"Meiji, Meiji?, wake up, sweetie," I heard a female voice say to me softly. "It's time to get up."
I groaned and turned back into my pillow. "Five more minutes," I said in my sleep deprived state.
I heard a sigh, then the voice said, "Do it, Sayori."
"WAKE UP, SLEEPYHEAD!" another female voice screeched as I felt a heavy weight land on me.
"OOF!" I gasped as a heavy mass landed on my stomach, driving the air out of me. I coughed and gasped, opening my eyes to see a grinning Sayori sitting on my stomach, giggling madly. She was wearing a dark red hoodie and jeans. Beside my bed I saw Meiji's mom. Both of them were giggling loudly. "Ugh…really Sayori? Did you really need to wake me up like this?"
This isn't the first time she's done this, Meiji said, sounding just as sleepy as I felt.
Of course, she did… I sat up, grateful I was wearing some pajamas. "Okay, I'm up, I'm up," I groaned. "Could you get off me?"
Sayori giggled louder and got off the bed. "Ehehe, sorry Meiji," she said, "I just missed doing that is all."
"Yeah yeah…" I stood and stretched. Looking out the window, I was relieved to see the sun shining through the wet glass. "Well at least the weather cleared up," I said, relieved.
"No kidding," Minako said.
"Where'd that storm come from anyway?" I asked as I swung my legs over the bed and grabbed Meiji's phone from where it was charging next to his bed.
"Guess it's our first taste of autumn," Minako said.
"Oooh, I love autumn! Especially Halloween!" Sayori said, giddily jumping up and down.
"Right, that's this Monday, isn't it?" I said.
"Yep!" Sayori beamed at me. "I think Monika has some plans for that."
"Really? I can't wait to see that." It brought a sense of relief to me to see Monika planning ahead even after the Festival was over. She really had come to terms with what was going on and had started trying to live in instead of manipulate the world. "What time is it exactly anyway?" Looking at Meiji's phone, I saw that it was already 9:22. "Ah damn, I've got to get showered, dressed and have breakfast!" I said in a panic as I searched for some clean clothes.
"Language, Meiji," Minako said sternly.
"Right, sorry Mom," I said sheepishly as I found some clothes.
"Better hurry down to breakfast," Sayori said.
"There's quite a feast being made down there," Minako added.
"Will do," I said as I made my way downstairs to the shower. After a quick but refreshing shower, I got out and changed. When I got to the kitchen, I saw Monika and Sayori just finishing setting the table. However, what caught me off guard was the fact that both Natsuki and Yuri were also in the room and helping. Yuri was just finishing up making what looked like scrambled eggs and Natsuki was placing the food at the center of the table. Tatsuo and Minako were watching, both smiling. Looking at the clock on the oven I saw the time was now just past 9:40. "Sorry I'm late, everyone," I said.
"You sure took your sweet time," Natsuki said, grinning at me. "We've been waiting for you to get your sorry butt out of bed for twenty minutes."
"Aha, sorry about that. But wait…I thought we agreed to meet up at ten?" I asked, thoroughly confused.
"Ahaha, that would be my doing," Monika said, leaning in that familiar pose of hers. I looked her up and down. She wasn't wearing the jeans and hoodie anymore and neither was her hair down. Instead she was currently wearing a light beige long sleeve shirt under a deep red tank-top. She was also wearing a tight-fitting plaid skirt which seemed to hug her legs. She was also wearing dark leggings, accentuating her thighs.
I gulped, trying hard not to stare. She was breathtaking in this new outfit, to say the least. "Good morning," I stammered, hoping that no one else noticed my slight hesitation. "And wait, what do you mean?"
Fortunately, Monika was the only one who noticed, and she winked at me suggestively. "It was actually your mom's idea," she said. "She wanted to meet the others."
"Oh, I-I see," I said.
Damn it, Monika's gonna give me a heart attack.
I bet, Meiji snickered. Damn, you've got it bad for her, Meiji teased, causing me to blush.
"See something you like?" Monika asked softly.
"Don't tempt me," I whispered back, "but yes, you look sexy as hell." Monika blushed as I turned to the other two. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to greet you. I didn't know this was gonna happen."
"It's alright, Meiji," Yuri said with a small smile. Yuri was wearing a pair of light blue jeans with an olive-green shirt tucked into it. Over said shirt she was wearing a long sleeved dark blue unbuttoned sweater.
"Eh, I was already awake when Monika sent out that group text," Natsuki said. Natsuki was wearing a striped orange skirt and a light purple t-shirt with the English word WEIRD written out in pink lettering.
"I was too excited, so I was over here early!" Sayori said giddily.
Man, what did the two of you talk about last night? I asked curiously. She looks a lot happier.
I hope so, Meiji replied. You know I confessed, but I'd like to keep the details of our talk to myself.
Fair enough.
"Oh, speaking of group texts, Meiji, I completely forgot to add you to our text group," Monika said, pulling out her phone.
"You have a text group?" I asked, pulling out Meiji's own phone.
"Yep. Here." She took Meiji's phone and messed around with it a bit. After a bit, she handed it back to me. "There you go."
I looked at the phone and sure enough there was a new group in Meiji's messages. After thanking her, I walked up to the table. Two extra chairs had been set at the table. It was a bit crowded but no one complained as we sat. I sat at the head of the table Monika sat on my right and Sayori on my left. Natsuki sat next to Sayori and Yuri sat next to Monika. Minako and Tatsuo sat at the other end of the table. Spread out in front of us was a breakfast fit for the gods. To my surprise, it was a pretty Western meal as well. There was a platter of scrambled eggs in the center of the table, steaming hot. To one site was another platter of toast. To another side was a plate of sausage links and bacon. There were also two pitchers, one of milk and another of orange juice. On the counter a pot of black coffee was sitting, ready to be eaten. Man, it's been a while since I've had this kind of meal, I said.
"Well then everyone, itadakimasu," Tatsuo said.
"Itadakimasu," everyone said. For the next few minutes, the table was a blur of movement as everyone piled their plates full of food. Monika only took the eggs and toast as well as a mug of piping hot coffee. Sayori, as expected, piled her plate full of everything. Yuri's portion was smaller and she ate slowly. Sitting next to her plate was a cup full of tea. Natsuki, much like Sayori, started piling food on her plate before Sayori leaned over and whispered something to her friend. Natsuki paused and nodded before taking a smaller plate. Meiji's parents took the average amount of food.
"So girls, has Meiji been behaving?" Minako asked suddenly.
Caught off guard, I coughed as something I swallowed went down the wrong way, embarrassed that Meiji's mom asked such a question. My own embarrassment paled in comparison to Meiji's. "Mom! What the hell?!"
"Language," Minako warned.
"Right, sorry," I said.
"Meiji has been nothing but kind to us," Yuri said with a smile. "He even graciously said we could use your home to help with the Festival preparations."
"Yes, he told us about that last night," Tatsuo said, looking at me slightly amused.
"Um…it was an impulse," I said sheepishly. "Sayori's house isn't as big as ours, and we needed the room."
"Relax, it's okay with us," Minako said sweetly. "And it's also okay with us if you use the house tomorrow for your baking. As long as you behave, Meiji."
The girls all laughed as my face went beet red from the combined embarrassment of myself and my unwilling companion. I groaned a bit. "Really, Mom?"
"You just look so cute like that," Minako said between giggles.
"In any case," Monika said, saving me from further embarrassment, "With all of us here, we can probably finish Yuri's project in very little time. And with that, I hereby turn over complete control of today to Yuri."
All eyes landed on the raven-haired lass. Her face went beet red and she looked away nervously, fiddling with her hair. "Um…oh my…I've never…"
"Why don't you start by telling us what you want to see?" Sayori asked.
"See?" Yuri looked at Sayori confused.
"What you're envisioning for the atmosphere of the club," I clarified.
"Ah, of course." She thought for a moment. "Well, I admit, I wasn't expecting so much help, so I've had to rethink my plans a bit. Before I came here, I went out and bought a few more items." She indicated a few bags that were sitting on the counter before continuing. "I was going to have a banner and an essential oil diffuser to set the mood, but I think there should be more than that."
"What do you mean?" Natsuki asked.
"Well, I feel like we should make this an experience just as much as we can make it an event," Yuri said, getting more lost in her mind. She closed her eyes and smiled. "I was thinking about rearranging the desks in the classroom, but when Natsuki mentioned she was going to make cupcakes I figured we should leave them be since I was also planning on making some kind of small hors d'oeuvres thanks to Meiji's advice."
"You can use our kitchen if you want," Minako said with a smile.
"Ah, thank you for the offer Chizu-san," Yuri said. "I actually had some thoughts about the food part."
"What were you hoping to make?" Natsuki asked, frowning a bit.
"Um…deviled eggs, for one," she said. "and maybe some small sandwiches and sushi rolls," she added. "Something that won't make a lot of noise while being eaten. And also something small enough that they can go enjoy the other food stands around the school afterwards."
"We might as well call ourselves the Cooking Club," I joked, causing everyone, even Yuri, to laugh. "But those are good choices, Yuri. How many do you think we should make of everything?"
"I'm not sure yet," she said. "Monika?"
Monika looked over at me. I gave a subtle shake of my head. Turning back to Yuri, Monika smiled. "I think you should make that decision."
What are you doing? Meiji asked, sounding a bit worried.
Yuri needs a bit of a push to begin being more proactive in her life, I think, I said. Right now, she's more reactive than anything else. But she has the potential to be a decent leader. If Act 2 is any indicator anyway…
I see…
Yuri looked a bit nervous, but took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "We-well, I think it would be wise to err on the side of optimism here. And if we're wrong, we each can take the leftovers home so they won't be wasted. So…possibly fifty of each? Plus using all of the eggs I just bought."
"How much did all that cost?" I asked, shocked at how far Yuri had thought about this.
Guessing my intention, Yuri waved her hands. "O-Oh no, you don't have to pay me back," she said.
"Meiji," Minako said softly but in an unusual tone, "just let it be."
Oh shit…I've heard that tone plenty of times, Meiji said nervously. Just do what she says.
"Yes Mom. Sorry Yuri." I bowed apologetically.
"It's okay, really," she said, smiling and blushing a small bit.
"A-Anyway," Monika said, clearing her throat to break the awkward tension that had risen up, "What do you want to do first, Yuri?"
"Well, um, I have a few things planned that you can help with. For example, I think I would like to make a few banners instead of just the one," Yuri said. "I have some designs I came up with last night."
Sayori, who had already finished her breakfast, looked at Yuri excitedly. "Can I see? Can I see?"
"Calm down, girl," I chuckled. "At least wait until we're all done."
"Awww, poo," she said, huffing a bit which caused everyone else to laugh.
"Anything else you think we can do to spice up the atmosphere?" I asked.
"Did I mention the candles?" she asked.
"No, what did you have planned for that?" Monika asked.
She smiled a bit. "Well, I was thinking about blocking the windows with some black paper to darken the room. Then setting up the diffuser at the front of the room and placing aromatherapy candles around the room. I bought the appropriate number of candles last night."
"That…actually sounds amazing," Monika said. "You've really thought this out."
"Of course," Yuri said with a smile. "I want to help take our guests to a faraway place. Although many will probably stop by just out of curiosity…and for…cupcakes, I guess…"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Natsuki said, but this time she didn't seem as offended as before. In fact, it seemed to be more of a teasing tone.
Unfortunately, Yuri, being who she was, wasn't able to pick up on the subtle tone. "Ah, I didn't mean anything by it, I promise! I just…want to provide an experience that will leave them wanting more."
"Relax, I was just teasing," Natsuki said. "Go on."
Yuri breathed a sigh of relief, then continued. "Well, I was also thinking about playing some background music for the poem sharing," Yuri said. "Something that could match the poems we're going to perform. Not too loud so as not to detract from the speakers. I have a few in mind."
Wow, she's really thought this through.
She seems like the type to take responsibility seriously.
Yeah, that makes sense.
"Anything else?" Sayori asked.
"N-Not that I can think of right now." Yuri smiled and played with her hair again.
"Those are great ideas," I said.
"Ah, this reminds me of my days in school," Minako said, smiling as she looked away with her arms crossed. "I remember getting all excited for my club's part in the festival."
What club was she in?
I don't think she ever said.
"Really? What club were you in, Chizu-san?" Sayori asked curiously.
"I was the president of the Calligraphy Club back in the day," Minako said. "You know, I got my husband here to join during our second year."
I exchanged a small glance with Monika. The look in her eyes indicated she and I were probably thinking the same thing: History was repeating itself. I looked over at Sayori and saw a similar look in her eyes. Now knowing what she knew about the world she lived in and with how smart she was, I wasn't surprised she was thinking something similar.
Tatsuo smiled a bit nervously. "Yeah, she dragged me there one day after school," he admitted.
"Were you two friends back then?" Monika asked.
Both parents smiled. "Yeah," Minako said. "We met when we were first years in high school. We actually went to the same school as you guys. I can still fit into my old uniform, actually!"
I can't really see Dad as the calligraphy type, Meiji said.
"No offense, Dad, but you don't really strike me as the calligraphy type," I said.
Tatsuo shrugged. "I've been into it ever since I joined that club. I still pick up a quill whenever the urge strikes me to write some kanji."
Is your dad like an older version of you?
Well, he is my dad, wiseass.
Yare yare…
Did you just 'Yare yare' me?!
I did, whatcha gonna do about it?
I could almost feel Meiji rolling his eyes at me in exasperation. "Well, you learn something new every day," I said as I ate the last of my eggs. "That was delicious."
"Ah, um…" Yuri blushed hard, looking away nervously. "G-Glad you liked it."
"You're an amazing cook, Yuri," Sayori said in awe, "Where'd you learn?"
Yuri smiled a bit. "Ah, mostly cookbooks, but I have been looking at online recipes recently."
Natsuki made a noise. "Bet my cupcakes are better," I heard her mutter under her breath as she took another bite of her meal.
"Eh? Of course they are," Yuri said. "I'm not very good at making pastries like that."
Natsuki smiled at that. "Hmm…perhaps you'll learn something tomorrow."
"Uhuhu, I look forward to it," Yuri said, smiling back.
Monika, Sayori and I exchanged another look, but this one was one more of relief than anything else. In the game, Natsuki and Yuri were at each other's throats constantly. It wasn't surprising, considering that they were two very different people, but seeing the two of them becoming closer as friends in the past week gave me a bit of hope, something I desperately needed.
"Now then," Yuri said, wiping her mouth with a napkin, "it looks like we're all done. Should we get started?"
"You're the boss," I said, giving her a quick salute. "What should we do first?"
"Well," Yuri said, taking on a thoughtful look, "I believe we should start with the decoration for the wall opposite the windows."
"In that case, why don't we clean up then head into the living room," Monika suggested as she began gathering her plate and utensils.
"Ah, let my husband and I handle the dishes," Minako said, standing quickly. "You five have a lot of work to do, right? And you'll be using the kitchen later, so I'm sure you'll want a clean one."
"Go on," Tatsuo said, smiling with his wife, "we'll be fine. After we're done here, we'll be in the office if you need anything."
Mom and Dad are both being serious here, Meiji said. Best not to argue.
Monika looked like she wanted to argue, but stopped when I put a hand on her shoulder. "Come on," I said softly, "let's go."
Nodding, Monika smiled at Yuri. "Lead on," she said to the raven-haired bookworm.
Yuri grabbed the supplies on the counter and headed into the living room where she began rummaging through the bags from the previous night. She pulled out the diffuser, then turned towards Meiji's parents. "Chizu-san, is it okay if I use this here? I wanted to show everyone how it works."
"Of course you can," Minako said. "Well, you kids have fun." She and Tatsuo turned and headed back into the kitchen.
Yuri took the cylinder and pushed a switch on the bottom. Moments later, a thin ray of vapor began to spout through a small hole on the top. Immediately an intoxicating flowery fragrance began filling the room. "Whoa, that smells great!" Sayori said. "What is that?"
"This is the Jasmine essential oil we bought last night. It smells a little sweet and flowery, right?"
"Yeah, it does," Sayori said.
"Can you explain to us why you chose Jasmine?" Monika asked.
She smiled wider. "Well, I chose Jasmine for the event because it provides more than relaxation. Jasmine enhances your emotions and helps you feel them flow through your body. You feel warmer, and your heart pounds more heavily. Don't you think that will be perfect for sharing our poems?"
"That's actually a good idea," Monika said approvingly.
Yuri smiled gently, clearly enjoying herself. She reached into the bag and pulled out several spools of thin ribbon.
"Right, I saw you get those last night, but can I ask what they're for?" I asked.
"Well…" Yuri pulled out a pack of origami paper and placed it beside the ribbons.
"Oh geez, are we gonna be folding cranes?" Natsuki groaned. "I was never that good at cranes."
"Oh no, I'm sorry. We won't be using the paper for folding origami. What I'd like to do is write a different kanji character on each paper. We'll need about a hundred of them. I'm going to cut pieces of ribbon to hang from the doorway of the classroom. Then, we can fasten the kanji paper onto the ribbons to create a doorway curtain. Wouldn't that be beautiful? It would also catch the eye of those passing by the room. It may attract some to peek inside."
"You do catch more flies with honey," I grinned.
"Eh?" Yuri looked at me curiously. "What do you mean?"
"Ah, it's an expression from America," I said. "Basically, make something more inviting to get more people to come. Very creative there, Yuri."
I saw Yuri's eyebrow raise ever so slightly, but it went back down and she pulled out her notebook. "I figure those of us with the best handwriting can write the kanji characters, so Monika and I can write them. Josiah, I think you, Sayori and Natsuki can work on the designs I made for the banners. Sayori, you're good at art, so I think you'll be good at drawing the outlines. As long as you guys paint in the lines, I'm sure we'll be okay."
"Understood," I said as I began pulling out the banner paper she'd picked up the night before. Meiji, do you have any newspaper?
What for?
To lay on the ground so we won't get the carpet dirty.
No, we haven't gotten a paper here ever, but maybe we can use some cardboard.
"Hey Yuri, this paper is pretty thin," Natsuki observed, holding up the banner paper. "You know the paint will leak, right?"
"Ah yes it will. I bought some extra paper to put under it," Yuri said, reaching into the bag and bringing out a stack of large white paper.
Oh, never mind then. I should have realized Yuri'd think of that.
Yeah.
Sayori grabbed the notebook and looked it over. I sat next to her and looked over her shoulder. Natsuki sat on the other side of Sayori and looked down at it as well. There were two banner designs. One banner design was rectangular shaped, perfect for the size above the clubroom's doors. Two spirals spun out at the top corners, meeting at the center top. Written in a deliberately flowery Japanese were the words SAKURA ACADEMY LITERATURE CLUB WELCOMES YOU. Simple but also flowery enough to get people's attention. Below were a few notes, such as "Give words a rainbow gradient" and "Maybe put some quotes around the banner?" as well as "Background blue sky with clouds? (Ask Sayori to draw)"
The second design was similar in shape but a lot more colorful. Yuri had used colored pencils to create a gradient across the banner. At the bottom it started with dark blue, then went to dark purple, then a lighter red, then orange, then yellow. She had then blended the yellow with sky blue and had sketched in some clouds and a sun at the very center. The blue then blended back to yellow, orange, red, dark blue and dark purple. There were two notes on the side, the first one saying Inspirational quote here, Eiji Yoshikawa, and the second one saying Hang on the wall behind the podium at the front of the classroom.
"Hey Yuri?" I turned to the raven-haired beauty.
"Ah, yes?" she asked, right in the middle of cutting some of the paper with a very intricate looking knife.
"What quote are you planning on writing on this banner? Something from this Eiji Yoshikawa?" I asked, holding up the notebook and pointing at the second banner.
She smiled at me. "Ah, well…It will be from The Heike Story," she said.
"Really? What's the quote?" Natsuki asked.
"Don't yield! Keep up your courage! The same sun looks down on all of us!"
Monika nodded in approval. "A good choice."
Natsuki rolled her eyes. "Of course you'd choose something like that…"
"That is a good quote," I said.
"Very hopeful!" Sayori said.
"Ah, thank you," Yuri said.
On another note Yuri, where'd you get that knife?"
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Monika and Sayori pause a bit. Having not seen it in the game, I could only think how beautiful the knife really was. The knife's silver handle had an intricate pattern of waves etched into it and the blade itself had a light blue tint to it if seen in certain light.
That's no ordinary pocket knife. It looks really fancy, Meiji said.
Yeah, and let's not get cut on it like the game.
No kidding.
Yuri blushed and looked away. "Ah, well…it was a gift, and the first knife I could find at home before coming here. I was going to use it to cut the origami paper."
Wait, that's not the excuse she uses, I said.
What do you mean?
She collects knives, remember?
Oh right, gotcha.
I bet it's because it's not her and someone else alone. She's afraid of being judged.
I guess that makes sense.
"Well it's an amazing gift," I said. "Very high quality."
Yuri smiled slightly. "Y-Yes, it really is." She held it out to me. "Would you like to hold it?"
I'd like to check it out, Meiji admitted.
"Sure, why not?" I said, taking it gingerly from her. It was heavy for its size and very well crafted.
Wonder how sharp it is?
Let's find out. Grabbing a page of the white paper, I brought the knife up, then sliced cleanly through it. The blade went through like a hot knife through butter. I turned it around and handed it back to her. "This is quite a sturdy and well-made knife," I said.
Yuri took it back. "Ah, thank you."
"Well…enough of that," Natsuki said. "We should get back to work."
"Right," Yuri said. "Monika, let's get back to it."
"Alright," Monika said, grabbing another blank origami page and writing another kanji on it.
Sayori, in the meantime, grabbed the banner paper and a pencil and began sketching the banners. "Guys, I can do this," she said to me and Natsuki. "Why don't you guys get water for the watercolor paint tablets?"
"You won't need too much for those," Yuri added quickly. "We'll need about six cups of water to put each of the tablets in. And just a bit of water is okay. If you fill the cups too much, it'll be too diluted."
I reached into the bag and pulled out the paint tablets. I began reading the instructions carefully. "Huh…"
Wait, I know what we can use to put these in! Meiji exclaimed.
Oh yeah? Like what?
I've got some small plastic bathroom cups we can use. I'll show you where.
"Right, Meiji says he knows what we can use. Natsuki, let's go," I said, standing and heading to the downstairs shower room. Natsuki stood and followed me.
Look under the sink, Meiji said. There should be a plastic bag with some of the cups there.
Got it.
"Hey Natsuki, did you get home all right last night," I asked as I pulled out six of the cups. "That was quite a storm."
"Huh? Oh! Yeah, I managed. Dad wasn't too happy with me making plans so late, though," she said from where she was standing behind me.
I stood. "Ah, I'm sorry about that."
She shook her head. "It's alright. I just got a lecture again. I'm used to it."
Despite my desperate urge to get her to open up to me a bit more, I decided that I should let the matter drop. "Well, if you say so," I said as I headed out into the kitchen. We walked there in uncomfortable silence.
As I was filling the cups with water, Natsuki spoke up. "So…um, in your own life, did you read any manga?"
I placed the red paint tablet into the first cup and grabbed one of the small wooden stirring sticks that Yuri had bought. "I read a couple, yes."
"Which ones?" she asked as she put the orange tablet into the second cup and began stirring.
While I stirred the red one, I replied, "Let's see…aside from what I'm reading now, I've read The World God Only Knows, Student Council Members and Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out. Um…was that it? I'll be honest, in my fabricated reality, I was more into anime than manga. But now that I'm friends with you and Meiji, I feel like you're gonna make me read a lot more."
Putting both hands on her hips for a bit, Natsuki grinned. "You're damn right I am! I'm gonna make you read until your eyes fall out! I've heard of the first two. The first one's pretty decent for a harem manga, the second is a bit raunchy for my taste, but I really love Tsuda in that. But I've never heard of that third manga before."
Me neither, what is it?
I froze. That third one was one I'd been reading since it came out in December of 2017. And it was currently the end of the month of October of the same year. "Ah, sorry. I mean I'm looking forward to that one. It looks interesting. It's supposed to be coming out this December."
"What's it about?" Natsuki asked.
"A younger kouhai girl at college teasing her senpai," I replied.
She raised an eyebrow. "Interesting concept. I might look into that one." I finished mixing the red and moved onto the yellow while Natsuki finished with the orange and moved to the blue. "So, you said you're into anime more? How come?"
I shrugged as I began mixing the paint tablet again. "Well, that's a tough question. Maybe I'm more into the fact that anime is colorized? Also, there are some times when it's hard to tell what's happening in some scenes. Like in fight scenes, you know?"
"Oh, I never read manga like that," Natsuki said as she carefully stirred.
"Right, I take it you're more into slice-of-life and possibly romance manga?" I asked, putting a bit of a teasing tone into my voice.
It got the appropriate reaction. Natsuki blushed and began stammering. "S-So what if I do, huh?" she sputtered a bit.
"We all have our guilty pleasures," I said, hands raised.
"And besides, Parfait Girls does actually have some fighting," Natsuki said before immediately covering her mouth. "Oops! Spoilers, sorry."
I raised an eyebrow and I was almost sure Meiji did the same. "There's fighting in it, eh? I'm looking forward to that then."
Same here!
Natsuki smiled a bit. "Good!"
As I finished the blue paint cup and moved to the green tablet, I cleared my throat. "Hey, um, please let me know if this is an insensitive question, but is Parfait Girls complete?"
She froze a bit. Her smile was a sad one. "No…she didn't finish it."
I looked down at the cup I was currently mixing. "I'm sorry for bringing it up."
She shook her head. "Don't be. I'm gonna be the one to finish it. She left me some notes on what she wanted to do with it, but she also said I could continue it if I wanted." Her smile became more vibrant. "I can't wait to improve to her level!"
"You're definitely on your way, if what you showed me yesterday was any indication."
"Oh, by the way, I just remembered," she said as she began mixing the last paint tablet, the purple one, "you never told me the idea for the name of that manga from yesterday."
Damn it…why?
Is it really such a big thing that you don't tell her?
I sighed. I don't know…
I know we're gonna be telling them eventually, so what's the harm in hinting now?
I paused. I tried to think of an excuse, but I really couldn't think of much that would affect the outcome of the revelation in the future. The excuses I came up with fell flat.
"Wakey wakey! Stop spacing out, space cowboy," Natsuki said, flicking some water in my face.
"Ah, sorry, I was talking a bit to Meiji," I said as I finished the last of the paint.
She frowned and put both hands on her hips again. "Right…so, the name?"
"Well I told you that it would fit better for a visual novel or dating sim, so-"
"I'd still like to know." She looked at me with a curious expression.
I sighed and shrugged. "Doki Doki Literature Club."
There was a small pause as Natsuki took this in. Then she doubled over laughing. She even snorted. Yeah, I expected that would be her reaction. I cleared my throat. "You done there?"
"Aha…aha…just a sec-ahaha-second, AHAHA! That's such a generic name!" She held her sides as she laughed harder.
I just sighed and began placing the paint cups on a tray. "Laugh it up, tsunball," I said under my breath as I carefully lifted the tray and headed back into the living room. When we got back, I saw that Yuri had placed out the paper she got for keeping paint from staining the carpet. Yuri and Monika were still drawing kanji characters on the origami paper. Sayori was still drawing, although it looked like she was done with the second one and she was now drawing clouds on the first banner. "Whoa, Yuri wasn't lying. You're pretty good at art there, lil' bun."
Sayori giggled. "I like to draw," she said. "Anyway, that banner is ready for painting."
"Thanks. Here's the paint," I said, placing the tray on the floor but on top of the paper. "Sayori, you want us to wait for you to finish that other banner or should we start?"
"This one's gonna take me a while, so you two go ahead and start on that one," Sayori said, indicating the one she'd finished. "I marked the colors in light pencil."
"Great, thanks," I said. "Well then, I'm gonna grab some music to play and then get started on this." Running back upstairs, I grabbed my phone and Bluetooth speaker, rushed back down and began playing some soft instrumental music.
For a long while, the six of us didn't talk, but it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. We were so focused on the tasks at hand that we all pretty much zoned out. When Monika and Yuri finished with the origami, they began carefully cutting small holes in the paper and threading the ribbon through it. I overheard them discussing the appropriate length.
"How long do you think we should make these?" Monika asked.
"Well, let me see…" Yuri took a spool of ribbon and headed to the door, with Monika following. I listened a bit more. "This door is about the same height as the ones at school, so…about here, I think. We don't really need them all the way down. And we are going to have the doors open during the beginning, right?"
"That's what I was thinking, yeah," Monika replied. "But during the presentation of poems, I think we should close the door."
"Of course," Yuri said. I heard scissors being cut through ribbons then the two girls came back in and began threading the kanji through the ribbons.
Monika's and my eyes met briefly. She gave me a loving smile and a wink before heading back to the threading. Sayori, who by now had joined Natsuki and I with the painting, noticed this and gave me a wry grin and a wink of her own. I blushed along with Meiji and went back to painting.
We have seriously got to find a way to separate permanently, Meiji said. Being in one room with you isn't gonna be enough for long.
Do you want to try again tonight? I asked.
Yeah, please.
I'll let Monika and Sayori know later.
Thanks.
I nodded, then grinned. You know, you two could always have seven minutes in heaven in the closet, I said in a teasing tone.
Hey! I felt Meiji blush. I chuckled a bit and went back to painting.
"What's funny?" Natsuki asked.
"Oh, just teasing Meiji again," I grinned as I finished one of the bands of the rainbow at the top. Natsuki and I had decided to start at opposite ends, painting towards the center. Sayori, being the more artistic one, was drawing on the secondary banner, filling everything in exactly how Yuri wanted.
Eventually, I looked at the time on the cable box. It was almost noon by this time. As if to emphasize this, Sayori's stomach began grumbling. She looked up at us, blushing. "Ehehe, sorry about that."
"I think that's a good excuse for a meal break," I heard Minako say as she walked in. "I'm gonna make everyone some sandwiches. Does that sound good to everyone?"
"Sounds good to me," Sayori said.
"Same here," Natsuki said with a grin.
"That sounds great, Chizu-san," Monika said.
"Thank you for your further hospitality," Yuri added.
"Oh, Mom?" I said, "could you make sure Monika's is vegetarian?"
Minako looked at me then at Monika. "Is that true, Asano-san?"
Monika nodded. "Ahaha, yes."
"Well, how does an old American favorite, peanut butter and jelly, sound? I love those. When I went to visit America in high school, I discovered the old PB&J as they call it over there."
Monika smiled. "That sounds lovely."
"I've never had that, actually," Sayori said. "Can I have one too?"
"Me too, please," I said.
Yuri raised an eyebrow. "I have heard of those sandwiches. I admit, I am a bit curious to try one too."
Natsuki shrugged. "Sounds interesting enough to me. Can I try one too?"
Minako grinned. "I've got five potential converts! I'll go make them for you." And with that, Minako headed into the kitchen.
Everyone stood and stretched. Sayori looked at the banner that Natsuki and I had been painting. "Looks like you two are almost done with that banner," Sayori said.
"Indeed, they both look good," Yuri said, looking over the banners in progress. "With the progress we're making, we should be done with these in perhaps another hour or so. Then we can get started on the food portion."
"How long will that take?" Sayori asked.
"Hopefully not too long, maybe a few hours," Yuri said.
"Hey, Josiah, where's the toilet?" Natsuki asked.
"Take a right down the hall and it's the door on your right," I said.
She nodded and stood, heading out. Yuri looked at me and asked, "Um, do the Chizu's have another toilet?"
"Oh, they have an upstairs one," I said. "Head up the stairs and take a right. It's the one at the end of the hall that way." Nodding, Yuri smiled and headed upstairs.
As soon as they were gone, I lowered my voice. "You guys, Meiji wants to try and work more in the Space Classroom tonight."
"Oh, I'm not sure if I can make it tonight," Sayori said apologetically. "I'm sure Mom will want me home at a decent time."
"Actually, I can help with that," Monika said. She held up two different pens, one an emerald green and the other a sky blue. She gave me the green one and she gave Sayori the sky blue colored one. "Last night, I actually figured out how to open up both doors at the same time. If one of the doors to the classroom is open, then if someone uses their keys, it will open the second door. This way, we can meet if we're separated."
I smiled and unscrewed the pen cap, I found the same shaped key underneath the cap. Sayori did the same with hers. "Whoa…"
"So, think you can meet up tonight," I asked Sayori.
"I'll try," she promised.
"Good, so it's a double date, then," I teased.
I was satisfied to see the two girls blush at that. I even felt Meiji blush but grin at that. Monika, Sayori and I headed into the kitchen where we found Minako still making the sandwiches. "Chizu-san, is there any way we can help?" Monika asked.
Minako turned. "Aww, that's sweet of you, but don't worry; you guys took care of breakfast so let me take care of lunch."
"Are you sure?" Sayori asked.
"I'm sure," Meiji's mom said. "These sandwiches will be done in a few minutes. Why don't you take a seat?" She looked around. "Where are the other two?"
"They'll be here soon," Sayori said. "They're both went to the toilet."
"Ah, okay," Minako said as she turned back to making the sandwiches. "What do you want to drink?"
"Do you have any melon soda?" Sayori said, holding both her hands up in her signature move.
"We always do," Minako grinned. "This one doesn't stop guzzling it," she added, pointing at me.
Guilty, I heard Meiji say sheepishly.
I rolled my eyes a bit. "What, I like it, what can I say?"
"Ahaha, same for me, if I may," Monika said. "Back at my place, my parents never let me have soda, so I'm curious to try."
"I'll get you guys some," I said, standing.
There's some bottles in the fridge, enough for everyone if I'm remembering right, Meiji said as I headed to the fridge and opened it up. There was an entire shelf in the door of the fridge that had been dedicated to melon soda.
I grabbed three bottles and placed them on the counter. Grabbing some glasses, I asked, Hey, do you guys have ice?
Not right now, sorry.
"What's all the hubbub?" Natsuki asked as she walked in.
"Just discussing soda," I said. I held up one of the bottles of the light green soda. "Do you want some?"
"Is that melon soda? You betcha!" Natsuki said.
I began preparing the glasses. As I was pouring, I heard Yuri coming down the stairs. Turning to her, I began, "Hey, Yuri? Do you want any-um, are you okay? Your face is a bit flushed."
Monika and Sayori reacted to that. Yuri's face did indeed have a small hint of color to them. She shook her head quickly. "Ah, no, I'm fine. It was just…a bit warm upstairs, is all," she said.
I could only assume she was lying. Her eyes had a bit of a glazed look around them. Looking briefly at Monika and Sayori, I could tell the two of them were as skeptical of her words as I was. I decided to play it off. "Well, we're all having melon soda with our lunch. Would you like some too or would you like me to make you some tea?"
Yuri shook her head. "I wouldn't mind trying some. I have not had much soda in my life, and I've heard melon soda is quite delicious."
I grabbed two more bottles and poured the contents into the five glasses I'd grabbed from the shelf. I carried them over to the table and handed them to each girl. Sayori immediately began drinking, a wide grin on her face. Natsuki took a big gulp, ending it with a satisfied sigh. Monika took the glass in her hand, then brought it to her lips, sipping it. Her eyes widened as she swallowed and she took a bigger gulp. Yuri took her glass, inhaled the melony scent, then took a small sip.
"Well, I always knew soda was supposed to be made using carbon dioxide, but I didn't realize it'd be so…fizzy," Monika said, placing her glass down.
"Indeed, it is quite a unique drink," Yuri said. "And quite refreshing too."
"Melon soda is delicious!" Sayori said.
"Definitely among my top favorites," Natsuki said. "Wish we could afford them…" she murmured under her breath.
"So, how far have you all gotten in your preparations?" Minako asked.
"Well, we've about finished one banner," Yuri said, cradling the glass in her hand, "and the other one hopefully shouldn't take too long either. Monika and I are almost finished with the calligraphy."
"And when you're done with all that, you're going to start food prep, yes?" Minako asked.
"Correct," Yuri replied, taking another sip of the soda.
"Well, if you need anything during that, Meiji knows where the major cookware is, and if you need something he doesn't know, my husband and I are gonna be in the office," Minako said before motioning me over.
I walked over. "Yes, what is it, Mom?"
She lowered her voice. "So, who are you going to choose?" she asked in a teasing tone as she finished placing another sandwich on a plate.
"Baby take my hand and I'll make you love me," I sang instinctively before realizing what I'd done. "And what do you mean, who am I going to choose?"
"Oh, come on, Meiji," Minako said, hands on her hips, "it's pretty obvious those girls all like you, even the tsundere-like one."
No, they like you, not me, and I already have a girlfriend.
I refuse to be a harem protagonist, dude!
Ohoho? But it's every man's dream. So why the hell not?
Grrr… I sighed. "Mom, I just met three of them. That's not really enough time, don't you think?"
Minako smiled, but this one wasn't much of a teasing one as it was a warm loving one. "I know, dear. But, if you want my honest opinion, I think that you and Sayori would make the perfect couple."
Wow…mom thought that too? Well, good news, I'm already in a relationship with her.
Should I tell her that? That's a whole other can of worms. Besides, I feel like in the event that you and I do separate, we're going to need to tell your parents.
Both of us went silent. That was something neither of us had thought about. Or rather, something neither of us wanted to think about. We both had agreed that telling the original Dokis was an inevitability, but telling anyone else? What would our parents think? What would Sayonika and Kozue think?
"Meiji? You okay?" Minako gently shook my shoulder.
"Huh? Oh, sorry Mom, I've been spacing out a bit recently."
She looked at me a bit worried now. "Do you want to see a doctor?"
I chuckled a bit, hoping to reassure her. "For spacing out? No, Mom. But thanks."
She crossed her arms and looked at me with a serious look. "Well, if you're sure, then okay. Help me carry these plates to the table, will you please?"
"Sure." I grabbed two plates and carried them over. I placed them in front of Monika and Sayori. Minako placed the other two in her hands in front of Yuri and Natsuki. All four thanked her, as did I when I went back for mine.
"You five enjoy. When you're done, just leave the plates in the sink. I'll get to them later." Minako smiled again at us before leaving the room.
I took a seat slowly. "Itadakimasu."
"Itadakimasu," everyone else said before digging in.
To no ones surprise, Sayori began eating almost ravenously, smiling with crumbs on her face. "Mmm! Shoo good!" she said.
"Sayori, no talking with your mouth full. It's rude," I said, reaching over and giving her forehead a quick but gentle flick.
"Ooow!" She pouted at me while she swallowed her food. "Meanie!"
"Yeah, yeah…" This elicited a small giggle from everyone.
"I've gotta admit, this is better than I imagined," Natsuki said, holding up her own sandwich.
"Indeed it is," Yuri said. "There's the right amount of sweetness mixed in with the saltiness of the peanut butter. And the grape jelly helps to overcome the stickiness of the peanut butter." She rubbed her chin, deep in thought. "I have heard that some Americans prefer crunchy peanut butter to creamy. I wonder how that would affect the taste…?"
"Leave it to Yuri to turn lunch into a culinary review," Natsuki snorted, causing everyone else to laugh.
Yuri blushed and smiled uncertainly. Our eyes met and I gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about it too much," I said. She looked away, blushing a bit.
Are you sure you aren't a harem protagonist? Meiji teased.
That's not really something to joke about here, I replied, a bit chagrined by his teasing on this subject.
You're no fun sometimes, Meiji chuckled.
I resisted the urge to sigh and took another bite out of my sandwich. Yeah, yeah, I know…
By the way, when are you planning on telling the others about the world?
I took a sip of my soda. Probably after the first day of the festival. This is your last one before graduating, so I want them to have a pleasant experience. I was going to do the same for Sayori, but…that happened.
Yeah…well, I guess there wasn't much choice in that, was there?
Yeah.
But what if someone else asks? What should we say then? It's not like we can keep this secret forever.
It was a pretty flimsy one to begin with, yeah…well, if it comes down to it, I'm sure Yuri will understand if we ask her to wait. It's Natsuki I'm more worried about. She's pretty volatile.
I heard Meiji snort a bit. Yeah, no kidding. But, I think she can listen to reason if we're all there to explain it to her.
That's what I'm hoping. Especially Sayori. She's the peacekeeper of this group.
Damn right she is!
I finished my sandwich at that point and looked up at the girls. They were all talking about something, so I decided to listen in.
"I'm more of a sports drink girl, actually," Natsuki was saying. "Not that I don't like soda, because seriously, melon soda is the bomb, but something that tastes good like Gatorade or something like that is the best for me."
"W-Well, I can see why that would appeal to people," Yuri said. "I prefer tea as my main choice, but for colder beverages, I believe I would have to choose…well, it would be a tie between lemonade and iced tea."
"The iced tea I could've guessed," Monika said, "but lemonade?"
Yuri smiled and closed her eyes. "I have fond memories of lemonade. Growing up before we moved here, whenever we had hot summer days, mom would make fresh lemonade for me and dad. I would read on the porch while taking sips of one or the other, depending on what we all wanted. There's nothing quite like a refreshing cold drink on a hot day."
"That's actually sweet," Monika said with a smile before turning to Sayori. "How about you, Sayori?" Monika asked. "What's your favorite cold drink?"
"I like milk!" Sayori said. "Plain, chocolate or strawberry! It's so tasty!"
"That is so you," I said without even needing to consult Meiji.
She's always liked those, Meiji said. In fact, I'm almost sure we have some powder mix somewhere.
Sayori blushed. "Ehehe, yeah I guess I do like some childish things, don't I?"
"There is nothing inherently wrong with that," Yuri said. "Indulging in certain activities that society deems childish can be healthy. The adult world is stressful and there are plenty of times where we all need to just relax and take our mind off of things. That way, when you return to your normal adult life you can feel refreshed."
Sayori smiled wider at that. "That's our Yuri, so smart!"
It was Yuri's turn to look flustered again and she played with her hair a bit. "Ah, thank you, but I'm not as smart as that. I just read a lot. A-Anyway, Monika, you never told us what your favorite cold drink was."
Monika chuckled a bit. "Well, that is a tough question. If I had to choose…probably smoothies. Especially fruit smoothies. They're refreshing and very good for you. And you're right, Yuri. Cold drinks on a hot summer's day is amazing. There's this small shop in the old town that makes amazing smoothies. I'll take you all there sometime."
"Oooh, sounds good, I can't wait!" Sayori said excitedly.
"Smoothies, eh? Sounds good to me," Natsuki said.
"I'm interested too," Yuri said.
"Sounds cool," I added as I finished off the rest of my soda. Everyone else was just finishing up as well, with Natsuki finishing up last. "Well, that was a good meal," I said as I stood and grabbed my dirty dishes. The girls all wholeheartedly agreed. "Why don't you all head back out to the living room? I'll clean up the table and join you shortly."
The girls all stood and left. All except Yuri. Alarms began going off in my head. She was looking at me with a sudden intense glance. "Yuri…? Is everything okay?"
She took a step towards me. "Josiah…"
Um…what is she doing? Meiji asked nervously.
"Yes?"
Yuri held her hands to her chest. "Um…can I ask you a question?"
I raised an eyebrow. "Sure, go ahead."
She fiddled with her hair a bit. "Even…even if it's personal?"
This is weird, Meiji said. She's trembling.
I reached over and took her hand in mine. "If you're afraid of me hating you because of a simple question, don't be. I could never hate any of you." I let her hand go.
That seemed to help Yuri relax. She took a deep breath, then looked at me with a sudden serious expression. She walked up closer and lowered her voice. "Josiah…I've been pondering your explanation for your appearance for a while…and a lot of things don't add up. Have you been telling us the complete truth?"
Phew, you'd think with more time on my hands ever since graduating college I'd be able to write more, but I keep getting distracted. Anyway, new chapter here. Enjoy!
morbiusgreen