The girl handed us a poem. Her face was red yet her expression is that of resolve. I took the letter and inspected it, it is definitely a love letter.
" Uhm... I w-want to tell my best friend how I really feel... and I figured since he likes poetry and literature, this would be a great way to confess to him." She nervously stammered out. We stood silent and stare at the letter.
" Really?! Well... I don't know about you, but we are more than willing to help anyone who asks." Monika gave a warm smile at the girl, while the others are stunned by the girl's boldness.
" Oh, then... would you please perform this later in your event? It would really help me see his reaction and have an idea if I should really continue with this." She stammers nervously. Her voice was shaking and filled with embarrassment. I sigh and look at the girl's letter.
" May I... read it?" I ask the girl in front of me. She nods and I open the letter to read to letter. It is a simple prose about 7 lines long.
I'm tired of just waiting,
I'm done with only watching,
I'm finished with admiring,
I don't want to smile with you anymore,
I want to be your reason to smile.
But most of all, I don't want us to be just friends,
I want us to be something more than that.
I took in the message of the prose. This girl had guts, and I she has my respect because of this. The girl is flustered and embarrassed, droplets of sweat are forming on her face due to someone reading her poem. I hand it back to her and sigh. She has a worried look on her face as I fold my arms.
" No." I say to her sternly. The color from her face drained away. The trio of girls behind me looks at me in shock while thier jaws hang ajar in the air.
" Yoku! W-W-What do you mean 'no'?! We need to help her confess her feelings!" Sayori ran up to me and looks at me with puppy eyes. The airhead doesn't know about how this thing works, huh? But I understand why she wants to help this girl in her romance.
" That's the point Sayori. It should be her saying this beautiful message to the person. But it's up to us to lend her a hand and give her the support she needs." I say to Sayori with confidence. Joy return to the redhead as she smiles broadly and jumps in joy then proceeds to give me a hug. Sayori's confusion is replaced by joy and proceeds to hug me also.
" T-Thank you! I'll be in your care then!" The two lets go from the hug they both give me. The red head tucks a tuft of her hair behind her ear and proceeds to bow hear head to introduce herself.
" Amy, Amy Sakurano, I haven't introduced myself. It's a pleasure to meet you guys!" She raises her head and smiles warmly at us. Monika steps forward to also greet her.
" Well, the pleasure is ours. Now, let me introduce to the members of this small club. The sweet and caring man beside me is Yoku, the little ball of energy right here is Sayori and the timid one at the back is Yuri. Welcome to the Literature Club!" Monika extends an inviting arm towards Amy, she has the exact same pose in the game's start menu.
" I look forward to working with you guys!" Amy smiles broadly as she clasps her hands together. Monika looks pleased at this. Looks like we got ourselves a new member, at least this festival is a success.
" Anyway, you better start practicing that bold confession of yours. The event is about to start in about an hour and a half." I remind Amy, who starts to get excited.
" Oh, okay! I'll just look for my friend. I'll be back in a few!" Amy grabs the letter and runs out the door. We laugh triumphantly for we have achieved our goal for the festival.
" I-I do hope this goes well for the girl. It would be s-soul crushing if she gets rejected." Yuri stammers out as she grabs the diffuser and prepares it for use. Just as I was about to answer, the door opens to reveal a boy just about my height. He has dark brown eyes and raven hair that is tied into a small pony tail. He seems to be the timid type cause he stammer into the room with his body shaking in nervousness.
" U-Umm... H-Have you guys seen a girl with r-red hair come in here?" The boy has a high pitched voice. I nod at him, and he let out a sigh of relief.
" Do you guys know where she went?" He asked shyly, his shaking finally stops.
" Yeah, she said she was looking for her friend." I told him as I look at his fidgety right hand. I notice he was holding a piece of paper.
" Oh, she must be looking for me. T-Thank you so much!" He turns around quickly to try and catch up to the girl. But before he could leave the door, I catch him by the collar of his blazer and pull him back in.
" Hey... I see that thing you're holding. I have a suggestion for you..." I could see the girls eyeing me closely as I began to whisper to him my plans.
(Akami-sama POV)
The drive to the court house is silent between the both of us. The time is about 9 in the morning, an hour and a half before the club's performance. The car's stereo blasted the exhilarating music of Initial D's GAS GAS GAS. I look at Natsuki in the back using my rear view mirror. She looked sorrowful as she looks outside the window. I could see it, dread and fear is clouding her heart and mind. I could sense that she is afraid of what is to come. I ponder for a bit, before switching the music.
" Hey... do you like Vocaloids? Mainly... Hatsune Miku?" She perks up at the mention of the name. Aha! Finally, I could see a break in that gloomy and hard exterior of hers. She nods firmly, but her expression remains unchanged.
" Very well, what song do you like?" I ask politely to the intrigued girl. There! I see it! The smile that she hid once more with a pout.
" Triple Baka... I would like that..." Natsuki murmured quietly, yet still audibly.
" Oh! I love that one! Sure!" I select the song in my playlist and the car's speaker soon spewed out Japanese words. At first it was only I that sang along, but soon, Natsuki joins and we sing the song together. After a while, the song finally ends and we both laugh our asses off.
" You know, I'm glad I have a fellow Hatsune Miku lover in the car with me. Do you constantly listen to her songs as well?" The atmosphere once again falls heavy and silent. It seems I made a mistake once again. However, before I could apologize, she nods her head and begin to open up.
" M-My dad... doesn't really let me do anything that I like. He would get really... mad if he sees me listening to stuff like this. Damn idiot..." The last part I hear her murmur under her breath. Damn, this girl is just like Yoku, huh? Basically the same family problems, just different in the people that managed to help them.
" Natsuki... Look, you don't have to force yourself to tell these things to me. I understand that it is painf- WHAT THE HELL!" I swerve to the side of the road and slam on the brakes. Thankfully, the two of us were not harmed and I managed to minimize the damage to my car. A damn blue car was counter flowing and driving like a maniac. After a moment, a few poluce cars chased after it. I check on Natsuki, who was rattled by the situation, but is now slowly recovering.
" Hey, you ok?" I ask the girl, who seems to be hyperventilating.
" Y-yeah..." She says between breaths. I sigh as I take a look at the damage. Just a scratch at the right passenger door. I sigh and look at Natsuki, who is now slowly calming down.
" Let's just... get to the court house... okay?" Natsuki, still shaken, nods lightly. I groan as I began to move my vehicle once again.
As we drove off, I can't help but think about the driver of that car. Such a familiar face...
( Yoku's POV)
Man, do we have a surprise for Amy. As a crowd started to fill the seats, Monika got up the stage to begin introducing us. I gave a thumbs up to Amy and her friend, who introduced himself to us as Yosuke Abe. I prepare myself for my cue to go on the stage. Yuri and Sayori are still practicing their pieces, so I pull out my copy and proceed to do the same. But before I could even read the title, Monika calls me up the stage.
" Well, let's get started! The first person to perform would be Yoku Shiseki. Take it away, Yoku!" Monika got off the stage and nudges me towards the stage. The room fell silent as I began to read the words of my poem out loud.
Choices
Infront of me are two choices.
I close my eyes and shut out the voices,
I open my eyes to see
the choices that would define me.
On one hand is a path of salvation,
the other is destruction.
Yet whatever I choose,
In the end, I have nothing to lose.
Meh, it's a poem I just made in a few minutes. But the people still cheer for me as I get off the stage. I took a sit beside Sayori, who began to shake me while telling me I did a good job. Monika and Yuri are gonna recite a poem together. It is about a teacher and a student, but instead of the student learning from the teacher, it's the other way around. Yuri portrayed the teacher, while Monika said the student's lines. It is an amazing performance, both of them did really well and they both were on the spot when it comes to conveying the emotions of the poem. After they were done, Sayori is up next. She had to recite both her poem and Natsuki's poem. Sayori made a comedic poem that caused the room to erupt in laughter, while Natsuki is a cute and childish poem. Sayori performed Natsuki's poem while doing her mannerisms and trying to make her voice sound like Natsuki's. Natsuki's poem made Sayori look like a kid who is reciting a piece in front of their parents, well... she does think like a kid sometimes. As she bows her head to the audience, they let out an 'Awwwww...' and their faces looks like they just saw a grade schooler perform in front of a large crowd. Monika got up the stage and she smiles broadly towards Amy.
" Now, why don't we hear from the Literature Club's newest member? Let's give it up for Amy Sakurano!" Amy timidly stammered onto the stage. Her large round glasses and two pigtails give her a timid and shy aura. But the moment she spoke her heart towards Yosuke, her voice is filled with confidence and emotion.
I'm tired of just waiting,
I'm done with only watching,
The chance I have is now disappearing.
I'm finished with only admiring,
a smile that makes my days worthwhile,
for I want to be the reason for that smile.
But most of all, I don't want to be a girl in the side line,
I want you to be mine.
I like that idea, it's really nice,
No, I love the thought to be precise.
I've thought about it more than twice,
And I must say, I don't think being 'just friends' would suffice.
So after I bare my heart and confess,
would you say mind saying 'yes'?
Amy panted as she finishes expressing her feelings. The room fell silent as Amy's face turn red. Suddenly, Yosuke stands up and goes up stage and takes the mic from Amy's hands.
A red flower bud is seen in the midst of many,
Yet its petals is what made it so uncanny.
It has an alluring scent,
which shivers down my spine it sent.
A soft and gentle exterior,
Is what made it so superior.
It pulled me closer,
And I saw it become a flower.
I was mesmerized,
Because it made me surprised,
To see the flower reveal its secrets
Yosuke held Amy's hands, while everyone is in shock and awe. This two lovers just confessed their love for each other in front of a crowd. Sayori covered her mouth to hide her shocked expression, Yuri is frozen in place while Monika merely watch as the two look intently at each others eyes.
" W-Would you be my girlfriend... Amy?" Yosuke ask Amy timidly.
" Of course! I would love that!" As the two lovebirds gave each other a hug, the crowd stands up and cheers for the boldness of the two. Before anything more could happen, Monika finally decides to formally end the event.
We spend the rest of the day attending the different events and participating in the different booths in the festival. Sayori is ahead of us, eyeing the different kinds of food in the stalls. I was between Yuri and Monika while we walked, with Yosuke and Amy lagging behind us. We spent the remaining hours of school doing this. It was a pretty fun day all in all, except Sayori managed to blow trough my pocket money in my wallet because of her excessive eating. Yuri, Amy and Yosuke already went home together since their houses are close to one another. The three of us were about to start walking home when I stop.
" You two go ahead, I'll just do some shopping! I want to surprise you guys with something." The two looks at me with curiosity.
" Huh? But the refrigerator is still filled with food." Monika says while she pondered about it.
" Yeah... but I don't think I can make it at home." I tell Monika, who now looks even more baffled.
" Then, can I come with you?" Sayori pleads to me with puppy eyes.
" Nope! You might just make me spend more money.Look, I'll just show you the surprise when I get home later." They both sigh before finally waving me goodbye. I wave goodbye to the two before I dash to the opposite direction towards the shopping district.
After a while, well 10 minutes to be precise, I finally made it there. The place is bustling with people, shops lined the streets selling all kinds of stuff. I look for a while before I found it, the bakery. I went inside and bought a chocolate cake with the words 'Congratulations' on it. I quickly made my way home because the sky is slowly turning darker. As I made my way home, I took out my phone and saw that I missed about... 70 CALLS from Akami-sama. I dialed the number and I wait for his answer. He picked up nearly instantly and proceeds to stammer out incoherent sounds into the phone.
" Hey! Calm down! What the hell happened? What do you want?" I shout trough the phone, which manage to calm the god a bit.
" H-He escaped! Yoku you need to be careful! Police are already on their way to escort you and the girls... And... And-" Once again, the god began to stutter. I sigh and I tell him to clarify on who escaped.
" Natsuki's dad! He escaped just before we got there! So be careful!" I freeze in shock. That damn psycho is on the lose... and I made Sayori and Monika go home alone! I immediately started to dash towards the direction of my home.
It seems in my flight to get home quickly, I took a wrong turn and I ended up in a small alleyway. But as I was about to get out the alleyway, a figure appeared and pushed me back in. He wore a black hoodie and held a small bat in his right arm. He was panting like an animal who just caught its prey and his eyes glowed with fiery anger. Damn it... it seems Monika and Sayori is safe, but I'm not. In front of me stood Natsuki's dad, and he is not in a good mood.
" I've been looking for you, you little shit!" He took a step forward and I took a step backward.
" I despise you for what you did to my daughter. You turned her into a rebellious brat! I won't forgive you for that..." He took two paces forward, I took one before feeling the concrete wall behind me.
" You know, I would really enjoy beating the life out of you. After you, maybe I'll go for the three girls you're looking after. Maybe I'll start with the one with the blue eyes... Yes, she would make for a good punching bag." He started to inch closer towards me. I stay silent with the taunts he is throwing at me.
" Then go for Natsuki... Yeah, I think I'll discipline her for good, bitch needs to be taught a lesson. Then lastly, the brunette with that silly white bow, maybe I won't beat the shit out of her, she has a fine body after all... Ufufufufu... is she your girl, I wonder? If she is it would be more fun to do it then. Ahahahahaha!" As this psycho laugh manically, I felt something I haven't felt in a long time. Rage and angef. I clench my hand into a fist so hard, blood dripped from the palm of my hand. I took a step forward and give him a glare.
" Oh? You want to fight? Little piece of shit... you think YOU CAN TAKE ME? HUH?" He lifted the bat over his head and runs at me. Since I have nowhere else to go, I also charge at him.
" MOTHERFUCKER, I'LL KILL YOU!" I shout at him before I tackled him. He manage to hit my shoulder with a bat, but I shrug it off.
I manage to bring him to the ground and disarm him, but it is apparent that our fight will continue. We threw out punches and profanities at each other as we engage in a fist fight. He manages to push me off of him and kicks me towards the wall. It stings for a second, but I continue to maintain my stance. He charges at me and I manage to throw out a straight jab into his nose, but he still hit me with a left hook to my left side. I wince at the pain, but I still continue to throw out a flurry of punches. He may look thin, but his punches are no joke. I managed to knee him in the guts before giving him a right hook to the face. He stumble backwards for a second, then he spits out a teeth. He charges at me and tackles me.
Suddenly, he kicks me in my gut and gives me a punch to the face. I fell to the ground due to becoming disoriented. I spat out a warm liquid in my mouth before rolling out of the way from one of his kicks. I stand up, but it's hard to keep my balance. I know I can't fall here, if I do, the girls won't be safe at home. Due to desperation, I charge at him with all I've got. He threw out a punch, but I remembered what Akami-sama did to him. I dodge and grab his arm, then pulling it downward. It unbalances him and made him fall face flat to the ground. But before I could hold his arms, I failed to notice that he held the bat, so I didn't see the hit to my face.
I fall on my back and wince in pain. The swong hit my right side, and I could see there is bleeding. I got the strength to stand up, but he was already standing above me. He placed his boot on my chest and pressed down hard. My breathing became tighter, and I could feel myself getting weaker. He raised his bat above his head and swang down. Thankfully, I manage to catch it and bring it to a stop.
" Tsk, you still won't give up? Damn you!" He lets go of the bath and proceeds to strangle me. I tried to first get his hands off my neck, but it was futile.
" You know, I always loved it when I would make my girl dance by throwing bottles at her feet. Now, I could make you dance by strangling you." His grip became tighter. I could feel the air in my lungs being drained away. Due to desperation, I did what I have to do.
Using my free hand, I extended my thumb out and poke it into his right eye. He lets go and proceeded to cry out in pain. Without hesitation, I grab the bat and let out three swings. One from the right, then the left, before an overhead strike. He collapses on the floor, a small pool of blood forming on the ground. I lean on the wall before vomiting out blood and my food. I look at my side and saw that it was bleeding, I touch it one last time before I collapse beside him. In the distance I could hear the sirens of the police car and I could see the visage of multiple officers as my vision blurred.
" Yoku!!!" I could hear Monika shouting my name. I saw her blurry figure dart trough the police men and she held my head in her arms. Her green eyes filled with tears is the last thing I saw before I black out.