Sayori happily slurped on the mocha frappe I bought for her. I could see that Yuri is fine with having Sayori with us, thank goodness. Yuri is currently reading a book on her phone while she sipped her Macha milktea. I bought a glazed doughnut for myself, but I quickly noticed that it has left my sight. I looked around the table for my doughnut, only to find Sayori gulping down the last bite.
" Delicious! Thanks for the food!" Sayori exclaimed in delight.
" Man... I wanted to eat that." I murmured to myself.
" Ehehe... Sorry! I was hungry~" Sayori smiled mischievously.
" It's fine. Did it taste good?" I asked her with a curious tone.
" Yes. It's really... good... hmmm?" Sayori tilted her head a little bit to the side. She looks like she is trying to look at something. I looked back and, to my surprise, saw that behind us is someone holding up a newspaper. I catch a glimpse of a white bow poking out of the newspaper.
" Is... Is something the matter, Yoku? Sayori? You seem to be searching for someone..." Yuri was about to look at the seat behind as well, but Sayori immediately stands up and distracts her.
" Yoku... I... I don't feel so good...Can you help me walk to the bathroom?" Sayori looked at me and winked discreetly.
" Oh, okay... Umm, Yuri... Is it fine? Can I leave you here for a bit?" I ask her politely as I stood up.
" Ah... Of course... We wouldn't want any accidents here, do we? Ahaha..." She smiled and took a sip of her drink. At that, Sayori and I quickly got away from her line of sight.
We passed by the table where Monika is sitting. I was surprised and caught off guard to see Natsuki sitting beside her. She smiles and waves, but before I could return the gesture Sayori has already dragged me outside of the store. Her eyes would dart to and fro around the place. She looked for a place we can talk in private and away from Yuri's eyes. After a moment, we found a nice bench that us far enough away from the cafe so Yuri won't be able to find us.
" Okay, first of all... What are you doing here?" I ask her. She let out a nervous chuckle.
" Well..." She proceeded to tell me what happened earlier.
Flashback starts
" Monika~! Natsuki~! Wait up! You're going too fast!" I whined as I tried my best to catch up to the two.
" Run as fast as you can, Sayori! We don't want to lose them!" Monika said in a calm voice.
" They're just around this corner." Natsuki remarked.
We made our way through the dark, icky and cramped alleys. As we neared the exit, I quicken my pace in an effort to catch up to them. But in my rush, I accidentally stumbled over my foot. It caused me to tumble over and out of the alleyway.
Flashback ends
" After that, I decided to pretend I'm following you for food." Sayori giggled to herself.
" Ohhh... Well, I can't really blame you for tripping over yourself. But look, Sayori, if anything happens, call me." I said to her sternly.
" I'll be fine! You have to worry about yourself! I can see that you're getting real close to achieving your goal." Sayori's warm smile and words of encouragement gave me a little confidence boost.
" Ahaha, sure. Anyways, let's get back to the cafe. I'm sure Yuri's probably about to explode due to her anxiety." I let out a chuckle as we stand up from the bench. Sayori smiles and skips on over to my side as we walk back to the cafe near the mall.
*DDLC: Our Reality*
Sayori and I were at a lost for words when we entered the cafe. Sitting there on our seats is Monika and Natsuki, happily chatting with Yuri. We walk over them, smiling awkwardly as we did so.
" Oh, heeeey! Nice to see you, Yoku and Sayori! Where have you two wonder off too? What a coincidence to run into you three today, ahaha!" Monika exclaimed cheerfully.
" Y-Yeah... Uhh... What are you two doing here?" I asked Monika while giving her a confused look.
" Well, you see... Natsuki here wanted to go clothes shopping. Isn't that right, Natsuki?" Monika nudged Natsuki's shoulder.
" Y-Yeah..." Natsuki let out an annoyed response.
I looked over at Yuri. She seemed, irritated. Her eyes would dart towards the three, her lips curling into a slight scowl from time to time. Monika noticed this behavior, she looked at Yuri and calmly smiled at her.
" Anyways, sorry for disturbing you three. We'll be on our way now. Take care!" Monika and Natsuki stood up and waved goodbye at us.
I could hear Yuri giggle in delight. With Monika and Natsuki gone, I guess she only has to deal with Sayori now. She's probably thinking that she needs to find a way to separate Sayori from us. I know for a fact that Sayori has no intention of leaving me alone, and thank god for that. With Sayori here, I don't think Yuri would try to do anything funny with me. We got up and left the cafe to go walk around the mall and shop for some things.
The huge mall complex boasts that it is the second largest mall in the country. It is divided into 4 main buildings, each containing different kinds of stores and at least four storeys tall. The mall is bustling with people, flooding into different stores and restaurants within the mall. We took a look around the place, window shopping as we did so. We would hop from store to store, looking at the different wares being sold in each one. From the huge and vast department stores to the fragrant and bustling food courts, we were pulled by our feet to this different locations. Well, Sayori was the one that pulled us to the food court. We bought some takoyaki from a stall, and they were delicious! I also bought some fried squid for myself, which I found quite delectable. To be honest, I just bought the fried squid cause I remembered that Mon-ika joke.
After we finished our snacks, we immediately went to the bookstore. Yuri was the one that suggested it because she wants to look for new books. The three of us split up due to the difference in our preferences. Sayori decided to look at the romance novels in one corner of the store, Yuri was nowhere to be seen, and I'm here browsing manga. I picked up a copy of Parfait Girls and I began to scan through it. Suddenly, I received a call from Monika.
" Yo! What's up?" I said nonchalantly.
" Look behind you." Monika answered. I turned my head around to see Monika and Natsuki's head poking out from behind a bookshelf.
" Okay, first of all... Why are you following us? Second, you want me to pick up something for you, Natsuki?" I smiled and picked up a Parfait Girls manga from the shelves.
" Yoku... Yoku... Ah! There you are! I've been looki-... Uhh... I... I see you've been reading manga..." Yuri said as she run up to me. I gave a quick glance at Monika and Natsuki's position. They're gone.
" Oh, yeah... I'm a fan of what Natsuki reads... By the way, why were you looking for me?" I asked her as I pu away the manga.
" Oh... I... I was wondering if you'd like to... Erm... pick out some books with me..." Yuri awkwardly smiled as she held up a hardbound book in her hands.
" Sure, let's go find some books to read." I said to her.
" Wonderful! Let's take a look over there, shall we?" Yuri pointed towards the area filled with the long and complex novels. Most of which are either mystery and suspense novels, or books from the fantasy genre.
I followed her lead as we begin to examine each book. At first, I'd try to look at the contents of each book, but seeing that I don't really prefer any of them, I started glossing over them quicker. But, in the corner of my eyes, I can see that Yuri is trying to find something. After a while, her eyes lit up as she took out a book with a crimson cover. Her lips curled into a smile as she flipped the book over.
" I've been trying to find this book for a long time! Yoku, this is a must read!" Yuri handed me the book excitedly. I took a look and saw that it is called "The Traveler". The cover is an illustration of a figure cloaked in black holding up a lantern in front of a small hut.
" What's the plot?" I ask Yuri politely as I opened the book.
" It's about this old man who gave up on life and his encounter with a traveler during a dark and stormy night. It's a mix of mystery, suspense and fiction. I've read this once in a library, but I can't seem to find it there." Yuri answered excitedly.
" I see... Want me to buy it for you?" I said with a smile. Yuri's excitement flushed away from her face and was replaced by surprise and embarrassment.
" Ah! Ah... I-Is... Is that... Ah... Okay?" Yuri asked anxiously.
" Of course! I-"
" Yoku~! I'm going home!" Sayori cut me off as she walked up to me. She paid no attention to the glances and looks she was getting.
" Oh! Sorry, Yuri... Didn't mean to interrupt you." Sayori smiled apologetically at Yuri. Yuri smiled at Sayori.
" It's ok... Uhh... Stay safe when you walk home." Yuri patted Sayori's head and waved goodbye.
" Yeah, call me when something happens, ok?" I told Sayori with a stern voice.
" I'll be fine! Anyways, I'll be going now. Bye!" As Sayori waved goodbye to me, I noticed that she slipped a note into my hands. She had a worried look on her face but she did her best to hide it.
After Sayori left, Yuri and I continued to look for more books. In the end, we bought four books, two for each of us. I bought Yuri the book she showed me earlier and an arts and crafts book while I bought a manga and a cook book with vegetarian recipes. Yuri helped me buy some groceries from the supermarket. I've got to say, she knows a lot about vegetarian food. Which is surprising. We carried two bags of groceries each, thankfully it wasn't that heavy. As we walked home, I noticed that Yuri is in a pleasant mood. She had a wide smile on her face while she walked, she was upbeat and cheerful today.
" You... Uhhh... seem to be in a good mood. Had fun today, perhaps?" I mused to her. Immediately she began to get flustered.
" Ah... Ahhh... I... Ermm..." She was choking on her words due to her embarrassment.
" Ahaha. Don't get bashful. It's bad to hide that cute attitude of yours, you know?" I teased her.
" Y-Yoku! I-It's... It's rude to s-suddenly call women cute!" She said with a hint of embarrassment.
" Ahaha! But you liked it? Ahaha... Anyways, it's nice to see you have fun today. I liked that..." I gladly said to her. Her nervousness slowly faded away as she began to ease up.
" Why don't we take a seat first, okay? You seem to be getting tired." I pointed to a nearby bench. Yuri nodded in agreement and we placed down our bags beside us before sitting down on the bench.
Yuri took out her book and began to read silently. It was like she was in her own world right now. I placed a hand into my pocket, pulling out a crumpled piece of paper. I discreetly read it at my side, away from Yuri's view. It was hastily written by Sayori. As I began to read, my heart sank to my feet.
Yoku
I had to leave because Yuri threatened to get rid of me if I didn't. It was scary! Listen Yoku, Monika and I talked about it. I'll take Natsuki home while she fetches you. Yoku, whatever you do,
Don't leave crowded areas!
A chill ran down my spine. Beside me, I could feel Yuri's gaze penetrate my soul. A quick glance around revealed that there is not a single soul out here except Yuri and mine. I took a gulp amd calmed myself down.
" I was just looking at the receipt. Phew, I thought I went over budget." I made up an excuse in a jiffy.
" I... I'm sorry... You must've spent too much on me..." Yuri's gaze softened as she bowed her head in shame.
" No! It's fine! I don't mind at all. What matters is that you had fun today." I said to her. Her slight frown turned into a smile.
Yuri closed the book before letting out a heavy sigh. Her violet eyes stared up into the afternoon sky. Her smile slowly faded from her facade as she squinted into the distance. Strands of her hair flew backwards as a gust of wind blew. An uneasy silence formed between us. Yuri let out a pained chuckle before looking at me with a warm gaze.
" Yoku... I... Ah... Uh... Geez... Why am I like this... I can't get cold feet now!" Yuri took a deep breath and stood up. She steeled herself as I mentally prepared myself for something bad.
" Yoku... I... I need to get this off my chest... I... I lov-"
" Yoku! There you are!" The moment was broken by Monika's voice as she ran towards our direction. A feeling of relief flushed over me as Monika neared us.
" Oh, hi Yuri. I'll be taking Yoku home now." Monika walked past a now angry Yuri before taking hold of my hand.
" Monika. I'm sorry, but why don't you let me walk Yoku home? Alone..." Yuri's eye twitched as she walked up to Monika.
" Yuri, I'm sure you'd like that, but Yoku here does not want to." Monika calmly said to Yuri.
" Well, I'm sure he'd also like you to kill yourself. It would be a great help for your mental health." Yuri retorted seriously.
Monika paused for a moment. This threat did not faze her. She took. deep breath and smiled at Yuri, ignoring the glare she is receiving from her.
" It's been a long day, Yuri. Let's not escalate things here. Thing's won't turn out great for anyone, I promise." Monika came out a little bit condescending in her warning. This aggravated Yuri even more.
" Ahaha! I don't think so. Why don't you go away and leave us be. Clearly, Yoku has chosen me over you! So I'm sure there is no need to fight over him." Yuri has an irritated smile on her face as she inched her hands towards her pockets.
" Yuri... I don't know what kind of fantasy you're having in your head, but we're leaving. So, if you'd just calm down for a moment, maybe we can talk this through." Monika still spoke calmly, but she's now a little more serious in her tone.
A tense feeling can be felt in the air around us. A choking weight in the air foreshadowing something to come. I got up from my seat and I tried to walk over to them. But, it seems my legs were frozen in pace due to the anxiousness I'm feeling.
" Ahaha... Talking now would be pointless. Besides, I have no chance of beating you in an argument, president." Yuri smiled in a condescending manner.
" I see... There is no point in negotiating with you..." Monika said softly in a dismayed and dissapointed tone.
" Yes, I have no intention of arguing anymore. Afterall, I still see a problem in front of me." Yuri's grin was instantly replaced by a frown.
" And that is?" Monika asked in a curious tone.
" That you still haven't opened up to the idea of killing yourself... As a friend, let me give you a little push in the right direction!" I saw a metallic glimmer from the pocket of Yuri's blazer as she dashed towards Monika.
And in an instant, time seemed to slow down as adrenaline pumped through me. In that moment, I leapt up from my spot and made my choice on what to do. I slammed my body against Monika as Yuri raised her arm, hilding a cold and familiar piece of steel in her hands. Everything was a blur after that. I saw the color of crimson splash everywhere. I could hear Monika scream out and fall to the ground. I could hear the clang of the knife as it dropped to the ground. All I saw was Yuri and Monika's look of horror and dread on my right side, and darkness on the left. I could feel a gashing and burning pain on the left side of my face. As I touched it, I felt a deep gash and the warmth of fresh blood on my fingers. My left eye might have been cut by the blade, I do not know. I couldn't see on my left side anymore. I knelt on the cold ground in pain, clutching the left side of my face.
I could hear Monika and Yuri scream at each other before running towards me. I was blacking out due to the pain. I was slipping in and out if consciousness...
I could see Monika's sorrowful expression and Yuri crying in guilt. Beside me, I felt Yuri's knife at the edge of my fingers. I took it and weakly held it out to her.
" Ah.. Ahaha... Y-You dropped... this... Ughhhh..." I let out one last groan as I slipped into unconsciousness.
The last thing I heard was Monika and Yuri shouting out my name in desperation and fear.