The moment we step into Sayori's room, she crashes against her bed face first and sighs.
"Even now I still can't believe it… I thought those kinds of things only happen in movies…"
It'd seem I've taken my situation for granted, my parents may yell at me if I've done something wrong, but they've never hit me like that without remorse.
"Just what's wrong with that guy… he treats Natsuki like an object or something."
Sitting against Sayori's office chair, I spin around as I feel extremely anxious. Just thinking back to it infuriates me.
"-she's my property." What the hell's with that?!
"Right?! Just because she's his daughter it doesn't give him the right to do that!"
Sayori forcefully hugs one of her stuffed animals and cries out.
"It's wrong on so many levels."
"Mm…"
Sayori slowly sits up whilst hugging her stuffed animal as I too stop trying to fidget around. All this anger is for nothing as it'd only further delay the situation. If we're to tackle this, we need to think with a clear mind, no matter how hard it is.
"So… what should we do, Yuki?"
The first thing that came to mind was calling the authority, like children services or something. However, if we were to do that and it comes up to be a false alarm, we'd be in big trouble.
"Children services… They don't do anything, would they?"
"Children serv- Yes! T-They would, wouldn't they? They would go and-"
At first thought, it would seem that they'd be perfect for the job, however we have no proof. And despite Natsuki's Father is doing to her, she's not fighting back and staying on his side.
"How about the police?"
"Do you really think they'd believe us?"
At this day and age, teenagers calling up police turns out to be false alarms on numerous occasions, pranks, even going so far as to make them inspect people's homes for absurd reasons such as they don't like the way they look. Not to mention what happened the other week with the street alley fight.
"But… I-It's worth a shot at least, right, Yuki?"
"…If it comes up with false alarms the consequences will be severe, but it is definitely something to hold on to. Let's leave that as an open option, anything else?"
If this were a proper strategy meeting in a manga, Sayori would be behind a desk and I'd be manning the whiteboard, however I don't think we even have enough ideas to fill in the blanks.
"Hmm… How about… ummm…"
Trying her best to figure something out, I too try my best, although nothing comes to mind.
"Uuu… nothing… I got nothing, Yuki!"
Squeezing her plush with great force and shifting her body about, she suddenly tosses it at me as I catch it a few inches from my face.
"A-Any further and you would have knocked me out."
"I can't think of anything… no matter how much I tell myself I want to help Natsuki as best I can, I can't think of anything…"
Pulling her knees towards her chest, she holds onto them with her head down.
"Sayori…"
Looking at the bird plush in my arms, it's a little strange but because of that trait, it's somewhat alluring. I hear girls are sort of into that thing. It sure has seen better days though.
Hopping off the chair, I place the plush atop of her knees and make it bounce up and down.
"It's pretty unrealistic to immediately come up with a solution to this. What we should focus on doing is just treating Natsuki in the same manner."
"…Mm I know, you're right… but I just feel so helpless right now. She means so much to me and yet, I can't do anything…"
I don't think I've ever felt so helpless in my entire life, just standing before the two as her Dad looks at me with that damn grin on his face.
"…Need a hug?"
Lifting her head up, the first thing she sees is the plush as I open up its wings.
"No… not right now at least, ehee. If anyone needs a hug, it's Natsuki… Should I hold her tight the next time I see her?"
"Aha, make sure to squeeze her tight."
"Mm! Ehee, the first time I hugged Natsuki, she flapped her arms like a bird, it was really amusing to see. I wonder if she'd do the same now."
She takes the doll from my hands and plays with it, slowly tapping one feet and then the other as if they were dancing.
"That'd be a sight to see."
Now that we've seen that, I wonder if it'd affect our time together. I'd like to ask her things relating to it but I know it's tasteless. But if we want to get to the bottom of this, we need her assistance in some way, but…
"-the Literary club, the only place where I can be myself, the place where I feel like I actually matter… my own paradise."
If I do bring it up there, then Natsuki would have nowhere to be. She likes the Literary Club the way it is, away from her problems; a place where she can indulge in reading with her friends.
"Yuki..?"
Realising I've been staring off into space, I snap out of it and turn around.
"It's nothing… Tomorrow, we should see If Natsuki wants to hang out. And if not-"
"Then we should leave her be."
Over stepping our boundaries would likely make things worse.
"Yeah, for now we should just split and come up with something tomorrow."
About to leave for the day, a part of me wanted to check up on something.
"Oh… and umm, sorry for ruining your room aha, I don't think I've apologized for it. It must have been rather disturbing with all the replacements."
Looking back to her, she quickly shakes her head.
"Oh nono, it's okay! Ehee, I don't really mind, it felt rather refreshing sleeping without a door; like the rooms gotten a lot bigger.~ And the replacement was fast too, my parents know people around the area who are quick to help."
The repairs did finish rather quickly, though I can a part of the floor somewhat damaged from the falling wardrobe as I lightly tap my foot against it.
"That reminds me… You don't have those bottles anymore, right?"
"Oh, nono, I tossed them out, ehee. Like you said, I don't need them anymore, right? If those thoughts start eating away at me again, I'll tell you.~"
"Hmm, all right then…"
Looking at her smile fills me with relief; however, I can't quite believe her words with a hundred percent certainty as I hold out my hand.
"Hmm?"
She tilts her head as she wonders what I'm doing.
"Sayori. You still have some, don't you? I know you."
"E-Ehhhh? I-I don't know what you're talking about…"
Averting her eyes, she taps her two index fingers together.
"Well, it's not like I want you to throw them all away so suddenly. But do let me know if anything comes up, yeah?"
"Mm! I will. You don't need to worry about that.~"
Placing her plush against her bed, she hops up.
"Now then! I think my parents will be home soon, you should stay and have dinner with us!"
…
After enjoying dinner with Sayori and her parents, I return home to my room in which I quickly crash upon my bed.
"Hahh… what a day."
Feeling around my head and then my legs, I don't think today has been very good on them. Given the moment to finally relax, I suddenly feel quite nauseous.
"Ekk… if this keeps up, then tomorrow will be a no go for me…"
Sitting up, I drink a glass of water and try calming myself down. The great thing about spending most of your time in your room, one would usually keep a reserve of water.
"All right. Time to figure out some things on my own."
…
That night, I dreamt of beating Natsuki's Father into submission as I ordered him to never lay a finger on her ever again. It's a little farfetched and unrealistic as there's no way I could ever go against a grown adult.
As morning arrives, I message Natsuki if she wants to do anything with us today before we have school tomorrow. The time it took her to respond was painfully long as it was almost time for Lunch.
"Sorry, I have to skip today. Keep Sayori in check for me, okay?" Is the messaged she sent back. Despite being worried about her, she's concerned about Sayori.
I mean, I understand her concern, but I'm sure she still remembers what happened yesterday. My thoughts are about her and I'm certain she knows I won't accept the outcome I experienced. But she leaves me with little room to mention it, so I stay quiet and say I'll take care of Sayori.
"So yeah, that's what Natsuki messaged back."
Sayori visited the moment after I had breakfast as we coop up inside my room.
"So Natsuki's out for today… Have you come up with anything?"
Sayori sits by my bed as I lay against the floor, staring at the ceiling fan weakly turning.
"A bit of this and that, but nothing we can really put into work unless we investigate further."
"That's true… And I was wondering, we've seen this happen a lot during movies and such, right? So what if… what if we try doing what they did to resolve the situation?"
As Sayori lazily mentions her idea, she does have a point that this happens sometimes in drama shows and the like.
"But the thing is, they're usually adults and/or have connections that'd help."
"Mm, ehee, you're right. It was a just an idea… And by the way, how are you doing, Yuki? Does it still hurt?"
"Hmm? Oh, not too much anymore. It's not really throbbing as much as before, though when I apply pressure against it, well… it hurts a little. Nothing too much though."
"That's good to hear, ehee, I'm glad that you're doing better. If you need anything just let me know okay?~ Natsuki taught me a few things."
Pumping her arms, she appears rather confident in offering her assistance whenever need be.
"Actually, I was waiting for you to arrive."
Ruffling the bandages around my head, it quickly comes loose and falls against my lap.
"Applying bandages around my leg is easy, though here's a different story. It's rather loose, so I was hoping you'd fix it up for me."
"Oh, okay.~ If it's just that, I can teach you how to properly wrap it."
Not sure whether or not to feel guilty, it's a pleasant feeling having someone care for you. Not only that but I feel as though Sayori's at her happiest whenever she's helping another person. Whenever she's happy, I feel like everything's going to be okay.
…
As the day proceeds further, we couldn't quite gather any useful intel on how to help Natsuki's situation at the moment. So we mostly spent it as a lazy Sunday, with no motivation to do much, let alone head outside.
I soon remembered I had some law related manga that's to do with courtroom trials and investigations, though it seems that I've misplaced them as they're nowhere to be seen.
"See ya, Sayori… We'll have better luck tomorrow to figure something out. If we're doing this for Natsuki, I'm sure of it."
At the door step, I bid farewell to Sayori as it was getting later into the evening. With school being tomorrow, it's unknown to us whether or not Natsuki would be attending after we witnessed that ordeal.
"Mm, we will since it's for our Natsuki! Bye bye, Yuki.~"
Stepping out, a car suddenly pulls in as a tall figure soon steps out. With a rugged face and a sturdy build, it seems that my Father has returned from work after a few days elsewhere. Seeing him so abruptly, an idea pops into my mind.
Sayori was at a loss for what to do as she bows repeatedly upon greeting him as he shows a genuine smile to her before leaving the driveway. Upon seeing me at the door step, he gives me a small nod as I take a few steps back to give him some space.
"I'm home, Yuki."
He appears to be exhausted from work, however like always, he bends his back just a slight and looks me in the eyes. He always had fierce eyes, but they always have a gentle touch to them upon returning.
"Welcome back, Dad."
Taking off his shoes, he passes me his coat as I hang it against the hanger as he makes his way into the house.
"U-Um, Dad, can I ask you something?"
"Hmm? Sure, what is it?"
"U-Uhh…"
Having trouble putting it into words, it's hard to tell him so suddenly as I'm sure all he wants to do right now is to have a warm bath, followed by a hot meal at the table. I'm still quite shocked at the lecture he given me the other day regarding Sayori's case. He was proud that I saved her life that's for sure, but it's another thing if I damage the property as much as I did. Whilst sometimes it's inevitable, he knew I didn't really care about it at all so long as Sayori was safe. He's a perfectionist, every time he gets the job done; there are neither casualties nor collateral damage. It's how he became so highly admired amongst his peers.
"…If you found out that one your colleagues was being abused by a higher up. What would you do?"
Throwing away my anxious feelings, I look him in the eye as his widens.
"Abused? Hm, well let's say being verballing abused is one thing you have to bear like it or not. But in your case, I assume that it's not just that now is it?"
As though he already knew my intentions, it's pretty hard to hide things from him.
"Yeah… My friend's going through a rough time and I was just wondering if-"
"If I could lend a hand?"
"If possible…"
He takes a moment to think as he crosses his arms whilst his fingers slowly tap away against it.
"Do you have evidence to support your claim?"
"Evidence? …N-No, nothing solid…"
With only my words to go by, I don't have anything short of solid evidence to go with. Whilst he is my Father and he should put some trust in me, I can understand where he's coming from. In order for him to take any legal action, there must be some evidence to back my words.
"Then we have nothing to go by asides from your words. It's not like I don't trust you my boy, you've saved the life of one already and I'm proud of you. However, if I bring this up with my colleagues-"
"Yes, I know."
He clears his throat and nods.
"You've got my blood in you, I know you can put it to good use. You'll be able to solve this problem with your own strength. But if not, your Father will lend a helping hand; only if you've gained solid evidence to support your claim, am I clear?"
"Clear. I understand."
I unconsciously sigh as he ruffles my hair with a chuckle.
"Great. Whilst I can't take action now, do know I'm willing to lend an ear if you can't take the stress alone. I'll be off duty for the time being, so you needn't rush things. Take your time; rushing will only dilute your mind. Chances may slip pass leaving you none the wiser."
With a genuine smile, I can slowly feel my spirits refreshed. So long as my Father's here, I know we can put a stop to this.
"Yeah, thanks, Dad. I'll be counting on you when the time comes."
…
As Monday comes along, I head off to school with Sayori as usual and for some reason expect Natsuki to either show up extremely late, or not attend all together. However, the moment we pass the corner, we see her at the vending machine. Something about it seems bittersweet.
Not sure how to greet her, I want silently towards the vending machine as Sayori quickens her pace.
"Na-tsu-kii!~"
Abruptly hugging her from behind; Natsuki gasps as Sayori nuzzles against her as promised. However it doesn't seem she's flapping her arms like a bird.
"W-Wah!? S-Sayori!? Don't just hug me from outta nowhere! B-Better yet, don't hug me at all!"
Natsuki shakes her off as Sayori could only giggle whilst taking a few steps back.
"Ehehe, good morning, Natsuki.~"
"A-Ah, good mor- I mean, that's not it!"
Pointing at Sayori she appears to be upset over something and I don't think it's directed solely at her sudden hug.
"I was this close, thisss close!
Emphasizing that she was really close to getting her signature drink, I could only laugh inside as it appears nothings really changed. However, I wonder if it's for the better.
"W-What? What's with that look?"
Unable to see what sort of expression I have, I could only avert my gaze at the ground. However doing so, I caught a glimpse of something unusual.
"A-Ah n-nothing… I just noticed, you're wearing tights today?"
"N-Na!?
Her cheeks redden as she distances herself away as she tries covering her legs.
"T-That's what you've been staring at!? C-Creep, gross! I knew you were like that but now you've taken interest in someone's legwear!?"
I feel as though the moment I met Natsuki, it's been nothing but insults from her. Maybe because she's always so forward about it. However as of right now, I'm hurt!
"T-That's not it! I was just stating it!"
"Uhuhu, I never knew Yuki had that sort of interest.~"
Damnit, Sayori! You're supposed to be on my side!
Giggling aloud, she fans the flame whilst stepping towards the vending machine.
"Andd, there!"
She selects the milk for Natsuki with ease.
"H-Hey, Sayori!"
Natsuki turns around as she appears to be upset that Sayori chose for her.
"Heehee, here you go.~"
Grabbing the milk in the dispenser, she throws it towards Natsuki as receives it perfectly.
"A-Ah, t-thanks… I mean! Where did you guys even come from?!"
"From the gate of course."
It's obvious that she meant something else entirely, however for some reason I wanted to tease her a bit.
"Geh, smart alec… Hmm, well whatever."
…
As usual, I purchase a can of coffee for myself as Natsuki begins drinking away at her own beverage. Sayori herself seemed left out as she soon bought herself a carton of chocolate milk.
"Oh, and I'm out for lunch today. Just so you two know."
Resting against the bench until the bell sounds, Natsuki suddenly speaks up.
"Hmm?"
"Ehh, okay, sure thing. Have things to do?"
Throwing her carton into the trash bin, she begins walking away.
"Mm, I have a few things due in the afternoon, so I want to get them out of the way. I'll still be attending the club after school though."
"All right, we'll see you there then, Natsuki."
"Bye bye, Natsuki!~"
With a silent nod, she leaves as I'm left wondering whether or not she's hiding something. Taking the last gulk from my coffee, Sayori exhales loudly as though she's been holding her breath.
"Sayori?"
I look over to her as she appears to be worn out and droops down from the bench.
"Yuki… did I seem normal?"
They say hot chocolate can make one feel sleepy, to the extent of numerous people drinking it before bed. However, I don't think cold chocolate milk has the same effect. Sayori appears to be exhausted from trying to act normal.
"Normal? Ehh… I guess so. I thought you were the same as ever."
"That's good… I dunno but I had trouble sleeping last night, I was thinking about Natsuki a lot, like how to act around her and other things. You said I shouldn't try to change the way I behave in front of her… so when I keep thinking about that, it gets harder and harder."
"Hmm…"
Thinking back on it, Sayori mentioned she only acted happy enough for people to perceive her as a bubbly, cheerful girl; enough so her heart will stop hurting.
"Well, I think you should just go with what your heart desires most."
"Ehh?"
I rise from my spot as I anticipate the bell to sound at any given minute.
"You've been around with Natsuki a lot, right? So I'm sure regardless of how you act, Natsuki won't hate you for it. She cares about you a lot, and you're the same, isn't that right?"
"…Mm, I do."
Casually spinning the milk carton in her hands, she reveals a small smile; almost as though she's reminiscing the times she spent with Natsuki.
"Just do your best and it'll work out. I'm here too, so you're not in this alone. I too feel like I have to tip toe around her to an extent, so we'll keep each other in check, okay?"
"Ehee, I know, it's just that… I worry about a lot of things… But I guess if you're here, Yuki. It'll all work out somehow.~"
For some reason it's like she has more confidence in me than I do with myself; it's a comforting feeling nonetheless.
"Yeah, so once again… Let's do this, for Natsuki."
"Mm, for Natsuki!~"
…
After classes, we decide to have lunch in the clubroom as I sort of miss the comfort of it.
"So what's for lunch today, Sayori?"
"Hm?"
In the middle of stuffing her face, she looks to me and quickly swallows which immediately prompts her to chug her water bottle.
"H-Hey now, you can answer after you finish your bites y'know…"
With a loud exhale, I feel bad that she wasted water that she could have savored after finishing her sandwich.
"I-It got stuck in my throat… My Mum made me a BLT sandwich with chicken.~"
She shows me the cross section of her sandwich and honestly I wish I could take a bite from it.
"A BLT, hmm?"
In juxtaposition to her appetizing sandwich, I look to my lunch in sorrow.
"…all I have is a piece of sweet bread."
Feeling as though I've spent too much for lunch last week then followed by our outing at the café and the batting cages, my parents would flip if I keep asking them for lunch money.
"Eheehee, poor Yuki.~"
She happily munches away at her sandwich as I take bitter bites from mine.
Upon finishing our lunch, I rest my head against the table as I look off to the side where Sayori's sitting on the table.
"So… any bright ideas, Sayori? Though bright or not, I think its better off to say whatever you've thought of."
"Hmm… It's not really an idea, but…"
Swinging her legs, she looks off towards the back of the classroom, specifically at the corner where the storage room is.
"Natsuki has the entire collection of her manga, right? …So if she does, how did she get it if her Father acts the way he does?"
"Her manga? …Yeah, now that I think about it that does seem strange… Better yet, she has some pocket money, perhaps she saved enough for it?"
"I don't know…"
Although, the only times I've seen her spend money is just on strawberry milk at the vending machine. It's not exactly expensive; it's honestly rather cheap compared to my can of coffee.
"But I guess that's not the case… You'd have to save up lots for it, even those in the bargain bin. Not only that, but she has the collector's box, so it's most likely an upfront purchase…"
Something about this just doesn't add up.
"Right? If he abuses her like he does, doesn't that mean he treats her like-… someone that he doesn't like? I mean he may only be giving her enough yen just to buy strawberry milk!"
Perhaps she's getting funds from a different source. No, she can't be possibly working with someone who forces their own daughter to cook for them every day.
"So what… You think he has like ehh… Personality disorder or something?"
That's the only reason I can come up with. If it's true then that'd answer some of our questions, however, that only leads to further queries.
"Then again… why is she wearing tights today out of all days? Do you think she's hiding something?"
"Under her tights..?"
"Yeah… something under her- W-Wait, this is a dangerous thought process!
With the image running through my mind, I shake it off as Sayori gives me a condescending look.
"Huhu, what's under Natsuki's tights?"
"H-Her legs obviously!"
Darting my eyes, I couldn't keep a straight expression as Sayori chuckles.
"Mm… her leg was bleeding the other day, wasn't it?"
"…It was; enough to run down her leg and dampen her sock."
Sayori falls silent for a moment as though she didn't want to speak her mind.
"Do you think it's related, Sayori?"
After a moment, she nods.
As we both ponder about it, leaving bruises is one thing, however enough to pierce the skin enough to bleed? That's an entirely different matter, the injury resembled a deep cut, so a simple band-aid wouldn't suffice.
"…Ahhhh!"
Sayori suddenly screams as she hops off her table, which makes me alert as I immediately rise with her.
"W-Whaa?"
Clutching her head, she shakes it left to right as she shuts her eyes.
"Get out of my head, get out, get out!"
"S-Sayori..?
Repeating the words; "Get out.", she constantly shakes her head as I'm a loss for what to do. She appears to be in pain as I look like a complete idiot hovering my hands over her.
"…I want to help her; I want to help her I know I can! So yet why do I thinking that I can't?!"
Tears begin falling as her body quivers.
"Sayori..."
Whilst I admit that Sayori's sounding pessimistic, I understand her worries.
"Sayori."
Calling her name once more, she peeks out from her hands as I firmly place mine against her shoulders.
"You feel helpless, don't you?"
Averting her gaze, she nods just a bit.
"Frankly, I too am afraid of interfering, especially so if Natsuki's against it. However, we shouldn't let our worries get the best of us."
You've made it this far, Sayori. There's no way I'm giving up and neither should you; if we do, we're sure to regret it. I'm letting you go, not until we all get a happy ending. But even then, I hope we can look back on all of this and say that what we did was right.
"I know... I know that! But..."
"You know... I mentioned this to my Father yesterday, about Natsuki's case."
"Your Father..?"
Sayori's eyes glimmer as though a slither of her hope's been restored. We mustn't give in to despair; if we do it's all over.
"That's right; he's an officer, right?"
Wiping the tears from her eyes, I try reassuring her as I take a few steps back.
"Yeah, with loyal subordinates by his side. The catch is, he doesn't fully believe me, at least not yet."
"Not yet? So then-"
Before Sayori could finish her sentence, I could sense the air of negatively surround her once more as I place my finger against her lips.
"We just need something solid. It'd take some time, and like he always said, gathering evidence requires lots of leg work. When we do obtain it however, we can count on him to get to the bottom of this."
"Oh… Mm, he was always reliable from what I can remember… Sorry, Yuki, you're always cheering me up and…"
"It's all right, Sayori. I don't mind at all."
Sayori's trying her best, that's all I can ask for.
"So then, it may not be a lead, we may find some answers over Natsuki's manga. I have to say, that's a nice find, Sayori. I didn't think about that at all."
Drying her cheeks with her forearms, she soon reveals a cheerful smile.
"It just came to my mind, that's all.~ …Should one of us ask her this afternoon?"
"The sooner the better I guess… Though having said that, which of us should?"
Thinking about it just a bit, Sayori points at me.
"It'd be strange if I asked from nowhere, I think it'd be better if you'd ask; since you read it with her after all."
"Hmm, well sure but…"
It'd be easier for me to ask without arousing her suspicion, that's true; however, I shouldn't underestimate their immaculate bond.
"If things get hairy, come switch the conversation over, all right?"
We should do well not to destroy what she has left.
…
Once classes were finished, Sayori comes to find me before we head into the clubroom as we wait for Natsuki to arrive. Waiting as we read through a book together, numerous thoughts come and go in my mind before the door slides open.
"N-Natsuki..?"
We both sit up to greet her as my eyes fall upon the clock situated at the front of the room. Natsuki's an hour late as she appears to be worn out as she's panting heavily whilst wiping her brow.
"Sorry, I had sports in the afternoon and I had to help with the cleanup…"
"Sports? Oh right, there was commotion coming from outside during my last class."
With screams that come and go, it was difficult to concentrate. Sayori shrugs it off as she steps towards Natsuki with a bottle of water.
"Oh thanks, Sayori."
She drinks half the bottle before returning it to her.
"Ehee, sports sure do make you sweat."
"Hah, sure wish it didn't. You two haven't been messing around since I wasn't here right?"
Since we have no official activities, this club is more of a relaxation time than anything. I wonder when Monika will return so we'll actually do something club like.
"We were just reading a book together."
I hold up the book for her to see as she firmly nods.
"Mm, I wouldn't want to return to you two flirting with each other."
We were never flirting!
Natsuki lazily walks to her table on the other side of the room and rests her head against her bag.
"Well, this is a problem…"
I whisper to Sayori as she leans in.
"What is?"
"How am I supposed to read with Natsuki, if she's tired?"
"Wow, do you want to read with me that much, Yuki?"
"!?"
I turn to her as I fall speechless that she heard me.
"I can hear you from over here you know, even if you're whispering. Gek, what are you getting at? I feel like after what happened this morning you'd finally get a criminal record."
"You're still on about that?!"
With a grin, she sits up with rubs her eyes. However, after a brief moment she falls back to resting against her bag.
"Well if you want to read with me than go ahead. Though... you'd have to read it to me."
Closing her eyes, I believe all she wants to do right now is rest. However, I also think she's keen on me reading it out to her.
"Hm, all right then. I'll get the next volume."
…
It took only a few pages in for Natsuki to tell me that I'm a terrible reader and that my voice would never be suitable to read bedtime stories. But even if she did mention that, she never once told me to stop as I took it as a cue to continue forth.
"Things are starting to get intense…"
As the plot begins to divert into a darker tone, Natsuki chuckles.
"Right? You'd never see it coming."
"Y-Yeah…"
As I continue forth reading, I begin feeling more drawn to the story and how it'd conclude. Natsuki too seems to be more interested in my reading as her eyes are no longer closed, but staring out the window. It makes me wonder what's currently going through her mind.
"Oh, and I wanted to ask, Natsuki. Where did you buy Parfait Girls? I haven't seen it anywhere in store."
"Hm? I just bought it from the second hand book shop."
Taken aback by her response, I memorise the page number as I begin inspecting the overall quality of it. Not one page is crinkled, nor is any part of the cover damaged with dents. The previous owner must've been a collector.
"That's a surprise, it's well maintained so I thought-"
"That it was from somewhere else?"
"Y-Yeah."
"Hm, well I too thought it was a good find. The previous owner took well care of it so I'd like to respect it and treat it as well as they did. But of course, you gotta take well care of your books or else the world inside them would be lost and forgotten. There may be millions of copies sold throughout the world, however in saying that, a world is still a world."
She effortlessly gives me a lecture on book caring as her eyes follows birds that sometimes fly past the window.
"I think the condition of how well you keep your books tell a lot about a person. Sometimes with age it's inevitable, and of course accidents can occur but even then there is a way to restore them to their original glory."
"Y-Yeah, that's for sure…"
"And Yuki."
Turning her head just a slight, she looks up at me as I couldn't quite detect her usual cheeriness; though she is rather tired but I guess her mind is still going strong.
"I guess you're a good person. Not like that means much. Anyways, why did you want to know? Were you planning to buy them for yourself?"
"Oh… right. No, I was just curious, that's all. I mean I always see collector sets way out of my price range. They look great for sure, but it'd dig into my pocket."
"Heh."
Getting her usual attitude back she smirks.
"Well you'd be an idiot to pay full price without a job. My Grandma bought me it when we went shopping together."
"Your Grandma?"
With yet another answer I didn't expect, it feels like things are slowly coming together. At least the question to how she got her hands on the set.
"Yeah, I really like her, she's so kind and understanding, heh and she makes muffins like you wouldn't believe; one bite is enough to send you to paradise."
With a genuine smile from her heart; it resembles the one she showed when she thanked me for saving Sayori's life, I'm sure of it. But if that's the case something doesn't add up here. Does her Grandma not know of how horrible her son is treating his daughter, or is it because even she is powerless to put a stop to it?
"That sounds like my kind of muffin. I'd still like to try the one you made before when Sayori mentioned them, but I wouldn't mind to have a taste of hers."
It's has to be the former, it just has to be. Regardless of how the two may not be connected, it's worth a shot. A shot in the dark, it's all we have to go by at the moment; I'm sure we can use this.
"Hm, well you'd probably not be able to. She lives in Tokyo so she's rarely able to visit."
"Oh, well… I see… that's a shame."
"But… I-I guess I can make some if you really wanted them."
Darting her eyes about, she soon closes them and looks the other way.
"L-Look we're almost out of time, hurry up and finish the chapter!"
Seeing her like this makes me feel bittersweet as I couldn't help but smile and laugh just a bit; with no need to hide it, I'm coming to truly treasure these moments with her. I wish that we could spend our days like this without worry, simply staying in clubs afterschool; lazily reading a book together and having a good time.
"Whatever you say, Natsuki. I look forward to the muffins you make for me."
As I prepare to continue reading, her body jolts and shakes the table as she rises with a flushed face.
"Sh-Shut up you dummy! They won't be for you at this rate!"
It's clear to me that's she's embarrassed as she overhears Sayori's giggle and faces her.
"W-What's so funny, Sayori?!"
"Ehee, oh it's nothing.~ It's just that this book is so funny I can't help myself."
"That's a book on geometry! Are you doing your homework?!"
Getting really riled up, Sayori continues giggling as she's trying to write in her book.
Yeah, if all days were like this, it would definitely be paradise.