Chapter 5: Man of Culture

The following day after school. The final bell rang and Michael is seen packing up his belongings before heading out to the club. Earlier in the morning he was finally able to tell his mom about joining the Literature Club. He didn't get the chance yesterday to tell her as she was getting late for work. When he did tell her, she was very happy about his decision and inspired him to have plenty of fun with Sayori and the other club members. With that settled and the club being official. Michael walked up the stairs, down the halls to where the club is. When he entered, he was greeted by everyone, making him the last one to show up.

Monika: "Hello Michael, welcome back. How are things going?"

Michael: "Alright."

Monika: "Good, good." (Still doesn't want to open up eh? Hopefully I can get to know more about him?) "Well right now we're having our free time before we share our poems again."

Michael: "Ok."

Monika: (Well can't expect him to say much? I wonder how Sayori does it? Then again, they are childhood friends, but on the other hand Sayori did mention that she doesn't know what made him act this way?)

*Flash Back*

After Michael visited the Literature Club and left to think about joining, all four girls took their seats to talk.

Monika: "Well with everything settled let's get down to the main conversation."

Sayori: "Is this about MC?"

Monika: "Yes"

Natsuki: "You mean the boy with generic protagonist hair?"

Yuri: "Natsuki, please don't be rude even when he's not around."

Natsuki: "Hmph!" She shouts it just to annoy Yuri.

Yuri: (I hate it when she does that.)

Sayori: "So what is it you want to talk about Monika?"

Monika: "This is a bit embarrassing, but I would like all of us to get to know him, but …"

Natsuki: "He's not much of a talker."

Monika: "Exactly, I just wanted to ask you Sayori if you know anything about why he's the way he his? I mean he's nice just like you said, but …"

Sayori: "To be perfectly honest, not even I know why he's like this. We stopped hanging out years ago until now. Sorry."

Monika: "That's okay. I just hope he opens up to us."

Sayori: "I'm sure he will when he's ready."

Natsuki: "Assuming he does join us?"

Monika: "Yeah you're right. Well hopefully he does decide to stick around."

Natsuki: "Doubt it."

Yuri: "Natsuki, please be considerate."

Natsuki: "What? I'm only telling the truth."

Yuri: "Natsuki" She says softly.

Monika: "Let's just end todays club meeting. I'll see you all tomorrow after school is over."

Everyone Else: "Yes mam!"

*Flash Back Ends*

Monika: (I hope he gets along with all of us. So far, he seems fine with Sayori and a little bit with Yuri. Working progress, I say.)

With free time taking affect, everyone spread throughout the classroom. Monika and Sayori decided to have a chat. Yuri began trying to read her novel but is still working up the courage to give Michael her gift to him as thanks for the other day. Meanwhile Natsuki went straight for the closet to find something, leaving Michael curious to why Natsuki would often go to the classroom closet? When he started walking towards her, he heard her shout in anger.

Michael: "What's wrong?"

Natsuki: "Freakin' Monika moved my manga again! Seriously who does that? Now I have to waste time looking for them, just so I can read before our free time is over!" A few minutes later, Natsuki finally found their location. "Finally found them." She smiles to herself and carries the box to the nearest desk. When she laid them, she walks back to the closet to close it properly while Michael looks at what she got.

Michael: "You read Manga too?"

Natsuki: "Yes, why do you?" He nods to her question. "Ah I see you're a man of culture." Michael takes out the first volume from the box.

Michael: "Parfait Girls?" He says out loud after looking at the title.

Natsuki: "Got a problem with that?"

Michael: "No just curious what this is about?"

Natsuki: "It's a great series I swear."

Michael: "Really, but isn't this just about baking?" He says while looking at the four girls doing poses on the front cover.

Natsuki: "No! There's more to that, like character development, action, and romance."

Michael: "What was that last part?"

Natsuki: "Action!" She says with a red face. "Look how about we read it and you can see for yourself?" He looks at Manga. The girls on the cover. The art looked faded, bent, it looks like it could fall apart at any moment. just how long had she had this for? He wonders.

Michael: "You sure?"

Natsuki: "Of course."

Michael: "Then where should we read this?"

Natsuki: "We could read over there." She points to the window. "I like to read under there."

Michael: "If you say so." He did what Natsuki asked and they both sat underneath the window. He held the Manga between them opening up to the first page.

Natsuki: (Oh crap.) Realizing she will have to sit close to him if she wants to see the pages. With no other choice she sat close to him and they started to read the first few chapters. (This is a bit uncomfortable. Me and my big mouth.) The both of them continued to read the first three chapters before leaving it off there. "So, what did you think?"

Michael: "Surprisingly good."

Natsuki: "See told you. Don't worry it gets better later on."

Michael: "I'll take your word for that." He looks at the pages one more time before speaking again. "Say Natsuki … this series has a lot of baking in it? Did this series inspire you to bake?"

Natsuki: "W-what, no!? What kind of person would get into things for their hobbies just from reading manga? It's just convenience that I enjoy baking and reading this."

Michael: "Ok, ok, I'll believe you." (Better not bother her more than needed, but at least I learned something new about her.)

Monika: "Okay everyone it's time to share poems!"

Natsuki: "Well here we go again. You coming?"

Michael: "Yeah, oh here's your manga."

Natsuki: "Thanks"

All five of them gathered up again and arranged the desks into a circle. They then shared their poems and the same as before occurs again. After suffering a few embarrassments for his poem and going through another argument between Yuri and Natsuki, only to make up after. It was time to end today's meeting. Everyone packed up their belongings and soon enough headed their separate ways, but before that …

Yuri: "M-M-M-Michael?"

Michael: "What is it?"

Yuri: "Th-th-there's something I want to …" He waits patiently for her to finish her sentence until …

Sayori: "MC!"

Michael: "What?"

Sayori: "I just came to let you know that I have to help Monika with something so you're going to have to walk home alone today."

Michael: "Is that so? Well, I hope things go well."

Sayori: "You're not upset?"

Michael: "No? You got a lot of responsibility Ms. Vice President."

Sayori: "Aw MC thank you for understanding."

Yuri: "You two seem very close."

Michael: "You think so?"

Yuri: "Y-yes I'm quite jealous."

Sayori: "Aw Yuri, don't worry both you and MC can be close."

Michael: (Sayori what the hell?) His face starts to go red and so does Yuri.

Sayori: "MC can very helpful when needed to. Like the time he helped me cook and clean my room."

Yuri: "How very dependable."

Michael: "That's only because your room was so messy that I thought I saw a shark in there. As for the cooking … you almost set your house on fire. Seriously how do you set a sink on fire?"

Sayori: "Heh, heh, heh, heh. Well anyways Yuri." Yuri jumps a bit by her immediately changing the subject. "When are you going to give him your gift?"

Yuri: "S-Sayori!"

Sayori: "Oops was that supposed to be a secret?" She looks at Yuri's bright red face. "Well time for me to get going? Bye you two." She quickly runs off to avoid the awkward situation. (Sorry Yuri.)

Michael: (What?) "Say Yuri?" He looks at her face and sees that it looks like she could cry at any moment. "What's this about a gift for me?"

Yuri: "I-i-it's nothing that important. The way she said it that is?"

Michael: "Hmm … Well can I have it?"

Yuri: "Wh-what?"

Michael: "Well you took the time to get me something, so I might as well take it?"

Yuri: "Oh v-very well." She takes the book out of her bag and tried to give it to him, but her arms kept shaking. "Th-th-th-this is f-f-for you." He takes the book from her hands and looks at the cover.

Michael: "Angels & Demons by Dan Brown?"

Yuri: "Y-yes I thought that maybe I could help you get into reading? I took the time to pick one that you might like. I-I know it's not much. Not many people would like to receive a book as a gift, b-but I w-wanted to say th-thank you for the other day." He looks at the pages then back to her.

Michael: (A gift from Yuri? This is …) He smiles to himself. "Thank you. I appreciate it."

Yuri: "Y-you're welcome." She says with a smile on her face.

Michael: "Well I'll see tomorrow."

Yuri: "Y-yes we will." She bows happily.

The both of them went their separate ways home. After a long walk home Michael went straight to his room to drop off his belongings before going back down to eat dinner. By the time he finishes, he went back to his room to write his next poem. After finishing it he laid on his bed staring at the ceiling. The thought of what Yuri gave him and the time he spent with Natsuki filled his thoughts. He sat back up and went under his bed to grab his bottle of liquor to take a sip. After that he pulls his Revolver and spun the barrel. Pointed at his head and pulled the trigger.

*Clank*

Michael: "Missed again huh? Well, that's fine I guess." He puts everything away his gun and bottle then pulls out the book he got from Yuri. (She's a sweet girl, but she really needs to stay away from me. Why can't I just tell them that? Am I that nice? Is that my weakness?) He opens the book up and started to read the first chapter. After he finishes, he put the book back in his backpack and got ready for bed. After showering he grabbed a manga volume and read a bit before heading to bed to call it a day.

Meanwhile at Sayori's house. She is seen talking to Monika over the phone discussing about the club.

Sayori: "So what are we going to do?"

Monika: "I still haven't thought about it yet? I'm still drawing a blank of what we could do?"

Sayori: "Well I'm sure we can think of something before it starts."

Monika: "Yeah you're right. Well thanks for your help earlier with the Student Council."

Sayori: "Well I am the Vice President of our club, it makes sense that I would help you."

Monika: "Yes and you're doing a great job."

Sayori: "Thank you."

Monika: "Say, I'm really sorry that you couldn't have the opportunity to walk with Michael today."

Sayori: "That's ok. He was very accepting when I told him that I couldn't walk with him."

Monika: "Really? Well, that's nice of him."

Sayori: "Yup, well it's almost time for bed so I'll see you tomorrow."

Monika: "Alright then, I'll let you go to bed. Bye Sayori."

Sayori: "Bye Monika." Both hung up. "… Wonder if Yuri gave MC her gift yet?" She lays on her bed staring up at the ceiling only to sit right back up. "Gaa! I'm such an idiot! Why did I motivate her into doing it?" She gets off of her bed and walks up to her drawer to look at an old photo of her and Michael when they were kids. (No, I mustn't be selfish. Everyone's happiness comes before mine. I just hope everyone gets along with MC?)

While that's occurring Yuri can be seen laying on her stomach on her bed covering her face with her pillow.

Yuri: "That was so embarrassing. I thought my heart was going to pop out. Why did Sayori have to make things so awkward?" She sat up on her bed. (Well at least I was able to give Michael the book I've been wanting to give to him for a while.) She looks at her hand and places it on her heart. (The way he smiled … it made my heart skip a beat. Could this be like in my novels?) She jumps when she heard a knock on her door. "Uh, please come in?"

Yuri's Mother: "Sweetie is everything alright?"

Yuri: "Y-yes mother I'm alright, just exhausted." Her mother looks at her with concern.

Yuri's Mother: "Well if you say so?" She looks at her daughter and notices her face is slightly pink and smiled. "So did you give your friend that gift yet?"

Yuri: "Y-yes I did, but why are you smiling at me like that?"

Yuri's Mother: "Oh nothing, just happy to see my little girl in love."

Yuri: "What was that mother?"

Yuri's Mother: "Oh nothing for you to worry about sweetie. Good night."

Yuri: "Yes goodnight mother." Her mother closes her door leaving Yuri alone in her room. "Why is everyone acting weird today?"

Meanwhile at Natsuki's house. She is seen reading her manga in bed.

Natsuki: (You know Michael was a pretty cool dude today.) She immediately closes her Manga. "Ga! What am I thinking?! Damn you, Michael!" She sets her manga on her nightstand and started to think about what occurred today. She takes a deep breath before she begins her thoughts. *Sigh* (Guess Sayori was right about him? Michael is a nice guy … for someone who needs to get rid of that generic protagonist hair.)

She looks at the cover of the first volume of Parfait Girls. (He likes manga just like me, but … why do I feel funny? Tch whatever, it's not like I like him or anything?) She puts down her manga and looks at the clock. "Well better get something to eat before he gets back home from work." She gets off her bed and walks out of her room downstairs.

"Wonder what I could eat?"

End of Chapter 5