Author's Note: Sorry for sending this out so late but ya know... it doesn't matter. I managed to get this out in the open finally and I hope you all enjoy this journey we're travelling on. (P.S. There are some dark themes and trigger warnings in this one.)

Chapter 6: The Eye of the Storm

"Most days, I know you can't hear me.

Most days, I know you'll never see my expressions.

Most days, I know you can't always be there for me in my troubling moments.

How long will it be before I can actually see you?

Will I ever be able to see your smile in person?

Will I ever be able to see your happiness?

Or be there for you when you need it most?

Will I ever be able to embrace you and finally experience love with you?

Or be left behind in my own reality?

We are just two separate people... trapped behind a screen in two separate worlds."

- Joxhaus (Author)

Starting off this new day could have gone a little bit smoother... I'm still exhausted from the "test incident" last night... but getting to sleep next to Monika was a nice little way to end the first day... and waking up next to her sure felt heart-warming as well... I just wished I could have savored the moment a bit more... It's kind of funny. From the short time I have spent with her so far... I guess you could say I can feel myself slowly falling in love with her... and to be honest, this is something I haven't felt in quite a long time. In a way, it makes me happy, but at the same time I don't want to fuck anything up with her... I've had too many memories and instances where I've messed up... and I ended up being broken and alone... Ah... stop it! No reminiscing on past memories and pain. Holding onto past pains will only drag down my spirits. I gotta get this poem written...:

"How long has it been, since I've seen this light?

I have been burdened, by my shadows, my pains.

It took me so long to see, the issues in my sight.

Darkness has kept me bound to the grounds,

But you brought me back up... You complete me,

you're my guiding light, in my darkness. "

Sheesh... I never knew my writing ended up so cheesy... but hey, I guess this is better than a bunch of disjointed words. I only sigh to myself looking at the half-assed excuse for a poem and I decide to hide it away in my sketch pad for the time being. And while this first class is still continuing I decide to draw a little bit until the first class ends. I wasn't sure what to draw at first... but I eventually started to draw myself as an anime character, and as my boredom grew the more I became lost in my drawing. I eventually stopped my quick sketch of me and switched gears to try and draw Monika and the other girls out of just pure thought... UGH! It's so much more difficult to draw them when I can't actually see them. I am very much aware of what they look like, but even some artists need their live models to work from... Or I could just stylize them to an anime style? That might just end up weird though... Well, whatever... just to pass the time at least. I start drawing all of us in the stylized anime style that I've practiced in the past... honestly, after the first class ended it didn't look too bad. It was a little messy but it's a quick sketch, I can't be perfect with a limited time frame.

The bell signaled for the next class and I proceeded to my next destination without having to use the run command sequence placed in my eye. The little Navigation tool that was provided will always be a nice little asset for me, but since the "test incident" I am unsure if I'll use the functions just yet... I can't risk corrupting the simulation at all or putting myself in another hellish pain incident. I try not to think about it as best I can... but aside from being tired, I can only worry...

Josh: "I wonder how everyone else is doing...?"

I know Monika seems fine, only slightly annoyed with my Nobody... but will Sayori be okay as the days progress? What about Natsuki and Yuri? Everyone has their own issues but, I am still unsure of how close the simulation will portray their behaviors as the days continue onward... And how can I not worry about Joxhaus? My living embodiment of negativity and emptiness? I feel like his presence might negatively affect the others if he's not careful... but maybe I'm worrying too much... I've already been proven wrong that this simulation is much more advanced from the original game itself. Even Monika appears to have full sentience and control over herself as well as the simulation... So, maybe I shouldn't worry so much...

The day progressed onward and my worries started to die down a bit and I managed to make it to lunch. Like I did the previous day, I picked out a lunch I would like and purchased it. I looked around for a place to sit in the lunchroom and I noticed Yuri sitting by herself at a table in the complete opposite side of the lunchroom, practically adjacent from where I was sitting yesterday. Now if there's one thing I won't tolerate, it's someone sitting by themselves at lunch... and I know Yuri is not a very sociable individual. Realistically she's like me, an introvert. As I approached her she seemed pretty focused in on a book she was reading while slowly feeding herself her own organized lunch. I hate having to snap her out of her trance, but I don't want her to feel weird with me sitting with her and not realizing it.

Josh: "Uh... hey Yuri...? Do you mind if I join you here...?"

Yuri: "…"

Josh: "Yuuuuuuri? Hellooooooo?"

I wave my hand in front of her eyes for a moment and she suddenly snapped out of her trance. She even jumped a little bit, but she became embarrassed from zoning out again.

Yuri: "O-oh... H-hi there Josh... I didn't know you were trying to get my attention... I-I'm so sorry."

Josh: "It's okay Yuri, don't worry about it... I noticed you were focused on your reading... but do you mind if I join you here for lunch?"

Yuri: "O-oh... Uh... N-not at all! I would like that actually..."

Josh: "Are you sure? I won't bother you if you'd like to continue reading."

Yuri: "Oh... umm... no, it's okay. I can continue this later."

Josh: "Well, alright then..."

I start to eat my own lunch and I try to engage with Yuri a bit in conversation. And I know Yuri is a total bookworm so I could at least ask her about some of her favorite authors as a conversation starter.

Josh: "So Yuri... do you have any favorite authors?"

Yuri: "A-ah... w-well I have a lot of favorite authors but since I've been reading a lot of horror lately... I-I've been really into English novels written by Stephen King and Joe Hill..."

Josh: "So... books like 'The Shining' and 'Heart Shaped Box'?"

Yuri: "Mhm! I-I've actually just finished 'Heart Shaped Box' not too long ago. And I do hope to get myself 'The Shining' soon as well."

Josh: "Yeah... it's a fascinating read. I think you'll love it..."

I'm not really trying to... "sway" Yuri into my direction or anything... but she is pretty cute as well... I noticed since we were talking about literature, she wasn't nearly as apprehensive as she seemed, but I'm happy to see her open up a little bit... however, due to my tired state I can't help but yawn a bit while we talk... my own exhaustion is preventing me from keeping a proper conversation and I feel a little bad about it. I don't want her to think I'm being rude by yawning in our conversation...

Yuri: "Josh... I apologize for asking but are you okay? You seem rather exhausted..."

Josh: "Yeah... I'm okay... I just didn't really sleep well last night... sorry... don't worry about me."

Yuri: "A-Ah... I see... please, try not to push yourself too much today. Sleep deprivation and stress isn't good for your mental health... but do try to get to bed earlier if you're able to. It might be beneficial for you..."

Josh: "Ah... well... thank you for caring Yuri... I'll do what I can..."

Yuri giggled lightly to herself and turned her head away, hiding her face in her hair... I noticed her smiling but she still seemed a little reserved, but I was happy to see she was okay with talking to me for a little bit... even if it was just idle chatter on horror novels and as our conversation came to a close the bell chimed and Yuri stood up collecting her belongings, almost in a rush. I wasn't fully sure due to being half-asleep, but I still think she's a bit anxious being around others... and maybe a little bit more anxious from being around me... the "player".

Josh: "Um, I'll see you later at the club alright...?"

Yuri: "Oh... u-uh... a-alright...! S-see you later...!"

Yuri seemed a little flustered again, still fairly shy. She nearly rushed out from the cafeteria before I even stood up from the table. I sighed to myself, cleaned up my meal and continued on with my day. It's fascinating how accurate her character really is... I mean, she's not nearly as reserved as in the original game, but she's certainly extremely introverted... but in this simulation, she is capable of normal conversation... as long as it's something she's okay with talking about. So, I guess all in all it's pretty close. I managed to reach my next couple of classes and I felt like sleeping... it was pretty boring to the point of just passing out... but I feel like the extra time was intentionally left in the simulation so users can utilize the functions given to us like the navigation program and the run commands... perhaps I should stop worrying so much and try to use them again and see if they still function?

I attempted to use these thoughts to bring the internal menu selection again. I noticed it was also slightly updated. Giving me various different options now. One being the internal GPS like I had used prior to starting his first day. I had the option to access logs from things that happened. I even had a very vague task note in the corner of the text box options. "Proceed with the day! Impress your fellow club members during the club or at school today!" I felt that note implied I could possibly see any one of them during my activities during school. I guess that would make a lot of sense why I randomly saw Yuri today in the lunch room by herself. Aside from that I still haven't seen Monika for the majority of the day... She said she would try to see if the game would allow us to be together during school, even for a little bit, but I am going to guess that the "Script for the day" is preventing her from doing so... at least for right now. I have a sneaking suspicion that she might try to alter the game script again so she can see me again during the day... unless she has an option set up for her at some point? There's no way to tell at the moment, and I really don't feel like decoding the game script itself... that's just too much work to do. I would have to disconnect from the simulation and run through the game script manually through my computer and even then, I doubt I will be able to find a direct answer... I would much rather see how everything plays out.

There isn't much else listed currently in this internal menu that is still in my sights... specifically in my left eye. I looked over the remaining options listed in the menu. "Resume", "Save progress", "Load progress", "Run GPS", "Archive logs", "Options", "Administrative options", "Check for updates" and finally "Exit simulation"... This was an unusual set of menu options... but I guess I've seen worse.

The first thing I decided to check was the "Check for updates" option. It ran a run command window... which worried me a little bit. The command box text only said "searching for updates" for about a minute or two, and finally came up to say "No updates found". Perhaps I might be expecting updates later on? It's too soon to say for something like that. This simulation is still impressive regardless. I go back to the menu and check on the "Administrative options" this time. I'm greeted with another command box, asking for a username and key for entry... sad to say but no luck on looking into administrative options. I back out once more and check on the "Archive logs"... I imagine there won't be much information that will be important to me in understanding this simulation's flaws but I should at least check... but I should also be careful.

Similarly, to the original game... you could scroll back through events and dialog that happened between your character and everyone else. So. I could basically look back at everything that's happened so far. I doubt that searching back on the test incident will help solve anything to what happened but I am curious to know if the archive logs picked it up... and if it did I'm curious to know what it says... maybe it will give me something to work off of. I scrolled back casually through most of today's events to far and entering to last night's events... all of the archive logs have been one hundred percent accurate, and it even acknowledges Joxhaus being an actual character in the game... That much on its own was a little unsettling... but as I reached a point where there should be a "test error code" or something along those lines... there was a lot of random letter vomit:

RXJyb3IgY29kZSAzOTogdGVzdCBzdWJqZWN0IHVucmVzcG9uc2l2ZSBkdWUgdG8gc3lzdGVtIG1hbGZ1bmN0aW9uLS0gdW5rbm93biBjYXVzZS4NCi8vLw0KLi4uDQpOZXcgc3ViamVjdCBmb3VuZCBpbiB0aGUgc2ltdWxhdGlvbi0tDQovLy8NCi0tZXh0cmFjdGluZyBhZGRpdGlvbnMgdG8gY2hhcmFjdGVyIGZpbGVzLg==

And above it was the time code where the test initialized itself... but something about this text was off everything else was fairly normal for the most part. Up to the "test incident" the letter vomit code was glitching out a bit shifting awkwardly and even changing styles from bold, normal, or italics randomly.

I stared at it a bit too long... trying to figure out what could have possibly caused this to happen? On top of everything else that's already happened... even after the patch? I guess this is all connected in some way, but how? A simulation shouldn't have this many issues with it... especially if it harms the user inside the simulation!

The moment I started overthinking this situation, the "Archive logs" completely crashed and exited out on its own. It scared me since it made a zapping sound and I felt that all too familiar zap in my eye again. It didn't hurt as much as it did yesterday, but I could feel a strong headache coming on. I had to nearly brace my head in my hands.

Josh: "Gah..! Motherfu..."

I had to keep my keep my voice down to not draw attention of the other NPC's... I mean... I don't think they would necessarily care, since they wouldn't interact with me... but you never know what surprises might come around... I could see the simulation freaking out again. The environment was glitching apart... but was it really falling apart or was it just my imagination? In my left eye, everything looks like a glitched out horror show. While my right eye... watering up from the pain and stress... sees everything normally. I saw some NPC's turning their heads towards me... it was the simulation generating a reaction reflex from my actions.

In my left eye everything was glitching. My head was pounding more and more as the glitches increased. The faces looking toward me were twisted, distorted... eyes were missing or glowing. Some necks and limbs on their bodies were also broken at an unusual angle. My heart rate was accelerating at a terrifying pace. But fortunately for me the bell signaled for the end of the school day... Everyone started to leave thankfully but my body was aching and the pain in my head was burning up even more. I managed to take hold of my belongings but I had to hold my head in my hand as I left more. The pain wouldn't go away, it kept rising... a high-pitched ringing noise was returning as well... I couldn't help but groan from all of this, the groans started to shift into screams from how much my eyes and my head were hurting.

I started to rush my way down the hallway. I didn't care who was standing in my way. I needed to get to the restroom, at least I won't be making too much of a scene. Or... at least that's what I hoped for at least. I didn't notice on the way, I apparently bumped into Natsuki on the way.

Natsuki: "H-HEY! Watch where you're fucking go- ...Josh..?"

I didn't really stop to talk to her, I was too focused on dealing with my agony... I felt like my head was splitting in two. I could feel tears going down my face from bad it's getting... They were dripping along the floor. It was pretty noticeable for anyone who might have been paying attention. I felt my face for a minute to wipe away the tears... things only seemed to get worse... I wiped away blood from my left eye...

Josh: "B-blood...? What the... hell...?"

This new addition only made me hurry faster to the restroom. I could barely keep up with this pain... however, I endured it and made into the restroom in one piece. I tried to think about any possible solutions to fix this... I tried to reopen the run command window in order to see if I could disable the program doing this to me or do something. I couldn't get anything to respond. I tried to keep myself calm even though the pain was starting to get unbearable.

This entire situation... it reminds me of the very small instance where you can get "blood vision" in Doki Doki Literature Club's original game... It was a rare chance while progressing the second phase of the game. I remember getting it on my first play-through of the game and it was more or less terrifying. And since it was specifically on act 2 of the game's "story", does this mean that the simulation is already pushing me into the "madness" phase? That's not right... Sayori is still alive and well... as well as the rest of the girls... so why is this even happening? What is this simulation hiding?

I can only think about the bigger picture for so long before the agony returned to my eyes. More blood starts to streak down my face and my initial instinct was to wash off the blood from the school bathroom sinks and I even went as far as pouring some cold water into my eyes. It helped combat the stinging pain, even if it wasn't the best idea... For a split second the environment glitches out again. I see another text box appear in the corner of my distorted vision...

"Core system reset... Admin authorization and verification:"

"..."

"Admin M acknowledged"

"User core system reset start"

Josh: "Admin 'M'? ...Monika..."

The world in my field of vision start to glitch out more and suddenly it glitched back to normal. The pain started going away slowly and I started to calm down from my hyperventilation. There were still some stains of blood in my eyes, but I decided to get my face cleaned up before leaving. I think I spent about a good fifteen minutes trying to clean my eyes and my face.

My head still felt like it was in a daze or even fuzzy, and another possible traumatic experience is now noted. I don't think this was part of the "Doki Doki" experience... Granted glitching and weird psychological changes are one thing, but physically harming the user in the simulation? That isn't how Doki Doki Literature Club is supposed to go. Something about all this just seems off... But for right now I can't even bring myself to think about that. I'm utterly drained from what just occurred.

But if Monika figured out how to stop this... maybe she found a way to fix the issue? Or is that too much wishful thinking? I know she's far more advanced in this simulation than the original game... but even then, there are some barriers that can't always be crossed. After cleaning myself up I took one more look in the mirror... my left eye was miserably bloodshot... This probably wasn't going to go unnoticed by Monika and the other... but sadly there isn't much that can be done. All I know is... I believe the worst of the storm is over.

Upon leaving... I was greeted with two familiar faces...

Sayori: "Josh...!? Are you okay?"

Natsuki: "Jesus Christ, Josh?! What the hell happened to you!? You literally scared me for a good minute."

Well... this isn't exactly what I had in mind when leaving the bathroom... but since leaving the last class, Natsuki must have been worried out of her mind after seeing me rush to the bathroom in pain like that... She must have gotten Sayori from the clubroom since she's my "best friend" and all. But this is only going to complicate things if both of them are worrying over me.

Josh: "Oh... umm hey you two... what are you doing over here...? Aren't you guys supposed to be at the Literature club right now?"

Natsuki: "Well... yeah... but you ran into me like an idiot... without even saying 'sorry' you dummy... but I'll forgive you this once since you looked like you were in pain..."

Sayori: "Yeah, Natsuki told me you rushed off to the bathroom, looking like you were injured... So, I bolted down here as fast as I could. I told Monika I was going to retrieve you since you were running late, but since Natsuki told me the extra news... well... seeing how you are now, you look like an absolute wreck. We're going to the Nurse's office! Like it or not!"

Josh: "Nurse's Office!? No, no, no, no, no, no. I'm fine, I'm fine! We don't need to get out of hand over something that may not even be serious!"

Only a second after my protest I felt a hand slam into the back of my head. Damn, Natsuki can hit hard for being the smallest girl in this simulation.

Natsuki: "BAKA! No buts mister! You're going to the Nurse's office with Sayori and you don't get a say in the matter, got it?"

Josh: "OW! You didn't have to hit so hard!"

Natsuki: "Then don't be stubborn, idiot! ...jeez, you're making us worry so much today..."

Josh: "...sorry..."

Natsuki: "Well, whatever. I'm gonna head back up to the club. I'm going to inform Monika and Yuri about what's happening. Just get your butts back to the club when you get the ice pack okay?"

Sayori: "Sounds good! Come on dingus~! We're gonna go on an adventure to get you an ice pack!"

Sayori still trying to be as cheerful as ever about the situation starts dragging me away by my arm and I sigh out of slight agitation; Natsuki seems a bit annoyed by my stubbornness but I truly don't want them to worry for me, she walks back to the stairway back up to the third floor. I really hope Monika is okay with waiting on me like this... I'm sure she'll be understanding of the circumstances... but with the current events added so far I make another note of the simulation, yet muttering a lot of it to myself as Sayori and I walk down the hallway.

Josh: "So the simulation can dictate the character's additional actions based on users' physical pain or actions... if noticed..."

Sayori: "Hmm? Did you say something?"

Josh: "Nah... just spouting random things to myself."

Sayori: "Ehehe... you always do that randomly. It's kinda funny actually."

Josh: "Heh... yeah... so where's the Nurse's Office again?"

Sayori: "Wow, do you really live under a rock Josh? I thought you knew the school layout better than I did. Hehe~"

Josh: "Uh, I never got sick or injured until today so... come on, cut me some slack here..."

Sayori: "Fine, fine. It's in the middle of the school, thankfully not that far."

Josh: "Juuuuuuuuuust making sure."

We reach a door in the middle of the hallway, and the sign above it states "Nurse's Office". Pretty plain as day from the looks of it. Upon entering there was only one nurse-like NPC at the reception desk. Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, another familiar voice comes from behind us.

?: "Well, well, well, what brings you to the medical ward Josh? Did you finally break your skull on the desk falling asleep today?"

We both turn around to face our unexpected guest... Of all the places I wasn't expecting, Joxhaus was here at the school... and this almost seems too convenient... The unsettling tone of voice and sentence alone didn't nearly surprise me but Sayori was bewildered by how this "stranger" was treating me, right off the bat. What surprised me was the fact that my Nobody was actually wearing a school uniform... he must be using a spare that I had at home that the simulation provides. Since we literally have the same figure it would probably fit him just as easily. This has to be a disguise meant for passing over suspicion by the other NPC's and characters like Sayori.

Sayori: "Say Josh... do you know him? He kinda looks a little like you."

Josh: "Yeah... I know..."

Joxhaus: "Aren't you going to introduce me...? Or do I have to do that myself too?"

Josh: "No... Sayori, this is Joxhaus... I've known him for quite a while now..."

Sayori: "Oh! Hiya! I'm Sayori! It's nice to meet you Joxhaus!"

Joxhaus: "It's a fine pleasure to meet you as well Sayori... so what brings you two here...?"

Sayori: "W-well... umm we need an ice pack!"

Joxhaus: "Ah... yes. Get yourselves an ice pack... I can see that blood shot eye from a mile away Josh."

Josh: "...ya don't say..."

Sayori talks with the Nurse NPC for a minute and she walks with her to the back of the room momentarily. Meanwhile, Joxhaus and I are back by the entrance of the office. I start having my suspicions of what he's been doing for the whole day. I quietly try to see if Joxhaus had anything to do what had happened a while ago, because it seems way too convenient for him to show up to school after I go through another pain inducing incident.

Josh: "So what the hell did you do?"

Joxhaus: "What are you on about?"

Josh: "What did you do today? You must have glitched the system again while I was going through the school day."

Joxhaus: "...sightseeing."

Josh: "Bull. Shit."

Joxhaus: "What...? You really don't believe I would just wander around the edges of the simulated space, just to see how accurate of a civilization the simulated game can be?"

Josh: "No. I don't."

Joxhaus: "Sheesh... do you truly lack the imagination of understanding the science behind details?"

Josh: "This is not the time and the place for that!"

As we quietly argued, Sayori returned with an ice pack and placed it on my head, giggling to herself. She appeared to have not heard anything that was being discussed between us.

Josh: "Ah! Hey! Sayori!"

Sayori: "Ehehe! Sorry I couldn't resist!"

Joxhaus: "Heh... anyway, I suppose I shouldn't be hanging around here... can I walk with you two for a bit...?"

Sayori: "Uh... sure...?"

Sayori worriedly looked over at me, unsure of what to think. She almost seemed a tad intimidated by a new face she wasn't used to. Or perhaps his negative energy is making her feel uneasy. I don't want her being around him for that long if that's the case... I really don't want his negative energy triggering her depression.

Josh: "I... guess it wouldn't hurt..."

Joxhaus: "I really don't see why it would... you worry too much."

I really didn't want to make any more comments while my Nobody was with us. He can be a little unpredictable with his word choice or even his own actions, but again; realistically, he is just a side of me not a lot of people get to witness. A side of me that I tend to hide and hold back.

We all departed from the Nurse's Office and as all walk to the third floor, towards the club-room, I was modestly surprised that Joxhaus wanted to stay around as long as he did. I feel like one of my bad traits is I usually don't like to stay around people for too long even if it's a small group. I don't know if that quality transferred into my Nobody or not... I kept the ice pack over my blood shot eye and it helped ease the lingering pain a bit... and to my surprise my Nobody starts asking questions to Sayori while we walk.

Joxhaus: "So... Sayori was it...? How long have you known Josh for...?"

Sayori: "Well... I have known him all my life. We grew up together as next-door neighbors and best friends. Why do you ask?"

Joxhaus: "Hmm... No reason. I was just curious... I imagine you're both enjoying the after-school clubs, yes?"

What is he up to...? I highly doubt he's doing this just out of curiosity. Why ask such specific questions? More importantly, questions that are specific to my personal relationship with Sayori and the simulation? Is he really trying to understand how the program simulates its answers based on the questions and responses from the main characters like Sayori?

Sayori: "Mhm! I'm Vice President of the Literature Club! You should check it out sometime if you find time."

Joxhaus: "Hmm... maybe... but not today. Another time perhaps? I have to get home soon to do some homework..."

Josh: "Oh really?"

I couldn't help but pull out a sarcastic remark. Even if he is my Nobody we both share a common trait of being smart-asses to each other. Joxhaus seemed unimpressed by my remark. Since, he doesn't feel anything, it's not surprising to not get a reaction from him. Sayori was pretty easy to convince with the "homework" lie.

Joxhaus: "Hmm... yeah. Besides, it's pretty late in the afternoon. I imagine your club is already half past due on time..."

As we reached the Literature Club Monika, Yuri and Natsuki were all standing out in the hall waiting for us. They seemed rather surprised to see a new and yet unusual face with us as well. Monika was more or less shocked to see my Nobody in one of my uniforms and at the school, but she also seemed like she wasn't necessarily surprised. Yuri started playing with her hair, slightly glancing at me and then to Joxhaus for a moment, she seemed rather unsure of speaking at the moment.

Natsuki: "Hey! You guys are back and alive! But who's the odd ball you got with you?"

Sayori: "Hey. Yeah, I'm sorry we took so long getting back to the club... b-but yeah this guy is-"

Joxhaus: "I guess you're referring to me and not mister temporary one eye over there... I'm Joxhaus. I'm an acquaintance of Josh's."

Josh: "...Did you really have to say that?"

Natsuki: "Oh, okay. Nice to meet you I guess..."

Yuri: "I-I'm Y-Y-Yuri... I-It's a pleasure... to m-meet you..."

Natsuki seemed normal around my Nobody... perhaps trying to keep her calm, casual, yet somewhat tsundere demeanor... Yuri on the other hand, she seemed to be visibly sweating and trembling lightly as if she couldn't even really keep herself calm at all. Is she a bit more attracted to my more realistic looking self? My Nobody taking a more matured (yet more accurate) look and somewhat darker tone of style... I suppose I wouldn't be surprised if she acted that way around him. As for Monika... well, she was staring daggers into him I could imagine. She actually had to turn away from him to justify how much she didn't trust or like him. Joxhaus clearly took notice of this.

Joxhaus: "Ah... Monika. It's good to see you again."

Monika: "...yeah... you too..."

I could easily tell she wasn't exactly happy that he was here, she sounded like she just wanted him to leave all of us alone. My Nobody could sense that much from her and he gave a soft sigh, followed by a smile and a head shake.

Joxhaus: "Well... as much as I would like to stay around, I gotta head home. I have a few projects to attend to..."

Sayori: "Aww... alright... I guess we'll see you later then? Probably at the school festival or something?"

Joxhaus: "Well... I guess we'll hang out and find out... anyway, see you all later!"

He casually waved and walked away from all of us with a sadistic grin on his face. Everyone returned into the club-room besides me and Monika. We watched him return to the stairwell as we shot glances at each other, unsure of what to say. After hearing him say that phrase though, I really just wanted to punch him in the throat. He could have said one hundred other things but that comment was excessively unnecessary... and he did it to trigger me off more than likely. Monika noticed my hand was gripped into a fist about ready to bust a my Nobody where ever I could. I felt a hand hold onto a fist for a moment and Monika whispered to me softly.

Monika: "Just let it go for now Josh... Come on... let's get back to the club."

I look over at her and sigh gently. I know she's right. I decide to let it go for now and to just spend the rest of the afternoon with the girls in the Literature Club. Monika and I return to the clubroom and we progress the day like normal. Everyone went around sharing the respective poems and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. I still kept the ice pack over my eye for a little while longer and since the afternoon was so late already, Monika decided we should start to share our poems.

As we all retrieved our respective poems, I slipped mine out of my sketch book and decided to share my poem with Natsuki first. She wrote her usual "Eagles can Fly" poem. I can appreciate her writing style for being simplistic. To be perfectly honest, I also appreciate Natsuki's passions for baking and manga, even if her friends and family don't fully approve of her choices. It's not always easy trying to take on personal responsibilities like baking on your own accord. But back to her writing, simplicity can keep a vast majority of peoples' attention and it's because of that simplicity that makes her poems easy to understand some of the messages she's relaying in her writing. Back when I was in high school, I didn't care much for writing at all. Even poetry didn't make much sense to me... but looking back on it now, I'm glad I'm a bit more open minded to writing. Doki Doki Literature Club certainly has their own layers of messages and writing. Natsuki also gave me a little bit of her usual advice while acting proud and confident... I do like hearing her insights and though processes behind the work... even if she was saying pre-programmed lines. When I showed her my poem, Natsuki's reaction was very much the same as I would have expected. She wasn't fully "satisfied" with my "poem" because it wasn't cute or simplistic like her style. Which to me, was expected really. There was no mini game prompting me to make a poem one of the club members would like. Natsuki seemed unusually nice to me... even though most of the dialog... seemed the same. In my truest perspective though, everything seems different. I feel like the mood has changed a bit since what happened earlier. Even Natsuki's tone of voice isn't the same as her usual tsundere self. But that does make me wonder... how will this progress? I just want to be with Monika in the end but I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings or cause a situation where Sayori's depression drives her to a bad ending... or Yuri harming herself.

Speaking of Yuri, I moved onto her and her typical first poem of "Ghost under the light"... Her writing and her writing style was just as elegant as I remember. Yuri was very fond of script and it boded well for her writing... She was awkwardly quiet at first, before getting all anxious again. She was still having trouble being comfortable around me, which is fine. She finally managed to speak up and after she thought for a moment she started to talk like a professional writer with little to no stuttering, her voice changed tones in that instant and it was almost surprising to see that much of a change in character in her so suddenly. But that truly means her passion has been in the world of writing and in books. If I had truly played this simulation blindly without knowing Monika was still overly sentient I probably would have tried to bond more with Yuri or maybe Sayori. Honestly... the circumstances are all a bit different. When I went through this game blind, I bonded with Yuri, because I saw a bit of myself in her. I was living a bit of a darker lifestyle growing up in high school. I was occasionally picked on by the jocks of the school, I was relatively to myself all the time and I spent a lot of time doodling in my notebooks or sketchpads, because it was really the only thing that gave me some passion or satisfaction in life. (well... besides video games of course.) But... like Sayori, depression also hit pretty hard and some days and again like Yuri, I did harm myself to prove a point that my own life wasn't worth living. The stress and the disgusting truth of how dark and terrible our world and humanity can become... it was overwhelming. Rereading her poem, sometimes made me a bit sad... there's a reflection of myself at times when I'm going over her writing style. I thought of myself to be a little more formal and professional around others... just as Yuri always tries to be proper when serving tea or talking to others about writing. And speaking about talking to others... we are both introverted. And back when I was in high school, I couldn't talk to someone else to save my life... but in hindsight, I always felt bad for Yuri. Even before I bonded with her I could tell she had a troubling past of her own. Most people aren't shy and anxious for no reason.

But then again... that much was true for all the girls in the club... everyone suffered from something different... Sayori suffers from severe depression, Yuri is bullied for her body type (this makes a lot of sense when you understand the Japanese culture that the game was "portrayed" in) and cuts herself because of her anxiety and stress, Natsuki who has been secretly living under parental abuse (granted this has not been fully proven but heavily hinted at.), and Monika... a girl who basically has been given a gift to see everything she's ever known to be a complete and utter lie and to know that she is truly lonely in a world where most of her friends and family all don't truly exist and everything is just a simulation, or to her, "a game".

Next on the poems list was Sayori. My little goofball, ray of sunshine, of a best friendo. She greeted me with a quick little hug before presenting me with her poem torn out from notebook. And similarly to that of her handwriting and the rest of her uniform appearance, she seemed like she rushed to make this. I always smiled and chuckled at her first poem. It was kinda cute in my perspective. "Dear Sunshine"... At first glance it was cute, but after playing through this scenario once already... I realize how bittersweet this poem actually is. Sayori is a true sweetheart. Granted she is a little bit of a goofball, but deep down she's still hurting inside. I heavily related to Sayori too when I first played Doki Doki Literature Club. I didn't really see it at first and it took time for me to really see my development over the past several years... but I enjoyed being around my closest friends the most. I felt like I could truly be myself around them... and hell I always tried being a goofball myself or being a life of a party. I could talk to my friends for hours about random things... but when I finally got hit with depression some days... I just couldn't bring myself to say anything to them... the people I trusted practically more than my family... I felt like I couldn't burden them with the internal pain I was going through... I guess you could say some days I wish I could just disappear to make their lives better... in a sense I was just like Sayori. I denied several times that anything was wrong with me... but eventually... that part of the mentality breaks... and people find out. Sometimes they find out the hard way or you have enough courage to tell someone about it. I have been fortunate to have some special friends in my life that have saved me from myself... And if I have that power, I hope to save Sayori too.

Finally, I reached Monika. I guess you could say I saved the best for last. She gave me a very warm smile as I came up to her. The classroom was glowing orange again due to the sun-setting afternoon. I looked over her poem... it was the same as I remembered for now. She took it away from me and smiled.

Monika: "I'm sure you already know what this is about... anyway... how about I look at your poem?"

Josh: "Sure thing... I hope you like it."

She took a moment to look over it and she smiled, I thought I might have seen tears form in her eyes. But she kept her confident composure for the time being. She set my poem down on the desk and smiled.

Monika: "I loved it... It's nice to see an actual poem and not disjointed words... but I think I know what your poem is about... and even though it is a little cheesy... I really loved it."

Josh: "I'm glad you did... it was for you, just so you know."

Monika: "Ahaha~ I know... so how are you feeling, Josh?"

Josh: "Doing fairly good with you here."

Monika: "Aww, stop being such a sweetheart... I meant, how is your eye silly...? Is it feeling better?"

Josh: "Yes... it's a bit sore but it's not bloodshot anymore... So I'm guessing you're admin 'M' in this system?"

Monika: "Yeah... I have been looking into the simulation all day to see if I could find a way to talk to you during the day's events. I think I can make something work... but I need a little more time to make sure it won't bug out and hurt you again... because it's going to involve your menu function in your eye. But while I was researching a way to contact you, I noticed the bug in the system again... it was harming you. It was almost like a virus of some kind.. Thankfully, I managed to pull a few strings in time... I'm sorry I couldn't have helped any sooner..."

Josh: "But you did save me... so I'm grateful that you did that much for me... thank you Monika."

Monika smiled brightly. She looked like she almost wanted to cry tears of joy. She snapped her fingers again once more and the world around us stopped. Everything turned grey once again as time was completely still. Monika jumped me and wrapped her arms around me. She was crying a little bit into my chest but she didn't seem upset or sad.

Monika: "I-I'm so happy... that you're okay... and I'm so happy that you're still here with me... I-I don't know what I would have done without you... I... I love you so much you know...?"

Monika looked up at me slowly with her glossy emerald green eyes. She smiled and took away the ice pack I was holding over my eye and she gently placed her hand on my cheek and we stared into each others eyes for a long moment before she leaned in to kiss me. I have never seen this kind of reaction before... I do remember seeing her concerned and worried look in her eyes. I witnessed that this morning, but here it was like that but it converted to passionate, needy eyes. Her eyes seemed like they were glowing lightly, they looked like they were longing for a moment like this. If we were in an anime romance show, I'm sure this would be one of the few heavy love scenes where two lovers finally have that fated embrace. I wrapped my arms around her hips gently as we kissed for a moment. She broke off the kiss to wipe her eyes and she giggled a bit trying to regain her composure a bit.

Monika: "Aha... I-I'm sorry about that Josh. I don't know what came over me getting all emotional like that..."

Josh: "I didn't mind at all... beside I really enjoyed the moment."

Monika: "Then give me a few more minutes... then we'll progress the day like we should..."

Josh: "A few more minnmph-...!?"

My words get cut off and she wraps her hands around my neck and she passionately kissed my lip more. I was caught completely off guard but I gave into her wishes and allowed us to spend a bit more time together. After a couple more minutes had passed we finally broke the elongated kiss and we both took a minute or two to catch our breath. We're both completely flustered and we looked like a mess for a moment but after regaining our composure Monika kisses my cheek and giggles once more.

Monika: "Ah... that was fun... we should do that again sometime..."

Josh: "Perhaps we will. You never know."

Monika: "Oh, but I do know... hehehe... but anyway we need to finish the day don't we?"

Josh: "Oh really...? heh.. you sneaky little devil... but yes we should probably finish the day properly."

Monika: "Very well then, let's get the festival talk out of the way so we can get home..."

Monika snapped her fingers once more and the reality returned to normal once more and time flowed regularly again. As we all finished up sharing poems. Monika called all of us to the front of the room to discuss the plans for the festival. Natsuki complained a little bit about being a part of the festival and Yuri slumps down in her seat when Monika mentioned the idea of "performing" their poems to a crowd. Sayori and I managed to convince them otherwise that this would be a fun and exciting experience that they shouldn't be intimidated by it. After the discussions ended, Monika ended the club meeting for today, reminding us all to make another poem for tomorrow.

Sayori: "Hey Josh~ Ready to go home?"

Josh: "Yup, ready when you are."

Monika: "Cya later you guys!"

Monika was waving and calling out to us as we started to leave for the day. I know for a fact she was specifically stating that to me, more over Sayori. However, both of us wave cheerfully and we start to make out trek home for the day. Natsuki and Yuri both left around the same time as well, they didn't really speak much to each other much and unlike the first day of poems they didn't argue about their writing styles. So, I came to a new conclusion about this simulation: any emergency events or heavy priority events that take place within the simulation may override other events that have yet to occur. As they left the room Monika was left alone in the room and she sighed lightly to herself as she looked out to the sunset.

Monika: "I truly hope I can finally have a happy ending... without breaking this world... or him..."

Meanwhile... off on a different street...

Yuri and Natsuki end up parting ways onto different roads to go home.

Natsuki: Um... cya tomorrow I guess...

Yuri: y-yeah... you too...

Natsuki takes a left turn down her usual street and Yuri keeps walking a bit further by her lonesome, she took out her new book she was reading and started to read while walking home. The book was dark red, with an ominous eye on from the cover. As she became more engrossed in her book she didn't exactly watch where she was going and she accidentally headbutted someone on the sidewalk. She nearly screeched and fell back scaring herself half to death. She also accidentally dropped her book by the stranger's feet. Or what she thought to be a stranger.

?: "Ah! OW! What the hell!?"

Yuri: "AH! A-AH I-I'm so sorry! I-I didn't.. I mean I'm sorry I wasn't looking! I... w-wait... y-you're... that guy I saw earlier..."

She had ran into Joxhaus, who was conducting his own research on the simulation. Granted he wasn't looking at his surroundings very well either but he wasn't expecting that someone would literally walk into him.

Joxhaus: "Hmm...? Oh... if it isn't Ms. Yuri... Yes, I was with Josh and Sayori earlier... I'm surprised you still remember me."

Yuri: "uh... w-well.. I uh... I wouldn't ever forget someone like you..."

Joxhaus: "Ah... that means quite a lot you know... Oh... where are my manners... let me help you up."

He leans down to grab Yuri's hand and he carefully pulls her back up to her feet, but Yuri is incredibly flustered, her palms were sweaty and her face was red. She was feeling so nervous around him and she didn't know why.

Yuri: "T-thank you..."

The Nobody leaned down and picked up her book for her and handed it back to her.

Joxhaus: "You're welcome... and "Portrait of Markov", huh...? Not a bad read my dear... say... do you think I could walk you home? It's a bit dangerous to walk home alone at this time of evening."

Yuri: "A-a-ah... I-I.. uh.. s-s-sure..."

Joxhaus: "Ah... excellent... you should probably lead the way though... heheh..."

Author's Notes: HEY! We finally made it to Chapter 6. So... I'm sorry it took so long. I've just been so busy and bogged down with a lot lately. This is definitely another long chapter. But I'm glad I stuck it out to the proper point.

-Josh writes an actual poem for the day while wondering about how everyone else is doing with their "day". He already starts to question how this simulation will go and starts to carry some doubts of his own.

-When he gets to lunch, he finds Yuri by herself. He ends up joining her for lunch since the opportunity was given just to talk to her.

-The moment was short lived as they move on about their days. And Josh decides to try and work the system functions again but this time he accessed it through a menu screen.

-He checked on the different functions, and even searched the "Archive logs" to check on all the events that happened up to today.

-Another glitch in the system starts to cause havoc and harm to Josh and his eye at the end of the school day, causing his eye to bleed and his vision to distort.

-He managed to reach the bathroom and accidentally bumped into Natsuki in the process, without stopping. Natsuki became worried for him and left to grab Sayori from the club while Josh managed to ease some of the pain by washing his eye out with cool water.

-He questioned why this was happening to him again but as soon as his thoughts raced, Monika managed to fix the issue on her own without causing any existential damages to him or the simulation.

-As the pain slowly went away and his eye went from bloody to blood shot he was greeted by a concerned Sayori and Natsuki who immediately questioned if he was okay and they insisted on getting him to the nurse's office.

-Josh was resistant on the idea but he no way of getting out of the situation so he just gave in to their demands. Natsuki left back to the club to let Monika and Yuri know of what was happening while Sayori, keeping a positive demeanor, dragged Josh to the Nurse's office.

-As they reached the office, a familiar voice greeted them from behind. Joxhaus met them at the school with a school uniform on rather than the dark cloak he wore in the beginning. He was acting about as cold, yet polite as he could be. He made introductions to Sayori and she believed he was just another senior student that Josh knew.

-As Sayori went to grab the ice pack from the NPC nurse, Josh and his Nobody had a short discussion about what Joxhaus has been doing since he left this morning. Josh doesn't believe anything his Nobody is saying and suspects he had something to do with the system glitch again. There was still no proof to show any evidence that it was the case.

-Joxhaus casually asked if he could walk with the two back to their club, Sayori was accepting of it while Josh didn't quite care at that moment in time.

-Returning to the club, the three were greeted by the rest of the Literature Club right outside the club room. Another round of introductions were made. Natuski wasn't sure what to really think of him while Yuri seemed a little more anxious and flustered than usual. Monika seemed suspicious of him being here and was cold to his greeting.

-Joxhaus left the group after making a dark comment so casually. (Trigger warning too late?) This angered Josh but Monika had to convince him to let go of his anger for now. Josh agrees even if it left a salty and bitter taste in his mouth.

-The rest of day two goes about as expected everyone shared their poems but no arguments were made due to the events that happened earlier. As he went around to everyone, Josh reflected on his past while relating his experiences to the others. When he got to Monika she was astounded to see an actual poem. Something new and meaningful.

-She stopped time again, abusing her powers in order to keep him for herself, even if it was for several minutes. (Insert passionate love scene there.) Monika also becomes emotional for a moment which almost astonishes Josh from his perspective.

-When the moment was finished she returned everything to normal and the club discussed the festival plans like usual before ending the club for the day. Sayori and Josh left like normal while Natsuki and Yuri left on their own accord. Monika stayed for a moment to question if this will finally be a happy ending she deserved.

-As everyone went home, Yuri started reading a book while walking and she accidentally bumps into Joxhaus on the streets. It was late in the afternoon nearly evening and he offers to walk her home.

So yeah, that should be everything up to this current point so far. I knew this was going to be a bogged down chapter, but I am mostly satisfied with how it came out. It took way too long to get it finished sadly. Aside from that, I still look forward to where this goes. Poor Crystal however... has been sick for the past few days and still trying to undergo work... bless her heart... such a hard worker. She didn't manage to look over my story too much but I managed to look through and edit as much as I was physically capable of.

Anyway thanks for keeping up with this story this far.

Until next time.

-Joxhaus

Next Chapter: Rain Clouds Reprise