"Eek!"

Sayori jumps and rushes into her bedroom closet.

Sayori : "I have a weapon!" She brandishes a baseball bat and squeals.

MC : "Sayori! It's me!"

Sayori's expression changes as she calms down.

Sayori : "Oh..."

MC : "Please don't whack me with that!"

She puts down her weapon, laughing, and walks over to where I'm standing in the doorway.

MC : "How are you doing?"

Sayori suddenly wraps her arms around me and pulls me into her bedroom.

She uses all the strength her tiny body can muster to tackle me and push me down onto her bed as she falls on top of me.

Sayori : "Don't scare me like that~"

Sayori : "You knew that I was prepared for any home invader. Eheheh..."

MC : "Well.. That's a risk I was willing to take, I guess."

Is being killed by the girl you love a good or bad way to go? I guess I would be happier to be hit in the head by Sayori than any other option.

I don't know what Sayori was doing just sitting in her room and how she didn't hear me or respond to my text, though.

We're laying on the bed, her on top of me, looking right into each other's faces.

MC : "How was your day? I didn't see you at school."
Sayori : "I went, but I didn't go to eat lunch with the others."

Sayori : "I may have overslept a bit again... Ehehe~"

She rolls off of me, so that she's laying parallel to me on her bed.

MC : "Yuri and Natsuki are worried about you, you know..."

MC : "And I'm worried about your grades."

MC : "It won't be long before the school gets suspicious of you."

Sayori's face scrunches a bit and she frowns.

Sayori : "I'm sorry, MC... I don't want anyone to worry."

MC : "It's okay, Sayori. They will understand, they're your friends."

MC : "We all just want to support you and see you happy."

MC : "Really happy, though..."

Sayori blushes and looks away.

Sayori : "I know... That's so nice of you all..."

She seems to be pretty cheerful, but I can't tell if it's her facade or not yet.

MC : "...Speaking of friends, you said you would help me... Right?"

MC : "Well I don't know if you heard, but Natsuki's been in a really bad position for a while."

MC : "I was wondering if you had any clothes that fit her."

Sayori : "Ooh! Of course I do! Let's go see~"

My new approach to talking to Sayori was to try to be less direct and in her face...

It probably made her uncomfortable and make her feel obligated to act a certain way when I'm so adamant.

She said she needs space, so I'll just try to extend my support to her from a distance.

I know that helping people feel happy makes Sayori happy, too.

I recall a certain note I read from Yuri about Sayori greatly helping her feel better...

She begins rummaging in her closet for some clothes as I watch.

After grabbing some clothes in the closet, she bends down to look into some containers on the floor.

Her butt is in the air, shaking back and forth as she digs into the clothing boxes.

Sayori : "This is cute, isn't it?"

She holds out a small outfit she already picked out, with a cute pink collared with ruffled edges on the sleeves and collars, and a polka-dot skirt.

MC : "Mm... Yeah."

I don't really know anything about fashion...

Sayori : "I think I can part with it..."

She tosses the clothes into an empty box for easy transport.

MC : "That all?"

Sayori : "For now..."

Sayori : "Let's go see her, okay?"

I'm glad that Sayori seems to be doing okay enough to want to socialize and see Natsuki.

I agree and I pick up the clothing box as we head outside and back to my place.

When we arrive, Natsuki is still watching TV and she jumps to her feet at the sight of Sayori.

Natsuki : "Sayori! You had us worried sick!"

Natsuki runs to hug her and Sayori drops the box of clothes to the floor.

Sayori : "Oh... I didn't want anyone to worry..."

Sayori : "I'm so sorry, Natsuki.."

Natsuki releases Sayori from her hug and looks towards the dropped box of clothes.

Natsuki : "What's..?"

Sayori : "Oh, well, MC wanted you to have some comfortable clothes.."

MC : "But Sayori was the one who picked them all out..."

Natsuki swallows her pride.

Natsuki : "Thank you, Sayori... and MC."

Natsuki : "I wasn't looking forward to sleeping with this outfit on.."

Natsuki takes the box to the table and rummages through it, and Sayori follows and sits on the couch.

MC : "Sayori, why don't you stay for dinner?"

Sayori agrees, and I begin chopping vegetables while the girls chat about clothes and stuff.

I'm really happy that things are going so well.

Nothing makes me happier than to see them happy like this.

I toss the veggies onto a pan and begin to sauté them.

The sounds and sweet smells of sizzling vegetables and spices fills the air.

The voices of the girls are drowned out by the sounds in the kitchen.

Suddenly, I turn around to a pink haired girl a foot in front of my face.

Sayori : "You don't have to do all this alone, let me help out!"

Sayori is kind of a clutz... I'm not sure she is a great cook.

She'll probably mess everything up, but...

MC : "Sure, go on right ahead."

Natsuki appears behind me as well as I turn.

Natsuki : "I know how to cook. You can let me take it from here!"

Suddenly, my relatively small kitchen is full of incredibly cute girls.

There isn't much room for all of us, and they're practically bouncing off the walls.

Cabinet doors swining open, stuff being cooked on all my burners...

How many people does it take to make rice?...

Well I guess Natsuki wasn't kidding, because before long, we were cooking up something more like a full course meal.

Meat, veggies, rice, and I wasn't getting pretty hungry.

Sayori is drifting from task to task, humming to herself and taking things at her own slow pace.

Natsuki : "Look, you don't chop it like that."

Natsuki : "Let me show you how."

Natsuki grabs Sayori's knife and demonstrates a fluid and dexterous chopping motion.

Natsuki : "See? It's much easier to cut like this."

Sayori : "Natsuki, you shouldn't snatch things..."

Sayori : "Anyway, that's what I was doing."

Sayori : "Kind of.."

Sayori : "There's no rush, okay?"

Natsuki : "Yeah, there is. We have to finish cooking these before the rice is finished."

Sayori tries to chop the way Natsuki showed her, but goes back to her old way within a few attempts.

MC : "It's fine, we have plenty of time, because you two are speeding things up quite a bit."

Sayori moves over to the stovetop and stirs some vegetables.

Sayori : "Ouch!"

She pulls away from the pan quickly and puts her finger in her mouth.

MC : "Did you burn yourself?"

She nods.

Natsuki is snickering to herself.

This is what I should have expected...

Natsuki : "We're almost done anyway, you can just leave it to me now."

Sayori leaves the kitchen with her finger still in her mouth, with an embarassed look.

Sayori : "I'm glad we have Natsuki to help today.."

Sayori : "I don't think I'm a very great cook, ehehe.."

MC : "Well, you'll get better..."

Sayori and I chat while Natsuki finishes up dinner.

Natsuki : "Ta-daa!"

She proudly brings out the meal for everyone.

Natsuki : "Told you I was a professional cook!"

MC : "No one ever doubted you, Natsuki."

Sayori : "It looks delicious!"

We all grab bowls and sit on the floor to eat, watching some TV and talking idly.

Sayori and Natsuki chow down, both of them eating like their life depends on it.

I'm used to seeing Sayori chow down like this, though. I can't blame Natsuki for eating like she does. I'm sure she'll slow down as she realizes there is no shortage of food anymore.

I laugh and joke for hours after dinner with them. I bring out tea and we talk until the sun goes down.

I'm beaming by the end of the night. Seeing those two socializing cheerfully made me incredibly happy too.

Natsuki needs all the love and support that I know Sayori can give her.

It's becoming clear by how Sayori talks to Natsuki that she needs a friend, too.

Sayori is chatting at a rapid speed, all about things she never talks about with me.

Natsuki is laughing, her mood seems to have turned around completely since Sayori showed up.

I knew that she would help me to keep everyone happy.

I just hope that she is happy, herself.

Usually it makes her happy to see others happy, so I hope that is enough.

Sayori : "Great job on the dinner, guys~"

Sayori : "I feel like I could fall asleep right here and now!"

Sayori flattens herself out on the couch, stretching her back and patting her stomach.

Natsuki : "Well, don't, because that's where I'm sleeping..."

MC : "You can stay, Sayori." I smile big at her.

MC : "...If you want." My face feels all hot and I'm pretty sure I'm blushing thinking about staying with Sayori over the night again...

Sayori : "That's okay... My apartment is right next door."

Sayori : "MC, will you walk me there?~"

Sayori : "I'm getting so sleepy..."

MC : "Of course.. Let's go."

Sayori and I stand up while Natsuki is still invested in TV.

MC : "Be right back, Natsuki!"

Natsuki jumps up and hugs Sayori again.

Natsuki : "Come to lunch tomorrow!"

MC : "Yeah, we need you to help keep everyone sane.."

I guess it's because of her own depression and experience with people trying to comfort her, but Sayori always knows what to say to someone who's in a fit.

It's actually kind of ironic that she dishes out so much advice and help while simultaneously being in such a dark place herself...

But tonight, she seemed to be able to put all that aside and just have a good time, and for that I am super grateful.

It's little moments with your best friends like this that make it worth getting up in the morning...

And I hope Sayori feels the same way.

Sayori and I make our way outside and towards her apartment.

Sayori : "That was so much fun, MC. I think we need to get Yuri to come next time, too!"

MC : "I'm not sure she'd socialize as much as you two, but it definitely doesn't feel right to not include her."

MC : "Besides, Yuri deserves affection and attention just as much as everyone else."

Sayori : "Make sure you talk to her tomorrow, MC."

Sayori : "I know you can convince her, because she likes you especially~"

MC : "Hmm?"

MC : "Where did that come from? Did you speak with her recently?"

Sayori : "There goes my blabbering mouth again, saying too much.."

Sayori : "It's just that you're good at talking to people, so I'm sure it would be good for you to invite her first."

Sayori's acting a bit strange, but I ignore it for now.

MC : "You say she likes me, but... Well, I don't want to lead her on."

MC : "Especially when..."

MC : "Well, there's only one girl for me.."

I look her in the eyes.

We're standing outside her apartment door, and Sayori's face turns red either from the cold or from what I just said.

Sayori : "MC, don't say that..."

Sayori : "What if you find someone who makes you happier?"

MC : "That won't happen."

I give her a big smile.

MC : "Besides, no one else could tolerate me like you do anyway..."

MC : "We're already perfect for each other.."

Sayori : "Even I can barely tolerate you...~" She giggles. I can't help but laugh, as well.

To my surprise, Sayori closes her eyes and leans towards me.

She gets close enough that I can feel her body heat, and she pushes her lips into mine.

She's leaning over so far, that she nearly tips into me, so I brace myself against the door.

For a moment, we hold there, kissing in the freezing winter night.

She releases and backs away, with a flustered and embarassed look over her grin.

MC : "Sayori..."

MC : "..."

MC : "I wish I could stay the night with you..."

I could get lost in her blue eyes for hours...

Sayori : "Ehehe... Don't say things like that..."

She pauses. I'm sniffling from the cold.

Sayori : "I do too..."

Sayori : "You have to stay with Natsuki tonight, though. That's the right thing to do."

I'm impressed by Sayori's resolve to always do the right thing, even if she doesn't want to.

Sayori : "...You can come over any other night. Ehehe~"

I'm blushing hard now, trying to hide my excitement and embarassment that my giant grin and pounding heart betrays.

We stand there, not really feeling the cold, or feeling anything but the electricity in the air as we are looking into each other's eyes.

MC : "Sayori, I'm so glad I got to see you some today."

MC : "Having you and Natsuki over made this one of the best days ever."

I wrap my arms around her and squeeze as hard as I can.

I feel her small body and waistline that gives me the urge to hold onto her even tighter.

Sayori : "Uurp!"

Sayori : "Too tight!"

MC : "But I don't want to let you go..."

MC : "I love you too much."

MC : "But... I understand that you need your alone time, too."

I slowly pull my arms away from her.

MC : "I'm not going anywhere, though."

MC : "You're stuck with me..."

Sayori : "Ehehe... I'm sorry that I pushed you away the other day."

Sayori : "But... It's really hard, sometimes..."

She stops for a moment, as if catching herself from saying something.

Sayori : "Just don't worry about me, OK?"

MC : "You can't stop me from doing that..." I laugh.

MC : "There's no need to hide anything from me, Sayori..."

MC : "I'm here for you, every step of the way."

MC : "But if you don't want to talk about it right now, I understand."

MC : "Like you said... I can come over any time."

MC : "And all that matters to me right now is that you seem to be happy today."

MC : "Please tell me the truth... Are you doing better today?"

Sayori : "..."

Sayori : "Yeah, I did have a good day.."

Sayori : "Thanks to you, MC."

I sigh a deep sigh of relief. I get the feeling she's telling the truth.

MC : "That's... That makes me so happy..." I can feel tears welling up in my eyes.

MC : "We can take it one day at a time, Sayori. That's how change starts."

Sayori : "..."

Sayori : "MC..."

Sayori : "Can I ask your honest opinion?"

MC : "Of course, Sayori... You don't even need to ask that."

MC : "What is it?"

Sayori : "Do you think I should get the doctor's medication?"

...

Last time I saw her, I asked Sayori to visit a counselor who told Sayori to try antidepressants.

She told me that she needed some alone time to think for a while, which I just wrongly assumed was her breaking up with me...

I don't know much about the medicine, it's side effects, or the risks and benefits...

I really don't feel qualified answering the question.

But Sayori trusts me more than that counselor... And she's asking for my help and I can't let her down with hesitation and an "I don't know..."

I think about it for a brief moment as she awaits my answer.

MC : "Well... There's no need to rush it... If you're feeling better today, maybe that's a sign you don't really need it."

MC : "At the same time, some of the things you've told me do concern me..."

Sayori : "You're just going to make me say it, aren't you?"

Sayori : "It doesn't matter how much people tell me I'm worth something."

Sayori : "You never acted like this before, and it hurts me."

Sayori : "It hurts me that you'd totally change yourself like this, like everything revolves around me being happy."

Sayori : "But you don't get it..."

Sayori : "You don't get that I'm never happy."

Sayori : "And so when you started acting so nice to me..."

Sayori : "It felt good because I love you. But it felt horrible because I know that nothing you do will ever help."

Sayori : "That all I can do is drain people of their efforts."

Sayori : "And when you say things like that I'm the light in your life.."

Sayori : "It just makes me scared because I feel like I'm responsible for two people's sadness now."

Sayori : "That's why I act happy even when I'm not... because it makes you happy."

Sayori : "That's why I want things to be back like they used to be between us."

I can hear Sayori's voice in my head, telling me that there is no joy in her life...

That the only reason to get up in the morning is to avoid people like me...

That all I am doing is making her feel responsible...

MC : "So I think you should give it a try."

MC : "Would you please give it a try... for me?"

Sayori nods.

Sayori : "I wanted to do it, too."

Sayori : "I just wanted to hear it from you."

Sayori : "I knew that you would say that... ehehe"

She puts her fingers together in a cute little triangle shape, one of her most adorable habits.

MC : "Tomorrow, I can come with you to the doctor, if you want."

Sayori : "We'll see..."

We stood there for just a bit longer, with me kicking the gravel at my feet and her staring away into the distance in silence.

Sayori : "I better get some sleep.."

MC : "Yeah, me too."

Sayori : "I love you, MC."

MC : "I love you more."

Sayori : "It's not a competition... But if it were, I'd definitely win."

Sayori : "Because I love you more, end of story!"

MC : "Hahaha!"

When the banter is finished, Sayori backs away and finally closes her door after about 10 more "goodnight"s and "love you"s.

MC : "Text me!"

MC : "Lock your door!"

As she locks her door behind her I realize that I know nobody as well as I know Sayori, and vice versa.

That joy that she had today felt real to me...

I know that she has that inside of her, even if it's really hard for her to bring it out.

It was a different kind of happy than her typical faux-happy attitude.

She was still bubbly and cute but it felt more like her being herself and speaking her mind.

I hope I am right about that.

If it's true that she has a chemical imbalance in her head, than I want to do everything we can to help make that right.

That means putting my trust into the people who are qualified to treat depression...

I hope that my love and support is making it clear to Sayori that she is not bringing me down, and that I am not going anywhere.

The way she acted and her willingness to give treatment gives me a new positive outlook...

The way she forcefully kissed me makes my heart soar when I think about it again.

For just a moment, as I stood there in the cold, I imagined my future with her.

Sayori and I, living together...

It made my heart flutter.

I made my way back to my apartment.

Natsuki was lying down on the couch, watching the TV and sipping on her drink.

She's taken the opportunity to get changed, and she's dressed in Sayori's pink pyjamas which are just a little baggy on her.

It's weird to think that she's even tinier than Sayori.

Her hair is untied, and hanging messily almost down to her shoulders, which makes her look even cuter to me.

Natsuki : "That took a while, huh?" She grins at me.

MC : "Yeah, well.. We had a long conversation."

Natsuki looks away from me and turns her attention back to the TV.

It occurs to me that Natsuki could have probably seen that whole exchange, including our kissing, through my living room window.

I sit down next to her.

MC : "I might head to bed soon, too."

Natsuki : "Mmm... I'm kinda tired, too."

Natsuki : "I usually read before bed... Do you have any manga?"

I do, but they are nothing like her girly ones...

MC : "I'm not sure you would like them... But yeah. I'll go get them."

I head upstairs and return before long with a box of my manga collection.

MC : "Go nuts. I don't read it very often anymore anyway."

Natsuki seems to be avoiding my eyes.

Natsuki : "Okay, thanks..."

...

Natsuki : "...That's all."

MC : "Hmm? Oh, ok.."

I take the hint and get up off the couch and leave her to her rest.

MC : "But hey, Natsuki?..."

MC : "If you need anything at all, don't be afraid to wake me up or let me know."

She smiles a weak, sad smile, as if trying to conceal her real emotions.

Natsuki : "Thank you again, MC... I don't know how to repay you."

She blushes a bit..

Natsuki : "..Umm... Goodnight!"

I smile at her.

MC : "Goodnight..."

I head on upstairs, turning off some lights and dimming my nightlight for her.

I make my way up to my bedroom and close the door.

Note from author: thank you everyone who reads, writes reviews, follows and favorites. Your support makes me want to write even more and it means a lot to me. Sorry about the cliffhanger last chapter :)