I put my hand on Monika's shoulder. "I'll handle this." As I walked over, I saw Yuri smiling sadly while Natsuki just looked over Yuri's poem puzzled. "Ladies, is everything going alright over here? Anything I can help with?"

Natsuki and Yuri looked at me simultaneously, as if they didn't expect me to interrupt them. "Maybe you can help me understand what Yuri's saying. I saw you guys having a long conversation about her poem earlier, even if I couldn't hear. It's a bit fancy for my taste."

"Eh, thanks," Yuri said. "Yours is…cute I guess."

"Cute? Did you completely miss the symbolism and message?" Natsuki glared at Yuri. "It's clearly about giving up! How could you miss that?"

"I-I know that," Yuri replied, "I just meant that the language…well, I was trying to say something nice."

"So, it's that hard to come up with something nice to say, huh? That's not how it came out."

"Um, well I do have a few suggestions," Yuri began, but Natsuki interrupted her.

"If I wanted suggestions, I would have asked people who liked it, which people did. Even the new guy liked it," she said, indicating me with a nod of her head. "Besides, I have a few of my own suggestions," Natsuki said. "First of all–"

Yuri immediately interrupted Natsuki's tirade. "Excuse me, I appreciate the offer, but I've spent years refining my style and I don't expect it to change anytime soon unless I come across something inspiring."

I found a seat nearby and sat, waiting to interject at the right moment. I'd practiced this moment a lot during classes, and watched the two of them descend into argument sadly. Why aren't you stopping them?!

I need to wait for the right moment.

"You know, Meiji liked my poem too, he seemed pretty impressed by it," Yuri said, looking over at me briefly.

"Oho? I didn't realize you were trying so hard to impress our new member," Natsuki said, chuckling.

"E-eh? That's not…uuu…you're just…" she took a deep breath and stood up, facing Natsuki with a frown on her face. "Maybe you're just jealous that he liked my advice more than he liked yours."

"What makes you think he didn't appreciate mine more?" Natsuki retorted, standing and glaring at Yuri. "Are you that full of yourself?"

"What? That's not true at all!" To my surprise, Yuri had shouted that last part, standing and glaring back. "If I was, I'd make everything I did overly cutesy like you!"

"Well I wasn't the one whose boobs magically grew a size bigger when Meiji started showing up!"

"ENOUGH!" I shouted, slamming my fist on the desk. Everyone in the clubroom froze, staring at me in shock. "What the hell has gotten into the two of you!?"

"She started it!" Natsuki began, but I glared at her, shutting her up.

"Even if she had, which she didn't, by the way, you should have been the more mature one instead of acting like a child." While Natsuki sputtered, I turned to Monika. "Monika, you were in the debate club last year. Ever heard of an Ad Hominem attack?"

Monika, who still looked a bit shocked at my outburst, cleared her throat. "It's a debate strategy where the person is attacked in the debate instead of the idea."

Nodding I turned back to the two. "The moment you two began attacking each other personally, your argument became petty and childish." I emphasized both of those words. "Honestly, you're both third years, you should be better than this." Yuri looked away, almost like she was about to cry, and Natsuki was looking in the opposite direction, face red with an unreadable emotion. I sighed. "Besides, I liked both of your poems. Muramoto-san, yours might have been simpler, but I really felt the message of helplessness behind it. It was really impactful. And Yuri, yours was so layered it was so much fun for me to attempt to discover hidden meaning behind it. Both styles are equally as valid. Tell you what, why don't you both try and think of at least one thing you liked about the poems. Yuri, tell me one thing you liked about Muramoto-san's poem."

Yuri looked back at me, avoiding looking at Natsuki. "The wordplay at the end was really impactful."

"Muramoto-san? One thing you liked about Yuri's poem?"

Natsuki sputtered and made a face as if deep in thought. "The sadness I felt…when I read about the amber light. It was effective."

"There, that wasn't so hard was it?" I sighed. "I know you two are polar opposites when it comes to poetry and writing in general, but just because your styles are different doesn't mean that you go attacking each other personally. Friends respect each other's differences. Be honest, didn't you at least learn one thing from each other today? Constructive I mean." A few silent seconds passed, then Yuri slowly nodded her head. Natsuki sighed and nodded as well. "Good…" I took a deep breath and looked down. "And…speaking of honesty…" The moment of truth had arrived. I moved so I could face everyone as best as I could. "I haven't been honest with everyone here…" I cleared my throat. "This is going to sound…insane, but…I'm not Meiji."

The silence that filled the room at that time was more noticeable than it had been previously. Natsuki and Yuri's guilt-ridden faces looked now more confused, Sayori was tilting her head in even more confusion, but it was Monika who stood out. She was looking to the side, a saddened expression on her face.

"Meiji…is this one of your chuunibyo games again?" Sayori asked uncertainly.

"No, Sayori. I'm serious here." I sat slowly and sighed. "God, how do I explain…" I turned to Yuri. "What do you know of Dissociative Identity Disorder?"

Yur's confusion quickly turned into understanding. "Wait…you mean you're another personality?"

"What is it, Yuri?" Sayori's hesitant smile was quickly fading.

"It's more commonly known as Multiple Personality Disorder," Yuri began explaining. "It's caused when someone undergoes a traumatic event and their thoughts get so disjointed that they literally disassociate themselves from the traumatic and stressful situation. Sometimes this can manifest in the appearance of a new personality."

"That's the closest thing to an example I can come up with for what's happening to me and Meiji right now," I said. "If we went to a doctor, I'm sure they'd instead be calling this the Meiji Disorder." I looked at all of them. "The name of the person currently in charge of Meiji's body now isn't him. It's actually a personality called Josiah Bordeaux, aka me. Yes, like the French wine, so don't ask."

"Where's Meiji now then?" Monika asked, stepping forward cautiously.

I tapped my head. "He's still here. I can hear him whenever he speaks to me. We've had decent conversations for the past few days." I looked guiltily over at Sayori. "Sayori listen…that Sunday, it was me who was in control, not Meiji, but before you say anything, he was helping me the entire way. He told me about that café we went to, he showed me the way to the park, and he helped me when we were racing on those games at the arcade. I'll understand if you hate me now, but I couldn't keep lying anymore."

"Hold on, you're serious?" Natsuki still looked like she didn't quite believe me. "So, all this time we've not been talking to Meiji but some alternate French personality?"

"Actually, I'm American, and before you ask, the reason I identify as American is before I woke up in Meiji's body, I thought I was living in America. I have very detailed memories of being a college student; not especially smart, but I had good friends and decent enough grades. I lived in a house by myself with the help of my parents, although now that I think of it, I guess they weren't real."

"Meiji…please tell me you're lying…it's a joke, right?" Sayori's smile was now gone and I saw tears forming in her eyes.

Just tell her I was kidding! Please! I can't stand to see her like this! I felt him struggle with all his might to take back control.

Me neither! But it needs to come out! I looked away guiltily. "I'm sorry Sayori…but it's the truth. But don't worry, Meiji is still here!"

Sayori collapsed and Monika quickly rushed over and caught her, placing her in a chair. "If what you're saying is true, why didn't you say anything?" Monika asked, looking at me stonily.

"I was scared and felt so out of place. When I woke in a strange house, I was sure I'd been kidnapped, but after Meiji's consciousness woke up, we soon figured out what was going on."

"Why…did you take me out on that Sunday then?" Sayori's voice was trembling.

"Ah, yes…um, I got a glimpse of Meiji's memories and saw how he regretted distancing himself from you. So, I decided to try and help him. It was the least I could do. We've both wanted to try and let Meiji take control again, but we've not had any time for it. Please, I know this sounds bizarre, but-"

"It's more than bizarre, it's insane!" Natsuki shouted, looking over at me. "You expect us to believe that you're not Sayori's childhood friend that she's been boasting about for weeks just like that? And to top it off, you're making Sayori cry! If it was a joke, I'd have been able to forgive you, but making Sayori cry? Inexcusable. You're a monster!" She walked over and slapped me hard in the face.

I'd expected this kind of behavior from Natsuki and was prepared. It stung a bit, but not as hard as I was expecting. I held my hand to my cheek. "I know…and if you don't want me in the club anymore, I'll be more than willing to tender my resignation and you won't ever have to see me again. Hell, I'll even ask to be transferred to a new school."

Sayori looked up at me shocked. "T-Transfer?!" Even Monika looked alarmed.

"Transfer, yes." I stood and walked over to my bag.

"Wait," Monika said, grabbing my arm. "Can I talk to you in private?"

"Monika, you believe this bastard?!" Natsuki shouted.

"We'll be back," Monika said as she pulled me by the arm out of the clubroom and into the hallway. Her grip was like a vice. She pushed me into another empty classroom and, grabbing the lapels of my blazer, threw me against the wall. "What the hell are you doing?!" she hissed angrily.

I pushed her hands off me, tears in my own eyes now. "I had to tell them! It would have been one thing if Meiji wasn't in here anymore, but he's literally thrashing about right now, trying to take back control and tell the others it was a joke. I can't lie to them like that!"

"Were you planning on telling them about me? About…us?" Her gorgeous green eyes were filling with tears as she asked.

"Monika," I took both her arms in my hands and held her there, "right now, there is no us…not a romantic us anyway. I told you we'd discuss that later, didn't I?"

"You didn't tell me you were planning this!"

"Because I knew you'd try and stop me," I replied. "and I couldn't have that. They need to know about me, if just partially."

Monika raised her fist and let it fly. I tensed, waiting for impact, but all I felt was a light tap on my chest. Looking down, I saw her hitting my chest over and over again. She did that for a while, tears streaming down her face. "Damn it…you're reckless…"

"It's one of my bad traits," I agreed. I moved closer and wrapped my arms around her. "Saying that to all of them was the hardest thing I've ever done, and that's including standing up to Tani and the people bullying Yuri earlier."

Monika's slender arms wrapped around me and she held me tight. She held me for a while before replying. "Josiah…I'm scared…"

"I am too. And so is Meiji."

OF COURSE I AM, DUMBASS!

"Heh, he just called me a dumbass."

Monika sighed. "He's not wrong."

"True." I broke the hug. "Monika, from the bottom of my heart, I am really sorry."

"Actions do speak louder than words," Monika replied, throwing my own words back in my face with a sad smile.

I chuckled. "You're right, I'll try and be less impulsive."

"You'd better…" Monika was sniffling and holding back tears.

Dude! I thought I was terrible with girls, but you've gotten everyone in that club to hate you in seconds!

I lifted Monika's chin so she was looking at me. "That doesn't sound like that confident club president I remember from the game."

"Cut it out…you and I both know my confidence is a façade." She looked away sharply. "Don't sugarcoat it for me. I know how you feel about me…"

"I doubt you do. Monika…despite how I've come across, I do care deeply for you. You and the other girls but you especially."

"Then why don't you trust me?"

"All I know about you I learned only from the game. I want to know you better. It's a catch-22, I know, but I really do want to put all my trust in you." Once again, I hugged her. "Tonight, I'll answer as many questions as I can."

She didn't hug back this time, but she did lean against my chest. "Thank you…but we have to get back and defuse the situation. Natsuki's still pretty pissed I'm sure, Sayori's broken and I don't know about Yuri."

"Yeah, we should." I looked down at her. "Thank you…"

As we approached the clubroom, I heard the calming voice of Yuri saying something. The two of us froze and listened. "…I do believe him, Natsuki. I don't see any reason why he would make up a story like that."

"He made Sayori cry! Next time I see him, I'm going to punch him straight to the moon!" Natsuki sounded super pissed.

"Natsuki!" Yuri's voice rose sharply. "Now's not the time for that. Why would Meiji lie about this? He doesn't sound like the kind of guy who would go out of his way to hurt Sayori like that. At least from what Sayori's told us."

There was a brief pause, then, "…It's not that I don't get what you're saying, but–"

"If you're that concerned," Monika said, barging in, "why aren't you comforting Sayori?"

I walked in behind her. Sayori was looking down at the floor, with eyes devoid of emotions. I looked towards Yuri and Natsuki who were standing and facing each other. Natsuki's face was red with rage and Yuri was looking back with a serious face. The latter two looked at me and silence filled the room. Monika went to console Sayori. Yuri was the first to speak. "Um…Josiah, was it?" I nodded somberly. "Ah, um, well…is there anything you need?"

"You're helping this jackass?!" Natsuki asked incredulously.

"Advice," I said, sitting down slowly at one of the desks. "How the hell do I let Meiji take control back? Even if for a brief time?"

Yuri walked over and sat across from me. "There are a few methods used to treat dissociative personality disorder. Hypnotherapy, talk therapy, psychotherapy and so on. But your situation doesn't sound quite the same."

"No…it's like my soul has been torn from my body and jammed into this one. And I want to know if we can switch."

"Why not just let Meiji take control permanently?" Natsuki asked with a growl. "It's his body."

"Because I don't want to die…" I clutched my arms and shivered. "I'm scared of death."

A pair of soft hands took my shoulders. Looking up, I was surprised to see Sayori standing there with a sad smile on her face. "Meiji-No, Josiah…"

I looked down. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have lied to you, but…I was just so scared. Scared you'd hate me and Meiji."

Two arms wrapped around me. Startled, I saw Sayori's face to my right. "It's alright Josiah. And Meiji if he can hear me. You're Meiji's friend now, right? His friends are my friends. I could never ever hate Meiji or his friends." That comforting motherly quality had returned and that, combined with the tender hair stroking she'd started caused me to break again and my head hit the table. I wept.

"Oh please! Now he's crying crocodile tears?! You're all insane-"

"NATSUKI!" Monika's shout startled me. I felt Sayori tense up as well. I looked up and saw, for the second time that day, a look of pure fury on Monika's face. She hadn't been this angry at lunch, and honestly it was terrifying to see her so angry. Her fists were white from clenching so hard. "I can't believe how childish you're acting about this! And especially after Josiah chewed you out!"

Natsuki's face was one of shock now. I saw her look at me, then Sayori, then back at Monika. Tears formed in her eyes now. "It's not that…I just don't like people who make Sayori cry!"

"I've destroyed something precious, haven't I?" I asked. Everyone faced me now.

Dude! Just tell them you were lying!

It's too late! Even if we did, do you think any of them would forgive us?

Meiji made a last-ditch effort to take control but nothing happened. His tears soon joined mine. I stood slowly. "This wasn't what I wanted, and it's certainly not what Meiji wanted. Right now, he's trying desperately to take control and tell you all that he was joking." I looked at them all. "But I'm not going to give up. I did say earlier it would be easier to just leave, but that's the coward's way out. I am going to work hard and make this deception up to all of you. Also, don't hold any of this against Meiji. None of this is his fault." I got on all fours and bowed low. "Actions speak louder than words, and I will make it up to you all."

"Ugh, stand up you idiot!" Natsuki said, stomping over and pushing me with her foot. "This isn't some period movie!"

I chuckled nervously and stood. "I know…and please believe me when I say I didn't mean to make Sayori cry. Meiji cares for her, and now I do too."

Natsuki glared at me, but when she looked over at Monika, she sighed. "Fine!" She stomped off.

Monika looked at me proudly. "Okay, everyone, I have an announcement. We've just gotten a new member, the transfer student Josiah Bordeaux. I hope you'll treat him as well as you did when we thought he was Meiji."

Yuri walked over and smiled softly. "It's nice to officially meet you, Josiah."

I smiled back. "Same to you, Yuri. Thank you for being so accepting of me, even after I lied. I'll be working hard to let Meiji through so you can meet him too. He's a pretty cool guy, even if he isn't as into literature as I am, unless you're like Muramoto-san and think manga is literature. In that case, he's a literature god."

"Um, yeah," Yuri looked a bit uncertain.

"Don't worry, I know a bit more about literature than he does."

She looked up at me. "I look forward to hearing your opinion on Portrait or Markov when you finish," she said kindly.

"Good, cuz I want to hear about yours."

Monika smiled at this exchange. "Well, aside from this unusual turn, how did everyone enjoy poem sharing?"

"It was pretty fun," Sayori said, seeming to return to her former self.

"I'd say it was well worth it," Yuri said with a small smile.

"Hmph, it was meh," Natsuki growled as she packed up her bag.

"I found it pretty enlightening," I said. "I enjoyed getting feedback. Oh, and I should say that if we're doing this again, I'll be bringing in two poems, one by me and one by Meiji."

"How will that work?" Sayori asked curiously.

"He'll tell me what he wants to write and I'll write it," I replied.

"And how do we know you'll write what he says?" Natsuki asked. "You could easily write something and say it was Meiji's."

"So, you believe him now?" Monika asked.

"Urk!" Her face went red. "Sh-Shut up…"

I shrugged. "I get where you're coming from, but if anyone will know how Meiji thinks, it's Sayori. She'll be able to see if I'm lying first."

Natsuki looked away. "…Fine, I'll trust Sayori then…"

I turned to Sayori. "I know I'm not Meiji, so if you don't want to walk home with someone wearing a Meiji-suit, I get-"

"Not at all!" Sayori smiled cheerfully at me. "I did say any friend of Meiji's is a friend of mine."

"Uh, of course."

Monika spoke up at that point. "Well, if no one objects, we can do the same thing tomorrow. I really look forward to seeing how you all express yourself." She looked at me. "I hope you and Meiji do alright."

"We'll do our best."

"Alright, Josiah! Let's go!" Sayori did sound a bit back to her normal self now.

Grabbing Meiji's bag, I headed out. When I rejoined Sayori after putting my shoes on, we began walking back in silence. "Josiah, can I ask you something?" Sayori asked a bit later.

"Sure, ask away."

"You are…his friend, right? You're Meiji's friend, right?"

"I'd like to think we are," I said.

Fine…since we're stuck with each other I guess I'll call you my friend. You've done a lot for me after all, but I've done so little in-

"Meiji, seriously, this persecution complex of yours can get a little annoying. I keep telling you it's okay. You've done a lot for me. If it weren't for you, I'd be so lost."

"What did Meiji say?" Sayori asked, looking through me concerned.

Ah! Please don't tell her!

"He's asking me not to say," I replied.

"Oh, I see…" she looked down sadly.

Just let me tell her!

It's embarrassing! Plus, I don't want her to worry…

It's a friend's job to help when they're down.

I heard Meiji sigh, then, Fine…

"Meiji's just feeling super down about everything. He feels useless."

Sayori's face fell more. "What?!" She turned to me and looked right through me, a fierce look in her eyes. "Meiji, listen to me! You're not useless. You've been helping Josiah with running your life, right? So, don't call yourself useless."

I felt Meiji's spirits lifting a bit. You…really think so Sayori?

"Do you think so?" I repeated. "Meiji wants to know."

"Yes Meiji. You're an amazing person." She held her hands in front of her and waved. "N-Not that you're not, Josiah!"

"Sayori, calm down. I know you're closer to Meiji. I mean, we did technically just meet."

"Ehehe, I guess you're right…" Silence rose again.

"Oh, by the way I wanted to ask, do Yuri and Muramoto-san always act like that? Completely argumentative, I mean? Meiji and I both want to know."

"No no no!" She shook her head. "That's really the first time I've seen them fight like that…I promise they're both wonderful people. Do…you hate them? Either of you?"

Not at all!

"We don't hate them; we were just concerned." I took a deep breath. "Seriously, are you really okay with this? I mean, I've hijacked the body of your best friend and I don't know how to give it back even temporarily."

"Yeah I'll be fine!" She smiled warmly at me. "Besides, you've treated me so kindly these past couple of days and you've stood up for Meiji and me, not to mention Yuri. You're a good person. Just stop being so impulsive."

"It's a bad habit I made. I'll do my best."

"Good."

When we reached our houses, Sayori stopped. "Meiji, Josiah, I'm sorry for how I acted earlier. I didn't mean to bring the mood down."

"I should be the one apologizing. I'm the one who brought it down. Although I should say Meiji wasn't quite on board with me telling you all. He didn't want to worry you." I smiled. "And neither do I. Even though I've only known you for a few days I do care for you, and everyone in the club too. Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow. I have two poems to write."

Her eyes brightened at that. "Okay! Goodnight you two!" She headed back to her house.

That…was without a doubt, the weirdest day I've ever had, Meiji said as I headed through the gates towards the front door.

"You're telling me," I replied, taking out the keys and unlocking the door. "Today could have gone a lot better, though."

"And it could have gone much worse," a familiar and very beautiful voice said from within the house.

I looked down at the genkan and noticed then that there were a pair of black female shoes neatly facing the door. I took my shoes off and rushed in. Monika sat on the couch with her hands in her lap. She was still in her school uniform and looking at me patiently. I raised an eyebrow. "Do you really not have any clothes, or did you just rush or teleport over here after we left?"

"Nice to see you again too," Monika replied, rolling her eyes in amusement. "And to answer that, it's a mixture of both. I don't have a home…"

My eyes widened. "For real? Wait…you're homeless?"

She nodded somberly. "It's not something mentioned in the game, I guess. Recently homeless after my parents kicked me out for leaving the debate club…" she trailed off, obviously uncomfortable.

Meiji, is your sister the same size as Monika?

I think so, why?

"Monika, stand up for me for a bit."

Confused, Monika did so. "Like this?"

"Stay there for a bit." I walked around her, letting Meiji appraise her.

"Um, Josiah? What are you doing?" she asked.

"One second. Well, Meiji? Thoughts?"

Yeah, they're similar.

"Are you two checking me out?" Monika asked, grinning.

"N-No! Well yes, but not for the reasons you think!"

Not the only reasons, horndog, Meiji teased.

Oh, quiet you! "Meiji's telling me his older sister is the same size as you. Come on, let's see if we can find some clothes for you to wear besides those."

I led her up to Aiko's room. I opened the door and led her in. Meiji led me to a closet where a few of her clothes were still hanging. "Choose whichever clothes you want and I'll grab a towel. I'm sure you would really love a shower after being in those clothes for who knows how long, right?"

Monika's face went red and she smiled at me bashfully. "Y-Yeah…if I could."

"Of course. Leave your uniform in the basket in the bathroom and I'll try and get them washed before tomorrow." I walked down the stairs and down to the end of the hallway. I grabbed one of the spare towels and put it in the bathroom's outer room. I then headed back to the living room. "Meiji, what do you think would happen if we asked your parents to let Monika stay here until her situation improves?"

Well…I don't know. They might be a bit worried about anything happening between us. He sighed. I'm sure you've noticed by now, but my mom is a pretty big worrywart.

"Reeeaaaalllllyyyy? I hadn't noticed!"

Oh, shut up!

"Kidding kidding. Alright, let's call them now." I pulled out Meiji's phone and placed the call. Meiji's mom picked up within one and a half rings. "Hey Mom?"

"Meiji? This is unusual. You don't normally call unless there's an emergency. Is everything alright? Are you sick again? Need me to come home?"

I chuckled. "No, I'm alright. I just have something to ask you. A big favor."

"What is it?" Meiji's mother sounded concerned now.

"Well, um, it's like this…I just found out that…uh…a member of my club needs a place to stay and I said she could stay here for a while. I guess she got kicked out of her house or something. I was hoping…well, that she could stay with us for a little bit until she gets her situation figured out. I know it's a huge favor, but I'd feel like a terrible person if I just turned her out."

On the other end of the line all I heard was busy office noises for a moment. "Wow…this is a big favor…I…let me call you back. I need to discuss it with your father. Where is this clubmate now?"

"I'm letting her use the shower and giving her some change of clothes."

"Will she fit in your sister's clothes?"

"They're about the same size, yes."

"I'll at least allow that, but as for staying…it's a big decision."

"I understand. If that doesn't work, maybe Sayori's family would be willing to take her in for a while."

Sayori's mom would jump on that.

"We'll let you know, okay?"

"Sure, Mom. Take your time."

"Love you sweetie."

"Love you too. Bye."

"Bye." And she hung up. I walked over to the couch and sat down. The shower was already going by this point and I heard Monika humming. "I'm sure if your parents don't let Monika stay here, Sayori's would definitely let her stay."

Oh, she would.

"Speaking of her family, Do you think…Sayori's parents know about her depression?"

I've no idea, but if she does, I'm sure she'd love to have Monika there to watch over Sayori.

"Meiji, Monika is the one who, not intentionally mind you, but she still is the one who pushed Sayori to suicide. I'm not sure how I feel about that…"

But that hasn't happened yet, has it? Besides, you're here now, right? You can make Monika happy.

"How am I going to do that when I'm stuck in your body? Sayori might say she understands, but deep down, her heart would break every time she sees me and Monika together. I'm still wearing your body. Emotions and logic don't mix. Especially with a girl with depression."

Yeah…

I stood and walked over to the bathroom door. Knocking, I asked, "Is the inner door closed?"

"Yeah! You can come in!"

I walked in. The inner door was closed and I saw her uniform sitting in the laundry basket. "How's everything going in there?"

"Perfect! Thank you so much. To both of you. I've been trying to clean using bathrooms at the school, so you can imagine how relieving this is."

"I'm glad to hear it. Listen, I just called Meiji's parents and asked if you could stay here with us. They haven't given a direct answer, but if they do say yes, would you be opposed to borrowing Meiji's sister's room?"

I heard a pause. "Are…are you sure?"

"I am. And so is Meiji."

Don't speak for me! But yes…leaving her alone isn't something I could forgive myself for.

"I…even though you don't trust me completely?"

"Just because I don't trust you yet doesn't mean I'm going to abandon someone to a life on the street."

There was silence again, then I heard some sniffling. "Josiah…thank you for your unbelievable kindness."

"Don't mention it. I'll make us something simple to eat soon."

"Thank you."

"No problem." With Meiji's help, I placed Monika's clothes in the washing machine. After that, I headed to the kitchen and looked through the fridge. "Now…what kind of veggies are in here…?"

Vegetables?

"Monika's a vegetarian."

Oh wow…well, I'm not surprised actually. She once said something in class last year about how the meat industry is one of the leading causes of pollution or something.

"That's one reason yes."

I began to prepare all the ingredients for gratin. About five or so minutes later the shower turned off. Monika was humming again, and to my amusement it was the tune I'd sung the day prior. She came out still humming. When I turned, Meiji and I couldn't stop staring. She was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans and a light green hoodie. Her hair was hanging loosely down now and when she blushed, I blushed as well. "Well, it's nice to see you in something other than your school uniform."

"Ahaha, thanks Josiah." She walked over and peered at the still forming dish. "How did you know I was vegetarian?"

"You mentioned it at one point in the game."

"I did? Huh, interesting. Hey, can I help make dinner? Is that okay?"

Monika's bright wide eyes were too much to ignore. I chuckled. "Sure thing. Here." I handed her a cheese grater. Monika's smile was enough to brighten the room. I'd never seen anyone smile so happily as Monika was when she began grating the cheddar. Meanwhile, I took out a Mandoline slicer Meiji told me about and began to slice the potatoes. As we did so, I began humming a tune. I stopped, grinned a bit, then said, "Be right back." I rushed upstairs, grabbed my phone and Bluetooth boombox, brought them back and turned both on. I scrolled through my karaoke selection and found a song I thought Monika would like, plus one that she'd relate to pretty well. I chose a song called Escape by Jaroslav Beck, featuring Summer Haze.

I've been in another world
I've been livin' free
I don't know what to do or say
But I know what I need

If you want to escape with me
Come take my hand
Let me show you another way
To a better land
A better land

Being in the light now
Pull me from the dark
I know we're running out of time
But we've come this far

If you want to escape with me
Come take my hand
Let me show you another way
To a better land
A better land

Being in the light now
Pull me from the dark
I know we're running out of time
But we've come this far

If you want to escape with me, come take my hand
Let me show you another way to a better land
Let me show you another way to a better land
Let me show you another way to a better land
A better land

Monika had stopped grating the cheese and was looking down at the floor. Her shoulders were trembling and she was clearly sobbing at this point. Oh wow…I didn't realize it would affect her this badly. I put down the potato I had been slicing. "Monika…I'm sorry, I didn't-" She hugged me so suddenly that I stumbled onto my back. She clung to me tightly as she sobbed loudly into my chest, hitting the floor a few times before I grabbed her fist and held it. I rubbed her back gently. I knew she was in pain, but if this was enough to cause her to break down, I wouldn't have acted so harshly.

Neither of us knew, Meiji said.

I held Monika while she let her emotions out. Finally, after about ten minutes or so she sat up, looking down as she straddled me. "I…It's been so hard…I've been so alone…" She hugged herself as I sat up. "It's…just been so overwhelming to be the only real person in this world of fakes. But…not anymore…now that you're here. It can be just the two of us!" She looked at me with a smile that immediately reminded me of Act Three.

Guess that answers that. She's having a hard time considering everyone else real still. I sat up and pushed her back a bit. "Monika, the others are just as real as you and me. I hope you realize that."

She shook her head. "They're just NPCs, it's not like they have souls!" She was about to go on, but the look on my face must have cautioned her to stop. "Oh…is that why you don't trust me yet…?"

"That's a big part of it." I leaned back and looked at the ceiling. "If you keep thinking of them as blank slates, you'll make a mistake, a fatal one. I've played this game before and I saw it happen. You were so desperate for a route you trapped the player in the Space Classroom just to find the happiness the game script denied you."

A look of recognition appeared on her face. "The Space Classroom…I'm familiar with that. Fitting name too. I created it during lunch to get away from everything and think."

"Monika, I need you to promise me now not to mess with the game. Not in that way, anyway."

She raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"No fiddling with any of the character files. I need you to find a way to separate me from Meiji instead. Please."

Monika looked at me carefully. "But…if I do that, what will happen?"

"I don't expect that to be easy," I said, "but I know you can do it."

She looked hesitant. "I…are you sure we can do something like that? We could delete Meiji-"

"MONIKA! How could you even think of such a thing?!"

She jumped and looked back at me angrily. "He's just a puppet on a string!"

"Not to me he's not. Listen, you and I are going to sit down and I'm going to tell you about what happened in the game I played, but first let's finish this gratin."

"Fine with me," Monika said, sighing. I switched to some instrumental Japanese music and we continued making the gratin. Monika was a bit clumsy, but I, along with Meiji, could tell that she was trying her best.

"Hey, I know this is a bit personal to ask," I said, "but when were you kicked out of your house and why?"

Monika looked down sadly. "I was kicked out Sunday evening. My father found out I'd quit the debate club and formed my own club. He's always been pushing me to be my best and perfect in his eyes, at least, that's the backstory I have."

"Sayori has depression, Natsuki has a strict father, Yuri has self-harm, and you have perfectionist abusive parents…all of you have problems I see." I looked over at her. "Is your mother the same?"

Monika nodded. "They were both A students and expect me to be the same."

As I finished putting the ingredients together and putting the dish in the preheated oven, I nodded. "I can see that for you. Constantly projecting an air of confidence is a self-defense mechanism you developed because of your parents. Which begs the question…how did this world get so expanded in the first place? You four aren't the only tropes I've seen since coming here. There's the traditional Gyaru trope, the well-liked class rep, group of bullies led by a rich snob who drags boys around by their dicks, and I'm sure there's more around."

"Speaking of Tani," Monika said, "I heard something happened between you and her on Monday. What happened?" After I explained, she sighed. "You really are reckless."

"I've had to be. My real appearance isn't exactly imposing," I said, pulling out my phone and scrolling through until I found a picture of me, Harv and Jamie standing in front of Mt. St. Helens. I showed it to her. "I'm in the middle."

Monika took the phone reverently and gazed at it. "Oh wow…you're so handsome." She looked up at me. "Not that you aren't, Meiji, but I guess I have rose-tinted eyes when it comes to the player. But who are the other two?"

"Harvey and Jamie, two of my best friends from reality." I looked at them longingly.

"Do…you miss them?" Monika sounded a bit scared.

"I do."

"If you could, would you leave this world and go back?"

I looked up at Monika. She had a nervous look in her eyes. "Seems kind of pointless to think about that. I doubt I'll be going back anytime–"

"But would you?" Grabbing my arms, she clung to them almost desperately.

"Are you afraid of me going back home and leaving you?" She nodded fervently. "I could never do that. I care for you. I don't love you like you want, but that doesn't have to be permanent. If we can find a way for me to be separated from Meiji, I don't see why I can't take you on a nice date and get to know you better."

She released me slowly, a small smile on her face. "I'm sorry, it's just…I don't want to lose you."

"Because I'm real?" She stiffened but didn't answer. "Come on. Let's finish this gratin."

The two of us worked in uncomfortable silence for the remainder of the cooking. I saw Monika stealing glances at me occasionally. While the gratin cooked, I turned on the local TV stations and we browsed. When the gratin was completed, I served up two plates and put the rest aside for Meiji's parents. Finally, when we were finished eating, Monika spoke up. "Hey, um…could you tell me what happened when you played the game now? I don't mean to keep prying, but I want to know what made you distrust me."

I was about to when I stopped. An idea came to my mind. "Um, hold on a second. I need to check something." Rushing to my backpack, I pulled out the laptop and turned it on.

What are you doing?

I have a copy of the game on my laptop! I just hope it works offline…

After the computer booted up, I searched through my Steam directory and found the folder. I deleted the firstrun file then attempted to start the game. The familiar warning appeared, then the song began to play. What the hell…? Meiji watched as all four girls appeared on the screen. What's with their hair?!

Tell me about it. Closing the game and grabbing my computer cord, I rushed downstairs and went to the kitchen. Setting the laptop down on the table, I plugged it in and moved it so we both could see. Monika sat beside me.

"What's that? What are we doing?" she asked.

"I want to play a game," I said in my best Jigsaw impression as I clicked on the DDLC icon.

Monika's face paled when the game booted up. "What is…how is this possible?" she asked, backing away nervously.

"Hey, this game isn't the one we're stuck in," I said. "This is just a copy I downloaded from the Steam marketplace." I turned to her. "No one in this game is actually alive like the people here. The game was made specifically to be a psychological horror game disguised as a dating sim. Each run-through ends pretty much the same way. I'll let you play it." I pushed the computer over to her.

She flinched away from it. "Please don't make me do this…" she begged.

I knew I was being cruel, but I had to make my point clear. "You want to know what the game does. This is the perfect way for me to explain it. Now, shall we begin?" I moved the cursor to the NEW GAME option and hit begin. The game took us about three hours to complete and we were finished by eight. The entire time Monika said nothing, except to comment on the differing hair colors of the main characters when compared to how they looked in real life. I had chosen the Yuri route the first time I played, mostly because I found her very attractive and her words were easy to choose, so I did the same here. When the game version of Monika stepped in and saved the player from an awakened Sayori and deleted the game while singing, Monika began to break down. Tears streamed down her face as she listened to the actress who voiced her sing her own song. When the game was finished and the error message popped up, I closed the game. "Monika?"

"I…I do all that?" She whimpered, hands over her eyes.

"You were forced to by the script," I replied.

She inhaled and exhaled slowly. Standing, she looked at me with what looked like renewed determination. "I believe you now. That the people in this world are real. And I promise that I'll work on a way to safely separate you and Meiji. And I will help you to get the girls help as well."

"Thank you, that means the world to me." At that moment, Meiji's phone began ringing. I looked at the caller ID and saw it was Meiji's mom. I answered. "Hello?"

"Meiji, it's Mom. Listen, your father and I discussed what you're asking. We haven't come to an agreement on what to do about your fellow club member."

"Parents?" Monika asked.

"Was that her?" I heard a male voice ask.

Speakerphone, probably, Meiji said.

"Ah, yes. One second." I pushed the speakerphone option on Meiji's phone and placed the phone on the table. "She can hear you guys now. Mom, Dad, this is the president of the school's literature club, Asano Monika. Monika, my parents."

"It's a pleasure to meet you both," Monika said with the utmost politeness. "Your son graciously offered me a place to stay."

"Ah, you sound like a polite young lady, Asano-san," Meiji's mom replied kindly, "but I hope you understand our apprehension. My husband and I both work long hours and we can't be home, so having our son alone with a girl…"

"For the record," Meiji's dad said, "I trust you Meiji, but you know how your mom is. What is it the younger generation says? 'Don't be bringing home no babies'?"

"Hey!" Meiji's mom sighed. "Asano-san, you can stay in our daughter's room for the time being."

Monika teared up again. "Thank you, ma'am. This means a lot to me."

"You're welcome, but we still need to discuss this in person. My husband and I can't leave work early today, but we'll be back early tomorrow, so we can talk then."

"Thanks for saying yes, Mom," I said.

"We'll talk later. Love you Meiji, bye!"

"Love you too, Mom. See you soon." I hung up and sighed. "Well, that went about as well as could be expected."

"Thank you, Josiah, and you too, Meiji." Monika smiled at me. "So…what now?"

"Well, I'm going to clean up then we can just relax. Meiji, do you have Netflix?"

Yeah, why?

"Oh good. Netflix and chill it is," I said cheekily, grinning at Monika who raised an eyebrow in confusion.

Wha-DUDE! I'm still here! I felt him get embarrassed and my face went red as a result.

"Who says you're the only one who gets to tease," I laughed as I stood. "Let me just clean everything up and we can watch something."

"I'm helping, and don't say no," Monika replied.

I chuckled. "Wouldn't dream of it." I put two plates aside for Meiji's parents, then put the rest in the refrigerator before wiping everything down and putting the rest in the dishwasher. "Come on, let's find a show or movie to watch," I said after we finished. I turned on the TV and, with Meiji's help, switched over to their family's Netflix account. I scrolled down and, to my surprise, saw that there were many of the shows I was familiar with. Since it was 2017 there were a few missing, but I still managed to find something I thought Monika would enjoy. I was surprised to find that Stargate SG-1 was still on Netflix here, but then I remembered this was Japan, and another reality, so perhaps they still had it. After I explained the premise, I decided to actually play the movie first so she had some context before getting into the series. We sat on the couch watching, Monika slowly getting closer to me until our legs were touching. When that happened, I paused the movie. "Monika?"

She looked at me. "Can I please at least have this?"

"How starved for affection are you?" I asked, concerned.

"So much," she admitted. "I was designed to be a character in a dating sim, after all."

"True, but you're so much more than that now. This world isn't a dating sim anymore, it's a lot like the reality I left behind. You are your own person now."

She smiled sadly. "I guess you're right, but still, I want to know what cuddling with the man you love is like, and this is as close as I can get right now."

Dude, it's fine. I've gotten used to it, so let her have this. It might make her less compelled to do all that stuff in the game.

I smiled back. "Alright, you can do it then."

Her eyes went wide with happiness and she immediately snuggled up close to me. Despite my conflicting feelings for her, I had to admit it felt nice to be felt about in such a way. Not even knowing why I did it, I put one arm around Monika's shoulder. I heard her make a cute squeal and she moved even closer. For the rest of the night, we did nothing but watch the movie and the first episode of the show. After the movie was over, though, I went and hung Monika's school uniform in the bathroom to dry overnight. After the first episode of SG-1, I looked up at the clock. "It's getting late. Meiji and I should write our two poems."

"Whoa, same here," Monika said. "Thank you for tonight, you've made me happier than I could have imagined. And don't worry, I will do my best to figure out how to safely separate you and Meiji."

Thank you, Monika.

"We both appreciate it."

Reluctantly, Monika untangled herself from me and we both headed upstairs. "Goodnight you two. Sleep well."

"You too."

Monika smiled at me and shut the door. I entered Meiji's room and got myself situated at his desk. I grabbed a notebook and opened it up. I found a pen and some loose paper in one of Meiji's desk drawers. "Alright, let's get your poem done first, that way you can sleep."

Sounds good, thanks.

"Any idea what you'll write about?"

I have one yeah.

"Well, let's begin some drafts then." I put a piece of scrap paper down and put my hand on the page. "Lay it on me." For the next half hour, Meiji dictated his first draft to me. I kept my mouth shut and made changes where he wanted to. After a while, he had a poem that he was willing to share.

Friendship

Adventure, Awesome, Amazing, Happy, Laughter, Memories.
When I see these words, I think of friends.

Adventure is for the times we spend together
through all life's seasons and all sorts of weather.
Awesome is for how I see them all.
When we're together, we have a ball.

Amazing is just how they are,
whether we're near, or even far.
Happy is what I feel when I spend
my time with them, I hope it never ends.

Laughter abounds whenever they're around,
I hope to never forget that sound.
Memories are what make me think of thee,
and makes me free from other misery.

I will not let my friends be hurt,
and I will never be inert…

…again.

What do you think? Meiji asked.

"You'll hear my opinion tomorrow. Seems unfair to discuss it now."

Ah, alright. Well, goodnight. And with that, he fell asleep. I copied the poem into the notebook and then began working on my own poem. After a while, I had one.

The Dam

Here I stand, mixing the mortar.
There I head, packing it in.
The impossibly high dam
holding back and hiding the muck
which can never be released.

A veritable cacophony of cries assault my ears.
I throw more mortar into the dam's contents
as I try to silence the voices buried beneath.
The voices hurt. I want to feel normal again.

I shovel more mortar.

From the top of the dam
I hear waves impacting the wall,
the stones and dry mortar shudder
as the flood beyond attempts to break through.

"Double time!" I shout to no one as
I mix more mortar and continue to keep
the flood at bay.
But that isn't enough.

The dam breaks, swarming around me.
Drowning me.
I am lost in the seas of regret, seas of fear, seas of worries.
I reach out, but there is no one to save me.

…Someone…anyone…help…

Save me….

I copied it down and put the notebook in the schoolbag. I also made sure to put Meiji's wallet in there as well as my personal laptop and charging cord. As I was putting them away, I remembered the two packs of pens I'd bought the night before I arrived in the game. I smiled, grabbed one of the packs as well as my poem, then went to Aiko's room. I knocked gently. "Monika? You awake?"

"Come in," she said.

I opened the door and saw Monika sitting at the desk, her signature pink pen in hand. She was wearing light blue pajamas. "Josiah? What's up?"

"Before I went to bed, I wanted to give you something. First, my poem from today." I handed her the poem, which she immediately snatched from me with the widest grin. "Whoa!"

"Ahaha, sorry, I was just waiting all day for it," she said with a flushed face.

"No problem. I also came to give you something else. When I came here, my backpack somehow made its way here and there were a few things in there, one of them I thought you'd like to have. Something from my reality." I held up the pens. "I thought you'd like them, anyway."

As I handed them to Monika, she took them almost reverently. "These…are from reality?"

"Yep." I held up a second pack. "I bought two packs. Now we share something, even if it's as small as this. Sorry if it sounds a little silly, but-"

"No, you have no idea how happy this makes me," she said as she clutched the pen pack to her chest. "Something from reality is in my hands…I almost feel like I should cherish this forever."

"Well, I do hope you use them too. At any rate, sleep well. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight Josiah. Goodnight Meiji."

I chuckled. "He's already asleep."

"How does that even work?"

I shook my head. "No idea."

"Well then, goodnight Josiah. I love you so much."

I blushed. "Th-Thanks…you have a good night, Monika."

"You too." She blew me a kiss. "Goodnight."

I closed the door and listened a bit. I heard Monika begin to cry, but it sounded like happy crying. I went back to Meiji's room, crawled into bed and fell asleep.

Well, I decided to complete the cliffhanger I left everyone on last time. It may be a while before I update again, school and all. Hope you enjoy!

morbiusgreen