About twenty minutes later, the figure of a petit, pink-haired girl became visible in the distance, jogging along the sidewalk. Monika, who'd been standing at the ready the entire time, used her foot to nudge Sayori, who'd been laying across Yuri's front porch like a cat.
"Hey, she's here," Monika said. "I think you might want to get up."
Sayori whined and stretched out her limbs. "But the Sun feels so goooood…"
Monika chuckled. "I don't think Natsuki's going to appreciate that."
"Mmm…she'll be fine," Sayori replied, rolling over.
Just then, Natsuki sprinted the final dozen or so meters to Yuri's front porch and thrust the toe of her pink sneaker firmly into Sayori's ribcage.
"Get up, lazybones," she said. "And finish telling me what's going on! What's this about Yuri having a rough time?"
"Owww…" Sayori whined, sitting up and rubbing her side. "Why are you always so pushy?"
Monika waved awkwardly in Natsuki's direction. "H-Hey, Natsuki."
"Hi," Natsuki replied curtly before immediately turning her attention back to Sayori. "Now spill."
"Okay, okay," Sayori said, hopping to her feet. "Yuri's…kind of a mess right now. She's tired and stressed, and I'm pretty sure she's done nothing but work on her festival poem since Friday."
At that last line, Monika thought she saw Natsuki's eyes flit over to her for an instant.
"S-Sorry," Monika said reflexively.
Natsuki squinted in her direction. "What?"
Monika's face was starting to heat up. "I-I...
For starters, I think it comes down to honesty.
…I pressured Yuri too much on Friday about her poem, and now this is happening…" Monika mumbled, unable to meet Natsuki's eyes.
Natsuki sighed. "Whatever. Let me try to talk to her," she said, making for the door.
"Um – " was all that Monika could get out as Natsuki attempted – and failed – to turn the knob and yank open the front door.
"Oh, of course. That idiot…" Natsuki ranted, ringing the doorbell several times quickly.
Monika and Sayori backed away from Natsuki cautiously. Her movements were growing quite erratic, and she began to tap both her foot and her fingers at the same time as she waited for Yuri to answer the door. Every five or so seconds, Natsuki assaulted the doorbell with another bout of rings.
As such, it was very soon thereafter that the lock turned and the door cracked open once more. Yuri peeked out from the depths of her house meekly.
"N-Natsuki?" she said. "Why are you – "
"You look terrible," Natsuki said flatly, cutting her off. Monika's breath caught in her throat, and she turned to Sayori worriedly.
"I…um…" Yuri looked away and shut the door by a centimeter or two. "I didn't sleep very well last night…"
"Oh, yeah? Did you sleep at all?" Natsuki interrogated, planting her foot firmly inside Yuri's house and preventing the door from closing any more. All three of her friends jumped.
"T-That…that's an inappropriate question to ask, Natsuki…" Yuri responded with just a hint of irritation. "M-My lifestyle is my business – "
"Sure, as long as it doesn't affect other people, egghead," Natsuki snapped. "And in case you haven't noticed, it has."
"I…" Yuri trailed off and whined. "I d-didn't mean to worry you, I just…"
Natsuki sighed and crossed her arms. "Go upstairs and clean yourself up. And after that, get some sleep, okay?"
"B-B-But…" Yuri stammered insistently, fidgeting with the sleeves of her sweater. "M-My poem – "
"Fuck your poem!" Natsuki shouted, grabbing Yuri by the collar of her sweater and dragging her into the light of the outside world. At this, Monika and Sayori both stepped forward, but Natuski swung her head around and glared at them with eyes so hot that even the Devil himself would shrink back for fear that, despite all the evidence to the contrary, he might be mortal.
Monika gulped. She wasn't sure whether the emotion she was witnessing was anger, concern, or something else entirely, but whatever it was, it was intense.
Natsuki whirled back around to Yuri, who was looking thoroughly shocked and equally as uncomfortable, and started shouting so close to her face that their lips were almost touching.
"Listen up," she started. "I don't know what's up with you and that poem you've been writing, but you've been at it all week. If it's not done now, then it's not getting done any time soon. And it's not worth getting done at all if you're torturing yourself to do it! You look like hell, you smell like death, you're procrastinating on preparing the decorations for the festival, and you're worrying your friends. And you're worrying me."
Natsuki scowled angrily. "So, for the last time, take a shower and get to your room or so help me God I'll follow you up there and tie you down to your bedposts myself!"
For several seconds, all that could be heard was heavy panting. Natsuki was completely out of breath after giving such an impassioned speech, and for some reason, Yuri was panting, too. As the seconds dragged on, Monika wrung her hands together anxiously, waiting for someone, anyone, to make a move.
Then, at last, Yuri took a deep breath and managed a shaky nod.
"Good," Natsuki said instantly, not missing a beat. "Now go shower."
Yuri left the door open and retreated back into her house, her eyes slightly more focused than before. Shambling footsteps could be heard within, ascending to the first floor of the building. Natsuki stepped fully inside of the house without hesitation. "If I don't hear that water running in five minutes, I'm coming up!" she shouted up the stairs.
Monika let out a breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "Oh my God."
"You can say that again," Sayori replied, chuckling nervously. "I'm so glad it ended up working out."
"You can say that again," Monika replied breathlessly. "How did you know?"
Sayori hummed and patted her friend's shoulder. "I already told you – I didn't know. I just did my best, that's all. You said the same thing, remember?"
"Well, yeah…" Monika said. "I guess, after everything, all we had to do was stand back and let things take their course." She looked back towards Yuri's ajar front door and frowned. "Wait, did Natsuki go inside?"
Sayori laughed. "Yup! She totally just left us out here!"
Monika laughed exasperatedly. She and her friend followed Natsuki's lead and entered Yuri's house, closing the front door behind them.