A/N This fic is a horror fic. Despite it's appearance, it does contain severe violence, gore and other horror related elements.
I promise, I'll fix this.
Day 2
You open your eyes.
Sunlight pours into your room through the window.
Your mind wanders to the 4 girls of the literature club. Your heart beats faster as you think of them.
Sayori, your childhood friend who implored me to join the club.
Natsuki, the cute girl who made delicious cupcakes.
Yuri, the shy girl who just loved to quietly read in the corner.
And of course Monika. The club leader.
This time you would save them.
You get off your bed and walk towards your desk. On it lies a sheet of paper with words written on it.
It's the poem you worked so hard on last night.
You think about the girls of the club again. Would they like it? You really worked hard on it. You want all of them to be happy, to be a great friend for them.
As you put away the piece of paper you silently promise yourself to do your utmost best today.
The piece of paper cuts slightly into the flesh between your fingers.
Today was going to be a special day.
You enter the classroom. You're a bit late so the girls have already all started.
As you leave the doorway the club leader Monika gives you a strange look.
She shakes her head and smiles. "Hi again!" Monika says with a sweet smile. "Glad to see you didn't run away from us. Haha!"
You smile back. Of course you wouldn't leave the club.
Yuri looks at you, her purple eyes meet yours. Her long hair reaches all the way down to her waist. Contemplatively, Yuri says, "I'm really glad you're here. Not a lot of people just throw themselves at literature like that."
"You better take this seriously," Natsuki joins the conversation. She stabs a finger in your direction. "I heard you didn't join any clubs last year, nor had plans for this year. So if you are just here to slack off I promise you'll regret it."
"Hush Natsuki," Monika says. Your eyes cross hers. They are deep green, it feels like they can look right through you. "You keep your manga in the classroom. I don't think you should be pointing fingers."
Natsuki flushes red. You look at her but she averts her eyes from you. She tries to mutter a response but keeps failing to find the words.
Defeated and still refusing to look you in the eyes, she plops down on a desk.
"Don't worry guys~" Sayori pulls her arm around your back and leans on you. "He will always keep his word. He even helps me with cleaning out my room, or helping me make dinner."
She pouts, "although that might also be because he can not stand the state of my room." She pulls back and with a guilty grin whispers. "Or because he risks poisoning himself with whatever I cook up."
"How admirable," Yuri sighs wistfully. "I wish I had someone who took care of me like that." She looks out of the window.
"Well, I am sure he would love to take care of you like that." Sayori gives you a clap on the shoulder.
Both you and Yuri turn red. Somehow, Sayori manages to force you into the most awkward situations without even trying.
"Didn't you bring something for him actually?" Sayori taps her own chin.
You curiously look at Yuri. If possible, the purple haired girl became even more embarrassed. She buries her own face between her hands.
You blink, a bit confused and unsure how to act.
"I-it's not like it's a big deal or something." Yuri stammers.
To show her it's okay you step closer and place your hand on her shoulder, giving her a confident smile.
Somehow, this seems to help her. She recovers. "Well, I know you weren't expecting anything, so uh." She lets out a sigh and recollects herself. She stands a bit straighter. "Okay…alright." She moved to her desk and bowed down to retrieve something out of her bag. "You said you didn't have any interesting books of your own, so I picked one for you. A book I think you might enjoy."
The book has a simple cover. On it is written: Portrait of Markov.
"It's short and interesting enough to keep your attention, even though you usually don't read," she hands you the book.
The thing feels more heavy than it should be.
"I thought we would like…" She curls a purple hairlock around her finger. "Maybe discuss it together."
Your heart skips a beat. The way Yuri smiles right now. She seems so happy.
How can someone be this cute, you wonder.
You press the book against your chest.
"Phew," Yuri rubbed her forehead with an exaggerated motion. "You should just read it at your own pace, don't feel pressured or anything."
You wait for Monika to formally start the club, or to announce some kind of schedule, but instead all the girls just go their own way.
You see Sayori laughing with Monika near the teacher's desk. Whatever they are talking about must be really funny. Occasionally Monika sends a look your way.
Yuri buried herself in a book already. She is sitting hunched over, her long hair draped over the desk. Despite that you feel like she isn't really paying much attention to the book.
Natsuki was going through her stuff in the closet, sheltered and away from the rest of the club.
Noticing how everyone is already busy, you sit down at a desk and open the book Yuri gave to you. But you do feel a bit tired.
As you try to focus on the words on the page you start to notice the conversation between Monika and Sayori.
They appear to be discussing the upcoming festival. Sayori is taking it seriously, something you admire.
The way she can just turn on the switch in her head and work so hard for something is something that keeps amazing you time after time.
Without realizing it your eyes close themselves and your head touches the desk.
When you open them you see Sayori's face almost pressed against yours.
Startled, you kick the metal leg off the desk.
"Oopsie," Sayori giggles. Then her eyes widened. "No, wait. You're the one who's napping! Last I checked this isn't the nap club."
You subtly look around, trying to see if the other girls had taken notice you drifted off.
They didn't.
"You should sleep a bit more," Sayori says. "You look really tired."
How can Sayori always be this caring? It feels like she is looking more after you than herself. Probably she is.
"How many times did you wake up on time?"
Sayori innocently shrugged. "Who knows?"
"Your blazers aren't even properly buttoned up." You move to fasten them correctly. "Here, now you'll actually have a shot at getting a boyfriend. Be sure to take more care of yourself," you chide her.
"If I had a boyfriend he wouldn't look after me half as good as you did." Sayori looks annoyed, as if her future boyfriend was already failing to live up.
"Stop embarrassing yourself," you say.
"Only if you take good care of yourself."
You let out a sigh. "Fine, it's a deal. We'll both take better care of ourselves."
"Ehehehe," Sayori smirks.
"Okay everyone!" Monika says all of a sudden. "I think it's a great time to share poems."
Sayori enthusiastically pulls out her poem. It's written on the back of a sheet of paper stuck between a book. Monika's is written in her composition notebook.
From their own spots in the classroom Natsuki and Yuri reluctantly stop their own activities and pull out their own poems.
You can't help but to stare at your own poem tentatively.
You feel rather embarrassed when you think about it. But it came straight from your heart, and that's what counts right? And if it makes the girls happy, you'd sacrifice some dignity for it.
"Well, let's share poems!" Monika calls out.
Phew, you let out a breath you didn't notice you were holding. You never could have guessed that reading poetry could be that intense.
Your eyes glaze over the girls present. You can't help but feel that they judged your poem, and by extension you.
Well, it's a literature club after all.
Yuri and Natsuki are still reading each other's poems. Their expressions are etched into their faces.
Natsuki was reading the poem, slightly clenching her free hand and burrowing her brow with frustration.
Meanwhile Yuri read the poem with only a sad yet dismissive smile.
"Well, I think you used some words rather nicely," Natsuki eventually answers as she puts down Yuri's poem on the desk.
"I suppose it works," Yuri said, returning her sheet of paper in kind. "I think it's cute."
"Did you completely miss the symbolism?" Natsuki puts her hand on her hip. "It's about giving up, letting go and moving forward. What's cute about that?!"
"I noticed!" Yuri answers. "It's just that, well you know. The language. I was just trying to be nice."
"So you struggled to find something nice to say." Natsuki tilts her head up.
"I was just trying to find a way to give sound advice," Yuri crosses her arms over her chest.
"If I wanted help I'd ask someone who liked my poem, which people actually did."
Natsuki's eyes pass you and Sayori.
The two continue to argue.
The argument devolves into name calling. You hear your own name being dropped several times, each time you feel your heart skip a beat.
You don't like how they argue but it seems that the girls are fighting over you again.
"Well, what do you think?" Both Yuri and Natsuki suddenly turn to face you.
You struggle to find the right thing to say.
"Guys, stop!" Sayori calls out. "I don't like this fighting at all."
"Well, this poem doesn't have to do anything with you!" Natsuki argues.
"Unless you consider the need to make everything-" Yuri begins a counter argument but is cut off by Sayori.
"No, quiet you two! Both of your poems are amazing and unique. I don't want you fighting over a silly difference like that." She looks at Yuri. "Your poems are beautiful because your words impose feelings upon the reader," she turns to Natsuki. "And yours are amazing because they manage to invoke so many emotions with so few words. You both are wondrous in your own ways,"
"..."
"..."
"So, why are you two bickering?"
Both Yuri and Natsuki look down at the floor, unable to look each other in the eyes.
"I shouldn't have said that about your boobs." Natsuki mutters an apology.
"Y-yeah." Yuri bowed her head. "I think there's nothing wrong with your cuteness,"
"I should make some tea." Yuri says as the silence becomes unbearable. She hurried away.
Natsuki sits down on a chair, her expression simply blank.
You turn around to see Monika looking at the scene with that strange look again.
When she notices you catching her staring she shakes her head and blushes. "Well, good thing Sayori is vice president."
You nod.
"I'll be honest," Monika moves closer to you. "I know I may look like I have it all together, but I really struggle with figuring out how to deal with people." Her long brown hair falls over her shoulders as she sits down on a chair. She rubs the temple of her head. "I couldn't even intervene in the argument."
You don't say anything, it's not like you did anything either.
Monika smiles sweetly at you, as if she understands your feelings perfectly.
You can't help but to feel your heart flutter.
After a minute Yuri comes into the room again, holding a tray with a tea set. She carefully places it down on the table and you all make your way over to it.
"So, everyone's read each other's poems, right?"
"It was alright," Natsuki says.
"I enjoyed it to some extent," Yuri agreed.
"Yup." Sayori chirps.
"Glad to hear you all enjoyed it." Monika turns to you. "Especially you. I know it's quite a lot to take in all at once. But maybe you learned some new things from your friends."
You awkwardly agree.
"Awesome," Monika put her hands together. "Let's do the same thing tomorrow."
