Chapter 2: Loop 6
You open your eyes.
Sunlight pours into your room through the window.
Today was going to be a special day.
You enter the classroom. The girls look around with a daze, they appear confused. Only Monika, the club leader, acknowledges your entrance.
"Here again?" She asks with a giggle. "You reall—" She breaks off mid sentence, the thought seems to lose the thought that was on her mind. "Did you restart?"
Meanderingly she points at the air in front of her. "No, that can't be it."
Yuri looks at you, her purple eyes meet yours. "Did you make any progress with the book?" Her voice is soft and sweet. "I would love to discuss it with you."
She sees your confused gaze and as if the expression is contagious it spreads to her. She turns red. "Wait, I haven't even given you the book yet!" She scratches the skin off her arm. "This is so embarrassing."
Natsuki forces herself into the conversation, shoving herself between Yuri and you.
"No, not again!" She snaps and turns to Yuri who is fidgeting with her arms. "You always take up his attention! Now I want to talk with him."
Sayori looks panicked. Her lip trembles. "Natsuki-"
"No!" Natsuki clenches her fist. "This isn't fair. Yuri and you are always-"
"It's only his second day." Sayori softly whispers. It looks like she is about to tear up.
"No it is no…" Natsuki protests but the final words of the sentence are left upon her lips. "No-no, that doesn't sound right."
Monika gives you a worried look.
Without asking, Natsuki takes your hand. As you hold her clammy hand it feels as if she is breaking your hand. The pink haired girl drags you away from all the commotion towards the back of the room. Yuri, Sayori and Monika are left looking bewildered.
You can see a closet, one of the shelves is filled to the brim with manga.
"Let us sit and enjoy some reading," Natsuki mutters. Her words are quiet and seemed to be directed more to herself than at you. "You know what manga is, right?"
She pulls a manga from the shelf, seemingly at random and forcefully pushes it into your hands.
Natsuki takes a seat against the wall, her eyes cast towards her own manga. She hastily smiles at you. "Come sit with me, we'll read together."
A tear falls from Natsuki's face.
The club members are sitting around the small desk. A tea set was put on the table and 5 cups are filled with hot steaming tea, yet none of the cups have been touched.
The members are all sitting on their own chair while avoiding each other's eyes. The silence has certainly never felt more present.
"So, everyone's read each other's poems, right?" Monika asks.
Soft murmurs of agreement are uttered.
"This is all wrong." Yuri suddenly says. She sits more upright and looks at the other members.
Natsuki glares. "What? Because you didn't get to give him your stupid book."
"Not just that," Yuri fumbled with her hands. "Something is wrong."
"I agree." Monika surprisingly agrees. Her eyes widened. "No, don't! Do—"