Days have passed since that morning. It feels like years to me.
Sayori's condition remarkably improved, in both her spirit and her body. I made the effort to visit her each day after school, making the mad dash to the hospital grounds to see her as soon as possible. After that, I would stay by her side and be there for her until it came sundown, or until the staff informed me it was time for curfew.
Each time I stepped into her room, her smile was there to greet me.
I kept in close contact with her parents, usually dropping by early in the mornings before school to check up on them. A nice cup of tea was always prepared for me by Ms. Asoka, and Mr. Asoka was always warm and courteous, clapping me on the back and treating me like a father would his son. It was an oddly warm feeling, being so welcomed by him when beforehand it seemed like we were on thinning ice in the few times we interacted before that morning, but I gladly accepted it.
For the time being, Monika decided to postpone 'official' Literature Club meetings until Sayori returned. In its place, we mostly just hung out in the clubroom and continued to refine our plans for the festival. A majority of the time was spent rehearsing speaking aloud to the audience, working out our stutters and shakes in our voices. Sayori, to loving reactions, always joined in via video-chat, keeping the mood light and happy, her bright laughter filling the room through Monika's laptop.
The school was understanding of the situation and agreed to reschedule the Literature Club's planned presentation, now shifted to the second to last day of the festival (which spanned across the week and ended on the last day before the winter break). It threw quite the wrench into the schools planned schedule, but it was done, with the culinary arts club taking our time slot. The school made it clear they couldn't push the presentation any further (as it would mess with the grand finale for the festival), and, despite there being no official word on if Sayori would even be out of the hospital by that time, we went along with it. We were essentially living on hope.
Finally, the word came, the night before the Literature Club's presentation. Sayori, after being intensely looked over by Dr. Nakai, allowed for her to be released, just in time for her to appear at the presentation. It was as if a great weight was lifted off our shoulders when we heard the news.
We patiently waited in the lobby of the hospital, thumbs twiddling, waiting for Sayori to be officially released. We looked fairly out of place, mixed with the elders and small children ("shouldn't they be in school?" I heard one woman say), but we didn't care. The minutes felt like eons.
Soon, Sayori and her parents walked through the double doors of the infirmary. Dressed in her school uniform, she looked about as normal as ever. When she spotted us, she broke out into a bright smile, the smile I always knew, only this time it felt genuine. We all rushed up to greet her, arms open.
For a brief moment, Sayori and I exchanged warm glances before Monika rushed up and embraced her vice-president in a tight hug, much to Sayori's surprise.
"How are you feeling, sweetie?" Monika asked her, a happy tear blooming in her eye.
Sayori paused.
"Hungry".
We arrived at the school just in time for B lunch. Seamlessly, we blended in with the swirling crowd of students eagerly lining up for today's menu. On the koi pond foyer, I could see students and teachers helping set up the booths for tonight's events. Despite Monika, Yuri and Sayori not supposed to have this specific lunch, they decided, just this once, to cut class and have a school lunch together. Like a family.
When we all sat down at the table, Monika was the first to speak.
"Okay. So here's the plan."
Monika's plan was fairly simple, but tricky to pull off without a problem. Monika was going to start off the presentation with a short, heavily-prepared speech about how valuable literature is to the world, and what joining the literature club can do for you. Very artsy and poetic, written in Monika's trademark blend of professionality and personality. Afterward, each of us (ordered by Monika, Sayori, Yuri, Natsuki, then myself) would go up to the mic and read our rehearsed poems.
To finish it all off with a cherry on top, Monika would play her self-written song to the crowd, and that we'd split up and enjoy the rest of the festival. Not as grand as some of the other club presentations (you should have seen the anime club's...), but it's something you would hopefully think twice about. At least, that was the idea.
Monika speared some of her ranch-dripped salad with her fork. "So that's that. I hope everyone knows what poem they're going to read?" She looked expectantly around the table.
Yuri smiled faintly. "Ah, y-yes."
Natsuki nodded, her mouth full of her bento lunch. "Mhmmph." She started to reach into her bag.
Sayori smiled. "You betcha! I have it saved on my phone." Eagerly, Sayori whipped out her phone and started to type.
I took a bite of my fried rice. "Yeah, I finished the final touches last night. I'm honestly excited to present."
Monika smiled warmly. "As am I, Kazuma. This is gonna be amazing!"
After that, we finished up our lunches and talked about what we would be doing after the presentation. The whole time, I couldn't help but feel Natsuki's eyes on me, glancing away whenever I looked up. With Sayori's situation, I admittedly haven't been talking to her as much as I'd have, but hopefully we can make up that lost time at-
The bell rings. The cafeteria becomes alive with students getting ready to return to class. Monika and Sayori get up, entangled in a convo about possible Literature Club meetings over the break. Yuri is out the door already, her book bag bouncing on her shoulder.
I felt a light hand tap me on the shoulder.
"Hey, wanna walk with me to my class?" I hear Natsuki's sweet voice say.
"Ah, s-sure." I respond, hearing my voice skip a beat.
We slowly head out the door and mingle with the crowd of students. Natsuki is shuffling through her bag while she walks, her fingers running across the next issue of Parfait Girls. She quickly closes up her bag and slings it across her shoulder. Double-checking to make sure it was there, I guess?
"So um, I was just thinking-and you don't have to do it if you don't want to," Natsuki starts to say, "but, um, maaaybe after the presentation you'd want to...to…", she loses her train of thought.
This can't be. Is she…
...is she trying to ask me out?!
"Explore the festival with you? Yeah, I'd love to." I say, barely even thinking twice about it. Are you kidding me? I'd want nothing more than to spend a little bit more time with her.
Natsuki smiles. "Cool."
I don't know why, but something compels me to speak about the...situation, we've all been dealing with.
"So um...I'm sorry for not, y'know, texting you that much this week. What with how things have-"
Natsuki looks awkwardly at me. "Are you kidding me? Of course I understand. Don't...don't worry about it. Sayori, in her state, takes priority over any of us."
She stops herself. "Oh...well, maybe you should be spending the f-festival with her, then…"
I linger over the thought. Maybe I should? I'm not really sure. I mean, I have been spending the whole week by her side, and I've definitely seen her a lot. Certainly she wouldn't mind if I just spent the rest of today with Natsuki.
"Ah, I think I'll just ask her later on. Even if she says she wants to, we could always just spend the day together tomorrow? It's the finale of the festival, after all."
Natsuki thinks it over for a beat. "Yeah, true."
We approach her classroom door, biology. The last few students are slowly trickling through the door. Yknow, standing together like this, we kind of look like a-
"Alright, well…" she give me a gentle wave. "Bye."
I feel a heat rising to my cheeks. "Bye." Natsuki turns and walks into her class.
I pause for a moment, letting the sunlight streaming in through the hallway windows wash over me. What a week it's been. And it's only gonna get crazier, I feel.
Not hesitating, I turn on my heel and head for my class.
…
Sunset was starting to glaze over our town, the soft golden rays of sun streaming in through the windows of the clubroom. The blinds were raised slightly, with one of the windows cracked open to let cool air blow in. Out on the foyer, the lights of the booths and tables were starting to shine. Down below, I could hear the energetic chatter of students and teachers, ready for the festivities to begin. A variety of smells (oils cooking, foods frying, candles being lit) swirl in my nose.
We had organized some of the desks into a little table, with a few select snacks and drinks set out. Yuri's phone was plugged up to the teacher's speaker set, playing choice cuts from Yuri's music selection. The smell of Yuri's relaxing jasmine oils fermented the air, admittedly putting me in an intoxicating sense of ease (I'll have to ask her where she buys them later). I was seated at the makeshift table, Yuri and Sayori adjacent to me. Monika was busy talking to Natsuki at the teachers desk, enveloped in a quiet, hushed conversation. I couldn't make out their words well, but I think my name came up-
Monika glanced up at the wall clock and got up from her spot. She grabbed her drink and clinked the glass with her pen. "Hey, everyone? Can I have everyone's attention?"
We all glance at Monika.
"I'd um…" she pauses. "I'd just like to say thank you, to all of you, for making the literature club what it is. When I first made the club, I never expected anyone to join, and I was preparing myself to end up shutting it down early."
She continues. "But, everyday I'm reminded how thankful I am for all of you joining me. You all have truly made this club a special place, in many more ways than one."
"Even if we don't get a single new member after tonight, I'd still be happy. Why?" She smiles. "Because I still have you all."
"Aww, Monny…" Sayori said, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. "That's so sweet."
"And finally, I'd just like to say...thank you, Kazuma."
I look up, surprised. "What for?"
Monika smiles. "Well, what else for? For putting up with us for so long, for putting in the effort to write a poem in the first few days you joined, for helping us out with the festival, and for being there for all of us when we needed someone to be."
"You really are one of a kind, Kazuma."
I couldn't hide the blush in my cheeks, the wide smile spread across my face.
"Awww, Kazumaaaaa! You're blushiiing!" Sayori cooed, setting down her drink. She embraced me in a tight hug, which further reddened my blush.
The clock chimed. 7:00m. The Literature Club was the last to present at around 7:35, but it was considered disrespectful to skimp out on the other clubs presentations, which were about to start.
Monika quickly grabbed her black purse and picked up her spread of notebook paper, filled with words. "Okay everyone! Ready to go?"
...
The school foyer was transformed. Rows of booths were set up, with colored ribbons and banners stringing them together. The area around the koi pond was decorated with softly-lit lanterns, the glow reflecting across the water. Dozens of students were spread out across the main area, sitting and chatting, bountiful plates of food in hand. The smells were rich, fresh with the sizzling hot food being served. It made my mouth water, but I shoved the thought of hunger aside. There would be plenty of time to eat afterward.
We stepped into the main school building, which led into the auditorium. Some fifty feet high, it was expansive, with rows and rows of wood chairs stretching to the front of the stage. More banners were hung up across the walls, showing off various colleges and universities.
We quickly took our spots at the reserved 'club section' towards the front of the stage just as the lights started to fully dim.
On the stage I could see our vice-principal, Ms. Kajo, a slightly older woman with strands of gray in her brown hair. Dressed in a red pantsuit, she stood at the front of the mic, with a row of teachers and staff seated behind her.
"...please allow me to introduce our wonderful principal, Mr. Hideko Terai!" Hearty applause followed.
Our principal, Mr. Terai, took the stage. He was almost elder, around 50-ish with a balding head and hawkish eyes. Dressed in a slightly baggy gray suit, he waved gingerly to his audience before taking the mic from his vice principal.
"Thank you! Thank you all for coming tonight for our school club presentations for the 2017 to 2018 year!"
"As you come back from the winter break, it's very important to keep the idea of joining a club or two, not only to keep you occupied, but to make you more desirable for future colleges and universities you'll be applying to as seniors."
"Studies prove that students who were apart of at least one school club have a 40% higher chance of being accepted to the school of their choice than a student who didn't join clubs at all! Think about that."
Sayori jokingly nudges me in the shoulder. "Think about that." I stifle a laugh.
Mr. Terai shuffles through his notecards.
"The three great clubs we have presenting tonight are the Japanese history club, the Veterinary Studies club and the Literature Club. These clubs are recently formed and are now taking applications for the next semester, so be sure to talk to their club presidents if interested."
He clears his throat.
"Without further ado, let's begin!"
First up was the Japanese history club, with an intriguing mini-play showcasing, in two minutes, the history of our nation from our roots as an imperial empire to the gleaming democratic power it is today. A well-designed slideshow briefly going over Japan's rich history (from our days as an isolated empire to our status as an Asian superpower) followed as their club-president, a brown-haired senior, announced they were already planning a class trip to Hiroshima and Nagasaki for the next year. When he finished, I heard murmurs behind me of students wanting to sign up after the break.
Well, good for them.
Next up was the veterinary club, ready with a litter of adorably fluffy, mewling kittens to show off on the big screen, a camera connected to the projector high up on the ceiling. Massive waves of awws and 'so cuuute!' as the little fluffballs flopped around and played with each other on a little table. As one of the boys from the club was telling everyone the names of the kittens, I couldn't help but notice that their presentation didn't really specify what they do in the club (even if it was in the title of the club), but regardless, it had everyone's attention.
Mr. Terai took to the stage a final time, taking the mic from the ashy-brown haired girl, presumably the club president. In Mr. Terai's hands were a couple of slightly-crumpled notecards. He shuffled through them quickly.
"And lastly, we have the...Doki Doki Literature Club, led by-" he glanced down at his notecard "-President Monika Sehlke!" Whoops and cheers went up at mention of the name. Through the darkness, I could see a smile spread across Monika's face, enjoying the praise of her fellow students.
"They will be sharing some of the poems they have written over the past few week, followed by a song performance. Let's have a big round of applause for the Literature Club!" Mic still on hand, Mr. Terai started to clap, the sounds clipping in on the mic. He quickly clicked it off.
I took a shaky breath, my hands becoming slick with sweat, trembling with nervousness. Oh shit, this is really happening, isn't it? It's happening. I looked at Natsuki. I could see her almost trembling, hiding her face with a strand of her hair.
The roar of the applause swelled in my ears. I took a deep breath, just as Sayori and Yuri were starting to get up.
Here we go.
We started our way towards the stage.