Chapter 12: Scrapper
A chapter where understanding comes from struggling.
Out of the four students who had slipped into the bathroom, Monika had been able to identify at least three. The first had been Tomoe who had been named by one of the other girls whose voice had been aggravatingly familiar to her, and after careful thinking had recognized it as the girl who had pummeled Natsuki: Kanako. Another girl in the group had been named as Ayano by Kanako, giving her three names that she could very easily trace back. Memory and deductive reasoning told her they were all members of the debate club, and it wouldn't be hard to gain access to a yearbook or a student record, and then all she would have to do is cross-reference their names and faces. With a little bit of time, coordination, and access to the internet, she could know everything about the girls from their class schedule to their addresses, before cornering them all and sinking her fangs into their necks.
The problem was she had absolutely no time to carry any of these things out. The way they had spoken about their scheme seemed to indicate that they planned to strike that very day, leaving Monika less than two hours until clubs ended to formulate and enact a plan of her own. She was supposed to be clever, a proficient student capable of overcoming any obstacle be it physical or academical. Two hours was more than enough time for her to figure out how to help Natsuki from getting ganged up on and expelled.
Wasn't it?
Monika breathed deeply through her nose and glanced over at Sayori who hobbled on crutches beside her. Sayori hadn't spoken since they had left the bathroom, and Monika figured they were both thinking about the same thing. It was almost as if the problem that had drawn Monika to the bathroom in the first place had been forgotten in the wake of what they had heard, and she didn't want that. She didn't want Sayori to just slide her feelings under the bed and out of sight like she always did, she wanted to help her, to help all of them. As they approached the clubroom, Monika reached a hand out to grab Sayori's shoulder, stopping them both.
"Hey, I don't want to dismiss what happened back there with you. Are you sure you're okay?" Sayori turned back to look at her, but their eyes didn't quite meet. "If you don't feel like doing the club today, I'll understand, alright? Don't force yourself."
"I'm not. Forcing myself I mean, I'm okay- well, I'm not really okay but-" Sayori sighed, her breath still heavy from crying and took a second to regather her words. "I'm… just worried, I guess. It's hard trying to pretend I don't know something bad is going to happen, just being in the club like we normally are, except she's not there and there's nothing I can do about it." Her gaze fell to the floor, and for a moment they stood in silence. Monika knew exactly how she felt, better than anyone in fact, and it was for that reason that she knew exactly what to say; it was what she herself wanted to hear.
"We're going to fix it before it even becomes a problem. We've got the advantage of knowing their entire plan, and together we're bound to figure out how to stop them." Monika assured. "Their idea has to have weak spots or loose strings, right? All we have to do is untie the knot." She gave her friend's shoulder a gentle squeeze, and when Sayori finally met her eyes there was a glimmer of hope sparkling within them. It was a noticeable improvement from when she had first found Sayori crying on the toilet with her head in her hands, and though she'd never say it out loud, she thought hope suited Sayori much better than despair.
Sayori took another deep breath before turning her attention back to the clubroom door. "Alright, in that case, I think I'm ready." She concluded. "Whatever happens we'll face it together, right?" Monika knew full well that Sayori had meant "together" in the sense of all of them, the entire literature club facing a common goal, but it didn't stop her from liking the sound of it, though she knew she shouldn't. Together. She quieted her beating heart and gave Sayori a nod before stepping up to the door and sliding it open, grasping at the chance to pour more hope into her friend, to see her light up with determination to tackle the future. To tackle it together.
"Ah, I was beginning to worry! I do hope the stairs weren't too much trouble." Monika's blood ran ice cold as the voice called out from the classroom. She had completely forgotten to tell Sayori that their impromptu inspector was there, the chaos of comforting Sayori to overhearing Kanako's plan to assault Natsuki having taken precedence in her mind. She didn't have time to check her reaction either as Sayori hobbled past her and into the classroom. Monika quickly followed behind and slid the door shut behind them, but before she could speak Sayori had already taken the lead.
"Oh, hello Ms. Kusumoto! Welcome to our club, I didn't know we were having a guest today! I'm very sorry for keeping you, getting up and down the stairs takes a while now, what with my leg and all. Ehehe." Sayori's voice held just the right amount of surprise, delight littered in her tone as she bowed her head respectfully. Though she was turned facing away from her, Monika suspected Sayori had managed to hide any unease or alarm quite well as Ms. Kusumoto simply bowed in return from her seat at the teacher's desk. Monika noticed that a laptop now sat in front of Ms. Kusumoto, already opened and turned on, though she kept her pen and pad in her hands.
"Please, I'm sure traversing in that condition must be difficult." Ms Kusumto answered with a warm smile. "I'm just here to assist the club president from the background and maybe ask a few questions, listen in on your work. I've already talked with Ms. Okumura a bit, but I won't interrupt your club time any more than necessary!" With that said she motioned towards Monika as if she was giving her the floor to speak, and Monika felt a stab of annoyance. As if I need permission to speak in my own club. She took a quiet breath to shake off any anxious jitters or leftover irritation and finally turned to address her club. Making a plan to bail Natsuki out of trouble just became much more difficult.
Monika cleared her throat with a quick ahem and took her pen out from her blazer, twirling it between her fingers. Yuri remained in the back corner, her head buried in her arms with her usual hardcover blocking view of the rest of her, while Sayori was bent over in her seat, digging rigorously through her school bag. Monika felt a pulling in her gut that told her something wasn't quite right, but she couldn't address it here. Not yet.
"Right, so I think we're going to keep things pretty simple since we're down a member for the day. Just go about your normal reading or work on your poems if you haven't finished them, and I'll be stopping by to check in a bit, okay?" Monika announced with as much pep as she could manage. Yuri slowly nodded from behind her book while Sayori shot a thumbs-up into the air, still buried in her bag. Monika could hear the scratching of pen against paper behind her and rolled her eyes, but kept her composure as she turned to where her own school bag was deposited in an empty desk.
"Sayori, c-could you assist me?" Yuri murmured from the back, her voice still muffled by her sleeves. "T-there's a- erm, well there's a word I don't know and I just…" Her voice steadily shrunk down until it almost became a whisper. "… need your help, please." Sayori didn't hesitate in grabbing her crutches and what looked to be her poem from her bag, silently stepping over to where Yuri sat and beaming widely as she passed. The idea of Yuri not understanding a word and asking Sayori of all people to clarify was comical at best, but Monika could point out the request for hidden conversation a mile away. To someone who didn't know Yuri however, it would come off as only a shy student asking for help. Clever thinking, Yuri.
"Just keep it down, you two." Monika told them as opened her bag. Now they had an excuse to whisper. She glanced up towards the teacher's desk to see that Ms. Kusumoto was typing away at her laptop. Whether she was actually busying herself with work or trying to give off the appearance of such, Monika wasn't sure, but she knew better than to lower her guard. She pulled her composition book from her bag and opened to a new page that was ripe for jotting down ideas. She had time to come up with a few plans to tackle the Natsuki issue before she would "check-in" with Yuri and Sayori, where they could discuss the issue properly. Doing so with Ms. Kusumoto present would be an obstacle, but so long as they all kept quiet she had faith they could figure something out.
Twenty minutes later, Monika sat staring at a blank page of her notebook feeling unbelievably frustrated and far from clever. She had only written a few ideas down and not a single one had led anywhere. The obvious answer was to go to the staff and inform them of the pending assault as well as forewarn them of the girls' plans to frame Natsuki. The problem therein lied that they had no proof aside from their word which didn't amount to much when an investigation was being launched against their club for deceptive behavior.
Using the picture Monika had taken of the first attack was dead in the water, mostly due to the fact that while it had captured the scene fairly well, the distance hadn't exactly been kind to the finer details of the shot. It was obvious three students were fighting Natsuki, but pixelization and blurring meant those faces could belong to anyone. Monika bitterly regretted not using Sayori's phone instead as it's camera quality was leagues above her own, but of course there had been no way of knowing what would happen back then.
Even with those details aside, it didn't prevent Natsuki from being attacked since it was to take place out of school and out of teacher jurisdiction. Who was left? The police? Monika didn't even know where the police station in this town was, not to mention she didn't see a way to convince an officer to accompany her to look for a girl that she had no proof was being targeted. For all she knew, they'd just kick her out for wasting their time with what would probably sound like a playground squabble. Which left her with… nothing. No other adults she could rely on, no other friends to back her up, just the literature club and their wits.
The sound of heavy rain against the window panes, usually so soothing, only distracted her. She was sure there was a smarter option, there was always one lying just out of her field of her vision. She was probably just too narrow-minded to see it. Monika paused from her self-scrutinizing to glance up at the clock. 3:49. Her stomach rumbled in what was likely a mixture of anticipation and hunger. They had a little over an hour left, it was time to get the ball moving. Monika stood from her seat and quietly slipped over to where Yuri and Sayori sat, their eyes flicking between each other and the book Yuri held until Monika leaned over and curiously asked, "Hey girls, how's it going over here?" Sayori looked up from her poem at Monika and flashed her a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
"Hey Moni! Yuri had trouble with a word, and I'm just over here reading with her in case she comes across anymore she doesn't know." Her eyes went wide and she suddenly clapped her hands together before saying, "Oh, oh! You should help us out! We've come across a few words that even I don't know, but I know you're really good at this stuff! Like, what's a… Quartzalcoati?" Monika smiled and moved a desk closer to the two, sitting in and leaning in as if to take a closer look at the book.
The moment her face was obscured she dropped the cute facade and said in a low voice, "Alright, I hope you guys have had better luck than me, I can't think of a single outcome where- Say, are you alright?" Her voice lightened when she saw Sayori anxiously staring into the desk. Her fist was pressed against her lips and Monika could hear the rapid tap tap tap of her slipper slapping against the floor. Yuri seemed to exhibit a similar behavior, rocking back and forth in her chair nervously, leaving Monika to stare between the two until one of them explained what exactly she was missing. Just what the hell had this teacher done to put both of her clubmates into such unease? Finally, Sayori spoke.
"It's… I don't think now's the time to tell you." Sayori whispered, her eyes glancing between Yuri and the teacher's desk. "But, I will tell you. Promise. The only thing I was able to think of in regard to Nat was maybe texting her? We could try and warn her about those girls' plans and maybe she'll take a different path home or something. If that doesn't work, then we might just have to hope a teacher can do something. " Monika wanted to press the matter on what was eating her, but she trusted Sayori to know when the right moment would be to open up, instead turning to Yuri who for once looked as though she wanted to speak.
"I um, also have something that ought to be addressed later. But I agree that Natsuki should be our prime concern. Sayori has, um, she told me about what happened in the bathroom." She mumbled through the strands of hair that covered her face. "And I'm not sure if texting her is a reliable course of action, as she hasn't given any indication that she reads any of our texts. Nor do I believe teachers can handle such a thing with the time limit we face. I considered, p-perhaps if we were to end the club early we could go and find Natsuki before anything happened, but with her here…" All three girls glanced up towards the teacher's desk where Ms. Kusumoto still tapped away at her laptop. Their excuse wouldn't cover them forever, and they were already on borrowed time as it was. "I've noticed her looking over here from time to time. I don't think she's entirely enthralled in her work, if you catch my meaning."
Monika sighed and leaned back in her desk, running a hand through her hair. This was the opposite of progress. "We don't even know if they've gotten to her already. They might've done what you suggested and left their own club early just to get her. Not to mention this is Natsuki we're talking about, she might end up looking for the fight as opposed to avoiding it." But Yuri shook her head.
"While you're likely right on her reaction, I don't believe the scenario of these girls finding her to be likely. If what Sayori has told me is true, I believe they'll have no choice but to wait until clubs are over." Yuri countered. "You see, I've noticed that Natsuki has a pattern of staying in the school's library after classes except for on Fridays, all the way until school closes when clubs are over. She's likely there as we speak. I uh, I meant to tell you about that but I…" Her voice went quiet and Monika tried to wait patiently for her to gather her thoughts together, but it was taxing when time seemed to be of the essence. "I suppose I was worried if we annoyed her there she might not consider it a safe place to be, and after the festival I didn't wish to strip her of that again."
Monika shrugged her shoulders in a manner that said "Fair Enough" before glancing back at Sayori. There were a lot of things she wanted to discuss with her club members, but with so many pressing concerns and so little time, she had to choose her topics carefully. They needed to stop Natsuki from getting assaulted, but what could they do that didn't leave Natsuki vulnerable or push her towards the fight?. They had hit a roadblock. Monika pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a quiet sigh; the others were looking at her expectantly, waiting for their president to relay a masterfully crafted plan, but the truth was she didn't have one. Every option she had at her disposal held a sizable flaw in its execution, and not a single one even remotely offered an assured victory.
But even with only bad choices to pick from, she still had to choose.
"Right. We're out of options. Yuri, I know you don't want to take Natsuki's comfort away, I don't think it's unfair to say none of us do." Monika looked over to Sayori, who nodded in confirmation. "But if it's a choice between possibly stopping her teeth from getting kicked in and still having somewhere where she feels safe, I know what I'd choose. I think the only real chance we have is if we try and warn her." Yuri nodded in understanding at Monika's words, though she didn't look entirely happy with it. It was unfortunate, but a worthy sacrifice in Monika's eyes. "If we can find a way to leave-"
"Excuse me, are you girls about to read your poems? I'd really be interested in hearing them." The ringing voice of Ms. Kusumoto filled the otherwise quiet atmosphere of the clubroom, and all three girls tensed up. They had run out of time. Ugh, not now damn it! Monika clenched her teeth and stood from her desk, forcing another cheery smile as she turned to address Ms. Kusumoto with the confidence of a club president.
"Of course, thanks for reminding me! You'd be surprised at how easy it is to lose yourself in a book on rainy days like this." Ms. Kusumoto beamed briefly at Monika's words, but didn't reply. A quiet murmur from the desks caught Monika's attention just as she was about to return to her own desk, and looked back to see Yuri violently shaking her head back and forth. Monika raised an eyebrow and saw that Sayori was also showing signs of discomfort with her arms firmly crossed over her poem and a nervous look plastered across her face. Just between the gaps in her arms Monika could faintly make out the upside title of her poem written at the top of the page: Bottles.
Now why did that sound familiar? A flash of memories seemed to fly by Monika, and she briefly recalled a poem that Sayori had written in the game. A poem that had never seen the light of day in this world, instead being replaced by another poem titled Lantern. Until now. It had been seemingly forever since Monika had pondered at the nature of her world, of its consistencies and relations to the game. For a second she almost felt a surge of excitement and knew her mind wanted to dissect and investigate why it was appearing here and now of all places. but she forced that part of her brain to settle down. There was a time and place for that, just not right now.
Monika took one last glance at their anxious looks, their silent pleas, before turning back to Ms. Kusumoto. "Actually, perhaps it'd be best if we saved poems for another day. My clubmates aren't used to sharing in front of other people, and the last time they presented to an audience it… was not met with a positive reception." Monika personally didn't mind reading in front of others, and even though her poem had been specially made for Sayori that didn't mean others couldn't judge and inspect its appeal. But for her friends, whose hard work had been written off and mocked after having been convinced to step out of their comfort zones, well she couldn't blame them one bit. Yuri had never even been given the chance to read hers.
Ms. Kusumoto pursed her lips and made a soft hum as her eyes seemed to hone in on Monika, to the point that she could practically feel the teacher's eyes peering through her. "Well, I don't see why they should have trouble reading them in front of me. I'm not going to laugh." She proclaimed. "Unless there's something inherently condemning in them, I would think any student should be capable of reading poetry aloud. It might even help make them more comfortable with performing." Monika's skin prickled with irritation at her words. She didn't like her tone, her insinuations, her passive demeanor, it made Monika want to snap. Was this a test? Was she trying to see if Monika could handle dealing with disruptions in her club, because if so she had to give Ms. Kusumoto credit for doing a damn fine job of it.
"Poetry is an expression of the soul, Ms. Kusumoto." Monika retorted, attempting to keep her voice even. "Therefore I'm sure you understand it can take quite a bit of time and trust to be allowed to view such a personal part of someone else. Sometimes these poems aren't even meant to be read, and are simply methods of helping the author understand themselves." Ms. Kusumoto looked as though she was already forming a reply on her lips, but Monika was quicker. "That aside, I do not believe it is fair to share our poetry when we are missing a member, so I believe it would be best if we simply continued our reading and called today's club a light session. Thank you for understanding." With that, Monika promptly sat at her desk and opened her composition book once again.
Ms. Kusumoto nodded thoughtfully at Monika's words with a simple, "I see." and scribbled something in her notepad before going back to her typing. Monika did not dare risk looking back to see Sayori and Yuri's reaction, and instead tried to focus on solving their other dilemma. It was hard to concentrate despite the severity of the situation when her mind kept turning back to their inspector, trying to figure out what kind of game she was playing, or if Monika was just being more paranoid than usual. The rain was as soothing as it was distracting, and several times Monika caught herself nodding off in her seat. They didn't dare try to brew tea despite the fact Monika was sure they could all have used a cup by that point.
After nearly half an hour, Monika heard the sound of shuffling behind her and glanced up to see Yuri quietly walk past her desk and towards the door, bag in hand. Monika's spirits lifted slightly as she realized Yuri was going to enact their feebly concocted plan and make more progress than she alone had managed in the past hour and a half. Her face fell when Ms. Kusumoto suddenly looked up, stopping Yuri in her tracks with just a single sentence.
"Everything alright, dear?" She asked. Monika could see the way Yuri's feet shuffled nervously in place like a child caught attempting to sneak out to a house party, but after a moment she straightened her back and cleared her throat softly before answering.
"W-well, yes. I am simply off to check in a book at the library before it closes." Yuri stated. Monika had to give her credit for managing to keep her composure in the face of confrontation, having expected the poor girl to melt into a mumbling puddle. She realized that Yuri had actually been a tad bit more confident recently, and chided herself for not giving the girl more credit. Rather than nod and return to her typing, however, Ms. Kusumoto leaned forward with her arms crossed.
She gave Yuri a warm smile and held out a hand expectantly. "Oh, is that so? Well I have to swing by the library on my way out to get to the parking lot, I can just drop it off for you and save you the trip. That way you don't have to miss the end of your club." Monika watched as Yuri's body suddenly stiffened and the fingers that clasped her bag began to fidget in obvious discomfort.
"I-I uh.." Yuri's face had already begun to tinge pink, and the look on her face made Monika worry that she might try to swallow her tongue. "I meant to s-say that I intend to renew it, the book. I also had some other errands in the library, as-" Her voice was cut off before it could find its footing by Ms. Kusumoto, who had opened her notepad and readied her pen.
"I can still renew it for you. What's the name of the book, dear?"
"O-oh, uh… Walking Away from the Edge, by B.M. Mime. For Okimura, Yuri." Yuri's shoulders drooped as Ms. Kusumoto scribbled the name out onto her notepad, flashing a smile before pocketing the pen and pad. Yuri seemed to understand that the window for leaving had long since passed, and with a bow of thanks she quietly returned to her seat while giving Monika a defeated look. Monika silently cursed and returned back to her empty composition page. Their plan had once again been foiled before it had ever even begun.
Time itself seemed unsure on whether it wished to fly by or slow to a halt, until finally Ms. Kusumoto rose from the teacher's desk at 4:55 with her laptop and an umbrella in tow. Everyone looked up from their desks to see their inspector stretching and making her way towards the door, the sharp click-clack of her heels against the wood like a warning alarm that told them their time was up.
"Well, this has been a very illuminating experience, everyone. I'm sad I didn't get to hear your poems, but hopefully I'll have a chance to when I pop in next week." She turned and gave the girls what could only be described as an ingratiating smile that none of them returned. "Take care in this rain everyone, and have a good evening!" With that Ms. Kusumoto departed, leaving the three girls alone in the classroom as an eerie quiet settled in that was disrupted only by the rain tapping against the windows. After a moment of waiting for the coast to clear, the three girls scrambled to their feet unanimously and silently set about fixing what little had been disorganized before making a dash for the door.
Monika left first, hurrying the other two along behind her as they scurried (or in Sayori's case, shambled) down the hall and towards the steps that led to the second floor. As they rounded the corner before the stairwell, Monika finally spoke.
"Alright, so if there's any last minute plans either of you two have, now's the time for them." Monika said hurriedly as they passed by a set of lockers. Sayori shook her head, while Yuri's silence was answer enough. The last chance they had, though none of them had openly discussed it, was to rush to the library and corner Natsuki in the hopes of convincing her to listen. Maybe they'd walk with her, or maybe Yuri could drive her home, but no matter what they could not let her walk alone.
Monika had already descended halfway down the stairwell when she heard the hum of uncertainty from behind her. Sayori stood at the top platform with her crutches, giving the other two an apologetic smile as she wiggled her crutches.
"Uh, I guess I'll catch up with you guys. I'll just hold you back and you need to get to Natsuki- M-Monika?!" Monika had scaled the stairs again in a flash, sweeping her arms underneath Sayori before her brain had even registered what she was doing as she focused on getting to the library as quickly as possible. In one fell swoop she had scooped her vice president up into her arms and was carrying her down the stairs.
"Yuri, can you get her crutches? We're going together." Monika directed. Yuri had been following mere steps behind Monika, and in an instant raced back up and stuck both crutches underneath her arm. Sayori, having no choice but to wrap an arm around Monika's neck to stabilize herself, could only stare and stutter out objections as Monika turned down the next flight. "Uwah! You could have said something first- khh!" The sudden wince from her passenger alerted Monika to just how fast she was going down the steps, and she slowed her pace while uttering quick little apologies of, "Sorry, sorry sorry sorry." and "I'll go slower." Had she been thinking rationally she would have blushed herself into heatstroke with just how unintentionally intimate she was being, and only in the sleepless nights to come would she throw her hands over her eyes, thinking back to this day and silently berating herself for every action she had taken from this point onward.
It was only when they reached the final step that Sayori patted Monika's back and said, "I can walk now, Moni." and Monika seemed to finally realize just how close she had been holding Sayori. She quickly set her down with another string of apologies, while Yuri returned her crutches, and before any of them could take a second to think too hard about it they were off once again; hustling through the halls past lockers and confused student while, only slowing their pace to allow Sayori to keep up with them. Monika didn't know what they would do if they were too late, in fact she wasn't sure if there was anything they could do, but there had to be a way. There was always a way so long as she thought hard enough, right? So long as she tried hard enough?
Just please be there Natsuki, Monika silently begged. I'll admit I was wrong at the festival, I'll apologize for not caring about how you feel, I'll give anything, just don't be out of our reach. Her time in the club had been mostly spent fruitlessly planning, but her thoughts had wandered from time to time when the sound of rain and book pages lulled her into a more distracted state. She thought about the consequences of their failure, of Natsuki not just being beaten and facing expulsion, but of what would come after that. Their club would obviously be in mortal peril, but it wouldn't just be them. Natsuki, who lived in what she could only assume was an unreliable and unsafe environment, would no longer be able to retreat to school for eight hours of the day. Monika didn't know the specifics of that house, nobody truly did except for Natsuki, but something in her gut told her it was not a road that was to be traveled down.
The library doors flew open as Monika and Yuri pushed them aside, Sayori mere feet behind them as three pairs of desperate eyes scanned the rows of shelves before splitting up. Each section they passed only increased their disconcertment. The fantasy genre was empty, the historical literature shelves were barren, even the far back rows that often hid desperate teenagers making out behind the bookshelves were utterly devoid of people. A passing student gave Monika a bewildered side-eye as she rushed over to the cozy little corner of the library where bean bag chairs and folding-floor lamps often sat crowded with readers, only to be dismayed when it too sat abandoned. Had she even been here?
As the three girls reconvened in the center of the library, failure written on each of their faces, Yuri's head snapped in the direction of the librarian's desk as the sound of books being closed caught their attention. A broad student with glasses who looked to be serving as a volunteer assistant for the library had just finished piling books onto a metal cart when Yuri strolled up the counter and quietly rapped her hands on the edge. "Uh, e-excuse me? Pardon me, have you seen a girl in here? S-she's um, well she's fairly short with bright pink hair that she keeps in a bob? It comes down to about her chin, and she's got two twint-ails that she has tied with ribbons?" Though soft, the plea in her voice was so audible that the student assistant looked almost taken aback as he turned to answer.
The boy dusted his hands and gave Yuri a confused, if not pitying, look. "Uh, maybe? There was a shorter girl over there by the poetry section, might've been a second-year, reading some manga. We're not supposed to have manga in the building you know, but it's not like she was causing trouble or anything so I just let her be."
"So she was here? P-please, where did she go?! It's very important we find her!"
The boy seemed to pick up on Yuri's frenetic energy and took a step back, adjusting his glasses awkwardly. "Uh, well she left a little while ago, took the side door just before clubs ended." All three girls turned to look towards the right side of the library where a wall of windows looking out onto the school grounds stood beside a single exit door, the rain creating a hazy fog that blocked all vision just beyond the sidewalk. "I'm real sorry, you just missed her. Uh, if you'll excuse me." With that the boy bowed rather quickly and gathered his things before any more questions could be asked. Yuri slowly stepped away from the counter, her hands falling limply to her sides as her mouth hung agape and when she turned back around to look at them Monika could see a hollow look filling her eyes.
"Well." Yuri said softly. "I suppose that's that, then…" She blinked a few times and drew a thin smile as Monika heard Sayori sigh in defeat behind them. Monika glanced back at the other two and felt the gears in her mind begin to whirl. We're so close, we're so close, we can't give up yet. "I suppose there'll likely be a few of the staff still in the building. Perhaps... we might be able to convince them that Natsuki is innocent in starting the fight, at least." Monika felt her own nails dig into her palms.
"I guess so." Sayori said, and with a forced smile she added, "Hey, Monika still has that photo that she took. If nothing else we can show that there's people who would want to hurt her, and in turn try to frame her! What do you think, Monika?" Sayori looked over to her while she stood gazing out of the windows into the rain, and when she didn't immediately answer she could hear the worry in Sayori's voice when she was asked again, "Moni?" They were out of time, and out of ideas, which only left one option. Monika took a deep breath and turned back to look at the others, this time it was her turn to force a smile, and Sayori's turn to frown. "Monika, please don't tell me you're going out there.."
"I have to go get her. It has to be me." Monika explained simply. She handed her bag to Yuri, who accepted it tentatively. "Yuri, do you think you can take Sayori home? I don't think it'd be good for her to walk in this rain, especially alone." Before Yuri could answer, Sayori hopped forward on her crutches and put her face close to Monika's. Close enough that she could see the hurt and fear etched on her face. Under better circumstances she would have adored seeing Sayori's features in such vivid detail, but instead all she saw was the cold stare of disappointment drilling into her soul.
"No!" Sayori's voice echoed through the empty library, and Monika couldn't help but wince at her frustrated tone. "No, it doesn't have to be you! You're going out there because you think you're the only one responsible for what happened at the festival, but you're not. I care about Natsuki just as much as you do, if not more! But I… I don't want either of you getting hurt. What was that whole thing about carrying me down the stairs if you're just going to leave us behind?!" She lowered her head and Monika could hear her take a heavy breath. When she spoke again her voice was soft, as if she already knew what Monika's answer would be. "Why can't you get an adult, or a police officer, or even just us? Why does it have to be you?"
Monika smiled. It wasn't a happy smile, but it wasn't a fake one either, it held a mixture of sadness and hopeful understanding in each crease. "If I could tell you, I would. I really would, Say. But just know that I am responsible for this, and the safety of my club members is my top priority. There's no time for the police, or for trying to convince teachers, and I need you and Yuri to tell a staff member about this before they all go home. Bar that, I need to make sure my vice president gets home safe." She wrapped her arms around Sayori and gave a firm, yet gentle hug, silently hoping all of her wishes and thoughts could be conveyed in just a single embrace. She was glad when Sayori used her as a balance and slowly raised her arms around to pat Monika's back; she had a feeling she could use some good-luck hug energy to get through the day. "Trust me. I'm going to get her back."
When they broke apart Sayori kept her head down, while Monika turned to Yuri and asked, "You've been to Natsuki's house, right? When you dropped her off? What direction would she take to walk home?" Yuri wouldn't meet her eyes either. Monika suspected she was having doubts about her going alone as well, though if she had them she did not speak of them, instead she pointed to the end of the sidewalk that went in the opposite direction Monika and Sayori took to get to the shelter. Monika supposed it made sense, having never seen Natsuki on any of their walks home.
With that, Monika gave them both one last smile before turning towards the side-entrance to the library. One way or another she was going to bring Natsuki back to the literature club, no matter what it took. You wanted me to give them another chance, so give me the opportunity to and I will, she silently prayed as she braced herself for the incoming torrent of rain awaiting her. She pushed the door open and slipped out into the downpour, a chill running down her spine as the icy autumn rain cooled her skin, and without another thought she dashed towards the sidewalk and kept on running.
The rain made quick work of seeping into Monika's clothes and freezing her to her core. School uniforms did little to block the elements, and she silently wondered what it might be like to exist in a world based off of a western country as opposed to an eastern one. A world where she could wear pants instead of a skirt that tried to flap in the wind and shielded her legs about as well as tissue paper. A world where didn't feel exhausted from a lack of energy in her body because she couldn't afford food. It was these little complaints and musings that actually helped her focus on the task ahead, as opposed to the discomfort she felt as she ran across the sidewalk. The wind and rain only made her appreciate her decision to go it alone, she didn't want to subject Sayori to this kind of weather in her condition.
Whatever happens we'll face it together, right?
Her feet were the greatest victims in this ordeal, her uwabaki slippers were never intended for such rough treatment against pavement and mud, and the canvas they were made of helped her feel every pebble and dip she was unfortunate enough to come across. It was only through careful and rhythmic placement of each step that she was able to keep up a decent pace without sliding along the concrete. She had no way of knowing how far the walk from the school to Natsuki's house was, nor whether Natsuki would have chosen to walk or run home to escape the rain. As such, she had to assume the worst and kept her pace as quick as she could without risking injury or exhaustion.
It hadn't been ten minutes into her walk when she saw the shadow of someone else down at the base of the hill she had scaled. The sway of a navy skirt in the rain was what caught her attention first. The pastel pink hair clinging to her petite head as she walked with a skateboard held overhead in a futile attempt to block the weather all but confirmed the girl's identity, and Monika couldn't help but grin. It was Natsuki alright, plain as day. She readied herself for the final push to go and catch up to the girl, to warn her of Kanako's plans to pick a fight and have her expelled, to walk her home and make sure nobody laid a finger on her, but something held her back as she made to run down the hill.
Natsuki wouldn't be pleased she had been followed, Monika knew that much. There was no guarantee that Natsuki wouldn't give into her headstrong attitude and charge off into the very fight she was supposed to avoid, and that was under the assumption she bothered to listen to Monika. Natsuki wouldn't want to be protected, and it was highly possible that she would run off and out of Monika's sight. No, she would have to keep a sizable distance between them less she drew attention to herself. At least she would have a decent view of Natsuki, hopefully one that was good enough to spot Kanako and her friends in time.
From anyone else's perspective, she probably would have seemed paranoid at best, obsessive at worst, to follow Natsuki home without her knowing. But this was not a time to think about preconceptions, she had to keep her focus, she had to make sure Natsuki didn't leave her sight.
Worried about becoming like Yuri, are we? Monika was no longer walking alone, as beside her walked another Monika with eyes that shone greener than her own, bright like a searchlight in a prison-break that pierced through the fog and rain. Monika breathed heavily through her nose and tried to increase her pace, but it was useless to try and outrun her own head. It had been a while since she had slipped into talking to herself, and every time she thought she was getting better and recovering from her trauma she found herself falling into the same routine whenever she was alone.
"Yuri was never a stalker, at least by her own right." Monika retorted. She kept her eyes on Natsuki, she wouldn't let anyone get in her way, not even herself. "I amplified her obsessive personality traits, until she became something that really wasn't even Yuri anymore. That's the end of it." Perhaps if she answered the other Monika's questions firmly and confidently, she would be left in peace.
But you see traces of it, don't you? Kind of like a puzzle piece that's broken off from the actual puzzle. Familiar, but nothing substantial, right? The other Monika hummed softly beside her, looking up at the rain as they strode through the rain together. It's more like you're taking all of the bad pieces of their personalities and clinging onto them yourself, huh? You're literally off looking for a fight, just like Natsuki. Your mental instability and softness just reeks of Sayori, and you're so much more reserved these days. You don't interact with your classmates, you don't go out and have hobbies, or go on dates, you just stick with what you know and fawn over a single person, just like Yuri. The other Monika was counting the similarities off of her fingers, and the way she tapped each finger, the way she spoke in her head, it was all so familiar to herself. It was utterly Monika, and she hated every bit of it.
"I'm going to protect, not hurt, and I am not fawning over anyone. My feelings towards Sayori, platonic or romantic, are influenced by outside events and not a byproduct of me over habituating myself." She hissed. She didn't have to keep her voice terribly low since the rain muffled most of the sounds she made, but all the same she didn't want to alert Natsuki. "There's nothing wrong with having a crush, plenty of people have crushes and simply don't act on them." The traffic had picked up, but the rain was slowing down again, enough that Monika could see more clearly through the mist.
Ahaha, of course there's nothing wrong with it! Boy, it'd be pretty hypocritical of me to say something like that, considering crushes are precisely what lead to us being here in the first place. Although, I'm not sure breathing in someone's scent while you're hugging them can be classified as "inactive". Or for that matter, noticing how well their skirt clings to them in the rain on your walk to school- Monika shut her eyes and forced her thoughts to take a sharp turn from that path. Now was not the time. Natsuki getting beaten bloody, that was where her train of thought was supposed to be. Bloodied and in pain and in need of Monika to focus. Focus.
"You're distracting me, and if you're a part of me then you should care about what happens if we don't concentrate." When she opened her eyes she turned to glare at where she imagined the other Monika to be walking beside her, and the other Monika smiled in return. It wasn't a malicious smile, but rather it was more akin to mischievous, impish even.
Of course I care about what happens, that's why I'm telling you that she's gone. Monika's eyes quickly darted back to the sidewalk ahead of her and a familiar chill that had nothing to do with the rain pulsed through her skin as she frantically looked around. Natsuki was indeed gone. She had let herself get distracted, and now she was going to pay the price, and if she didn't then Natsuki certainly would. Where had she run off to? There! She had crossed the street and had picked up her pace as the rain lightened and was a good several hundred feet further, but Monika could not follow. The traffic had spaced itself just evenly enough that prevented her from crossing, and even worse was when Monika saw what sat on the opposite sidewalk: woods. Not too dense, not too sparse, and Monika bet her favorite pen that was where Kanako and her goons were set up.
Monika let loose a quiet string of curses and looked both ways. Would Natsuki be safe so long as there were drivers passing by? She couldn't rely on that, not when people would be more focused on the roads than what happened on the sidewalk. There was another figure on the sidewalk now behind Natsuki, and just as Monika peered through the rain for a better look her view was interrupted by a splash of water from a speeding minivan that soaked her from head to toe. A sputter of air, her sleeve wiping the water from her eyes, and she could see the roads were clear once more. Her feet pounded against the pavement as she dashed across the street, stumbling against the curb as she nearly planted her face into the sidewalk.
There was a scream as Monika tried to scramble to her feet, but the bright colors and dizzying lights sent her back to the ground. Her head ached something fierce, but she pushed the pain aside and made another attempt at standing. By the time her vision had cleared the sidewalk ahead of her was empty, except for a skateboard that sat on the sidewalk abandoned. This was bad, she needed a plan, why in the name of God had she not been able to come up with a plan? There was no point in trying to think of one now, not when every second from here on out counted, and so Monika jogged up to where the board lay and skimmed the trees until the swish of a skirt caught her attention.
She couldn't tell which of the girls it was, but she knew by hair color and stature alone that it wasn't Natsuki. Was it Kanako? Whoever she was, she was hardly twenty feet from the sidewalk and more than visible, forcing Monika to slow her pace and creep into the trees as she pushed bits of brush and branches aside. She waited and watched as she crept to see if the girl would notice her, but she was focused on fiddling with something in her hands. Monika's head still spun from her fall, but she remembered the plan she and Sayori had overheard well enough to know that this must've been the girl who was supposed to record the fight, Ayano.
Bash her skull into the tree- no, avoid fighting. Avoid hurting, until you can't. She had never been violent, bitter and malevolent maybe, but never flat out malicious. But then hadn't her friends suffered from her in violent manners? The wolf inside gave a dry laugh at her alternating back and forth. They were going to hurt her friend, so didn't they deserve to be hurt back? They're all just lines of code anyway- or are they? Just tackle her, enough to stun her and take her phone. Would they give chase if she took the phone, or would they still hurt Natsuki? Time was running out to make a decision, she was right behind the girl. Her hand balled into a fist, but she released it and slowly stretched her fingers out, ready to push the girl aside and lunge for her phone. Run with it, break it, or not take it at all? She had to choose, and she had to choose now.
Monika's vision was suddenly filled with mud and grass as an unseen force rocketed into her side, slamming her to the ground and kicking her headache into an entire new level of pain that made her excruciatingly dizzy.
"I got her! Kanako I actually got her, ahaha!" A voice above her cried out, and before Monika could stand she felt two hands grab her own and cross over the other before jerking her backwards. She coughed and kicked, struggling to free her arms as she was dragged backwards deeper into the trees. When the mud made trying to stabilize her legs pointless she tried to bite her attacker, but her own arms prevented her head from moving very far and she could only helplessly flail until she was suddenly dropped to the ground and the world around her spun. Her ponytail had come undone, her hair sticking to the mud as tried to recover her senses. Two blurry faces stood over her, their hands on their knees as they took a closer look at her but the moment Monika tried to sit up she felt a foot press into chest, keeping her rooted to the ground.
The figures became less blurry as Monika's eyes adjusted, and she was able to recognize the faces of the two girls in student uniforms. "Jesus, look at that hair. Definitely her." Monika recognized Kanako's voice and face, and she erupted into a fit of coughing as the girl's foot dug deeper into her ribs. "Student Representative Monika… whatever your last name is. We've been waiting for you, we were worried you weren't going to show up, actually. I didn't anticipate you sneaking up on poor Ayano like that, nearly gave the poor girl a heart-attack, no we thought you'd be walking with Kisaragi." They had been expecting her? Monika fought back a rising panic within her as she realized that she suddenly was no longer a wolf stalking her quarry, she had never really been one. The hunter had been the hunted all along.
Monika's face must've paled, because Kanako smiled and shook her head. "Oh relax, we're not going to beat you into the dirt. Stand her up, Emiko." In an instant the foot was taken from Monika's chest and she was yanked up by her collar by the girl named Emiko who she assumed to be her initial attacker. Her arms were once again bound around each other and pulled taut to prevent her from struggling, and she was forced to look forward as Kanako strolled off to the side. Directly across from Monika on the other side of the circular clearing, bound in a similar manner, was Natsuki. Natsuki didn't immediately notice her, as seemed to be too focused on trying to escape from the girl that Monika recognized as Tomoe, but the moment she caught sight of Monika her struggling ceased and her eyes shifted from anger to disbelief.
"You're kidding." Natsuki grumbled, barely audible beneath the rain around them. "Why is it whenever something bad happens, you're always right around the corner? Jesus, what are you even doing here?!" Her voice held a certain amount of venom that Monika had, to be fair, expected. It was the reason she hadn't wanted to approach Natsuki in the first place. Kanako didn't give her a chance to answer however, instead strolling to where both girls could see her and speaking loud enough for everyone to hear.
"She's here for you, of course! You see, after you decided to make it your life's mission to completely ruin our club by bullying the hell out of its members, I decided enough was enough-" It was Kanako's turn to be interrupted, this time by Natsuki who wore a defiant smile on her face.
"Sucks having your club trashed, doesn't it?" She crowed. "Quit monologuing, I know that's the entire point of your club but if you're going to kick my ass then you better- ack!" Natsuki was cut off by Tomoe's foot pressing into the back of her knee, making the girl crumple. Monika silently prayed Natsuki would have enough sense to cut the bravado while she tried to think of a plan, and Kanako rolled her eyes before continuing on.
"Whatever, there's no harm in telling you that we were originally planning on just beating your ass and filming it because I overheard what Sakurai told you, about being one incident from expulsion." Kanako spat before turning to look at Monika. "But then, we saw you heading to the bathroom on our way to the debate club, and that gave me an idea. You walked right past us and you didn't even notice, did you? You actually thought we would just give away our whole plan when we knew there was someone in a stall?" Her smile widened and she shook her head in mock disbelief, but Monika was hanging onto her every word. From the sounds of it they had mistaken Sayori's feet in the stall for Monika's which meant they didn't know about her yet, and though it didn't help her current situation it was at least a small comfort to Monika.
Keep her talking.
"You said you weren't going to beat me up." Monika stated, shaking the rain away from her eyes. "What's your new plan then? Have me watch while you all gang up on her?" She wouldn't allow it, for all Natsuki had done that was wrong she wouldn't just sit and watch while they pit two against one. She didn't know how, but she would run through them all to stop it from happening. To her surprise however, Kanako shook her head again.
"You act like I'm a sadist or something." Kanako huffed as she crossed her arms. "It's not like I went out looking for trouble you know, I just want payback for all the stuff my friends went through. They didn't deserve to get bushwhacked by Pinky the Pissed off Piranha over here." Her voice faltered as she jabbed a thumb behind her towards Natsuki, turning into a scathing hiss as she met Monika's eyes. "Did you hear about our friend, Sachiko? Your little friend snuck into her class during lunch and put ketchup packets on her chair, so that when she came back and sat down it looked like she had blood trailing down her legs. Can you imagine how embarrassing that must have been? Actually stop, and think about it."
Monika took in Kanako's words and glanced over to where Natsuki was still bound. She didn't return the favor, instead staring hard into the mud with a noticeable frown on her lips. Was it shame, or just resignation that she saw? The retort of That's how we felt at the festival! was ready on Monika's lips, but that wasn't a solid reason. Kanako hadn't asked for what happened that day, the only ones who were responsible for that day were herself and Himari, and from the sounds of it Natsuki had already dished out her revenge in that regard.
"So we're not going to beat you, or Kisaragi up." Kanako said after a moment of silence, and she turned to face Natsuki. "You're going to do that yourselves. She's just as bad as you, we know she slapped Himari too. You're going to beat the shit out of each other, and we're going to film that instead. You do that, we'll consider everything even and so long as you stay away from us we won't turn you in." Monika's eyes widened and felt her breath quicken as Kanako swapped looks between the both of them, a malicious glare in her eyes. "Try to hit any of us, or if you go too soft on each other, or if I so much as see you try to make a run for it, and you can bet your ass this video will be on the principal's desk tomorrow morning, and then you'll both be screwed."
Monika's skin tingled with anticipation as she was dragged further into the clearing and saw that Natsuki was as well. After they were both shoved to the ground with hardly five feet between the two of them, Natsuki turned with a bitter look in her eyes and asked, "How do I know you'll keep your word? How am I supposed to trust you when I know you have it out for me?" Monika felt herself wondering the same thing, and turned to see Kanako rolling her eyes with an impatient look plastered on her face.
"Because unlike you I don't get off to making people's lives a living hell." Kanako spat. "I'm doing this to make things even, and after that I really don't care what happens to you or your club, so long as you stay away from us." Monika attempted to interrupt, to try and instill some sense of diplomacy and convince everyone to just let things go, but Kanako wouldn't let her. "Shut up." She snarled. "Nobody here is leaving until I see blood in the mud, be it from your hands or mine." With that Monika and Natsuki silently turned away from their detainer, and instead their eyes met for the first time since they had spoken behind the skatepark.
She regretted ever following Natsuki, she couldn't believe how stupid she had been in a desperate effort to prove that she could protect them. She wasn't a wolf, or a guardian, she was an idiot. An idiot who didn't know who she was or what she was doing, and rather than protect anyone she had only managed to land herself and Natsuki into deeper trouble. She still had a chance to make amends however, even when everything had gone wrong and she had trapped herself, she still saw a way to do what was right. She would let Natsuki win, a flawless victory where she would pretend to give her all to rip and tear Natsuki apart, only to let her former club member stand victorious. It was the only way she was going to come out of this without risking harm or expulsion to Natsuki.
She knew that even though she and Natsuki were on rough terms, that her clubmate wouldn't want to hurt Monika either. That meant that Monika was going to have to get personal, to goad her into fighting with the harshest and most condemning words she could muster. It would hurt for both of them, but it was a necessary evil if she wanted to have any hope of getting them both out of here. Monika took a breath and narrowed her eyes. She was ready.
"Do it, you little snaggletoothed sl-" Monika never finished her jibe, the breath was ripped from her body in an instant as Natsuki rushed forward with a guttural yell and slugged Monika right above her stomach, forcing her to double over as pain shot throughout her torso. She couldn't breathe, her lungs felt as though they were being clamped by jumper cables to the point that she didn't even realize hands were holding her head in place until she saw the flash of skin that was Natsuki's knee before it collided into her face. Her eyes immediately filled with tears as her head recoiled and her body followed, landing on her back in the mud while warm liquid ran down from her nose to her cheeks.
Well, I was worried for nothing, Monika realized as the rain splattered onto her face. Her nose burned, her eyes watered, and breathing was still next to impossible. Panic rose within her as her survival instincts kicked into gear and she attempted to roll onto her side, but something pinned her to the ground and she wiped the tears from her eyes in time to see Natsuki sitting atop of her stomach with a fist reared back and a vicious look in her eyes.
"Fuck you!" Natsuki roared as her fist collided into Monika's cheek, and pushed her face back into the mud while Natsuki pulled her other hand back. "Fuck your perfect teeth!" Another strike. "Fuck your perfect boobs!" Another. "Fuck your perfect grades!" Another. "Fuck your perfect life!" Monika's vision grew more clouded with each hit as little yellow dots bloomed in front of her like flowers, though she could hear murmurs of shock from the girls behind them. It appeared they hadn't expected such a genuine reaction either, not that Monika could blame them. She weakly raised a hand to block an incoming blow, but the rain and mud had made her hand too slick and Natsuki's fist slipped off and connected with her cheekbone.
"I never asked for your help!" Natsuki spat while pausing her onslaught to catch her breath. Monika felt the girl's weight lift from her chest and a sliver of air entered her lungs. "You're just… just a goddamn fixer, aren't you? You have to get in my business to try and make yourself feel better, but you just make it worse. Every! Time!" Her last two words were each punctuated with kicks to Monika's ribs, eliciting a ragged breath from her. "Like my life isn't a dumpster fire enough already. And you know that, and you just keep sticking your nose in it. And now, I'm having to beat your ass because you wanted to meddle. You think I wanted this, huh? Hurry up and fight, Monika!"
A part of Monika wanted to be livid with Natsuki from the pain she was feeling, but she didn't have the energy to be angry, to hate. She didn't have any energy at all. The parts of her brain that were focused on trying to survive were dying down, slowly being replaced with the cold grasp of resignation. So what if Natsuki kicked her teeth in, and made her bleed into the mud? So what if Monika never left the clearing in the forest? Maybe it was just something that needed to be done, a way for her to make up for all of her mistakes. The image of Natsuki's neck violently snapping in her mind was far more clear than the blurry mess of shapes and colors that she could actually see. She was okay with this, this was where she was supposed to be.
"Just… get up and fight back. They're going to think you're letting me win if you don't get a good punch in." Monika said nothing. "I said get up and fight me. Come on! I deserve it, don't I? Is it pity? Cause I don't need your pity anymore!" Natsuki's voice was the last thing she heard before a scream shattered through the rain. It was a voice filled to the brim with pain and woe, like a shattered glass of wine that poured out onto the floor, and it was only when Monika connected it to the mind-numbing pain that was spewing from her hand that she realized the scream was her own. She felt Natsuki's heel lift from her hand, felt the warmth of blood as it ran down her fingers from her opened wound, and felt her stomach bubble from the inside as she felt a sudden desire to heave bile from her throat.
For a moment there was only the sound of rain, calming soothing rain that washed the blood away from Monika's hand and nose, only for it to bubble back up again. Monika could've laid in the rain forever, falling asleep to its cold touch that she could hardly even feel. Her mind was a haze. Her eyes focused just enough to see Natsuki standing over her. She couldn't lift the bag of bricks that was her head, but to her surprise she still had feeling in her injured hand. Slowly, shakily, she reached up to wrap her fingers around Natsuki's ankle and opened her mouth. The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth.
"It's not… pity." She wheezed. "It took me a while to figure that out myself." She took another deep breath as Natsuki continued to stare at her. "I'm sorry, for hurting you all. I didn't… I can't fix it, Natsuki. I can't fix it, so I'll just keep… breaking myself." Her voice was raspy and slow, as if she had spent the past several years chain smoking, but she forced herself to continue. She didn't know why, she didn't even fully know what she was saying, she just knew she had to. "I'll keep breaking myself, more and more, until I make up for… for what I did. For killing, for… taking away your safe place. You don't have to forgive… just, be happy. Please…?" Her voice gave out as she lowered her hand back into the mud. She was so tired and couldn't bring herself to care about anything else, she just wanted to sleep, but she managed to keep her eyes open.
Natsuki was still staring down at her, her lips barely parted. "What… what the fuck are you talking about?" She whispered, but Monika didn't answer. "Hey, what the hell was that? What was… why don't you want…" Natsuki's voice choked, and Monika twitched slightly as the raindrops fell upon face. Was the rain supposed to be salty? "Jesus, what's wrong with you? You don't want to hurt me… what- what's wrong with me? Why do I want to hurt you so bad? Why… dammit, screw this!" Natsuki turned away from her and pointed to someone Monika could not see. "Hey, it's over! She's bleeding in the mud, just like you wanted, we're leaving. Now-"
"I wanted you bleeding in the mud, Kisaragi." Kanako cut her off. "She was supposed to kick your ass, not… I don't see a mark on you, that's not how it was supposed to go!" There was a sound of footsteps, and Monika felt cold hands reach beneath her and though she could not see her Monika recognized Natuski's heavy breaths beside her.
"Come on, I'm getting us out of here. Stay awake, alright dude? I'll fix this, just… God you're heavy, I need you to use your feet Monik- augh! FUCK!" Monika felt her body collide with the ground again as the hands that had been attempting to lift her were yanked out from under her, and the furious sounds of struggling emanated from beside her. Panicked voices began to call out from all around her, and though Monika wanted to turn around and see what was happening, she could not. The voices grew more panicked, more jumbled, and Monika could discern none of them.
"Get off me, I won you fucking-"
"Kanako, for God's sake stop!
"Not until we're even, God damn it!"
"Jesus Kanako, one of them is already unconscious! Stop!"
It was all too much for Monika. There were cries, yells, grunts, sounds of fist against flesh, but she couldn't tell what was happening. She couldn't discern the real voices from the fake, the voices inside her head from the ones outside, and she slowly let go of the world around her. Everything faded like smoke and as Monika's eyes closed she thought of going to sleep in a bed. A bed that was warm and dry, far away from here as she would snuggle deeper into the arm that pulled her close, while the smell of cinnamon and vanilla would lull her into a content sleep. And the only thing that interrupted her sleep before drifting off was a single sentence, a sentence filled with gibberish words she did not understand.
"Otpusti yeye!"