Chapter III – There she is…

Come on, Sayori! Don't leave me… hanging like that! I don't know where my class is!

She could and she did. With a small, phony grimace Amelia watched as her childhood friend followed the smooth pathway that lead to the main entrance. However, she didn't enter the school, taking a different path that lead away from said entrance. Probably to a different wing.

The Brunette wasn't very upset. She was simply disappointed that the creator of this world didn't take her hand and guided her all the way inside her classroom. Being somewhat selfish and very lazy individual, Amelia enjoyed having other people do things for her. But now she had to find it all by herself, which was quite a difficult task.

If we had classes in the same part of the building, she wouldn't just leave me here, right? It's probably quicker to reach her classroom by departing here and going her own way. And we're already late so the time is of the essence.

Having no time to waste, Amelia decided to quit stalling and actually look for her classroom. The most obvious place to start was the main part of the school right in front of her. With a small groan, she told her lazy legs to move and began approaching the main entrance.

As she was getting closer and closer to her goal, students started to notice her and a some of them was eager to greet and talk with the Brunette. She wasn't. And not just because she was late. Nonetheless, her various 'friends' and 'acquaintances' were quite persistent and didn't want to leave her be without a small talk, at least.

What's worse than high school? A high school, where nearly everybody knows you, but you actually don't know shit about anyone. And then they start talking to you about some random stuff and events you were part of, but you still don't know shit. And then you panic on the inside, 'cause you have no idea what to say, so you just put on a fake smile and nod.

It's like taking your amnesiac kid on a boat trip and then throwing it into the middle of a fucking lake to see if it can still swim after the accident. What does that say about whoever put me in this world? They are a sick fuck, that's for sure.

Can people even forget how to swim? I need to google that…

A couple of awkward conversations later, Amelia eventually made it past the entrance. The school's main hall housed a small display of students' awards they've won throughout years as well as pictures of their best students who have achieved something remarkable in their lives. It didn't have any use for Amelia, so she only glanced over it.

This place isn't as empty as I expected. Did we actually get here in time? Fuck, I could have checked the time when I was in my room.

What did get Amelia's attention was a large, green notice board that was packed full of various documents and other announcements for students. In front of it, there was a small group of people. Some were leaving it after reading what's important and others were joining it. Amelia decided to check it.

"Hi Amelia!" Some girl from the crowd in front of the noticeboard greeted her.

"Hi." The Brunette said emotionlessly, not even averting her gaze as she started scanning the documents, looking for any clue that would help her find her class.

Please fuck off.

"You see, I know we only have 10 minutes left… " The unfamiliar girl began opening her own bag, shuffling through all sorts of different things before she found her notebook.

"Mhm."

You're not going to fuck off, are you?

"But I was wondering if you would let me copy your math homework. The last assignment miss Grant gave us was-"

"What?" Amelia suddenly perked up, visibly intrigued as she heard 'math homework', 'last assignment' and 'us' in one sentence. She also had the occasion to look at and examine her potential classmate. Of course, the blonde student was wearing the same uniform Amelia did. But apart from that, she also had a pair sky-blue glasses. And behind those a pair of pretty, amber eyes.

Holy shit, is she in my class? Well, now I'm glad you didn't really fuck off. Without you, it would take me… a couple of minutes more to find the right room. There are only 3 classes for sophomores at this time. And I know I am a sophomore since the protagonist was one. The right one would be the one where the biggest number of students says hi to me or something.

"You know, that one with the triangle!"

Ugh… geometry… never been a fan of that.

"Ah, that one!" Amelia lied. "I didn't do it." She flat-out stated.

The girl let out a disappointed 'Awwww.' Her smile quickly turning upside down as she lost all hope of ever getting at least one decent grade during math class.

"Give me your notebook." The Brunette suddenly demanded.

"What?" She asked, perplexed.

"Just do it."

The blonde student gave Amelia her math notebook, slightly reluctantly.

Okay, let's see… point C = (0,0) is a vertex of a right triangle ABC… blah, blah, blah… vertex A is on the X-axis and vertex B is on the Y-axis… a straight line that includes the altitude of the triangle goes through C and it crosses the hypotenuse at point D = (3,4)… blah, blah, blah. Find coordinates of the points A and B and the length of the hypotenuse AB.

I almost forgot how easy math was in high school.

Once Amelia was sure that she understood everything that was happening in the assignment, she gave the notebook back to the blonde student. "Okay, I'm not gonna do this assignment for you…"

"I… I see… Thank you any-"

"… you're the one who's gonna be doing it. I'll just give you some tips." She continued, to which the helpless woman reacted with a loud and excited. "Really?!" A few students turned around to look at them.

Oh my gosh, is everyone gonna overreact and behave like they are experiencing emotions for the very first time?! It's annoying enough in anime and manga, but seeing this in… reality. Whatever reality even means right now. It's just too much.

"Yes, yes. Really. Now, you said we've got a few minutes left. Let's just go to the classroom and I'll help you." Amelia said in a more quiet tone, aware of various looks and stares others were giving them. They reminded her of her own high school.

Their class happened to be just a minute away from the main hall of the school. Which was good, because Amelia didn't have to waste her time on more pointless talks with strangers that didn't mean anything to her.

Once inside, she preemptively said hi to everyone before she and her newfound classmate sat somewhere in the back. Grabbing her chair, Amelia moved it a little bit closer to the blonde's desk, where she already had her notebook opened.

Okay, it's time to do some tutoring. Gosh, I hate it. I've never been a patient person. And having to explain simple stuff is so… infuriating.

Taking a deep breath, Amelia prepared herself for the worst. "Okay, how do you think we should begin?" She asked in a suspiciously nice tone, very unusual for her, as the blonde woman was staring sadly at the picture of the right triangle on the coordinate system.

"If I knew that I probably would have done this by myself…" The blonde replied in a somewhat defeated tone. But with Amelia there, there was no way she couldn't do it. Right?

Ugh, that was a dumb question.

"Well, we've got some straight lines and a coordinate system. What's the formula for a linear function?" Amelia asked once more. Her voice was soft and full of understanding. But she did have to put a lot of effort into staying calm.

"Y equals a times x plus b." She answered in a moment.

"Very good!"

I would lose it completely if she didn't know that.

"Now, perhaps we should figure out the formulas for those lines, right? Let's start with the one going through the point C, since we'll just have to worry about its slope. How do we calculate its slope?"

"Umm… I-I don't know…" The blonde admitted after a moment.

I'm pretty sure this is a middle-school level of knowledge.

"Well, it's pretty easy to calculate. Generally, when you've got a slope like this, take a point on the line and create a right triangle with the X-axis. We know point D's coordinates, so we take the height of this triangle, which is 4 and the length of its base, which is 3. Then you divide its height by its base. So, what's the coefficient a?"

"Hmm… four thirds."

"That's right. And since the line goes up, it's positive. Next, we know these two lines are perpendicular, since the one going through points C and D is the altitude of the triangle. There is something special about two linear functions that are perpendicular to each other. Do you remember what it is?"

"Uh... the angles are 90 degrees?" The blonde asked unsurely.

This is what fucking perpendicular means.

"That… too." Amelia made a pause, composing herself. " But the special thing is that when you multiply their coefficients a, you'll always get -1. We know the coefficient of one, so we can get the other one."

Pleasebeabletodothispleasebeabletodothis…

"Mhm! Just give me a sec."

The student picked up her pen and began writing an equation that would let her calculate the other coefficient. In the meantime, Amelia leaned against her chair and took a deep breath through her nose.

I was ready to flip that fucking desk in any second. Just a little more and I'll be done. This assignment should take only a few more minutes.

"It's… minus three fourths." The shorter girl said after a minute, looking back at her mentor in search of confirmation.

Amelia made a small nod, having already calculated that in her memory.

Hm, I could have told her that it's just as simple as flipping the fraction and adding a minus. Nah. It's better if she knows the general formula.

"Yes, correct. But that's not everything. We still need to find the other constant b. Any ideas how to do it?"

"Point D is on the line… so if I take the equation for the linear function and substitute a, x and y with numbers, I can calculate b."

"That's right! See? This isn't so difficult!" Amelia remarked with a genuine smile appearing on her face, cheering for the student.

Yeah, go girl. I'm actually both surprised and happy. This is why people should assume the worst about everything. When it turns out not so bad as you thought, you'll be glad it's not worse. But when you assume something good will happen and it doesn't, you'll be sad and disappointed. Optimists are stupid.

The blonde student continued writing equations to calculate the next coefficient while Amelia did the same within her mind.

4 equals minus three fourths times 3 plus b… so it's minus nine fourths plus b… move to the other side…

"B equals 6 and one fourth!" She stated brightly, interrupting Amelia's inner calculations. After glancing at the shorter girl's notebook, the Brunette found that it was correct.

"Very well! And since the coefficient b is the place where the linear function crosses Y-axis, we know the coordinates for the point B."

They could have changed the letter to something other than b.

"I think I can calculate the coordinates of the point A now. I just need to substitute y with 0, right?"

"Yes. Or you can do it in a smart way and use a formula to calculate the root of this linear function. It's minus b divided by a. That's all. Once you got this, you can easily get the length of the AB segment with Pythagoras' theorem."

"Okay, thanks Amelia! I think I can finish this on my own."

"You're welcome. Like I said, it wasn't that difficult. You just needed a small push in the right direction." And with this polite remark, Amelia stood up and took her chair, moving it back to her own desk.

Next time, I'm gonna start taking money for tutoring. Straining my patience like that for free is not worth it. And there's a lot of people who are worse at math than her. At least I did something good.

What if this whole thing is a test? Or the last chance. And doctors are trying to defibrillate me while all of this is happening. Yeah. Be nice and do good deeds or it's you and Yuri's corpse for the rest of eternity! Sounds more like extortion.

Not even a minute has passed after Amelia finished her small tutoring session when miss Grant, a tall and stern-looking woman in her forties, finally made an appearance. She was mostly ignored by the Brunette, who was busy checking the contents of her black bag. With her notebook and math textbook on the desk, Amelia pulled out her wallet.

Money! Not a lot… but I won't starve today. Is this a credit card? No, that's an ID card. Gah, I hate this picture. I look like I'm drunk in this one. Or stoned. Or both. Hahaha, no. I'm definitely not 18. Does everybody think I'm one of those people who look like 24 but in fact, they are 19 or something? Have I even changed that much since high school?

The wallet didn't seem to contain anything else that was worth Amelia's interest. Just like the rest of her bag. Which was somewhat surprising, since the Brunette wasn't very thorough when she was hurrying to get to the school. With a shrug, she put it back into the bag and let out a long sigh. There was a long day full of classes ahead of her and she didn't even have her phone to pass the time. She had to stay and listen to the stuff she already knew.

While Miss Grant was checking attendance, Amelia has learned that the blonde's name was Emily Hawthorn. And that's basically it. Everyone else had normal, generic sounding names. She wasn't even trying to memorize all of them, simply waiting for her own to be called.

After the proper class started, Emily was the first one asked to show her homework.

Oh, look! What a fucking coincidence! She chose Emily! It's like all of this was staged or something! My test hypothesis may actually be correct. But isn't god all-knowing? He would already know whether I passed the test or not before I even did it. Or… this could be a coincidence. But given everything that's happened so far, I doubt it.

Miss Grant asked a few more students to show their homework and two of them didn't have it done. Amelia was lucky she wasn't chosen. But frankly, it wasn't like she really cared about her grades in this high school. She didn't even know what her grades were.

If I actually died last night and this is hell, it doesn't really seem like it… shouldn't I-oh. Oooooh. Maybe that's the fucking point! To make me think I was transported to the DDLC universe. To lull me into a false sense of security! Maybe they will let me spend some time with… Monika… to play with my emotions… and that's when shit's gonna hit the fan! And it's gonna hit hard. Right when I least expect it.

Pleasedon'tbehellpleasedon'tbehell…

Unfortunately, the math class didn't go like a blur. Instead, it dragged on for what seemed like hours and Amelia really regretted not looking around her house for her phone. She tried all sorts of things to make the time pass quickly. Doodling in her notebook, staring out of the window and watching people pass in the distance. Thinking about her friends and family that disappeared from her life. Even making actual notes about geometry.

Amelia's plan to inconspicuously slack off in the back of the classroom failed as she was asked to do some assignment from the textbook. Five minutes later, she was done and back in her seat. Eventually, the lesson ended as the school bell rang.

Ugh, I can almost feel how this bell from hell drills right inside my head. This is painful.

Messily, Amelia stuffed her things back inside the bag and left the classroom without a word. She followed her classmates to another room and guessing by a large number of human anatomy posters, as well as a model of a human skeleton and even a few organs in large jars filled with formalin, this must have been the biology classroom.

This is something I'm gonna enjoy. My knowledge of biology is kinda rusty, so brushing it up doesn't sound that bad. I suppose.

And with a bit more positive attitude, Amelia sat in the very back of the classroom. For once, she enjoyed her time in this world. As she focused more and more on the lecture, her worries slowly began fading away. Every now and then, she would comment the topic of the class in her mind, but that was it. Nobody was interrupting her, nobody was pestering her with small talk about the weather or some school-related stuff.

The rest of her school day one could describe as uneventful, or just typical for a student. And the Brunette was glad because she had all the time in the world to prepare herself for the first meeting with the members of the Literature Club. Amelia would lie if she told anyone that she didn't feel nervous. And what stressed her the most was seeing Monika in reality. What was she going to say? Should she just excuse herself and Monika to have a private talk?

After the last class of her day, which happened to be history, Amelia decided to screw the script and wait outside of the classroom for Sayori. The hallway she was in looked just like the one from background pictures in DDLC. Except the light was a little more orange-hued as it was already an afternoon. But it's not like Amelia would notice that right away. To her, it was just a normal hallway in a normal high school. Minutes passed by and the tall student's patience was starting to run out.

Ugh, where is she? I know the protagonist spaces out at this point and she just suddenly appears when everyone is gone, but she should already be here.

What was the line he says around now? And thus today marks the day when I sold my soul to Monika. And her emerald green eyes… and her irresistible smile. Something like this. A perfect way to describe me. No… that was after Sayori hangs herself.

Speak of the devil.

The bubbly, pink-haired student soon came around the corner. With a small bounce in her step, she was slowly, but surely approaching the Brunette. And the closer she was, the louder and more distinct her humming was.

I find it somewhat creepy that she knows exactly where my last class took place and when it ended. It took me months to memorize my own schedule when I was in high school. I suppose she could have checked it downstairs. Or maybe she does know it by heart and follows me around during breaks, using little time she has to watch me from distance. That would be really creepy.

Wait. Is that…? She's humming her own fucking leitmotif. I… I don't even know what to think. I mean, it's appropriate… but at the same time so fucking strange! I'm gonna start humming Sayo-nara just to see what happens. Maybe I'll discover an Easter Egg or something.

C – E – G – E – A – C – E – C. Amelia began humming the disturbing tune that she found calming and peaceful. That is, when you remove all of the dissonant notes. Alas, reality once more disappointed her as Sayori did not react at all to her ominous humming.

"So…. Shall we go to the Club's meeting?" Amelia asked indifferently. But deep inside, she was both nervous and excited to see the rest of the Literature Club. Especially Monika.

"Yes, let's go~!" The girl exclaimed gleefully.

Is that it? We're just gonna go like this? No small talk? Nothing? Are we always like this? Or is it because I've already told her I want to join the Literature Club club, so there's no need to encourage me even more.

Amelia began following the bright and cheerful girl to the classroom, where the Literature Club usually had its meetings. She stayed quiet just like on her way to the high school.

I'm gonna stuff myself so full of those cupcakes. I haven't eaten anything today. Fuck, I need to find a way NOT to starve. I have no income. I don't even know where I should pay my bills. I need to get a job. I DON'T WANT TO STARVE TO DEATH.

"Is everything alright, Amelia? You seem… awfully quiet, today." Sayori asked, looking up into Amelia's grayish-blue eyes as the two were walking up the stairs to the second floor. Usually used for third-year classes.

Oh, so we're not usually like this. Amelia from here must be more talkative than me. She's probably a whole different person too, since our life conditions would be completely different and that means my personality would develop in a totally different way. They must have simulated my entire existence here. Or at least a few years of it. And now everybody's going to freak out and worry because from their perspective, I suddenly stopped behaving… like… me.

"Oh, I was just thinking about what to eat for dinner today." Amelia stated with a small shrug.

Heh, at least I didn't lie here.

"You seem to be spacing out a lot today. Honestly, you're even worse than me sometimes… I'm impressed!" Sayori retorted in a joking manner, but Amelia didn't really take it as a joke. And she surely didn't enjoy being called worse than somebody. Ire flashed in her eyes, but her expression showed only a mild annoyance.

You know what I'm definitely worse at? Killing myself.

"I just have a lot on my mind at this moment." The Brunette explained as vaguely as possible. She couldn't just tell her that one day she simply appeared out of nowhere in a world from some visual novel.

The two eventually stopped in front of the classroom and Sayori swung the door open, happily stepping inside. Amelia was right behind her. Her steps were careful and steady, but on the inside, she was doing her best not to show a powerful vortex of emotions that filled her mind.

"Everyone! The new member is here~!" The bubbly student exclaimed melodically, stepping aside and pointing at Amelia with both of her arms. All of the girls' eyes were focused on the tall, thoughtful brunette, while her own eyes were immediately drawn to the President of the Club. Just like the player's cursor during a very difficult decision in the second act. And they wanted to stay there.

There she is… the Lady who Knows Everything… or at least I hope so. Gosh… she's stunning… her eyes are beautiful… I'm gonna start crying in any second now. Why can't my body listen to me when it's crucial for me to stay calm?!

"Welcome to the Literature Club. It's a pleasure meeting you. Sayori always says nice things about you." Said the mysterious and composed purple-haired girl.

Man, Amelia from here must be very, very different.

"Seriously, you brought another girl? I thought 4 were enough." Natsuki stated with disappointment in her voice as she glanced at the Brunette, who was almost exactly head taller than her. Amelia's eyes instantly darted to the shortest girl, looking daggers at her for a brief moment.

Oh, you fucking bitch! She still acts like a dick even when the protagonist is a girl! I actually wanted to be nice to you. But fuck that. I'll never understand this whole appeal of tsunderes. You see someone you may like for the first time and what do you do? Being a fucking dick should NOT be your answer! I know I suck at interpersonal interactions, but even I know that!

"Ah, Amelia! What a nice surprise! Welcome to the club!" Monika greeted the newest member of the Literature Club, smiling brightly. Amelia's body shivered a little as she heard her for the very first time. Her voice was basically identical with the one used for her song at the end of the novel.

Her voice turns me on and makes me want to cry at the same time. What's the point of planning what I'm going to say when a single smile is enough to make me forget everything?

"What are you looking at?" Asked the shortest, pink-haired student in the club, clearly irritated by Amelia's constant silence. The recipient of the question gave Natsuki indifferent but at the same time hostile stare.

An annoyance.

"If you want to say something, say it!"

I know how conversations work, thank you.

"Well… um." Amelia began, taking a second to compose herself and to choose her words carefully.

"You can just ignore her when she gets moody~" Sayori whispered softly into Amelia's ear.

FUCK!

Amelia jolted up in surprise and nearly lost her balance, instinctively turning towards the source of the voice. She stared at Sayori for a second or two, visibly shaken by this tiny heart attack. She didn't even notice when her childhood friend sneaked right next to her.

Do not whisper into my ear like that! I love it, but not right now! N-Not in the mood…

"Ah! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you~" She apologized with a small, adorable chuckle. Monika also giggled quietly.

"It's… it's alright, Sayori." Amelia whispered back, embarrassed to have freaked out like that. In front of everyone. And Monika.

"Anyway! This is Natsuki, always full of energy." The cheerful girl began introducing each of the girls, pretty much in the same manner as in the game, walking over to each and presenting them proudly.

Little bitch.

"And this is Yuri, the smartest in the club!"

And probably the most fucked up one, too. I wonder what knife she brought today with herself. To the fucking high school.

I'm not surprised she has problems with her back. She's like 2 sizes bigger than me.

"D-Don't say things like that…" Yuri responded quietly, taking a small strand of her long, purple hair in her gentle hands to play with it.

But it's the truth!

"Well, u-um. It's nice to meet all of you." The tallest girl in the classroom finally spoke up, able to create a whole sentence.

"And it sounds like you already know Monika, is that right?"

Oh, you have no idea Sayori.

"That's right. It's great to see you again, Amelia." With every word that Monika said, it was more and more difficult to fight the tears that were welling up in the Brunette's eyes. She really hoped nobody would notice that.

"It's… it's great to see you too… M-Monika."

Stop this fucking stutter! And trembling! LISTEN TO YOUR BRAIN! THIS IS NOT WHAT CALM LOOKS LIKE! DON'T CRY!

"Come sit down, Amelia! We made room for you at the table, so you can sit next to me or Monika." Sayori asked nicely, pointing towards the larger desk which stood right next to windows of the classroom.

With a small nod, the nervous Brunette made her way over to the large table made out of three smaller desks, while Natsuki, Sayori and Yuri were busy preparing cupcakes and the tea. Amelia actually chose to sit right next to Sayori, thinking she wouldn't freak out that much when she's further away from Monika. At that moment, it was only the two of them at the table.

I wonder if she still has her powers to rewrite the very fabric of reality in whatever way she wants. To edit the code of life. Monika!

Amelia suddenly turned her head towards the other brunette, who was busy watching Sayori and Natsuki bicker about who should bring the tray with cupcakes.

If you can hear my thoughts, blink 3 times! This way I can be sure it's not-

Monika blinked once. Then a second time.

Well… that doesn't help at all. She could still hear my thoughts and she simply chose not to react.

Minutes passed and all of the girls, except for Yuri, were sitting at the table, oohing and aahing at the cuteness of the cupcakes Natsuki baked for them. Amelia decided not to take part in that, simply watching and listening to the lines she knew too well.

The script is strong in this world. It's like their brains are hard-wired into following the script, but if I diverge from it, they are perfectly fine with coming up with lines that match their personality. And then they go back to it. Even Monika follows her lines! This is frustrating. I don't know if they are really sapient or not! I guess… I'll just follow the plot for now…

Eventually, Amelia grabbed two cupcakes for herself and quickly devoured one of them. Her eyes widened as the sugary flavor spread within her mouth, almost instantly putting her in a better mood. Chocolate did wonders for her. Not for long, though.

"And?" Natsuki asked, expecting some sort of comment from Amelia.

"They are really good. Thanks."

If I can get more of these, I may reconsider being nice to her.

"W-Why are you thanking me? It's not like…I!" The pink-haired loli responded in a typical way for tsunderes, whenever anyone tries to compliment them. Amelia's eyes flashed angrily as she waited for her to end this very peculiar sentence.

Don't. Do it.

"…Made them for you or anything."

Don't press that button. You don't know what you're doing.

"I'm pretty sure-"

"Well, maybe! But not for, y-you know! You! Dummy…"

THAT'S IT! I changed my mind. You and your fucking cupcakes can go fuck themselves! You're beyond saving.

Oooh~ you're such a fucking bakaaa, Amelia~! Don't you know it's because of her family problems that she has such a harsh and sour attitude?

I don't care. If someone acts like a bitch to me, I'm gonna return the favor. No exceptions.

Without a word, Amelia turned away from the annoying, short girl and took a cup of tea that Yuri has prepared for all of them in the meantime.

"So, what made you consider the Literature Club?" Monika eventually asked the indignant Brunette, trying to break the ice. Perhaps she couldn't read Amelia's thoughts, but it wasn't difficult for the Lady who Knows Everything to notice subtle details in her behavior that indicated anger.

"Oh, it's nothing special. I used to enjoy reading when I was younger. I just… thought it would be great to start reading some more in..." Amelia's glanced at Natsuki for a second. "… a good company."

"That's understandable, Amelia. We will all make sure you feel right at home, isn't that right, Natsuki?" Monika nudged said pink-haired tsundere's side. With a small nod, she responded.

"Yeah."

That wasn't in the script! Oh my gosh, does this mean she… knows? Or is it that natural deviation?

"As President of the Literature Club, it's my duty to make the club fun and exciting for everyone!" She stated in an official and determined tone. Her soft smile almost never disappearing from her beautiful face.

Eh, script again.

"So, Amelia, what kinds of things do you like to read?" It was Yuri's turn to keep the conversation going, skipping over some part of the script, since Amelia didn't follow it very thoroughly.

"I enjoyed reading a lot of fantasy books in the past. You know, like Eragon. Or the Lord of the Rings. Stories that create those vast and detailed worlds that help you immerse yourself. Although… I haven't been reading much recently, except for manga. " Amelia answered in a casual way. It seemed like the more time she spent with Monika and the rest of the club, the more she was getting used to it.

Natsuki jerked her head up at the word 'manga' but said absolutely nothing.

Oh. I might have an idea how to push the plot forward a little bit. Too bad there's no 'skip' option in the real life.

Before Yuri even had a chance to start her lecture about how much of an impact horror stories can have on somebody's way of looking at things, Amelia continued her small speech.

"I've always wanted to create my own fantasy world. With elaborate history and its own culture. I even wanted to create my own con-lang… but I kinda never actually did it. All of those ideas simply stayed inside my head. I suppose it would be fun to start writing anything once more. I thought about writing poems."

"Then you'll surely get along with Natsuki! She likes to write poems about cute things, right?" Monika was quick to realize what Amelia wanted to do there and went along with it. Meanwhile, the Brunette considered it as nothing out of the ordinary. It wasn't the first time she saw them skip some parts of the script.

There's no way in hell I'll ever get along with her.

"W-What? What gives you that idea?" Natsuki instantly protested, clearly not happy that her friends from the club could discover her secret hobby, which happened to be writing poems.

"You left a piece of scrap paper behind last club meeting. It looked like you were working on a poem called-" Monika interjected with an actual proof, but the agitated, short student was quick to interrupt her.

"Don't say it out loud! And give that back!"

"Fine~" She finished melodically, flashing Natsuki a warm smile. That's when Sayori sidled right behind Natsuki to put her gentle hands right on the shorter girl's shoulders, telling her how cute she is. Amelia could see with her own eyes how graceful and quiet Sayori's moves were. And she was impressed.

Wow, she moves like a cat! I'm not surprised she sneaked up on me like that! She could get into my house without making any noise, steal all of my stuff and I wouldn't know shit! Unless I've got cameras or something.

"I'm not cute!" Natsuki exclaimed adamantly, stomping her foot against the floor. Her face showing a strong grimace. Amelia groaned internally, considering this sort of behavior to be way too childish and unrealistic.

Yeah. At least there's one thing we both can agree on.

Remembering it was her turn to speak at that moment, Amelia let out a sigh and took a deep breath before she turned towards the only girl she couldn't stand.

"Soooo... you write your own poems?" She asked her, putting a lot of effort into keeping her tone not very hostile, but she wasn't sure how long she's going to last.

"Eh? Well, I guess sometimes. Why do you care?"

"I don't. I was trying to start a conversation." Amelia spoke her mind with her voice cold and without emotions, earning a silent gasp from the short loli. Even Monika seemed surprised while Yuri and Sayori simply watched the two of them.

"Excuse me? What's that supposed to mean?!" She demanded. Even more furious than before.

"Exactly what I-"

"Hey!" Sayori was quick to intervene and nip the imminent quarrel in the bud. "Girls! This isn't how you become friends! I care about both of you and I don't want to see you fighting over nothing!" She almost pleaded the girls. Giving each a look that would be able to stop a psychopath from murdering its victim.

Both Amelia and Natsuki were quiet, staring at the worried, depressed student. They shared a quick look at each other and made a silent truce for the sake of their friend.

"Alright, alright..." Amelia was the first one to speak up.

"I suppose I could have been nicer…" Natsuki admitted begrudgingly.

"Great!" She cheered as the two of them stopped their argument. "Maybe you could share your poems with us, Natsuki? I'm sure everybody would love to read them!"

The rest of their conversation went mostly according to the ever so powerful script. Natsuki complained how nobody would find her writing entertaining, while Yuri gave a very poetic voice to her thoughts about how somebody who publishes their work wills to open up and exposes their vulnerabilities. Monika, being a great person she is at this point in DDLC, suggested that perhaps Yuri should set an example to help Natsuki feel more comfortable.

"Okay everyone~! I have an idea!" Monika suddenly declared, raising up her hand and gathering everybody's attention.

"Let's all go home and write a poem of our own! Then, next time we meet, we'll all share them with each other. That way everyone is even!" She continued in a radiant and cheerful manner

"Yeah, let's do it!" Of course, Sayori was the most excited one for this idea. Soon, the rest of the girls agreed that indeed this was a great idea.

"Plus, now that we have a new member, I think it will help us all get a little more comfortable with each other, and strengthen the bond of the club. With that, I think we can officially end today's meeting on a good note! Everybody, remember your assignment!"

"Amelia." Monika suddenly addressed the thoughtful Brunette, who was slowly gathering up the energy to get her stuff and leave the classroom. "I look forward to seeing how you express yourself." With a mischievous smile and one last giggle, she turned around to help other girls clean up their food.

"O-Okay…" Amelia was in shock and that was the only way she could react at that time.

Oh my gosh oh my gosh! Was that in the game or is this some sort of code? Fuck, I can't remember. But this is a great idea! Okay, I know I chickened out today, but tomorrow is gonna be the big day! I'll include a… very special message in my poem. That is… after I learn how to write a proper one.

After making sure that her bag didn't run away anywhere, the Brunette picked it up from the floor and headed towards the door, saying bye to every member of the Club and waiting for Sayori to join her.

"Hey, Amelia!" Sayori stopped her on the way out. The tall student slowly turned around and looked at her quizzically.

"Yes?"

"Since we're already here, do you… want to walk home together?" She asked politely, pushing her fingers together timidly.

"Sure, why not?" Amelia couldn't really find any reason not to go together with Sayori. Moreover, Sayori was the only one who knew the way back. She was simply quicker to ask.

"Yaay~!"

The two soon left the classroom and marched on back to their houses. But this time, Amelia actually did pay attention to her surroundings, looking for various landmarks that would help her navigate the town they lived in. Both girls walked in silence. Sayori could feel that something definitely was wrong with Amelia, but she didn't want to be a burden and inquire at all. She also didn't want to irritate her childhood friend with her probably pointless worrying.

Maybe I could make two poems. One will be a generic one and the other will be a message to Monika. I'm pretty sure they wouldn't notice. Oooooh! I could give her lyrics to Your Reality! This is genius! If she doesn't know anything, she'll just think it's a normal poem. But if she does… gosh, I wish she does!

Sayori's house was the closest one, so after saying goodbye to each other, Amelia continued on her way to her house, which she could already see in the distance. The black fence was somewhat distinctive and helped a lot.

However, what she didn't notice at first was that there was somebody in the distance, waiting for her.

Yeah, now I know where I am. Was that like… 5 minutes away from the school? I'm glad it's not that far away. Wait. Who's that in front of my house?

Amelia stopped and squinted her eyes for a second, trying to adjust her sight so that she could see a little further. And sometimes it did work. When she finally realized who that person was, her heart almost stopped.

It's Monika. What is she doing here? And how did she get here before me? She stayed with Natsuki and Yuri when I was leaving.

Oh.

Oooh. I know why she's here.

She knows. SHE ABSOLUTELY KNOWS! And she wants to talk with me! There's no other explanation. I mean… maybe there is… but this must be it! Was she just too afraid to do it in school? Like me?

Amelia picked up her pace, trembling with both excitement and nervousness as she was getting closer and closer to the girl who, in a certain way, changed her life. Monika heard her shoes clacking against the concrete and turned towards the Brunette, smiling warmly.

"Oh, hi Amelia!" The mysterious club president greeted her once more.

"W-What are you doing here, Monika?" Amelia asked as calmly as she was able to. Her heart was pounding like never before. She was almost sure that she could speak with her normally at this point, but this didn't turn out to be the case. Not when there was so much she wanted to tell her and it was just the two of them.

"I was just… um, making my way back to my house and then I noticed you, so I decided to wait!" That little stutter at the beginning further told Amelia that there was something amiss.

I suppose it's harder to lie when you're no longer a 2D sprite and a bunch of text, but a normal, human being.

Alright, this is the point of no return. I'm gonna do it. I can tell her. There probably won't be a better moment.

Or…

Oh my gosh. This is the greatest idea I've ever come up with.

Before she could second guess herself once more, Amelia gathered all of her courage and took a deep breath.

"I… there's something I r-really want to tell you. Just g-give me a sec… I need to… I need to prepare myself." She closed her eyes and exhaled deeply, silencing her thoughts and constant worries that flooded her active mind. Monika only made a small nod as she was getting just as anxious as the taller girl. But Amelia didn't see it.

Every end is a new beginning… the way this world ended will be the start of my new life.

Fuck me, that sounds so cheesy.

Okay, here goes nothing.

Clenching her fists, Amelia took another deep breath, before she opened her eyes and started to sing. Staring deeply into those beautiful, emerald green orbs.

"Every day, I imagine a future where I can be with you~"

As soon as she heard those first few notes, Monika's eyes widened and welled up with tears. Her confident, cheerful facade cracking.

"In my hand is a pen that will write a poem of me and you~"

Monika couldn't believe her own ears. She burst into tears.

Author's note:

Hello everyone! This chapter turned out way longer than I anticipated, but I hope I didn't bore you with it. Or the part with math ^.^