Yuri walked into class and settled down into her seat.

She rarely ever spoke to anyone in high school. Now it was finally her senior year and she had very few friends to show for it.

However, she read a ton of good books!

Class was pretty boring, with the dribble of the teacher eventual fading away, and Yuri found her mind drifting away to her world of books...

Without really thinking, she opened up The Dance of Sinners, her current reading material, and resumed where she left off.

T : "...And what do you think, Yuri?"

The teacher asked Yuri a question, but she wasn't paying much attention.

T : "What is the purpose of the final stanza? Go on, we're waiting."

Yuri swallowed hard, and her face started to turn red as the students all around turned to look at her.

Yuri : "I... I wasn't... I don't..."

She covered her face with her hair and stayed like that.

T : "Well, please pay more attention next time. All your classes are equally important."

Class was dismissed soon and Yuri stepped out into the hall. It was time for lunch and she usually got up with her friends Natsuki and Sayori to eat. Only Natsuki responded to the texts and they were the only two to show up for lunch.

Yuri : "Oh... Hey Natsuki." They greeted each other. Yuri was a little bit anxious, as it's always difficult to mediate the differences between Yuri and Natsuki without Sayori.

Natsuki : "Hi Yuri! How has your day been?"

Yuri : "Okay..." Her thoughts wandered, back to class. "Typical day, really."

They shuffled a little in their seats as friend groups walked past their lunch table. Natsuki speaks up.

Natsuki : "I ran into Sayori's best friend earlier. You know, the one she's always talking about?"

Yuri mumbles an affirmative while digging through her lunchbox.

Natsuki chose not to bring up the fact that she got asked out.

Natsuki : "...And he really liked my cupcakes, too."

Yuri : "You do make the best cupcakes..."

Lunches were usually this relaxed. It was rare for an argument to break out, but even still, Sayori just helps things move along more smoothly and feel less awkward.

Yuri had a simple sandwich and an apple for lunch, and Natsuki appeared to only have a granola bar.

Yuri struggled with something to say, so she didn't say anything, and just waited for Natsuki to continue. Her mind wandered back to her book. In it, the protagonist is a young high school girl who suffers from schizophrenia.

The unreliable narrator always keeps the reader on their toes.

The trauma she undergoes at a mental institution leads her to self-mutilate, and use her own blood to...

Natsuki : "Are you going to eat?" Natsuki points to Yuri's apple. Yuri shakes her head, and hands it over to Natsuki, who gobbles it up.

Yuri was already long gone, and I was alone.

No way am I going back to class.

I begin the walk home early.

I should check on Sayori. Even if I don't know what to say to her.

I make my way over to her house, and knock.

No response.

After a few minutes, I try to turn the doorknob, and to my surprise it actually opens up.

Her living room is dark, so I turn the lights on.

MC : "Sayori?"

Silence.

I go upstairs. I really should have checked on her this morning. Especially after...

"Sayori?" No response. I open the door.

Is this a nightmare?... It .. It has to be.

This isn't real. There is no way this is real. Sayori wouldn't do this...

I found myself standing in the living room for a very long time.

Not able to gather the strength to go upstairs.

I send Sayori a text. Maybe she really isn't home.

Nothing I do can bring her back.

I had only one chance and I wasn't careful enough. And now I'll carry this guilt with me until I die.

Nothing in my life was worth more than hers, but I couldn't do what she needed from me. And now I can never take it back. Never.

I harvest my willpower, and take the steps upstairs.

MC : "SAYORI!"

Silence.

This is almost like something a boyfriend would do, isn't it?

I open the door. "Sayo-"

My phone buzzes. It's her.

Sayori : "Sorry that I couldn't walk with you today. I had to take care of some stuff outside of school!"

I sigh a sigh of relief. Her room is empty.

MC : "Don't scare me so much Sayori. You didn't even lock your door. I could've been a burglar!.. Anyway, I just wanted to see you, so come home soon, okay?"

I hope that didn't come across as weird or needy. I never was good at texting people... Or concealing knowledge. But there's no way I can just tell Sayori about what happened, and that what happened wasn't a nightmare... no way in hell. So there's no way I should know about her depression.

My eye catches something on her dresser table.

It's a letter.

I don't think I should read it, but... Sayori's not even home, so she'll never know anyway, right? It could be something that could help me understand Sayori's depression a little bit better. Maybe I could use it to help her.

"From : Yuri

To : Sayori

Dear Sayori,

Thank you so much for... You know, the other day.

I really don't know what I would do with out you. I probably wouldn't be... here.

Ever since we first met, you've only treated me with respect and understanding.

You don't know how much it means to me to have that.

I hope one day I can repay you, Sayori.

Until then, all I can do is tell you how much you mean to me.

P.S. It's just a small token of appreciation. Please don't think I feel like I... Owe you material things.

Yuri"

Wow, this is amazing.

I always knew Sayori was great. But I didn't know she was capable of THAT. I wonder what specifically happened between them...

Maybe Sayori can help me with the other two. She seems to be really capable of that. But right now, she's in too dark of a place to even go to school, and she is lying to me about it.

I have to help Sayori first.

That's when I saw something that scarred me, took my breath away and threw chills up and down my entire body.

A box in Sayori's closet.

In the box, a single piece of heavy duty rope wound into a coil.

Is she going to be OK? Please tell me she's going to be OK.

"Unfortunately, it's too early to tell that right now. We are doing everything we can."

Spiralling thoughts. Spiralling emotions. I should have seen the hints. Should have done something, told someone...

I got home and threw my books down and rocked my head in my hands.

What exactly did I think a psychology book was going to do to help me anyway?

And some shitty counselor's depression pamphlet...

Was this really all I could come up with on my one chance?

I threw the box under my bed. There is no way she is getting that back, no matter her excuse. I'll burn that shit. I don't care if it rats me out, and she figures out everything. I would tell her everything if that meant she would be okay.

Whatever it takes, I only have this chance to do it.

And she has been acting strange lately anyway, so it's not a far stretch that I would have caught on to her act.

Sayori made it home later that day, and I greeted her outside in the courtyard.

I made my mind. I have to act now.

MC : "Listen... Sayori, there's something I need to tell you."

Sayori : "What is it, MC?"

MC : "Let's go inside."

We stepped inside her house.

MC : "I know... That you aren't feeling well. But it's okay."

I remember some passages I read about how I should go about this. Treat her with respect, kindness, directly address the issue, and give her a social network to fall upon...

Sayori looks at me strangely.

MC : "You don't have to say anything, okay? I know about your.. depression. Sayori, I just want you to know that I love you."

Sayori's expression turned from her typical smile when I said that. Her eyebrows furrowed as she avoided looking me in the eye.

I gently grab her arm and pull myself closer.

MC : "And that I am here for you."

I am so new to this. I am so confused about whether what I am saying it right, or wrong.

MC : "I just want you to understand that... That I care. And that all your friends care. And we want to help you get better."

Sayori is still silent, her shifting, watery eyes making contact with mine on occasion. I struggle to find the next sentence.

MC : "And that it will get better! I don't know much about this, Sayori, but I know it'll get better, and I'll go through it with you."

Tears are rolling down Sayori's cheek now, and she looks at me with her big, ocean-blue eyes

I give her the tightest hug I've ever given, squeezing harder than I thought possible.

This time, I'm not letting go of her.

MC : "I'm no-t letting g-go" I say through my own sobbing.

Sayori is crying hard, I can feel her arrhythmic and sharp breaths as I squeeze her tighter. Is this the right thing to do?

She lets out a gasp of air.

Sayori : "I... how did you.."

MC : "Sayori, there's nothing in the world, and n-nobody, that means more to me than you do. And I want you to know that I'm doing everything to understand your feelings better now. You don't have to go through this alone."

Now, we are rocking back and forth in an embrace that seemed to last forever.

Sayori : "I... I love you too, MC..."

Sayori : "I have always loved you.. But I never wanted to burden you. I... I think I want to... be with you."

If I could hug her forever, I would have.

MC : "You're just the opposite of a burden, Sayori. We can be together now. Everything is going to be OK, you hear me?"

Sayori struggled and moved in my embrace, as if resisting a little.

Sayori : "I'm really scared. I don't know what I'm feeling anymore..."

Sayori : "But your hugs feel so warm.. And that's scaring me too. I wish you wouldn't do this to me. I don't deserve your effort to care about me."

I look her in the eyes. At this point everything I've ever wanted to say just came out.

MC : "You're so strong, Sayori. I've never met anyone who is stronger than you. I know you can overcome this. You overcome everything."

MC : "I love you. I can't lose you. The world can't lose you, Sayori. You're too valuable. Too precious. Too perfect. Even if you don't believe it to be true, it is."

MC : "You deserve the world and I want to give it to you. We can travel together, see the world together. I promise there's more to life than this, Sayori. We can go through it together."

When we finally let go, the sun had set outside.

Sayori : "M...MC... Would you please stay? I... I'm afraid of being alone right now."

I agreed without hesitation. Of course I would stay.

MC : "Sayori. Of course I will stay. I don't care about school. All that matters to me is you right now, okay? I promise "

Sayori motioned toward the bed, and laid herself down on her side, facing the wall. There was barely enough room for me to sit on the other side of the twin mattress, but I didn't care.

I settled in under the covers with Sayori and wrapped my arms around her, and closed my eyes.

There was little else that needed to be said. The sun went down, and we cuddled in silence.

Sayori would move a little bit occasionally throughout the night, but I laid steadfast in hopes that she understands that I'm not going anywhere, any time soon, until she feels better.

I would give up everything to spend all my time with Sayori like this. Tomorrow, I need to work even harder to help Sayori.

I know that this is only the beginning of a long journey towards recovery. But I feel comforted to know that she seems to be taking this well, and doing okay, for now.

I can't forget that I agreed to meet Natsuki for a date as well. Hopefully, it won't interfere with my time with Sayori in any way. I know she needs me the most right now. Natsuki and Yuri, even though I love them, I feel like their lives aren't as in immediate of danger as Sayori's.

Sayori fell asleep eventually. I could feel her breathing change, as each breath she took I could feel on my own chest. I knew it was her finally falling asleep. It felt good to know that she was comfortable enough to sleep with me in her arms. Eventually, even my thoughts calm down enough for me to slip away, into the dream world.

The next morning, Sayori slipped out of bed without waking me.

She was still keeping something from me, wasn't she...?

Of course I knew this would be hard. At least I can rest knowing that Sayori seems much better off now than she did under Monika's influence. She might be keeping something secret, but I know Sayori better than anyone. She can't keep a secret from me for long!

Her house is empty, and I don't have the slightest idea where she's gone.

I'm not worried this time, though. I'll just send her a text later in the day if she doesn't show up at school.

I have to go do this Natsuki thing anyway, since I'm a man of my word and also apparently a man of quick and rash decision making...

Suddenly, I had a sick idea in my head.

Really, there was nothing wrong with the literature club except... Monika's antics.

So why can't we start it again? Maybe it would be actually beneficial for everyone to be sharing each other's works.

If I can handle doing that without having a panic attack, that just might be some way I could get all these girls together in a social support system!