I woke up in a white space, surrounded by mounds of empty bags of chips. I looked around to see Akami-sama happily watching what is happening inside of my house. He laughed in delight as he watched Monika bicker and fight with Yuri, who was too busy crying her eyes out in remorse to fight back. Sayori was trying her best to treat the wound on my face with Natsuki beside her. It was a bloody scene, and the chaos was just heightened when Maido entered the room with a bowl of hot water to clean the towels only to trip and splash it all over my limp body.
" Ouch! That must've hurt! Thankfully, only your chest would've suffered severe burns." Akami-sama smiled as he watched the five girls panic over me.
" Am... Am I dead?" I asked him with a worried tone.
" Nope. But you're just barely, and I mean barely hanging in there. You're already on the verge of death. But thanks to Monika and I, you won't die just yet!" Akami-sama laughed as he pulled out his command console.
" Look, I don't think you're gonna need that resurrection thing anymore. The way I see it, you are already so close to saving Yuri and the others." Akami-sama smiled and began to type in his console.
" W-What if I die?! A-And what about my eye and my injuries?!" I pressed him about that issue. He shrug it off and chuckled.
" Bah! Don't worry about that. Monika is there to take care of you. Besides, they already called an ambulance, you'll be fine!" Akami-sama spoke with an amused tone.
I was baffled by his carefree attitude. It was as if he didn't care about what is happening to my body right now. I watched as Monika and the others wipe off the hot water on my chest. I could see that my skin is red due to the burns I sustained when Maido accidentally splashed hot water over me.
" You know, I just realized it... But you haven't really... talked to Yuri. You haven't tried talking to her about her problems. You just brought up the topic and... well... you guys just didn't really focus on that." Akami-sama sighed, his eyes showed a hint of sadness.
He paused for a moment, looking at the scene that is unfolding before us. I did not know what happened, but in an instant, my room was completely turned upside down. Monika was angrily beating Yuri while Maido and Natsuki did their best to stop her. I could see Sayori cowering beside my unresponsive body, doing everything she can to wake me up.
" Yoku... They need you there. You're the reason why Monika is laying into Yuri. She's angry not just at Yuri, but herself. She wasn't able to protect the person she loves from something she has already foresaw." Akami-sama spoke softly as he typed something into the console.
" I... I see... You're right, I have to prevent this from escalating any further. Akami-sama, send me back!" I said sternly yet I shaked and quivered in my feet.
" Way ahead of you... Bye!" Akami-sama said cheerfully before waving goodbye. Suddenly, I felt the space around me distort and crumble away. Then, I was ripped away from the space where Akami-sama resided and returned to my body.
Akami-sama let out a sigh as he slumped back into his chair. He pulled out a large black notebook and sifted through its contents. His lips contorted into a slight frown as his eyes read the paragraphs within. He took a look at Yoku's body and groaned. He didn't want to tell the boy of what he did. It was for his own good. He didn't want to tell Yoku that this isn't the third time he tried to save Yuri, rather it was his 93rd time. He recalled the last time Yoku died, it was a painful memory. The boy looked so broken, his hope nearly faded away due to his constant failures. Akami-sama felt bad for him, so he decided to erase the memories of the past failures excluding the first and second ones.
He took a quick glance at Yoku's 92nd life. In that life, he had to see Sayori die in front of him after she decided to confront Yuri about her forceful attitude towards Yoku. Sayori didn't want Yuri to bother Yoku anymore, so she told her that she should accept Yoku's feelings towards her. Yuri's answer was a simple yet effective slash to the neck. Akami-sama winced as he remembered how Sayori died in Yoku's arms. In his grief, Yoku took up Yuri's knife and... killed her. The brutal scene was witnessed by Natsuki and Monika, and to their horror, they also saw Yoku take his own life.
Akami-sama flipped through a couple of pages towards Yoku's 86th life. It was i. that life where he ended up running away from everything. He concluded that he was the root of the Literature Club's problems, and by getting rid of himself, he would rid the club of all its troubles. He didn't pack anything but the clothes on his back and immediately left the city. For a week, he jumped from city to city. trying his best to survive. In the end, he died after being mugged in some alley. Akami-sama remembered the talk he gave to Yoku back then, on why he shouldn't shoulder the problems of the club in himself.
Akami-sama wanted to read more, but he knew that he shouldn't. Those things were now behind them, right where it should be. He smiled as he snapped his fingers, and in a flash of light burned the book to a pile of cinders. All those memories, gone in an instant, what a joke. He knew he shouldn't have erased Yoku's memories of those times, but he couldn't help it. The boy is already falling apart and all it takes is just one more push before he breaks. Akami-sama smiled and relaxed in his recliner as he tuned in to Yoku's life. His lips curled into a wide smile, his eyes lit up with amusement as he thought about the possible things that could happen.
*DDLC: Our Reality*
I woke up to the sound of a distant siren, screams of anger and sobbing. I could barely move my lips, let alone open my eyes. I couldn't describe the pain I felt, but I can't even open my mouth to scream. I felt a tug on my shoulder, a soft yet forceful tug. With all of my strength, I opened my eye to see Sayori crying beside me. There was a lull in the fighting as I slowly moved my body. I couldn't open my left eye, and my I could feel a searing pain on my chest, but that didn't stop me from trying to sit upright.
" H-Hi... I'm back." Silence filled the room as the girls laid their eyes on me.
Suddenly, I found myself being tightly embraced by Monika, Sayori and Natsuki. Their hug both felt warm and comforting, yet at the same time sent a painful sting through my body. I let out a pained smile as Sayori and Monika cried on me, while I did my best to laugh off Natsuki's worried nagging. I glanced over at Maido, who is standing away from me with a look of fear and guilt on her face.
" Y-Yoku... The ambulance is gonna get here any minute now." Maido said meekly, her eyes avoided my gaze.
" You know, it's not your fault that you tripped and splashed hot water all over me. With all the shit going down around you, it would've been a miracle if you managed to bring the hot water safely." I laughed a bit, before wincing at the pain I felt.
" S-Sorry about that... Truly, I am..." Maido said softly, frowning as she slowly walked forward.
" Don't worry about it, it's fine. Umm, can you get me s-"
I was cut off by the sound of loud knocking and the blaring sirens coming from outside. Maido quickly dashed for the front door to assist the paramedics in taking me to the hospital. Just then, I felt Sayori's embrace loosen. She had a worried look in her eyes, yet she still smiled at me. She patted my head before giving me one last parting hug.
" You better be alright! I don't want to lose the best cook in the club! Okay?" Sayori lets go of me before taking hold of Natsuki's collar.
" Wha! Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" Natsuki yelled out.
" We're going home. Yoku needs some rest!" Sayori answered back, forcefully dragging Natsuki out of the room.
There was a short silence. I could hear Maido informing the paramedics of what happened to me. I felt relieved that I was about to know that I'm gonna get my eye checked. I felt Monika's hand caress my cheek. Her green eyes stared deeply into my own, and I could feel concern and worry from them. She smiled sadly at me, trying her best to ease my pain.
" I'm really sorry I wasn't able to get there in time. I really am." Monika sighed as she pulled away her hand.
" I already knew that this might happen. Especially when I saw Yuri threatening Sayori earlier... I shouldn't have let my guard down." She spoke calmly, yet I could feel a strong sense of guilt in her words.
" Relax! I didn't die! Besides, the only reason Yuri lashed out is because you suddenly showed up out of the blue." I said to her with a smile.
" Yeah... But even so! Who knows what that psychopath might do to you!" Monika said out loud. Suddenly, we heard a cough from the corner of the room. To our great surprise, Yuri is sitting there alone.
" I... I'm still here... you know..." Yuri bowed her head down. Her purple bangs covered most of her face, but I could still see the marks on her cheeks where her tears dried up, causing it to become puffy and red.
" Oh... We... Uhhh... didn't notice you there... Could please lea-" I took hold of Monika's hand, grabbing her attention. I shook my head softly and smiled.
" Hey... Don't be too harsh on her. Try to understand her feelings." I softly said to her. She paused for a moment, glancing over at Yuri one last time before sighing.
" I... Well... I can't really stomach the idea that my best friend tried to steal and kill the person I love." Monika spoke with a composed yet angered tone.
" I'm... I'm really sorry..." Yuri murmured out from under her voice.
" Look, Monika, just try and talk it out wi-"
I was cut off when a two paramedics entered my room carrying a stretcher. Seeing this, I looked over at the two and pointed at them. Yuri was confused at this, and Monika simply gave me a blank look.
" You two. Come with me..." I said sternly before being carried away on the stretcher.
*DDLC: Our Reality*
We arrived in the E.R. after at least five minutes. In those five minutes in the ambulance, I simply took a nap as a paramedic told me to do so to conserve blood. Apparently, I've lost quite a lot of blood from my body due to my wounds. I immediately underwent a blood transfusion at the E.R. I received a handful of stitches on my face and an ointment for the burns on my chest. Thankfully, my injuries weren't too serious. They told me that my left eye would be fine, but it might take a couple of weeks to recover. I was surprised when they told me that I should be careful next time when fixing my bike. When I asked about it, they told me that my guardian informed them that I was injured when my bike chain came off and sliced my face. I was also informed that I'll be staying in the hospital for a few more days so that they can run a few tests on me. To my absolute surprise, it seems I have health insurance, thank god for that. Looks like I won't have to worry much about these entire incident.
After I was placed on a wheelchair and wheeled off to my room, I heard two familiar voices bickering behind me. I turned my head to see Yuri and Monika arguing with each other. I let out a sigh as I told the nurse to hand me over to them.
" If it wasn't for you, we won't be in this place..." Monika spoke in a condescending tone.
" I... Ah... W-Well... I..." Yuri tried to find an excuse, but she couldn't.
" That's enough. Geez, can you two stop? I'm getting frustrated at you two. Especially you, Monika." I said sternly, causing them to stop.
We were lead to my room. It was a small but spacious one, with a small TV in front of the bed. I was assisted to the bed before promptly being connected to an IV bag. After that, the nurse gave us a short talk about what to do during emergencies before taking her leave. I let out a sigh as Yuri and Monika sat beside me. If I were to keep this club together, I need to mend these two's friendship.
" Hey, Monika... would you consider forgiving Yuri?" I ask calmly. She had a surprised look in her face.
" Of course! But in time... Right now, I'm still mad at her for endangering your life." She replied calmly as well.
" Fair enough... Well, I guess I'm in the fault too." I said with a slight frown on my lips. This caught their attention.
" Huh? Why?!" They both asked in unison.
" Well... I kept hiding our relationship from everyone, so it's fair to assume that I'm available." I said with a laugh. They both frowned at me before sighing.
" Anyways, yeah... Sorry Yuri. As you can see, I'm already taken by this devil." I spoke calmly to Yuri. She winced a little, but she composed herself and smiled sadly.
" Ah... I... I see..." She murmured softly.
" Yuri, if you're thinking of anything funny with Yoku, you better-"
" Monika! Rude! Look, I trust Yuri that she won't pull more of that dangerous stuff, and you should too." I said sternly at her. Monika, merely gave me a doubtful expression.
" N-No... She's right..." Yuri softly murmured out.
" About what?" I asked.
" A-About e-everything... I-I'm a d-danger... not just to you... b-but to e-everyone... I'm sorry..." Yuri said with a remorseful tone. I could see tears welling up in her eyes.
" Yuri... Monika, can you give us some time alone? Please?" Monika was clearly hesitant at first, but she let out a sigh and nodded. She told me that she's gonna buy some snacks and that I should call her when I'm done, then she walked out.
I turned towards Yuri, seeing that she was fighting to keep her tears from spewing out. Her hands were clenched into fists atop her lap while she kept her head down to avoid looking at me. At that moment, I didn't know what to say to her, I have so much to tell her. I let out a sigh and spoke to her.
" Yuri, kill yourself." I said to her coldly. She was taken aback by this statement.
" Not so nice to hear, isn't it? Though you're already doing it to yourself, albeit slowly." I let out a warm smile as I said those words to her. At this point, stopping her tears from flowing is impossible. Yuri broke down to tears, her cries are filled with guilt and remorse.
" I'm... I'm sorry... I really am sorry... I'm-"
" Why are you apologizing? There's nothing to apologize for. I was never mad at you in the first place." My words only made her cry harder. Perhaps the kindness in my words pained her even more.
" N-No... Y-you're lying! Y-You must hate me from the bottom of your heart!" She cried out.
" Yuri... No, I don't hate you. You might have tried to kill me, but I don't think you really meant that." I spoke softly in order to try and calm her down.
" B-But why?! Why won't you get mad at me?! A-Are you not furious at my actions?!" She pressed me for an answer. Her violet eyes stared intently at me, begging me to answer her.
" Because... I... I don't think that you're a bad person. I think... I think you just did those things because you're confused, that's all." I smiled warmly at her. But my answer only served to bring even more confusion to her mind and hurt her heart.
She was stunned at this. She tried to talk, but her words got stuck in her throat. I could see that she really want to pour her heart out, but the words refuse to come out of her mouth. Her futile attempts to speak up made her cry even more in frustration. Eventually, she found the words she wanted to say. She stopped, er, rather forced herself to stop crying and start speaking.
" I'm sorry... I really am... I was furious... furious that Monika already captured your heart..." Yuri spoke softly, trying her best not to start crying again. I let out a sigh and spoke.
" Yuri, the way I see it... You don't hate Monika for taking me away. You hate yourself for not taking the chance." She once again found herself stunned by my words. She scrunched her skirt in frustration.
"..." Her silence meant I struck a nerve.
" All this time, you've been slowly killing yourself from the inside. Your anxiety and doubts prevented you from speaking out your thoughts to others, so you instead opted to bottle all of that negativity inside of you." Her face scrunched up, scowling at my words.
" In the end however, you only managed to poison yourself with those feelings. You avoided others, thinking that they would never understand you. With that, you ended up secluding yourself even more, further increasing the confusion you're already feeling within you..." I spoke my heart out, trying my best to empathize with her. I wanted her to tell me how she really felt, but she remained silent, stuck in her shell.
" Your confusion led you to search for a way to release those bottled up feelings of yours. Your search ended when you decided to cut yourself. With your self-mutilation, you found a way to release the anger you felt for yourself and a way to ignore the creeping feeling of loneliness within you. But when you felt the new sensation of love in your life, you didn't know how to deal with it properly. You ended being more confused and frustrated at yourself, causing you to cut yourself even more." My words cut deep, like a hot knife through butter. Yuri couldn't take it anymore, breaking down crying in front of me.
" No wonder you resorted to violence. You've been dealing with your emotions using violence. I think now is the time to try talking to someone." I sat up and prepared to listen to her. Her initial reaction was shock, followed by a brief silence before crying once more.
" How... How could you do this to me?! How could you make me feel this myriad of emotions within me?! How could your words bring me comfort yet at the same time make me hate myself even more?!"
" I don't know... But what I do know is that the answer is found within you." I calmly said to her.
" Then... answer me this, Yoku. Why... Why does my heart ache for you? Even when I know I stand no chance, when I've already been defeated... Why can't I help myself loving you even more?" I sense desperation in her words. Desperation and confusion. Whatever I say now, it will affect her for the rest of her life.
" Perhaps... Because you don't want to let go of the light you saw in your life. You don't want to give up the beacon of hope that you saw. Perhaps... you didn't want to lose the very first person that made you feel love." I said to her as I placed a hand on her shoulder.
" Yuri, although I can't be your lover, I want you to know that you could always lean on me for support. That's what friends are for, right?" I smiled warmly at her. In an instant, I found myself being embraced by Yuri. Her river of tears flowed down her cheeks and dampened my shoulder.
" I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry..." She repeated those words over and over for the next few minutes while I did my best to comfort and reassure her.
Shortly after that, I managed to calm her down. Her eyes are now red due to her constant crying. She pulled away from her embrace and wiped the remaining tears on her face. She regained her composure and cleared her throat. Though I could see that she wore a sad smile on her face, I could feel that she managed to lift the crushing weight on her chest that she harboured for a long time.
We began to talk about her problems. We started bby addressing her habit of cutting herself. Though I didn't force her to stop it at once, I managed to convince her to gradually refrain from doing it so often. I gave her some helpful tips on doing it before we moved on to the next topic. It was a shocker for me, but I found out that she lacked self-esteem due to her figure. I always thought that she avoided people due to their complicated nature, but it turns out she avoided them to the fact she found herself to be 'uninteresting'. I spent at least half an hour listening to Yuri pouring out the contents of her heart to me. Her violet eyes shone brightly with joy everytime I sympathized with her predicament. She found solace within my words as we shared experiences with the same problems.
In the end, Yuri finally came to a conclusion. Rather than forcing me to love her, she'd support me in my decision to be with Monika. And! She decided that she'd try to express her feelings through writing novels and poetry. A decision I happily encouraged her to follow. She smiled brightly, before hugging me once more. Instead of the self-deprecating apologies I usually heard from her, I heard only grateful thanks from her mouth. I returned her hug and said to her;
" No, thank you. I'm glad you finally found your peace." I hugged her tightly, marking the end of this dreadful route.
DDLC: Our Reality
Monika sat beside the vending machine. She munched on her third candy bar. A pained look in her eyes could be seen. She knew that she managed to give Yoku his wanted ending, but... why does she feel so... empty? So incomplete, so... lonely? This is the happy ending everyone deserves, she knew that... but is this the ending she wanted? Her mind and heart stands conflicted at this thought. Ever since the beginning, she had toyed with this idea in the back of her mind, but now... She faced a dilemma. She knew that Yoku would want to live happily with everyone, including her, but she knew he'll die someday. This only meant one thing, she'll be alone again some day. But, in her heart, she wanted Yoku to live with her forever, but this meant he'll have to abandon everything.
She crushed the candy bar between her teeth in frustration. There could only be one choice then, she thought. She had to do it. It may ruin everything, but she knew she'll be able to give Yoku not the ending he wanted, but the ending he deserved.
" I'm sorry, my love." She pulled out her console and held back her tears as she typed.
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