The rooftop to the Yamaku High School seniors wing was supposed to be locked, but even the toughest of locks can be manipulated by a simple, candy-red bobby pin.
The roof opened up to a surprisingly barebones patio area, a curved row of wood benches encircling a low, flat table. A simple chain link fence ran along the perimeter of the roof. Typical schoolyard gravel made up the floor. The roof itself was about three stories above the ground, overlooking the courtyard and rest of the school festivities going on below. If you turned around, you could stare across the rows and rows of tiny little houses and shops that made up Edogawa. Squint, and you could just barely see the Tokyo skyline.
As the sun began to fall, the town of Edogawa transformed into a twinkling mass of hazy yellow and white lights ,sparkling against the sky. Sunset reflected across the stringy clouds, cotton candy puffs of orange and pink. Even so many miles away from the signature landmark, you could make out the bold outline of Mt. Fuji as the waves of blushy orange sunset morphed into somber blue and black. Squint, and you could make out the first stars starting to twinkle in the sky.
"Oh, come oooon, Monika!" Natsuki jeered, leaning on the shoulder of her president. "It's the last day before the break! Loosen up! Live a little!"
Monika couldn't help but scoff at the carefree remark. "You can loosen up, I'll make sure I can go back to this school when break ends."
As much as Monika would like to kick back and finally start to relax, this was going a bit far. I mean, underage drinking? On school property? What was she, a Yakuza now? While taking a few swigs from the jager bottle wouldn't bat anyones eye back in Poland, this is Japan. While it's true that most kids who drink don't get frisked about it, Lord help you if you do get caught. The last thing Monika Sehlke wanted to have on her uneditable school record was an arrest and a hefty fine for drinking a glass of some cheap sake.
But here she was, resigned to the role of babysitter to a quartet of schoolchildren eager to get drunk.
As she walked up the dusty stairs leading up to the roof, Monika couldn't help but wonder; out of anyone in the Literature Club, why was Yuri the one supplying the booze? And how did she know how to pick a lock? And why was she the driving force (aside from Natsuki) convincing us to go up here and drink, anyway?
And why did she fucking have a bottle of wine to begin with?
The Literature Club (Yuri, Natsuki, Sayori and Kazuma) took spots at the table, with Natsuki and an increasingly concerned/bemused looking Kazuma sitting almost shoulder to shoulder. Yuri carefully set a small glass in front of everyone. Lifting it out of her bag, the violet-haired girl started to set up a wine cooler on a tiny plastic stand.
"Look, Monika.", Natsuki said, playing with her wine glass with her index finger. "Nobody even knows were up here. Everyone's down at the festival, remember? For all anybody knows, nobody is even in the building. There's absolutely nothing to worry about."
Monika didn't say anything in reply.
"Monikaaaaa." Natsuki said, her voice dripping with smugness. "You knowwww I'm riiiight."
"Yeah, Moni, come onnnn." Sayori said, gently poking her superior club member in the cheek. "You knowwww she's riiiight."
"You knooowww," Monika said, putting a protective hand against her cheek to block Sayori's finger." I still have your keychain from the last time you came over, Sayori. So if you want it back, I would suggest you knock it off." Monika said, her voice taking on a flat tone. Sayori reeled back, wounded by the notion she would never ever ever give back her lucky mini ramen noodle cup (with a cute little piece of broccoli floating in it).
Resigned, Sayori turned to look at the duo sitting next to her.
"Soooo…"
Kazuma gave Sayori a bemused, almost genuinely confused look. "Soooo…?"
"What took you two so look when you were coming back to the stage?"
Hot red blushes ran to their faces.
Monika leaned over to Yuri, who was pausing from setting up to start a playlist on her phone. Her voice was low. "You know, you don't really strike me as the drinking type, Yuri." Yuri only laughed. "Well, on any other day, I would absolutely be against something like this. But…" she paused. "It's like Natsuki said; it's the last day of break. Why not take a moment to enjoy ourselves?"
Monika glanced back at the three Literature club members, two of the which now trying to rid the burned redness on their faces. Natsuki was holding up her hand to her face, while Kazuma kept his eyes down.
"We've done nothing but work hard and study even harder this semester. We've hardly had a chance to relax or enjoy a day to ourselves. Exams were certainly an obstacle we had to grieve and stress over, atop of our homework and everything else. So, why not simply relax for a bit? And, after all, it's almost the New Year; a time for festivities and fun. It would be a crime to skip out on a chance like this."
"Hm...I suppose you're right." Monika glanced back with uncertainty at the exit door leading downstairs. "But aren't you worried we'll get caught? Certainly someone is going to wonder where we were. Or is somebody saw us…"
Yuri seemed unfazed. "It's like Natsuki said; everyone is attending the festival. Not a single person is in this area of the school. All the activity is down there." Yuri said, making a gesture to the rows of temporary booths scattering the courtyard. Monika muttered to herself, still uncertain. Even Yuri, who Monika always viewed as the mature one of her group, was behind this to and through.
The glasses quickly filled up. Everyone picked up their glasses, eager to take their first drink.
Monika just stared at hers.
"Seriously? You're not even gonna take a sip?" Natsuki said, giving her a pointed look.
Monika stared down at the glass, watching the drink ripple ever so slightly. Down below, she could hear the chatter and laughter of all the people enjoying the festival. Even all the way up on the roof, she could smell the freshly cooked food, the candles, the smoke from the sparklers. The festivities were in full swing, and in a few hours the fireworks festival would begin.
Monika blinked harshly, as if she signed away some part of her dignity in a single moment.
She raised her glass.
"To the Literature Club!" she announced with pride.
The other four raised their glasses up to clink.
"To the Literature Club!"
Hours Later
Head resting in her folded arm, Sayori slowly poked the half-empty wine cooler out of sheer boredom, listening to the slosh slosh slosh of what was left of the wine inside the container. The box slowly teetered to one side...then the other...then the other…then the other-
"Sayori." Monika said, breaking the silence.
Lazily, Sayori glanced at her superior. "Mmmmm?"
Monika gently pushed her four-times drained wine glass to her vice-president. "Pour me a glasssss….ssshshshshshsh…" Monika's voice trailed off, not sure where it wanted to stop talking. What little strength she had that was pushing the glass to Sayori faded, and she stopped halfway.
"So, I was just thinking…" a woozy Natsuki said from underneath the table, laying down on her bench with her head resting in Kazuma's lap. "What if we…" Natsuki stopped. "What if...w-w-what if we just…" Natsuki stopped again. "What i-what if we-" Natsuki giggled to herself, failing for the third time to comprehend her original point.
Kazuma slowly stroked Natsuki's hair, his free hand slowly rubbing her chin. "Shhh...shhhh...don't think too hard Natsuki, you'll hurt yourself."
Natsuki didn't say anything for a moment, trying to register what her dummy just said. Slowly, a pointed look formed on her face. "What does that mean?", she finally said, an edge of tsundere anger in voice.
"Ahhh…" Kazuma paused, himself trying to think of a response. "Just
"Sh-shut up...just keep rubbing my head." Natsuki slurred.
"As you wish, my dear princess." Kazuma replied cooly.
Natsuki blushed, smiling slightly. Kazuma slowly rubbed the pink-haired girls head, his other hand slowly rubbing against her stomach.
Sayori drained the last of her glass and gently set it down on the table. "So what are we gonna try to d-d-do after the break, Monikaaa?"
Sayori glanced at Monika.
Monika was snoring quietly, her head buried under her folded arms, hair flipped over herself like a curtain.
"Monika." Sayori repeated.
No response.
"MONIKA!" Sayori yelled.
The club president awoke with a stupor. "Wh-huh? What, I'llll ssstudy laterrrr, godddamnit!" She growled, drunk anger lacing her voice.
"WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO AFTER THE BREAK!" Sayori yelled, as if she was trying to talk in the middle of a monster truck show.
"Hhhh...I don't know…' Monika was silent for about 10 seconds. "...books…"
Sayori looked at the ground, the gears in her head turning.
"Books...booksbooksbooks…" Sayori repeated the word as if she had never once heard it before. "What a...weeeeird...wordd…books are weird."
Monika squinted. "Don't talk about b-b-books like that.", she said, actually sounding insulted by the comment.
Natsuki slowly rose from lying down on the bench like a mummy rising from a sarcophagus, getting up to the table.
"Yeah, well, just don't' say that-EEEEEEEE!" Natsuki cut herself off with a shrill scream.
There was a loud shooooom! as the first firework speared into the sky, a white trail of smoke in its wake. BOOOOMcrackacrackacrackle! The firework burst into a colorful spiral of gold and white, lighting up the black night sky. The sound was so loud and so close, you could feel the boom of the sound ripple against your skin.
"Wooooahhhh…!" Sayori gasped, arching her head back to stare directly up at the fireworks. Monika glanced up, a drunk smile rising to her face.
Underneath the table, Natsuki's hands quickly reached out to entwine with Kazuma's. The boy
For a blissful minute, it was just them four silently watching the fireworks shoot up into the sky and explode with a dazzling display. Down below, the cheers of the students grew louder, rising and falling with each new explosion.
Suddenly.
"Wheeeeeeeee! WOOooOOoO!"
The four club members turned around.
Speeding around the empty roof area was Yuri, clutching to the arm-rests of a leather swivel chair she was propeling across the roof by kicking the ground. Squeezed between her thighs was a sloshing wine bottle, the maroon liquids spilling out in drops on the ground.
"Ahahahahaaaaaaaa! This is sooo much fuuuun! Wheeee!"
Her dark violet hair blew in the wind, her blazer tied around her neck like a cape. The lights from the fireworks briefly illuminated her in short bursts, showing her vest was slightly damp from being unable to properly polish off the wine bottle.
Sayori, Monika, Natsuki and Kazuma just stared in silence at their drunk bookworm friend, racing around the roof by herself, making car engine noises and spinning in circles. The chair made a sharp turn and tipped over. Yuri fell and rolled across the ground, the wine bottle rolling away from her. Monika and Sayori drunkenly snapped to attention and rose from their spots to assist their fallen clubmate, now rolling around on the ground and laughing her head off.
Kazuma turned to Natsuki.
"W-we should've just stayed in the clubroom."