the most part?" She looked at me concerned.
"Yeah, the only thing I'm uncertain about…" and here I leaned in closer, "…is whether or not I can trust you yet."
I saw her demeanor falter. "So…it really is you then? Not Meiji?"
"And here I thought I was being obvious," I replied as I slid my poem towards her. "I'm not known for my subtlety. I'm the player. Also, Meiji is just as much here as I am."
"Wait…he is?"
"We'll discuss it later. Do you know where he lives?"
"I do."
"Good. Come by later tonight and we can talk. Just be cautious. I don't want Sayori seeing."
I saw her smile return as she took my poem. "Alright then." She took my poem and her eyes widened. "This…is long."
"Take your time," I said as I took her poem and looked at it. I raised my eyebrow. Monika's poem was completely different than the one I remembered.
Break in the Wall
The one that was looking in,
could he be here?
I hit the wall, hoping to see what lies beyond,
but what if instead of them receiving me, I receive them
in my own home; my own room?
Will they hate me? Will they even so much as befriend
a sideline girl like me?
No! I will not falter. I will not hesitate.
I will achieve happiness.
If they are no longer looking in, but are here now,
I will find them, I will catch up to them, and I will say…
…hello…
It's me.
I nearly dropped the poem in shock. Meiji was also feeling a bit conflicted on how to feel about this. Josiah…are you okay?
No, I'm not okay, I said, clutching the composition book tightly. How could I be? I just-Damn it! I used all my strength to keep my emotions in check. I read and re-read it over and over again. Knowing what I knew, this poem's meaning was plainly obvious. I calmly closed the book and clasped my hands, looking down with as calm a face as I could muster. I looked up at Monika and she was mouthing the words of my poem intently, almost as if she was savoring them. Her face was almost aglow with happiness as she read. I swore I saw a tear in her eye.
When she finished, she put it down. "Wow…that's…such a sad story…" she said. However, the expression on her face was a mixture of sadness and happiness. She sniffed and wiped her eyes. "Ah, I'm sorry. I just wasn't expecting this kind of poem from you. And that's not an insult! I mean I wasn't expecting a story-based poem…"
"I understand," I said. "I wanted a poem that appealed in some small way to everyone, including you. I figured you'd like something with a lot more meat than twenty random words that don't even appeal to you."
"Ahaha, yes, this is definitely something I really like." She held it close to her breast, smiling happily. "Can…I keep this poem?"
"After I'm done showing it to the others, yes."
"Right, of course. What did you think of mine?" she looked at me hopefully.
I smiled. "I really enjoyed it. And don't go telling me about freeform style, because I've heard it before," I chuckled, grinning at her. "But in all honesty, it's so sad when you know exactly what it means." I moved forward and lowered her voice. "Monika, you've no idea how much I want to trust you. But I'm still wary of you."
"Tonight, please tell me what I did and how to get your forgiveness and trust," she whispered back, looking at me almost desperately. She reached over and grabbed my arm, holding it tightly.
I smiled sadly at her. "You know as well as I do that a simple 'I'm sorry' won't be enough. Actions speak louder than words. But hopefully tonight I can help dispel some of your fears and worries. Alright?"
She nodded somberly, but had a simultaneous hopeful look in her eyes. "I've never looked forward to something so much in my life."
"I don't doubt it," I replied calmly. "Now…could you let go of my arm?"
She looked down at her hands and immediately let go. "Oops…ahaha, sorry."
"It's okay. I'll talk to you later."
"Later, Meiji." She leaned and winked at me before taking her poem.
Standing, I walked over to where Sayori had just gotten finished showing her poem to Natsuki. She saw me coming over and rushed over, poem in hand. "Hey Meiji!"
"Hey Sayori. Ready to see my poem?"
"Yep!" She snatched it out of my hand before I could say another word. I took her poem and looked it over. This poem was her Dear Sunshine poem. I read it for Meiji's sake.
Is this the same poem that you remember from the game? Meiji asked.
Yep.
She definitely wrote this poem in the morning. No wonder she was so rushed.
Wait and see.
I read and re-read Sayori's poem before waiting patiently for Sayori to read mine. Just like with Monika, I saw Sayori's expression become sad. It took her a while to finish it, but when she did, she looked up at me astonished. "This poem…it's not like you to write something so heavy and sad."
"Is it that bad?" I asked.
"Not at all!" she said, smiling sadly. "I just…wasn't expecting something like this. It's good!"
I felt Meiji get embarrassed a bit. Shame it isn't my poem…
We'll write two poems tonight.
You sure?
I'm sure. I scratched the back of my neck. "I'm glad you enjoyed it."
"Well, what did you think of mine?" she asked anxiously.
I gave her a wry grin. "I've gotta ask, did you write this poem this morning?"
"No! J-Just a little bit," she said, looking embarrassed again.
Good old Sayori, Meiji said.
"No wonder you were in a rush," I said. "Well, this is a good poem, but it's a bit sad too, I mean, especially the line about not waking up. If you slept forever, I'd never see you."
She smiled, but the sadness was still there. "But wouldn't you be happier?"
No!
"Of course not. You might not realize this, but one of the reasons I get up in the morning is because I know I'll get to see you, even if lately it's been from a distance. Like I said, you're my bestest friend in the whole wide world. If you were sleeping forever, the world would be a lot greyer. No one can replace you." I put my hand on her shoulder. "Trust me."
She looked aside, her smile starting to falter. "I trust you."
"Good." I handed her poem back. "Keep up the good work. Your poem today was great."
"Ehehe, thanks Meiji. But be ready for tomorrow. I'm going to write the best poem ever!"
"I look forward to it. That last line is so you," I added wryly.
"I made eggs and toast!" she said, giggling.
"Were they good?" I asked.
"Yep!"
"Glad to hear it." I held out my hand. "Can I have my poem back now?"
"Ah sorry!" She handed me my poem back and I gave hers back as well. "Thanks."
"Anytime." I looked over at Yuri and saw that she was standing a way off, looking at me nervously, her poem held up to cover her face. I approached her next. "Hey Yuri, I forgot to ask earlier, but how are you feeling? Better I hope?"
She looked away; face flushed. "A bit yeah. Thank you for helping me."
"Like I said, you're a fellow club member. I won't stand to have my club members, and my friends, being harassed. So, are you ready to share poems?"
"Uuuuu, it's embarrassing, but yes…" she timidly handed me hers and I presented mine to her. She began reading my poem while I carefully read her poem. Like the original game, hers was the Ghost Under the Light poem. I hadn't done much research on the meanings behind these poems, but I could make a couple guesses as to what it could mean. I figured it was about change and how Yuri was scared of it. I traced the lines with my finger, letting the words roll around in my mind. When I was done, I looked up at Yuri. Her eyes were wide and a smile was forming on her lips. "This…is amazing," she said without thinking. Realizing what she'd done, she looked at me nervously. "Did…I say that out loud?"
"Yes, and thank you," I said. "Yours is amazing too. Although, for mine, I will admit that I wrote this a while ago for fun and just tightened it up for today."
She looked away, trembling a bit. I could almost hear her thinking, "(He's going to hate me…)"
"Yuri?"
"Ah! I…um…"
"Take your time."
She closed her eyes and looked up at me. "So… what writing experience do you have?"
"Not much, I'm afraid," I said. "I've written a few poems in the past, but that was just for fun. This is the first time I've ever shown anyone my poems so it's a bit embarrassing. But I'm looking forward to the feedback."
She smiled and put the poem down on the nearest desk. "Well first of all," she said, pointing at the poem, "the story you weave into the poem is exceptional. Your use of unusual words to describe mundane things is pretty impressive. Like here." She pointed at the second stanza. "Flooded and flowed. Those words aren't usually associated with crowds, and it makes them stand out."
"That was my intention," I chuckled.
"Also, it's fitting that the crowd is described as mindless when he is among them. Someone in mourning would definitely feel and act mindless. Although, I have to ask, why was the scene with the soldiers in?"
"Aha, well that was probably because I wanted to include some fantasy elements, but I did want there to be a reason he fell off the tree." I frowned. "Maybe he could have just slipped…but the conflict in his mind wouldn't have manifest."
"Ah, I didn't mean anything by it! Uuuu…" Yuri looked away, fiddling with her hair.
"Hey, keep going, this is helping me," I said.
"Um, well…" she took another breath to calm herself. "I really enjoy the use of the word slithering. It's such a remarkable way to describe traffic."
I chuckled. "I thought so too."
"You say you wrote this years ago?" she asked me.
"Yeah. I dug it out last night and polished it for today."
Yuri held her hands to her chest in the pose I remembered from the game. "I look forward to seeing what else you write."
"Aha, thanks. Anything else?"
She smiled a bit. Ah, well, it's such a long poem, and I'm sure Natsuki would like to give you her thoughts too. What do you think about my poem? I'm sorry if my handwriting is bad. I noticed it took you a while to read it."
"Who are you kidding? Your handwriting is superb. It took me a while to read because I'm not used to reading cursive."
"Oh, I see…"
"As for your poem, well, I have to say, your use of symbolism is quite layered. It seems to me, though, that this person in the poem is describing fear of change using quite the impressive metaphors. The world around them is constantly hurtling towards the future, which they describe as sickening." I pointed. "Green-blue light isn't something normally seen as sickening, so the dichotomy is perfect. Amber is a warm comforting color, by contrast to the modern lights you're referring to."
Dude…slow down. You're breaking her.
I looked over at Yuri, who's eyes were wide in astonishment. My face went red. "I…went on a tangent, didn't I?"
"Ah, um, you're fine, it's just…you're pretty perceptive."
"I'll take that as a compliment, coming from the smartest one in the room," I replied, smiling kindly at her. "I'm really looking forward to your next poem," I added as I returned her poem to her.
"M-Me too."
"Trust me, this time I'm going to write one from scratch. I hope I haven't gotten rusty. Talk to you soon."
Looking over my shoulder, I saw Natsuki tapping her foot impatiently. I walked over to her. "Took you long enough," she said.
"I was saving the best for last," I chuckled as I handed her my poem. "Take your time and give me your opinion."
"Fine!" She thrust her poem into my hand and snatched mine. I read her poem a few times slowly, just to get the gist of it again. When I looked down, I saw Natsuki frowning at mine, reading it carefully herself. I waited patiently for her to finish. She looked up at me with a glare. "Seriously? You wrote a story poem?"
"It's an older poem of mine," I said. "I didn't have much time yesterday to write a fresh one, but I will tonight."
"Hmph. Well at least the story is easy to follow. Let's get started on the things I don't like!" She looked over the poem again, carefully mouthing some of the words. "…Never mind, I don't want to share my opinion."
"Aww come on, I want your opinion. That's why we're sharing."
"Urk! You…" she looked over the poem again. "You don't understand anything. You were supposed to show me a terrible poem and then I'd say 'Hah! Not bad, but here's how a pro does it!' And you ruined it! I hope you're happy…"
"Of course I don't understand…you're not being clear with me. I'll be honest, I tend to be pretty oblivious at times, something I'm trying to change. I just want your honest opinion. Is that wrong?" She looked away. I sighed, but smiled. "Well at any rate, your poem may be short, but it's pretty damn direct. I like how you use a semi-rhyme scheme here to emphasize your point, only for the last line to fall flat, symbolizing how even though we can try, we don't always succeed. The interruption of the rhyme scheme perfectly encapsulates that feeling."
Natsuki's jaw had dropped. "Geez…have you been living under a thesaurus? Or are you just trying to show off?"
"Neither," I replied. "I'm just stating my opinion."
"At least you get it…Everyone in high school thinks poetry has to be all sophisticated and stuff, so people don't take my writing seriously."
"Well there's absolutely nothing wrong with a simpler style," I replied. "Sure, you can have sophistication and make intellectuals think and some people enjoy that, but poetry doesn't just have to tell a story, it can have a message. This poem's message is one that's easy to comprehend and hits you hard. Very hard. I mean damn."
"Exactly. Seeing people around you doing great things is pretty disheartening…so I decided to write about it."
"You really feel like that?" I looked at her. "Muramoto-san, you're incredibly talented. I'm sure you know this, but there's no point in comparing yourself to others. If someone's good at, say, piano, and you're not, that's fine. You're probably better at baking than anyone in the entire school anyway."
"Well, good to know you understand, maybe you learned something new today," she replied, looking at me with a haughty grin.
"I've learned a lot already," I said. "Thanks." I handed her poem back and she handed me mine. As she headed over to Yuri, I walked over to where Monika was, which was now back at the teacher's desk. Sayori was there as well. "Ladies, break out the popcorn." I turned and watched as Yuri and Natsuki began to look over each other's poems.
"Why?" Sayori asked.
"Sparks are about to fly," Monika murmured as she stood. She straightened her blazer in such a way that she reminded me of Riker from Star Trek TNG.
What's about to happen? Meiji asked.
They're going to start fighting.
Cliffhanger haha! School starts for me soon sadly. Enjoy!
morbiusgreen.