At least, I tried to sleep. The events of the day were running through my mind and I simply tossed and turned for hours, constantly worrying and worrying. I tried calming myself down by attempting some tricks I'd heard about online. I tensed up my body for a few seconds then relaxed, I tried regular breathing exercises, I even tried doing a few sit ups and pushups, but it was apparent that Meiji's body wasn't as used to exercise as mine was. His body was exhausted, but my mind wasn't. Despite my worries about the game and what might happen on Monday, my mind kept on wandering…straight back to Monika.

I noticed she was more on my mind than anything else recently, especially after the events of Thursday evening when she and I almost kissed. Just thinking about it made my heart race, and I was so lost as to why. The closest reason I could think of was that being stuck in a younger body made my libido more active than before, and I assumed since I found Monika so attractive I couldn't stop thinking about that.

When 1 AM rolled around, I sat up and, growing ever more frustrated with my lack of being able to sleep, trudged downstairs to see if I could find something to calm my mind. Quietly heading downstairs, I began searching through the cabinets for some tea. Finding nothing in any of the cabinets, I began searching through the drawers when a noise from behind me startled me into turning. Standing at the bottom of the stairs, rubbing her eyes sleepily, was Minako. "Nnng…Meiji? What are you doing up? It's past midnight."

I rubbed the back of my neck nervously. "Sorry, Mom. I couldn't sleep. I was just looking for some tea."

Minako looked immediately concerned. She walked over to a drawer that I hadn't opened yet and pulled out two teabags. "They're where they've always been, dear," she said.

I sighed, running my hand over my eyes. "Right," I said, acting like I made the dumbest mistake in the world.

"Why don't you sit down, dear?" she said kindly. "I'll boil some hot water." So saying, she grabbed a tea kettle and put some water in it, then placed it on the stove. Grabbing two mugs from the cabinets, she set them on the counter, then came to sit opposite me at the table. "Is there something on your mind, sweetie?"

I rubbed my temples with my fingers and frowned. Despite this woman not being my mother, she was a lot like my own. Without realizing it, my mouth was opening and saying, "Yeah, I guess there is."

"You know you can always talk to me about anything, right?" she said in a reassuring tone, smiling tenderly at me.

I smiled back, then my smile fell. "Well, I guess it's about…why I couldn't sleep."

She nodded in understanding. "Must be something serious if you can't sleep. Do you wanna talk about it?"

I opened my mouth, then closed it again. I wasn't even sure what to say. What can I talk to her about that wouldn't make me seem like a raving lunatic? I can't just go and say 'Hey, I'm scared that Sayori's gonna hang herself on Monday' or 'I'm not Meiji, I'm an alternate personality'. It's too soon. "I…well…"

"Take your time," she said reassuringly. Just then, the tea kettle began to make its hissing noise. Minako stood and headed over, giving me a chance to organize my more jumbled thoughts.

What's the most important thing on my mind right now? What's been stressing me tonight of all nights? Let's see, the game and stuff is definitely up there, but there's no way I can tell her about that. What else? Worried about the girls and their problems? I mean, I definitely am, but I can't drop that kind of bombshell on her either. She might want to do something about it. What else…?

My thoughts, as they had for the past few hours, flew immediately back to Monika. Her smiling beautiful face filled my mind's eye. I replayed all the moments we'd shared this week, both good and bad. I close my eyes and lean against my clasped fists. I think back to the kiss Monika and I almost shared, the blatant affectionate glances she'd been giving me ever since I'd arrived, the times when she would kiss me in the Space Classroom.

I heard something being put down in front of me, and I opened my eyes to see a steaming mug of tea in front of me. Opposite me, Minako had her own mug and was putting a bit of honey into it. She slid the honey over to me and I put some in as well. I stirred, waiting for the tea to be ready. As I waited, Minako looked up at me again with an expectant smile.

Welp, here goes nothing… I took a slow but deep breath. "I guess…I've been thinking about…this one person lately."

Her smile only widened. "Really? Tell me about them."

I bit my lower lip, forming my next words very carefully. I didn't want to lie, per se, but I didn't want her to suspect anything about my current situation. "They're, well, they've been on my mind a lot lately."

"Why?" she asked, looking at me with a curious expression.

"I…" I paused, trying to think about how to say what I want to say.

"Is it a girl?" Minako asked. I nodded. "Is she in your club?" I nodded again. "When you think about them, what do you feel? Happy? Nervous? Excited? Eager to spend time with them?"

She'd hit the nail on the head extremely well. Ever since Thursday, I had been feeling a bit more nervous around Monika, but I'd always tried to keep my cool. "All of the above," I admitted softly. I was going to stop talking there, but my mouth started running again. "I don't know what's wrong with me. Every time she walks in the room, I feel warm and fuzzy inside. Whenever we're talking, my smile seems to be wider." Is this what love feels like? Or am I just infatuated? I looked down at my tea, noticing that it was finally ready. I blew on the steaming liquid, then took a small sip, letting the warmth flow down my throat and permeate through my chest. Taking another breath, I look up at Minako. "What does it mean?"

Minako was cradling her tea in her hands, listening attentively. She took a sip herself then looked at me with a contemplative expression. "Hmm…close your eyes. I want you to imagine this scenario for me."

Confused, I closed my eyes. "Okay?"

"Imagine you're walking down the road," Minako began. "You're just walking when you see this person on the other sidewalk. She's walking and smiling and seems to be having a good day. However, walking next to her is someone else. Someone she's looking at with affection and happiness."

As I imagined this, I found that it hurt to even imagine Monika being with another person. A pang of an unfamiliar feeling stabbed at my heart. I opened my eyes, banishing the image of Monika walking down the street. For some reason, I'd imagined her walking with Meiji. I looked up and saw Minako looking at me with a knowing expression. "Mom?"

"Let me guess," she said, "it hurts right here." She touched her chest.

"Yeah, but how did you know?"

"You're jealous," she explained, taking another sip of her tea. "You wanted that person to be you, didn't you?"

Pieces began clicking into place. I hadn't realized it when I was imagining it, but I did want to be where my imagined Meiji was. I wanted to be the one Monika was staring at affection. "Mom, do you think…?"

"This girl must be pretty special to you," Minako said. "You looked very hurt when I described that scenario. Tell me, is she cute?" Once again, I nodded. "Is she kind?" I nodded again. "Well, that's good. Anyone you love this much would definitely be kind."

Is that what love feels like? I asked myself again. I never really understood the meaning butterflies in the stomach before when people talked about their love interests, but the more I thought back, I realized that what I had been feeling recently whenever I'd been around Monika could easily bed described as butterflies in the stomach. "So, you think that…I love this girl?"

"That's actually completely up to you," she said, taking another sip. "but it does sound to me like you do."

More puzzle pieces began falling into place. And the puzzle began forming into Monika's smiling face. "I…I guess so…it's still so confusing, though."

"First loves often are," she said, standing and coming over to sit next to me. She rubbed my back reassuringly. "I can guess who it is, but I won't force you to tell me. Just know that your dad and I are here to talk more about it whenever you want."

I smiled at her, completely grateful for any kind of mother figure right now since I couldn't have mine with me at the moment. "Thanks, Mom." I took another sip of my still warm tea, letting its warmth sooth my mind.

Minako finished her tea then stood. "Do you want to talk about anything else?"

I shook my head. "No, I feel a lot better now." I took a large gulp of my tea and finally finished it. "Aaaah…that's good. Thanks, Mom. I think I can actually sleep now."

She smiled at me, then took my mug. "Then go upstairs, dear. Don't want you to be too tired for when you meet your crush tomorrow."

I facepalmed. "Ugh…really?"

She giggled and gave me a gentle pat on the back. "Sleep well."

"You too, Mom." I stretched and yawned as I tiredly trudged upstairs. When I reached Meiji's room, all my energy started seeping away. I barely had enough energy to pull the covers over me as I passed out.

I woke to the beeping of the alarm I'd set the night before. Groaning, I sat up and rubbed sleep out of my eyes as I slowly turned my legs to hang over the bed. Yawning, I stretched and stood up, heading blearily to the window to open the blinds, letting in the bright morning sun. I went into Meiji's closet, grabbed some jeans and a shirt, then slowly opened the door. I couldn't hear anything, so I slowly headed out, trying not to wake Monika.

As quietly as I could, I made my way downstairs and headed into the shower room. After a quick shower, I headed into the kitchen where I started preparing a quick breakfast for me and Monika along with a pot of piping hot coffee for both of us. As I was doing this, I saw a note on the counter. Picking it up, I read MEIJI, HERE'S SOME MONEY TO TREAT THE GIRLS TO SOME DINNER, LOVE MOM AND DAD. Underneath, there were two ten-thousand-yen bills. My eyes widened as I took the bill. I shook my head. "Man, that woman is something else." I slipped the money and note in my pocket. I set the coffee maker up and began looking for some kind of breakfast to make. Not feeling particularly energetic myself, I grabbed two bowls from the cabinet and dug out some sort of offbrand frosted corn flakes. Just as I was about to set the table, I heard a noise from behind me. Turning, I saw an equally bleary-eyed Monika stumbling down the stairs, once again wearing the green hoodie and jeans. Her hair was its normal mess. She headed over to the table and sat. "Uuugh…I am really not a morning person."

I chuckled. "I gathered that the first time," I said as I went to the bathroom to grab a hairbrush. Coming back, I ran my hands through Monika's wavy chestnut hair and began brushing out all the knots and twists. She just sat there, impatiently waiting for the coffee to finish. When the pot was done, I poured her a large mug of coffee which she grabbed from me and began drinking as fast as she could. Soon she sat up straighter and looked up at me with a shy smile. "Thanks again. You really know how to brush hair well."

"Heh, thanks," I said as I finished and let her now straightened hair fall all around her shoulders. I poured the two of us a bowl of cereal and sat opposite her. "Sorry if breakfast isn't as interesting as normal."

She chuckled. "It's fine, don't worry. I'm sure you're exhausted after yesterday."

I nodded as I took a bite. "Mmhmm," I said, trying not to talk with my mouth full of sweet frosted goodness. Swallowing, I looked at the coffee pot which still had a good amount of liquid left. Standing suddenly, I went to the cabinet, grabbed a mug, and poured myself a cup as well. Monika watched with a raised eyebrow as I took a sip, then another, and then a larger gulp. Meiji must have trained his own body to enjoy coffee, since it tasted good to me.

Just then Meiji began waking up. Nnng…what did I miss?

Eh, we're just sitting down to breakfast, I said as I took another large spoonful of cereal.

"So, today's the day we learn Natsuki's secret recipe for baking the perfect cupcake," Monika chuckled, spooning up another helping of cereal.

"Oh, I doubt she'd just share her secret recipe with us mere amateurs," I joked back at her.

She giggled, causing my heart to flutter at the mere sound. She brushed her hair aside as she took another bite.

Dude, what gives? Meiji asked. Your heartrate's going through the roof here. You okay?

I…It's a long story. The short of it is…you were right. You were right about her.

"Why are you up so early?" Monika asked.

Right about what?

"I didn't want to be surprised again." Right about what I'm feeling for Monika.

Oh? How'd you discover that?

"Ahaha, don't worry, they'll be here by ten," Monika said taking another sip of her coffee.

"Well, that's good." Your mom helped me. Don't worry, I kept everything vague. I had a short talk with her over tea.

Tell me what happened later.

"Although Sayori might be here a bit early," Monika said, turning to face the sliding glass door next to the fridge.

"Oh?" I will.

Monika pointed at the door. I turned and received quite a shock when I saw a girl in short blue jean shorts and a pink t-shirt pressing her body against the sliding glass door, making a scary face. "BOO!" Sayori said the moment our eyes made contact.

My jump must have been more visible than I thought, because both Sayori and Monika were both laughing their asses off while Meiji and I were doing our best to calm down. However, even the two of us soon joined in as I stood to unlock the door, letting the still giggling Sayori in. She ran inside, laughing but also somewhat shivering. The morning was cold outside and a chill ran down my spine as I closed the door. "Geez, Sayori, you're gonna give me a heart attack," I said as I put my hand on my chest, taking in exaggerated deep breaths.

She only giggled even louder. "Ehehe, I'm sorry, I couldn't resist."

Monika, who was trying to reign in her laughter, looked over at Sayori. "You're that excited for Halloween, aren't you?"

Sayori nodded excitedly. "I am! I really hope someone does a haunted house at school!"

"Oh, they definitely will," I said, grabbing a third bowl and placing it on the table. "Come on and join us."

Sayori's eyes widened in anticipation as she poured herself a large helping of cereal. She had already put three spoonfuls in her mouth before she looked over at the two of us. Monika and I, along with Meiji, were all staring at her with a warm smile. "Um…is there something on my face?" she asked sheepishly.

"Ahaha, no," Monika said. "I'm just glad you're here with us." Her smile turned wistful. "I mean, you have an ability I envy. You can calm any situation down and make it look easy. Even in the game."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Sayori asked. Monika then recounted the fight between Yuri and Natsuki in the original game in more detail than I had gone into earlier. Sayori listened as she ate while Monika described Sayori's tactic in disarming the situation. When Monika was finished, she swallowed and nodded. "Yeah…if Josiah hadn't stepped in, I would've probably done the same thing. I hate seeing people fight."

"Sometimes a fight can actually be helpful," I said.

"What? No it can't! Everyone should be friends," Sayori quickly replied.

"I don't mean a negative fight like the one Natsuki and Yuri had," I replied. "I meant more like a debate. Does that make sense?"

Sayori chewed thoughtfully and swallowed. "I guess so…"

"I'm still glad you're here," Monika said. "And, even though I didn't plan for it, I'm glad you know about our secret." Smiling still, I saw tears forming in Monika's eyes.

Sayori, seeing this, quickly stood and ran over to hug her friend from behind and rubbed her hair slowly. "Shhh…it's okay, Monika." She looked over at me and motioned me over.

Nodding, I stood and walked over to the poor girl and put an arm around her just like Sayori was. She sat there sniffling while the two of us held her. Soon she wiped her eyes with a napkin. "I'm sorry, you guys."

"Monika, don't be sorry," Sayori said. "Anyone would be scared with what you've been through. I'm just glad you decided to trust me enough to show me the truth. I don't know how much help I can be, but-"

"You've been a great help," I said. "You've been helping to hold us together. Monika and I, well, we've been pretty lost. But with you here, we've been managing better. You're amazing. It's one of the big reasons why Meiji loves you so much."

Damn right!

Sayori blushed as the praise was turned onto her. Monika nodded in agreement. "You're a key member of the club. I don't know what I'd do without you there. And you're one of my best and closest friends, despite how the game me acted…" she shuddered.

Sayori smiled wider. "I'm not mad at you or disappointed," she said. "Now come on, cheer up. Give us one of those thousand watt smiles you're famous for," Sayori finished, beaming.

Monika blushed a bit, but she did indeed smile. "You guys…" She looked down at her remaining cereal, smiling wider and wider. "Thank you so much…"

Sayori and I both gave each other a look, then pulled Monika to her feet and pulled her into a group hug. She immediately hugged back, smiling through her tears. We remained like that for a few minutes, giving Monika enough time to calm down. She slowly released us. "Thanks, you guys."

"No problem. Now, let's finish breakfast and get the house ready for the others," I said.

Monika and Sayori both nodded and sat back down. We all resumed eating.

Not wanting the silence to become too uncomfortable, I turned to Sayori. "So, you looking forward to today?"

She swallowed her cereal and nodded. "Yep! I can't wait to see how Natsuki makes her cupcakes!"

"I bet," I chuckled as I finished my cereal and drank the remaining milk. Monika did the same moments later, leaving Sayori to finish hers. Noticing that Monika and I were finished, she ate a bit faster, finishing in record time. I gathered her bowl and spoon and put them in the sink to wash. As I did so, I remembered an event from the original Natsuki route from the game. "Monika, could you check the oven for me? I'd like to avoid what happens during the Natsuki route."

"What happens?" Sayori asked as Monika went to check.

"In the original game, when Natsuki and the game protagonist pre-heat the oven, there's still a dirty tray in there which burns," I explained.

Monika held up a small dirty pan. "Looks like this is it."

"Well, one crisis avoided. Hand it here. I'll rinse it out," I said.

She brought it over and I was surprised to see that it was the gratin that I'd made the first night that Monika had come over. There was hardly anything left, so I took it and began to rinse it out. As I watched the food go down, I smiled. It felt like an eternity since Monika had moved in, and so much had already happened since that first night. I continued rinsing it out then washed the dish before I put it away.

Meanwhile Monika and Sayori were standing nearby just talking. Sayori was looking excited as she asked "So what do you have planned for Halloween? Are we gonna have a party?"

Monika chuckled. "Remember that smoothie place I mentioned yesterday? Right next to it there's a karaoke place. I figure I can show you that place as well as enjoy some of the greatest smoothies around."

Sayori's eyes widened in excitement. "Really?! YAY!" She bounced up and down excitedly. "I can't wait! Are we gonna wear costumes?"

"That's up to you," Monika chuckled. "I might wear something."

"I'm sure Yuri won't," I said. "She seems like the type who would rather enjoy Halloween by reading a nice book."

"Awww, but she has to dress up, it's traditional!" Sayori said.

I smiled. "It's fine if she doesn't want to, you know. Everyone celebrates Halloween in their own way, you know?"

"But still…" Sayori said.

"It'll be a fun time either way," Monika said, smiling.

I soon finished cleaning and put the pan and bowls away. I look up at the clock and saw that it was just past nine in the morning. "Well, we have an hour before the other girls show up. What should we do?"

"Let's watch something!" Sayori said eagerly.

I frowned. "Why don't we put out time to better use in the Space Classroom?" I asked.

It was Sayori's turn to frown now. "Awww, come on! You two need a break! You've been freaking out about this for the past week now, right?"

Monika smiled a bit nervously. "I mean…I suppose we have been."

"Besides," Sayori continued, "It's only an hour. You two need to relax a bit. Vice-President's orders."

"But Sayori, I'm the Pres-" Monika began before Sayori interrupted.

"No buts! Get your behinds into the living room now."

Monika and I looked at each other, then sighed. We stood, chuckling as we were practically pushed into the living room and made to sit down next to each other by Sayori. She sat opposite me and, grabbing the remote, turned on the TV. She quickly began flipping through channels and found an older American cartoon which had been subbed into Japanese. "I hear in America there was such a thing as Saturday morning cartoons," Sayori said as she put the remote down. "So we can enjoy Sunday morning cartoons."

"Um, Sayori? Why cartoons-?" Monika began again, once again being interrupted by a stern Sayori.

"What? Just because we're all eighteen doesn't mean we can't enjoy cartoons, right?" She looked at, or rather through me.

I'm more an anime guy, Meiji said, but she has a point.

"Yeah, just because we're legally adults doesn't mean we can't enjoy cartoons," I said as I leaned back and started watching. Even Monika just gave in to Sayori's argument and relaxed, watching the cartoons with us. Soon even she was laughing along with me, Meiji and Sayori at the wacky antics on the screen. By the time ten rolled around, we'd watched two full episodes.

Just then, someone knocked at the door. Prying myself up from between the two girls, I headed to the door to find not only Natsuki but Yuri as well. Natsuki had a heavy looking backpack slung over her back while Yuri held a box in her arms. I wasn't very surprised to see what they were wearing. Yuri was wearing a cream-colored thick turtleneck with black form hugging pants while Natsuki was wearing a pink frilly skirt and a white t-shirt with a pale pink kitten head embroidered across the left breast. Two black straps came up from the low-cut collar. "It's about time you got here," Natsuki said, her backpack down and opening it, revealing plastic bags from a grocery store inside.

Yuri did the same and smiled at me as both girls came in. "Once again, thank you for letting us use your home, Meiji. And please thank your parents again."

Not a problem, Meiji said.

"What did you all get?" I asked as I begun grabbing the bags along with Sayori and Monika who came to the door with me.

"Just some last-minute ingredients I forgot to get on Friday," Natsuki said as she removed her shoes. I was surprised to see her wearing sandals of all things, dark pink with a plastic sunflower right near the big toe on both. She slipped on one of the guest slippers and stepped inside. "I also brought some extra cupcake pans from home."

"Natsuki did ask me to bring this," Yuri said, holding up the box which went to a large mixer.

"Yeah, the one I saw here yesterday is good and all," Natsuki said as Monika quickly took the mixer from Yuri, "but it's not big enough. Yuri said she had a nice one and I asked her to bring it."

"Pretty smart there," I grinned.

"You know it!" Natsuki beamed proudly as she headed into the house, making straight for the kitchen.

Yuri, now free of the box, removed her own black shoes and slipped on another pair of guest slippers before following the rest of us in. She leaned in towards me and whispered, "Are you feeling any better after yesterday's…uncomfortable conversation?"

I smiled. "A little bit, yeah."

"I'm really sorry to have put you on the spot like that," Yuri said apologetically.

"Trust me, you're alright," I said kindly.

"Ah, I'm glad," she said, looking relieved.

"Come on, ladies! Pick up the pace!" Natsuki said, tapping her feet impatiently on the kitchen floor. "We've got a lot of cupcakes to make and only all day to make them!" She set down her backpack and opened one of the smaller pocket zippers, pulling out a small notebook which looked as if it had been worn down and used a lot. She opened it and began flipping through it. Sayori, always the eager beaver, ran over and looked over Natsuki's shoulder only for Natsuki to hide the book. "Sayori, this is a secret family recipe. No looking."

"Awww, please can I look?" she said, giving Natsuki her best puppy dog eyes.

"I mean, we're gonna have to eventually if you want us to help make the batter," I said.

"Ugh…yeah I know," she said. "Okay, you win." She opened the book and Sayori eagerly looked at the recipe. "Flour…sugar…baking soda…wait, why salt?" she asked curiously.

"Salt enhances the other flavors in the batter," Yuri explained. "It can also bring a balance to the sweetness of any baked goods and can help make food taste bitter." She looked around to find us looking at her. Yuri immediately looked a bit nervous. "Ah…I was researching cupcake recipes of my own last night and was curious about the use of salt in a few of the online ones I saw."

"Well you're right there," Natsuki said as she pulled out a small bag of salt.

"I also notice you're using oil instead of butter," Yuri said. "May I ask why?"

"It keeps better in the fridge that way," Natsuki said. "They'll be softer in the cold."

"What kind of frosting are you planning on using?" Monika asked.

"Meringue Buttercream," Natsuki said. "Look, are you gonna keep grilling me or are we gonna get this done?"

"Yeah, let's get this started," Sayori said excitedly, grinning widely.

I rolled up my sleeves. "Chef Natsuki's in the house, yo! What are your orders?"

Natsuki looked away, red coming to her face. "Hehe, yes I am your chef. Yuri, since you seem to have the most experience in the kitchen, I'd like you to be in charge of making the frosting. The recipe's on page 15 in here." She handed Yuri the notebook which the raven-haired teen took gently. "I think you and Monika can work on that. Sayori, you and Josiah can help me with the actual batter. The recipe I have says it makes twenty-five, so we're gonna double it to make fifty. I'll make one batch and you and Sayori can make the other. The recipe for the actual batter is on page 17."

Meiji, does your family own a printer that can make copies?

Yeah, it's in the office.

"Understood. Mind if I make a copy of the recipe so we're not interfering with Yuri's work?" I asked.

Natsuki looked a bit reluctant, but eventually nodded. "Sure, that's fine."

Yuri handed me the notebook and I headed to the nearby office. I quickly made a copy of the recipe and headed back into the kitchen. After I handed the recipe book back to Yuri, she took it over to the other side of the counter where she opened it. She'd already set up her own mixer on the other side of the room. She and Monika began gathering the ingredients from the bags Natsuki had brought.

When Natsuki went over to the oven to preset it, she gaped at it. "Damn, Meiji! I didn't get a good look at this yesterday, but I've never seen an oven like this before. Four surface burners and two oven doors?"

Aaah, yeah. Mom and Dad got that during our kitchen remodel a few years ago, Meiji replied.

"Well, could you help me preset this?" she asked. "We need to have it set at 190."

Meiji helped me set both the ovens, but not before Natsuki looked inside the ovens. She wanted to know if she could fit her twelve cup pans inside. She grinned when all four of them were able to fit inside. "Maybe this'll be faster than I thought," she said.

"Yeah, maybe," I said, looking over at Monika with a small smile. She returned it, then went back to her task.

Meanwhile, Sayori and I began looking over the recipe. After gathering the ingredients, Sayori and I read through the entire recipe before we began measuring everything into a mixing bowl. To be fair, I did most of the measuring. Afterwards, I gave the mixing bowl to Sayori who carefully began to use the mixer to blend the ingredients. Once again, I turned on some relaxing music for us all to work to. Natsuki was almost finished mixing her own batter manually while Sayori was being uncharacteristically careful with her mixing.

A little while later, Natsuki came over to us and looked at the mix. Sayori stopped and let Natsuki take a small spoon out to take a small sample. After a few seconds, she nodded and looked at me. "Alright, glad to see you didn't screw this up."

"Oy," I said, giving Natsuki a glare.

"Oh, don't you give me that look," she said, glaring right back at me with both hands on her hips. "You can't really rush perfection, you know?"

I rolled my eyes. "I'm just glad we're not making marble cupcakes."

She grinned and brought out some food coloring from one of the bags and waved it around. "Don't tempt me."

"Oh dear God," I groaned. "Please don't."

She crossed her arms and gave me a wry smile. "Hmm…okay, I suppose your benevolent dictator will show leniency today, peasant." She put the food coloring down.

"Have you been taking lessons from Sayori?" I asked with a raised eyebrow, causing Sayori and Monika to laugh and Yuri to smile gently.

"Perhaps she's learning from the master," Natsuki replied quickly with a wide grin.

"Has she, oh Natsuki-Sensei?" I replied, grinning and bowing low.

Natsuki blushed a bit, but also laughed hard and blew some flour in my face. "Just get back to work, slave."

"Yesss, maaasster," I replied in my best Igor impression, hunching over and swinging my left arm wildly as it hung limp, walking with the titular limp the old movie sidekick used. This caused everyone to laugh even harder, Sayori even doubling over in laughter.

"Aha…aaah…okay, let's get back to work now," Natsuki said, drying the tears from her eyes from all the laughter. We all got back to mixing the batter, albeit with an even lighter mood than before. Sayori even began humming the songs softly as she finished mixing.

"Alright…now the recipe says to fill the cupcake batter about three fourths full," I read aloud as Sayori began placing the paper baking cups inside the cupcake pans.

"Oh, before you get started on that," Natsuki said, "I'd like to color the batter a few different colors. Could you get me a couple bowls?"

"Sure," I said as I grabbed a few from the cabinets and spread them across the counter. Natsuki then began pouring some of the batter into each bowl and placed one of the bottles of food coloring next to the bowls. Soon she was done and turned to us. "Okay, a few drops in each should do it. We don't want to make the batter too thin. You know what, here." She then took the time to give each bowl of batter about five or six drops each. "Now mix that in until it's all blended." Sayori and I headed over and began mixing the food coloring into the batter. Natsuki did the same and ten minutes later we had multiple colors of batter. "Now just begin filling the trays with the batter."

"Ehehe, could you do that, Josiah?" Sayori asked nervously. "I'm not that good at math or pouring."

Just eating them, eh? Meiji quipped, which I immediately said.

Sayori gave me a pouting face. "Hmmph, meanies…"

"Never change, you bundle of sunshine," I chuckled as I began to use a spoon to carefully fill the first baking cup with green batter. "Hey Natsuki, think this'll be enough?"

Natsuki came over and looked at the first cup I'd filled. "Hmm…yeah, that looks good, but you're slow. I'm on my seventh one already," she said proudly, revealing her own cupcake tray. She'd chosen the yellow batter.

"Give me a break," I groaned as I continued spooning out the rest of the batter carefully, giving each cup as equal an amount as I could. Eventually I'd filled all the trays with the multicolored batter. Noticing we had leftovers of each batter type, I grinned. "Natsuki, got any extra trays?"

"Hmmm?" Natsuki looked over. "I have a smaller tray that can fit six, why?"

"Give it here."

"Um, sure," she said, handing me the tray. I then used the remaining batter to make six multicolored layered cupcakes. Natsuki's eyes widened and she grinned. "Whoa, you actually get baking!"

"What do you mean?" Sayori asked.

"The baking is only a portion of the fun," Natsuki explained in a matter-of-fact tone. "Presentation, that's where you can have the most fun. It's a million times more worth it in the end if just looking at it makes everyone's eyes lighten up."

"Hey, Natsuki? How does this look?" Monika said, walking over just then holding a bowl of the frosting.

Natsuki took out a small spoon, then took a small bite of the frosting. "Hmm…it could use a bit more sugar. I know what the recipe says, but I always add a bit more sugar. One more tablespoon should be fine."

"Got it." Monika nodded and returned to the other side of the counter where she began making the adjustments.

"Natsuki, do you mind if I work on finishing the banner from yesterday?" Yuri asked.

"Yeah, go for it," she said. "This next part should be easy."

"I'll go help," Sayori said, following Yuri out into the living room, leaving me along with Monika and Natsuki.

Natsuki went over to where Monika was and sampled the frosting again. "Great! You actually got it down, prez."

Monika smiled, looking a bit relieved. "Glad to hear it."

Just then, the oven made a small ding noise. Oh! That means the oven's ready, Meiji said. I repeated this, and Natsuki grabbed the yellow and green batch, slowly putting them in the upper oven. Then she put the blue and red batches in the lower oven. She even found room in one of the ovens for the six multicolored cupcakes in the top oven. When she was finished, there was an awkward silence in the room despite the music that was still playing. There wasn't really much we could do. I scratched the back of my neck nervously. "Do…you think we overestimated how much time we're gonna need today?" I asked, trying to keep the conversation going.

"Hmm…well with all the help I'll be getting and the batches being pretty much done, we might be done earlier than I thought," Natsuki admitted. "Although with Yuri and Sayori finishing up the stuff from yesterday, it might be a bit longer."

"It shouldn't take them too long, I think," Monika said. She walked over and peaked into the living room then came back. "All they're doing it sketching out the words right now and then I imagine they're just gonna paint them in. Shouldn't take too long." Monika turned to me. "Do you think we should do those sandwiches after this?"

"Naw, let's wait until later," I said. "The fresher the better."

Natsuki looked between the two of us, She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it. Then, looking as if she was steeling herself, she cleared her throat. "Hey, can I ask you guys something?"

Monika and I exchanged a slightly nervous glance, then turned to face Natsuki again. "Sure, what's on your mind?" Monika asked.

Natsuki sighed, then asked "Are you and Josiah secretly…um…dating?"

If it wasn't for the music, we would have been able to hear a pin drop. My eyes widened as did Monika's. She was the first to speak. "Um…what gave you that idea?"

"Oh, come on, it's pretty obvious," she said. "You guys always have those talks with each other and you always look so serious. Plus, don't think I haven't noticed the looks you're giving him, Monika. I'm not stupid."

Monika gulped. "I never said you were."

Natsuki nodded. "Well…good. Because I'm not. And besides," she continued, "with what's going on with Josiah and Meiji, how would it even work? What if Josiah disappears?"

Monika's face went pale. I felt the blood drain from my face as well. This isn't good, Meiji said. She's gonna figure everything out.

"It's…look, it's a lot more complicated than that," I said.

"How?" Natsuki asked. "How could it be more complicated?"

I'm pretty sure she's getting close to figuring it out, Meiji said.

You're not helping! I shouted.

Geez, sorry… he said with a huff.

Natsuki then sighed. "Monika, I'm sure you know that Sayori has a thing for Meiji, don't you?"

Monika looked down and nodded slowly. "Yeah…I figured that out a while ago."

Natsuki's expression became one that was as close to concern as she could muster. She softened her voice a bit. "Hey, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought this up."

"No no, you're right," Monika said. "I mean, I do have a crush on Josiah, and I've told him that. But…I know that there's a chance he'll disappear."

Natsuki frowned. "Yeah…I'll drop the subject now." She headed past us and into the living room to check on Yuri and Sayori.

Monika walked up and whispered, "That was close."

"Too close," I agreed. "We might have to spill the beans later." I walked over to where Natsuki was with Monika beside me. Yuri and Sayori were still in the middle of tracing the words onto the banners.

When Yuri noticed us, she smiled a bit. "We should be done here relatively fast," she said. "How are things in there?"

"We just put the cupcakes in the oven," Monika said.

"Oooh yay!" Sayori said. "Mmm, I can smell it from here."

"Good," Natsuki said. Then she turned to me and Monika. "Hey, while we're waiting, let's get some color in the icing."

Before Natsuki said anything, I grabbed a few more bowls. Just like with the batter, Natsuki, Monika and I made multicolored frosting and then Natsuki showed us how to put them in frosting bags.

Sayori and Yuri came back in just then and Sayori, sniffing the air, rushed over to the oven. She opened it a bit and inhaled deeply. "Yuuuummy…" she shuddered, drooling a bit.

"Wipe your mouth," I said with a grin.

The girls chuckled as Sayori wiped her face with her sleeve with a blush as she closed the oven. "Sorry," she giggled.

"How'd the banners turn out?" Monika asked after a few more seconds of chuckling and giggling.

"They turned out really well," Yuri said. "Sayori's an exceptional artist."

"Ehehe, that's not true. Your drawings are amazing," Sayori said with a smile. "I was only able to draw them because of your talent!"

Yuri smiled a bit shyly. "Well…thank you for saying so."

"It should be dry by tomorrow, right?" I asked.

"I believe so," Yuri said. "Um, Monika? Josiah? I hope I'm not imposing to ask you to carry all these to school tomorrow."

"Not at all," I said.

"I'll be able to help too!" Sayori jumped in.

You are not carrying the food, Meiji said. I could almost feel the grin on his face. Sayori pouted when I repeated Meiji's words, and the girls laughed again.

Just then the timer in the kitchen went off. Natsuki headed past everyone to go check on the cupcakes, grabbing a toothpick as she went down. The air was immediately filled with warmth and a sweet smell. The rest of us waited for the verdict. She pulled each pan out, sticking the toothpick in and bringing them out. Eventually, Natsuki gave a thumbs up as she brought them all out, setting them all down carefully on the counter to cool. "They turned out perfectly!" she said happily.

"How long do they need to cool?" I asked.

"I'll let you know," Natsuki said. "It shouldn't be too long, though. But let me show you guys something cool!" Natsuki went to her bags and pulled out a bag full of plastic frosting nozzles. "Check these out!"

"Ah, aren't those used for decorating cakes with special designs?" Yuri asked, picking one up and looking it over curiously.

"That's right," Natsuki said proudly, holding one up. "With these, we can make different designs and decorate the cupcakes however we want! This one can even make flowers, although we probably won't be doing that this time around."

"How come?" Monika asked.

"Yeah! It would look really cute!" Sayori added.

"Well, I would do them, but the cupcakes are a bit small for flowers," Natsuki said as she put the nozzle away. "I use this one mostly for when I make small cakes."

"Fair enough," I said.

While the rest of us looked at the different shapes of nozzles, Natsuki went and touched the cupcakes to see if they were cool enough. "Hmm…yeah, I think we can begin decorating now. Just let me bring them all out." Slowly but carefully, Natsuki pulled all the cupcakes out of their trays, setting them on the counter carefully. When she was done, she smiled proudly. "Damn, don't those look great?"

"Yeah, they sure do," I said. "So, what's your plan for the frosting?"

"Well, now is when we can get really creative," Natsuki said. She picked up one of the nozzles. "Like this, watch." Attaching the tip to the blue frosting, she walked over to one of the cupcakes and began slowly squeezing. The frosting came out and her hand moved, then stopped, then moved again as it went around the outer edge of the cupcake. When her frosting trail reached the beginning, she began to spiral it until she'd reached the center. Then she grabbed some sprinkles and added them quickly. "See that? And that's not even the most creative we can get here. So everyone take ten cupcakes and let's get started."

The rest of us looked at each other, then almost as one, we began to decorate cupcakes. Sayori really got into it, trying very hard to be careful. Yuri's own steady hand was amazing to watch as she utilized her own artistic abilities to design what were, in my opinion, quite fancy frosting designs. Monika's own designs were also quite beautiful. Natsuki, by virtue of experience, was not only faster than us, but also could keep up stylewise. I worked on the multicolored cupcakes, trying to keep up with the others.

When we were all finished, we had five large platters of cupcakes, all decorated with various colors and sprinkles as well. The kitchen was a mess, so while the girls began to gather the finished cupcakes and place them on the kitchen table, I grabbed a kitchen rag and began washing the counters. The girls soon came over and helped by sweeping the floor and washing the cooking utensils and bowls. It took about a half an hour, but soon the kitchen was completely spotless and all the dirty dishes were washed and drying. Natsuki was putting her own containers away when I looked at the kitchen clock. To my surprise, it said that it was just past twelve in the afternoon. I turned to Natsuki. "So…is there anything else we should be doing?"

She looked around. "Honestly? We finished a lot faster than I expected. I was expecting this to take all afternoon." Just then her stomach growled. She blushed and looked down.

I smiled and stretched. Think it's about time to use that money your parents gave us? I asked.

Yeah, I think it is, Meiji chuckled.

Good. I cleared my throat and got into one of Monika's poses. "Okay, everyone! I don't know about you, but I'm hungry. Who wants to go out for a bit, my treat?"

Yuri looked a bit nervous at that. "Um, are you sure about that? You've already spent so much on us already."

"It's alright," I said. "Besides, we've only spent time doing club related things. I think we should take advantage of the great weather today. And you can leave your heavy stuff here."

"Well, I can't be out that long," Natsuki said. "I need to be home by seven at least. Dad doesn't like it when our place is empty."

"Don't worry," I said. "We'll be back here way before that. I just thought we'd spend a few hours out together. I mean, we didn't see much of that mall. And I haven't seen too much of this city."

"Then let's go get some food!" Sayori, who was already heading to the door, said eagerly.

"Thank you, Josiah," Monika said gratefully as she grabbed a pair of Aiko's shoes from the front.

"Not a problem," I said as I grabbed a pair of shoes and put them on. I stood by the door as the other girls got ready. When they were all ready, I smiled. "Alright then, let the multiple date of all dates begin!" I said with a wry grin as I swung the door open wide…

Finally finished this part of the chapter! Sorry about the wait!

morbiusgreen