CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE – THE GET-TOGETHER (SayoHiro)
Akihiro looked at his reflection in the mirror that his apartment unit had. He was wearing a pair of dark grey jogging pants, a white shirt with a printed logo, and his black jacket over it; for footwear, he had his well-worn black sneakers. Of course, what the day had in store seemed ordinary at best, but in his mind, there was something special about the idea of gathering together with a bunch of new people even if it was just going to be a study session for the better part of the day. Being with Sayori in the process made everything even more special.
When he decided that his attire was adequate enough, he gathered his things and left his apartment unit. As he heard the lock on his door click with a turn of his key, he looked out of one of the nearby windows in the apartment's hallway. It was a quietly beautiful day even as the clouds hid the sun behind them. The crisp, clean autumn air would undoubtedly be chilly, but it was still good weather to be out and about in his opinion. After all, that was better than being indoors for the rest of the week, cramming away or procrastinating by playing video games. As he dwelt on the latter thought, he wondered how Sayori would react, prompting him to smile a little. She had been over the moon when he told her about the study session almost immediately after Kenta had told him that everything would be pushing through. For that, Akihiro was immensely glad—Sayori's improving mood had put him back on track with her during the past days, and while the two of them didn't resume going out on any dates after school just yet, he was still relieved that she was starting to feel much better.
As expected, the cold air stung as soon as Akihiro went outside. The people he passed by on the street wore warmer clothing as well, a sign that winter would soon be upon the city. Many of the trees in the neighborhood were already adorned with crowns of orange and gold, with only a stubborn few still dotted with remnants of green. Fallen foliage drifted around lazily whenever a breeze flew, like rural confetti flittering through an urban landscape. High above, the sky took on a dull grey color, though it did little to mar the city's atmosphere.
Kenta had reminded the others the night before that the study session would be held at Monika's house. Because not all of them knew where it was, he had instructed everyone to converge downtown at the front of the mall, which was the landmark closest to Monika's place. Like Daisuke and Naoki, who were coming over with their friends in tow, Akihiro would be going there with Sayori as soon as he picked her up at her apartment.
To his surprise, Sayori was already waiting for him outside her apartment's gates when he arrived. She was wearing the same brown wool coat that she had worn for their first trip to the Cocoa Connection several weeks ago, a white shirt and a pair of black leggings underneath, and her white sneakers. Her school bag swung from her shoulder as she ran towards Akihiro excitedly.
"Hello!" she said, beaming sweetly at him.
"I didn't expect you to be out here this early, Sayori," said Akihiro, grinning back. "I thought you were still fast asleep."
"Hey, I can wake up early if I really want to, okay?" said Sayori, pouting. "Shouldn't you be proud of me for doing that?"
"I am, don't worry," said Akihiro reassuringly. He stepped closer and embraced her snugly. "I missed you, you know?"
In spite of her surprise at his embrace, Sayori hugged him back just as tight. "Even though you just texted me around fifteen minutes ago to check if I fell asleep in the bathroom?" she asked.
Akihiro laughed a little. "Yeah, what with all that happened over the past weeks," he said. When he stepped back, he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you feeling better?"
"Yes, I'm doing a lot better now," replied Sayori, "and I'm really excited for today! Aren't you?"
"Of course I am," said Akihiro genially, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Let's get going, shall we? The others might already be downtown."
"Okie dokie!" Sayori chirped.
Given that it was only around nine in the morning, downtown was still relatively quiet when they arrived, save for a few cars that passed by on the street and some people going in and out of the buildings on their way to work. Occasionally, a breeze would stir up, meandering freely over the streets and prompting some to bow their heads low to protect their faces from the cold. Along the way, Akihiro and Sayori walked quietly, though Sayori would often puncture the silence between them with snippets of conversation.
"Some of my classmates and I were walking through the corridors when we heard the fuse box explode down the east wing," said Sayori. "We thought someone brought firecrackers in the school and set one off inside a room!"
"We didn't know it was a fire until a student council member dropped by our classroom and told us about it," said Akihiro. "By the time we left the room to go outside, we could already smell the smoke everywhere."
"It's pretty scary, isn't it?" said Sayori worriedly. "It was like something out of an action movie."
"Yeah, it became pretty intense when the firetrucks arrived after the sprinklers didn't do much," Akihiro stated. "That, and when you started bombarding me with texts."
Sayori pouted. "I was just worried about you, okay? And you're saying that like you weren't w-worried about me as well when you replied."
"Alright, you got me," said Akihiro, smiling as he put his arm around her.
Kenta was the only one present at the meeting place when they arrived, sitting at the waiting shed in front of the mall. He was wearing a navy blue jacket with a white basketball jersey underneath, a pair of grey jeans and black sneakers. Like Akihiro, he was carrying a backpack with him. As soon as he caught sight of him and Sayori, he stood up and waved at them.
"Yo!" he cried out. "Glad to see some familiar faces at last. Been waiting here for the past twenty minutes."
"Oh, I'm sorry if we kept you waiting, Kenta!" said Sayori anxiously.
"Nah, that's fine," said Kenta, laughing. "I arrived a bit earlier than I expected—I got too excited and all. Anyway, Monika said she'll be arriving in around ten minutes, and my buddies told me they're on their way as well. They shouldn't take too long now."
"Monika's house isn't far from here, right?" asked Akihiro.
"Yep, just a ten-minute walk or so," replied Kenta, checking his watch. "Anyway, if you guys wanna buy some snacks, there's a convenience store around the corner there."
Sayori looked at Akihiro, blushing as she smiled shyly. Akihiro couldn't help but turn red as well, and with good reason—it was undoubtedly the same convenience store where the two of them had gone to after having some fun during that Saturday afternoon many weeks ago, a day that changed a lot of things in their lives.
"Ah, there's Daisuke and Natsuki now!" said Kenta. He raised his voice and waved his hand like he did earlier. "Hey there!"
Akihiro turned around to see Daisuke walking towards them, waving back cheerily. Next to him was a short girl with pink hair and a pair of twin tails tied with red ribbons, walking along in relative silence; a black face mask covered nearly half of her face, giving her a subdued aura. Even without the name drop, Akihiro knew from his previous conversations with Kenta and his friends that this was Natsuki, Daisuke's good friend and classmate from 3-D. Like the rest of them, Daisuke and Natsuki were wearing clothes that warded off the cold—Daisuke with a thick blue hoodie and a pair of matching jogging pants, Natsuki with a cozy pink jacket and some rose-colored leggings under a frilly pink skirt.
Kenta and Akihiro exchanged greetings with Natsuki, whom they were just meeting for the first time in person. To everyone's surprise, Sayori remembered Natsuki as another one of her former classmates from last year—Akihiro knew that Daisuke was Sayori's classmate from freshman year, like what he and Naoki had told him, but he didn't expect Natsuki to be one as well. Though Natsuki was also surprised at first, it did not take long before she recognized Sayori as well, and she greeted her back with a nod and a few words.
The next ones to arrive were Naoki and his friend Yuri, around five minutes after Daisuke and Natsuki showed up. Naoki was wearing a grey jacket and a pair of black pants, while Yuri was wearing a long-sleeved grey wool sweater and matching black leggings. Kenta teased them a little about how their colors matched, prompting Naoki to explain how it was just a coincidence and Yuri to look away bashfully. Seeing them together, Akihiro couldn't help but imagine how mature the two of them looked, almost as if they were both upperclassmen. He had been classmates with Yuri back in freshman year, and he had rarely seen her since even at school. She still bore that reserved, almost mysterious aura around her, which lent her an elegant sort of poise that matched Naoki's near-gentlemanly air.
Akihiro stood back and watched everyone interact with one another. Kenta, Daisuke and Naoki were speaking to one another, asking about the notes and reviewers that they would be needing for later. Sayori, in her characteristic friendliness, had wasted no time in talking to Natsuki and Yuri in an eager manner, like a little girl who was making friends with other kids on the first day of school. Akihiro smiled to himself, remembering his elementary school days with Sayori and marveling at how little some things had changed about her.
Monika looked apologetic when she arrived. She was clad in a long tan coat with a beige blouse underneath, along with a pair of dark brown pants with some matching boots. Kenta blushed at the sight of her, and Akihiro knew that it was her great beauty that made him do so.
"Hello! I hope I didn't keep you all waiting too long," said Monika. "I just had to take care of a few things at home."
"No, it's alright, Moni!" Sayori chirped. "We haven't been here for too long—I mean, Kenta might have been, but . . ."
"Nah, that's fine, it wasn't that big of a deal," said Kenta, laughing a little.
After smiling at Kenta, Monika then turned her gaze upon Natsuki and Yuri. "So you two are Daisuke's and Naoki's friends, hmm? I'm glad to finally meet you both," she told them cordially. "I'm—"
"Monika Steinbeck, the best in our year," said Natsuki suddenly. "Sorry, I d-didn't mean to be rude. It's just that everyone at school knows who you are, right? Anyway, I don't know if Daisuke's told you yet, but I'm Natsuki Fujisawa, from 3-D."
"And I'm Yuri Hoshino, from 3-C," said Yuri nervously. "It's a pleasure to finally m-make your acquaintance."
"The pleasure's all mine," said Monika, smiling. "I've only heard about you two from what Kenta says about Naoki and Daisuke here. I hope we can all get to know each other better from now on!"
"I h-hope so too," said Yuri, smiling in spite of her obvious anxiousness.
"Yeah, same," Natsuki muttered.
"Don't worry about that," said Sayori suddenly. "If I know Monika, she's a master at making people get along well with each other. It's one of the reasons why she's president of the debate club, after all!"
Akihiro smiled at Sayori's words, as did the others. Meanwhile, Monika laughed a little embarrassedly. "T-Thank you, Sayori."
At that, Kenta clapped his hands. "So! Are we gonna get going or what?"
"You seem awfully excited for this study session," said Naoki with an amused grin.
"Well, this was his plan, after all," said Daisuke.
"And Monika's, don't forget!" Kenta added.
"Rescheduling it today was mostly your plan, Kenta," Monika told him genially. "Anyway, if you want, we can all get going now. Just follow my lead!"
Akihiro took the time to observe more as they all walked to Monika's house. He saw that during the few times that she spoke up to join the conversation, particularly with Daisuke's help, Natsuki tended to be the serious and direct one, though that wasn't to say that she was abrasive or unfriendly. Akihiro imagined that this was simply how she acted around new people, and from what he had heard from Daisuke before, she was the type that would warm up to others after spending more time with them. Admittedly, had she not been one of Sayori's previous classmates, Akihiro would have imagined that she was from a lower year. On the other hand, Yuri was an introvert, as she always had been even back when she was his classmate during freshman year. It was a bit of a surprise, however, that she seemed keen on bonding with the others even in her timidly quiet way, and he guessed that she had Naoki to thank for that change.
As previously discussed, the walk was a relatively short one, and when they arrived, Monika's house wowed everyone else except Kenta, who had seen the place before on a previous visit. It was a contemporary architectural beauty that outshone every neighboring house in the vicinity, and they observed everything with wonder, from the house's sophisticated making to the front garden, which possessed a splendor that was only augmented by the autumn season as the trees took on hues of orange and red that mingled with the flowers around them. As he walked with the rest of the gang, Akihiro remembered what Sayori had told him in conversations past about Monika's parents, who worked in other prefectures as general contractors. It seemed only natural that people like them, who were familiar with architecture and undoubtedly earned a lot from it, would have an abode as handsomely urbane as this.
Naturally, the interior was as breathtaking as the house's façade was. Akihiro was quickly reminded of the various modern houses that he had seen in house-building and life simulation games as he stared around the place. Monika admitted to giving the house's helpers the day off so that the eight of them could have the house all to themselves for the entirety of their study session and beyond. Given how spacious the house was, Akihiro mused that it was still more than enough even for eight students and some household helpers to lounge in.
"I think I've seen the inside of a house like this one only on T.V. shows," Sayori muttered in childlike wonder. "It's like a mansion in here, Moni!"
"The credit for that goes to my parents," said Monika, giggling. She beckoned to them with a wave of her arm. "Come on, sit down! Make yourselves comfortable."
"Thanks," said Daisuke, plopping down on one of the soft lounge chairs in the house's main living room as he continued observing everything. "Anyway, was Kenta on his best behavior when he first visited here?"
Monika laughed some more as she glanced at Kenta, who frowned at Daisuke. "Definitely," she replied.
"Thank you for inviting us in your home," Yuri muttered politely as she sat down next to Naoki on a nearby couch. "I hope w-we won't be an inconvenience for you."
"Don't worry, it's all perfectly fine," said Monika. "Anyway, what do you guys want to study first?"
"Did the exam schedule come out yet?" asked Naoki.
"As a matter of fact, yes," replied Monika. She reached for a notebook from her bag and leafed through its pages, stopping at a certain page. "The class representatives got them early from Professor Akamatsu earlier this week. Apparently, the first day of exams will be for Mathematics, Social Studies, English and Art."
"Math on the first day?" groaned Kenta. "I dunno if that's worse than Math on the last day!"
"I think we can all agree that Math is bad on any day," said Akihiro jokingly.
"That's wisdom right there," said Daisuke with a laugh. Next to him, even Natsuki spared a short giggle.
"Well, I've always gone by the principle that taking care of the hardest obstacle first should be one's top priority," Naoki offered. "The sooner that is taken care of, the better. Let's try that first."
"I suppose that's a good idea indeed," said Yuri with a smile.
"Alright, alright," Kenta grimaced. "At least the other ones won't be too tough after this."
When everyone had settled down, the eight of them began to bunker down. They took out their Math books, scientific calculators and some extra paper to use for scribbled equations and solutions. Monika helped them clear out the table that stood in the middle of the living room's seats so that they could have a surface on which to place their notes. On the couch, Yuri, Naoki, Sayori and Akihiro were next to each other. Natsuki and Daisuke sat on separate chairs on one side, while Kenta and Monika took another.
It soon became obvious as to how little liked Mathematics was as the study session progressed. Apart from Monika and Naoki, who understood Mathematics more or less, everyone began to show signs of stress as they wrote down numbers and formulated solvable equations that would undoubtedly appear in their exams. Kenta grumbled, Daisuke grimaced, and Natsuki occasionally muttered under her breath as they wrote down solutions for the equations. Sayori had a frown of deep concentration on her face as she tapped her pencil on her notebook; Akihiro smiled at how cute she looked, but he tried to avoid looking at her for too long, knowing that he shouldn't get too distracted. As happy as he was to be with everyone else right now, there were still a lot of things to get over with. Tackling Mathematics was like grinding experience and items for a particularly nasty boss fight—necessary but tedious, especially when the numbers start looking the same. Twenty minutes in, they began comparing answers on some of the problems they chose to tackle, and the chorus that followed involving varying answers to a single problem elicited both laughs and sighs of exasperation from all of them.
By eleven o'clock, even Monika had had enough of Mathematics, and they all decided that it was time for a well-deserved break so that they can plan where and what to eat for lunch. Monika told them that there was some food in the fridge that she would be more than willing to prepare for everyone, but Kenta was quick to suggest that they should order some takeout instead so as not to trouble Monika any further. As they debated, Natsuki candidly and suddenly suggested that they can order some takeout from an eatery that Daisuke's family ran. Daisuke was initially caught off guard by the suggestion—and Akihiro could swear that he caught a glimpse of a smirk behind Natsuki's face mask that crinkled the corners of her eyes as she stated her proposition—though he soon relented when everyone agreed that it was a good idea. And so, Daisuke texted his mother in advance and told them that they would be ordering some takeout once he had explained the diner's menu in detail to them. When everything was settled, they split the bill between the eight of them, calculating how much each of them would be paying. Kenta, Naoki and Akihiro volunteered to come along and help Daisuke pick up the takeout.
"Just so you guys know, the diner's gonna be a fifteen minute walk from here," said Daisuke, "so it might take a while for us to get back."
"Don't worry, the girls and I will be going out along with you as well," said Monika. "We'll go back downtown to buy some drinks and snacks for later."
"Looks like we should've bought some before we went here," said Natsuki, "to save time and all."
"Well, I suppose it c-can't be helped," said Yuri. "If we ever have another study session like this, I'll make sure t-to bring something we can drink then."
"Ooh, I like the sound of that, Yuri!" Sayori chimed in.
"Alright, the boys and I are gonna be leaving first," said Kenta readily. "We'll just text you guys when we're on the way back!"
"Same here," said Monika, smiling.
Sayori hummed happily as she traipsed through the aisles of the convenience store that Monika had led them in, looking for some good snacks. Thus far, she was enjoying the day greatly with Akihiro, Monika, Kenta and everyone else. Though she had anticipated going out on a leisurely outing with them like what Monika had originally intended, a study session was just as fine, and it was refreshing to see how enjoyable it was even if they were technically cramming for the next couple of weeks at school. It had been a pleasant surprise as well that she was reunited with three of her former classmates; though she had not bonded with them in the same way that she was friends with Monika or Akihiro, Sayori knew that there was always plenty of time to get to know them all over again.
Some ways down the aisles, Natsuki was looking silently at some chips and cookies on the shelves. She glanced sideways as Sayori approached; even though she looked rather grouchy thanks to her face mask, Sayori wasn't deterred in talking to her.
"Hello! Have you picked something yet?" she asked her.
"Um, no, n-not yet," said Natsuki tentatively. "I was thinking of choosing between some strawberry and blueberry pocky. . ."
"Ooh! If you ask me, strawberry's always a safe choice," Sayori stated, "and it matches your hair as well!"
Natsuki looked at her again. "Well, strawberry is one of my favorites," she admitted. "But . . . ah, I'm just gonna keep looking. How about you? Are you done picking your snacks?"
Looking at the shelves, Sayori sighed. "Not really. I haven't decided on what snack I'd want for later, and I also wanna pick something for Akihiro as well."
Natsuki grunted. "Your boyfriend, huh?" she muttered.
Sayori blushed slightly. "Did he tell you guys t-that?"
"It wasn't that hard to guess," Natsuki said, "from the way you two talk and all. . ."
"Ah, well, you're right about that," said Sayori with a short giggle. "How about Daisuke? Pardon me for asking, but . . . he's your boyfriend, right?"
Natsuki shifted where she stood, sighing. "You'd better check on Monika and . . . Yuri, is that her name? Maybe they're done by now."
"Oh, um . . . okay then!" Sayori's smile faded somewhat as she wondered why Natsuki didn't answer her question. Still, it couldn't be helped, especially given how stern the pink-haired girl seemed to be from her perspective.
Yuri was staring thoughtfully at some drinks in the store's corner when she found her. During the past couple of hours, Sayori had deduced quickly that Yuri was the most reserved out of everyone, always shy and soft-spoken and easily flustered whenever someone talks to her. Sayori could easily tell that she was not used to crowds and groups, but it made her happy that Yuri had decided to come along with them, and that she seemed to be doing well and was trying her best to socialize even if she was so quiet most of the time.
"Hey there, Yuri!" said Sayori in greeting.
Yuri jerked a little at the sound of her voice. She smiled a little as she glanced at Sayori. "Hello. Do you need something?"
"What? No, I was just checking on you!" said Sayori. "Are you doing okay?"
"Ah, yes, I'm alright, t-thank you for asking," replied Yuri. "Has Monika picked some beverages yet? If you want, I can get some right now."
"I think she hasn't yet," said Sayori, glancing around the store for Monika. "Do you need some help picking?"
"I think I can manage," Yuri muttered. Almost instantly, she changed tack and looked anxiously at Sayori. "Ah, it's n-not that I don't want you to help! I'm sorry, I felt like I've spoken out of t-turn there!"
Sayori laughed. "No, it's okay, it didn't feel anything like that, Yuri," she said reassuringly. "I mean, I haven't picked any snacks out just yet, and I just wanted to make myself useful in the meantime."
"Oh, I see," said Yuri, looking slightly relieved but still rather anxious. "If y-you really want to, then it's fine with me."
The two of them picked out beverages in relative silence, though Sayori would occasionally ask Yuri to choose between two drinks. Even as she tried her best to help her pick, Yuri soon admitted that she didn't put too much stock in such pick-me-ups after having grown used to drinking mostly tea and water, though she also mentioned that she wanted to pick a drink that Naoki would like. Sayori smiled at this admission as it made her realize that she and Yuri were thinking along the same lines regarding their boyfriends, though when she asked Yuri about Naoki, the former avoided the question like Natsuki did.
When Monika caught up to them, she was carrying a small basket with two packs of cookies and some potato chips—four small bags and a large one, all with different flavors. "I was just about to go and get some drinks," she said as she walked towards them. "Glad to see that you're taking care of them already."
"Oh, you're done picking out snacks? Cool!" Sayori walked over and looked at the big potato chip bag in Monika's basket. "Ooh, you picked cheese!"
"Even us vegetarians can eat and love cheese," said Monika, laughing. "What drinks did you pick?"
"I got you some of the tomato juice you like," said Sayori, "and some root beer for Akihiro—that's his favorite! Yuri got some mineral water instead, but she got some iced coffee for Naoki. As for the others, I didn't know what they'd like, so we got them a mix of juice and soda instead."
"Thanks for that, Sayori," said Monika. She looked over at Yuri and asked, "Are you sure you'll be fine with just mineral water, Yuri?"
"Y-Yes," replied Yuri, smiling. "I'm used to drinking mostly tea, and not juice or soda drinks."
"Oh, really?" Monika smiled back. "I enjoy a cup of tea every now and then as well."
At that moment, Natsuki appeared behind Monika, holding two small boxes of strawberry pocky. "Hey there," she said. "Are you guys done?"
"Yep!" replied Sayori. "Ooh, you went with my suggestion, I see," she added, eyeing the pocky.
Natsuki huffed. "Yeah, safe choice and all. So are we gonna be splitting the bill for all this between us eight later?"
"No, I've got it covered!" said Monika. "You don't have to worry about that."
"Eh?! You're gonna pay for all this, Monika?!" Sayori cried out. Natsuki raised her eyebrows, while Yuri looked worried.
"W-Wouldn't that be too much for you, Monika?" she asked.
"Nope, it's okay with me," replied Monika heartily. "We're already splitting the bill on the takeout, so let me handle the snacks. It's the least I can do as the host."
"I'm guessing you don't do this often," Natsuki stated. "If you did, you'd be running out of money all the time."
Monika laughed. "Well, my allowance tends to be pretty big for just one girl, so I don't mind sharing it. Anyway, if you guys have any other snacks that you want to buy, just go ahead and put it in the basket!"
Sayori frowned. "Are you sure about this, Moni? You're starting to sound like Akihiro."
"And Daisuke," Natsuki added.
"Yes. I'm telling you, I don't mind," said Monika, giggling again. "Are you guys sure you won't be picking anything else? The boys should be on their way back by now, so we should be going back soon too."
The boys arrived around ten minutes after they did, laughing and talking as they entered through the front door. At this, everyone moved to the kitchen and dining area, where the girls had set up the table in preparation with plates and utensils. The boys then took the takeout from the paper bags that they had carried them in and distributed each food item among them; being a vegetarian, Monika had ordered some vegetable curry for herself, while Sayori, Akihiro and Kenta had each ordered some hearty katsudon; Yuri had gone for a more modest choice with tamagodon, or scrambled egg on top of rice with some donburi sauce, while Naoki went for a more filling pick with some oyakodon; lastly, Natsuki and Daisuke both picked chicken teriyaki, which was an admitted favorite of the former.
Sayori ate in satisfied silence next to Akihiro, who was also enjoying his katsudon greatly. Monika sat close to Kenta, not minding the occasional candid remark or joke that he would give as everyone ate. Naoki and Yuri were side by side, being the quietest out of all of them and preferring to eat without speaking too much. The only ones missing at the table were Natsuki and Daisuke; Natsuki had requested that she would eat at the living room area instead—Sayori guessed that she was rather shy about taking off her face mask in front of them—while Daisuke went to keep her company.
"I don't know about you guys, but this is really good food," said Monika as she chewed on another spoonful of vegetable curry. "It blows my mind that I haven't heard of that eatery before—if I had, I wouldn't mind eating there weekly!"
"It is rather scrumptious, yes," said Yuri. "Quite different from how most donburi is cooked."
Kenta laughed. "You hear that, Daisuke?" he called out in the direction of the living room. "Your family eatery just got new customers!"
"Sign me up as well for that," Akihiro added. "This might be the best katsudon I've ever tasted."
From the living room, Daisuke laughed. "My mom's the one who does the cooking, not me," he replied back. "But I'll tell her about all your feedback, thanks!"
Sayori smiled to herself as she watched this dynamic unfold between everyone. What made her feel even happier about it all was the fact that Akihiro was truly enjoying the company of Monika, Kenta and the others. After all, she did promise herself that she would tag along on Monika's invitation for Akihiro in order to make him feel happier and less worried about her, and somehow, things had turned out to be even better than she had expected. Because of all this, Akihiro had found some new friends that he could be around with, friends that he could talk to during the times when she could not.
Friends that he could rely on to keep him happy, friends that can help him whenever he needs it.
Friends who did not have the same problems she did, and thus will not weigh him down during rough days.
Sayori stopped chewing her food for a moment as she dwelt on the thoughts. Again, she looked around at the table, watching the fun that they were all having. This is what Akihiro needs. This is what he deserves. Of course, if Monika could read her thoughts, she would be quick to remind her that she deserved all of this as much as Akihiro did, but Sayori didn't mind. As long as Akihiro was happy, she was also happy, and there would be no voices that would start bugging her, no rainclouds to blot out the sun.
After lunch, all of them cleaned up and rested for a quarter of an hour more before resuming their study session. It was with great relief that they stowed away their Mathematics paraphernalia and brought out what they would need for Social Studies, agreeing that while the latter was no pushover subject with all the different things they needed to memorize, it was still an easier subject compared to Math.
Sayori felt refreshed as she sat back down in the living room with the others, knowing that a full stomach can do wonders for studying or anything else. Everyone seemed to feel so, judging by how quickly they went down to business as soon as they had settled down. For 3-A and 3-B—classes where Sayori, Monika and Akihiro were—their Social Studies review was a two-pronged advantage as it would also help them prepare for an upcoming graded recitation for their Social Studies classes next week, though the question is still up in the air about whether or not classes would resume while part of the school remains under repair after the fire. To get their review going, the eight of them posited questions at one another, answering whenever they knew the answers and asking others to clarify what they didn't fully remember. In this regard, Monika and Naoki—and Yuri whenever she found her voice—were the ones who led the discussion, while everyone else followed their lead, jotted down notes, and leafed through the pages of their Social Studies books.
It was around two-thirty in the afternoon when everyone decided that it would be a good time for a break. By then, they had already tackled nearly half of their Social Studies workload, and Sayori remarked that it was indeed a good time to eat some snacks. Her proposition was met with a mixture of assent and amusement—with Akihiro leaning towards the latter—though she was quick to insist that snacks were always important as both a reward for their efforts and as fuel for the remaining hours of study work they had left. To back her up, Monika echoed her sentiments and went to the kitchen to prepare some of the drinks they had bought earlier.
Soon, everyone began to feel understandably lazy—Fridays tended to have such an effect on students, and this Friday afternoon was no different. With the cold air outside and the quiescence that prevailed on the streets in front of Monika's house, it was a perfect time to relax and unwind.
"By the way, I just wanted to ask something, Monika," said Naoki as they ate. "Is it true that the debate club is one of the biggest clubs in the school? I think you've got more than thirty members, right?"
"Thirty-six, to be exact," replied Monika. "We'll be losing eight members when the seniors graduate by the end of the school year, but there are still a lot left."
"That's more than most clubs combined," Natsuki mused. "Then again, that's because you guys are competing in other schools, if I'm not mistaken."
"Pretty much," said Monika. "It's the same as the Math and Science clubs, and the sports clubs as well."
"I can't imagine how many smart people you have in your club, Moni," said Sayori in wonder. "Everyone who joins has to be as smart as you and the other officers, right?"
Monika smiled modestly. "Not all the time, but we do screen prospective members with interviews and help them train before they join us in the interschool competitions," she said. "To get in, the club only requires that your general average meets the required number—it's a standard that the professors who helped facilitate the debate club set up."
"Well, that's understandable," said Yuri suddenly. "I've heard that academic clubs that compete across schools do tend to have stricter rules and standards compared to others."
"How about those who fail?" Natsuki inquired. "What happens to them?"
"Well, it doesn't mean that failing to join the club once is equal to never being able to join the club ever again," replied Monika, waving a potato chip idly as she spoke. "If a student manages to improve his or her credentials, he or she is given a second chance, or even a third."
"With the number of upper-tier students that join clubs like that," said Daisuke, "I'm guessing there are some benefits that they get out of it. I mean, most of the time, school clubs are extracurricular, and there aren't a lot who are interested enough to join except to do something new outside the classroom."
"Well, you're right in that regard," Monika acknowledged. "Often times, students who are a major part of academic clubs that compete across schools will be able to add that to their credentials for college. Adds to a student's reputation and credibility, you know? Makes it easier to enroll in a certain university. On a lesser note, there's also the idea that it helps prepare them for a certain career path that they might wish to take in the future—public speaking, for instance."
Kenta grunted. "Maybe that's why your good ol' vice president takes all this seriously," he muttered.
Monika smiled soothingly at him. "Yes, but it's not just him," she went on. "I'm also . . . I mean, well, not just me, but my parents too . . . they think it's a good chance for me to add more to my high school records in preparation for college."
At that, she coughed a little and changed tack. "Anyway, how about you guys? Are you in any clubs?"
The others looked at each other. "Er, not really," said Kenta first. "I was supposed to join some sports club back in freshman year, but I had to take care of my grades first. After that, it just sort of slipped through my mind, I guess."
"If there's an anime club, I'd definitely sign up with Natsuki over here," said Daisuke jokingly. Natsuki elbowed his side in response.
"I wanted to join the homeroom club for cooking, but . . . I don't know how to cook," said Sayori sadly.
Akihiro looked around at her. "Hey, don't say that! Remember that time we cooked at my place?"
"Oh, what's this now?" Natsuki chimed in, raising her eyebrows. "Cooking at each other's places, hmm?"
"I-It's just cooking, okay?" said Akihiro quickly, blushing as Monika, Kenta and Natsuki glanced at him with knowing looks in their eyes.
"But that was with your help, Akihiro," Sayori shot back, pouting and blushing as well as she remembered that blissful day. "I wouldn't be able to do that alone. I almost burned down my apartment trying to, remember?"
"How about you, Akihiro?" asked Monika amid a scattered chorus of laughs and chuckles. "Are there any clubs that you're part of now?"
"Well, if you count online forums about games, yes," replied Akihiro, laughing. "But honestly, I didn't quite know which club I'd fit into, so I ended up with none."
"Are you part of other clubs too, Monika?" Naoki inquired as he finished his bottle of iced coffee.
Monika shook her head. "It's been just the debate club for me. Even if I wanted to join other clubs, running the debate club already takes a bit of work, so I don't have enough time to juggle between other clubs."
"How about forming your own club? Did you ever try that, Moni?" asked Sayori.
"What? I didn't know you can do that," said Natsuki.
"Yeah, I think if you ask nicely enough, the teachers will let you start a new club," Kenta offered. "Well, asking nicely and promising that the club isn't up to any cheeky stuff."
"You're right in that regard, Kenta," said Monika, setting down her now-empty bag of potato chips, "That's part of the guidelines that you'll need to follow if you want to form your own club. Even then, it's not that easy, because you'll have to try really hard to get in a lot of members that are actually interested in what the club has to offer and not just in it for leisure. Usually, people will be inclined to join to try things out, but it's either they back out once there's work to be done, or they won't be diligent enough to attend meetings and events. To cap it all off, if you fail to get more than four official members within the time you're given, your club won't push through."
"It does sound rough, huh?" Daisuke remarked. "I guess that's why some clubs phase out after a couple of months."
"Or why some clubs never manage to form in the first place," said Naoki.
"Still, it sounds rather nice to have your own club and all, don't you think?" said Kenta. "Like, imagine being in your own official school club with your buddies, using free periods to plan events and stuff."
"It does sound rather nice," said Monika, smiling. "The school festivals will definitely be a lot of fun then."
"But the club still has to be school-related, or else it won't fly," said Natsuki. "Having fun with friends in a club is great and all, but I doubt the teachers will let you make a club just so you can mess around some more."
Daisuke laughed. "I guess an anime club is out of the question."
The study session finally ended at around four-thirty in the afternoon, but the general feeling of comfort and joy that they shared in being in each other's company did not end there. Long after they had stowed away their books and notes—Art had been skipped as everyone agreed that it was easier compared to the rest of the first subjects—they kept talking about anything and everything they could discuss, even if it meant revisiting some topics they had just conversed about earlier. Indeed, even Natsuki and Yuri, who had been the quietest out of everyone, appeared to have enjoyed the day they had just spent with everyone else. Yuri seemed to be more eager than Natsuki for another get-together, even as she admitted so in her characteristically timorous manner, though Natsuki was quick to say her piece as well and shut down what the others might have been thinking of her.
"I'll have to be honest with you guys," she said with a sigh. "I never really got invited out like this before, being with a group of people and all that, but I enjoyed what happened today. No, really, I did!" she added insistently as Daisuke shot her a smirk. "I hope that didn't make it seem like I might be a party-pooper or something just because I was quiet and serious."
"Don't worry, Natsuki, we understand," said Monika kindly. "Being with a new bunch of people isn't always a breeze from the get-go for others, but I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed being here. To be honest, I was also worried about getting you all here together in the first place, because it might have been a bit odd and all, especially since not everyone knows each other that well."
"Nah, that's alright," said Daisuke, waving his hand. "If Natsuki here says that she had fun, you know it was a good idea alright."
The others laughed as Natsuki reached out to punch Daisuke's arm resentfully. "So, when is the next get-together gonna be?" asked Sayori with excitement.
"We'll leave that to Kenta and Monika," said Daisuke, rubbing the spot on his arm where Natsuki's fist had landed. "They were the ones who made this happen, after all."
There was a general murmur of assent at his words. "The week after the exams sounds nice," said Monika in response. "It'll be a good time to unwind and spend time together again, this time without any cramming. That was the original plan, right, Kenta?"
"Yep," said Kenta. "So . . . I guess that settles it. Mark your calendars, people!"
"I will look forward to that day," said Yuri amiably.
Natsuki sighed. "Alright, count me in."
"Wherever our fearless leaders go, we will follow," said Daisuke, thumping his fist on his chest a-la Kenta. "Isn't that right, boys?"
"Sure is," said Akihiro, giving a thumbs-up. Naoki nodded and smiled as well.
"I can't wait!" said Sayori happily. As she imagined what the days after the exams had in store, she felt euphoric at the bond that was undoubtedly starting to form between everyone.
The day had only grown colder by the time everyone prepared to go home and say goodbye to Monika. The sun was already starting to turn orange—a signal for the city to begin preparing for the evening as its lights would start turning on while pedestrians and vehicles alike would begin to meander through the streets in greater numbers.
After leaving Monika's house, everyone went in different directions—Naoki going east with Yuri, Daisuke trudging west with Natsuki, and Kenta walking alone to the south. Sayori and Akihiro kept him company for the meantime as the three of them were headed in the same direction, but they had to say goodbye to him soon enough they reached the mall. From there, Kenta went off to the direction of his house, while Sayori and Akihiro headed back to their apartments.
"Did you have fun?" asked Sayori, wrapping her arm around Akihiro's.
"You have no idea," said Akihiro in reply, smiling. "Everyone just felt comfortable around each other, and you . . . you were smiling and laughing all the time. That made me really happy too. It showed me how much of a good time you were having."
Sayori smiled back. "Same with you. But it kinda made me sad that we all had to go home after everything was done. If you ask me, I didn't want the day to end, you know?"
"Hey, if I know Monika and Kenta, there'll be future gatherings like that, so don't worry about them, okay?" said Akihiro in a comforting tone. "Besides, you saw how everyone was already excited for the next one—Monika and Kenta practically greenlit it in five seconds. Just a couple more weeks and we'll all be together again, this time with no more studying to interrupt the fun."
"Even if we'll be studying, it'd still be a lot of fun for me," said Sayori, sighing. "I wish the exams are already over."
"They'll soon be," said Akihiro, holding her hand reassuringly.
The sun was already beginning to set when the two of them approached the neighborhood where their apartments were. After the brief discussion that they just had, both of them had fallen silent, opting instead to bask in each other's warmth as they snuggled closer together to ward off the onset of the evening's chill. Behind them, downtown was starting to stir from its daytime lull.
As he stared at the shadows of the setting sun around them, Akihiro did feel sorry as well that this day had to end. But for the most part, Sayori's smiling face made it all worthwhile.