Chapter 43: The other side of the story

*Flash Back*

Yuri: "Wait!" She runs after someone through the streets.

Natsuki: "I told you not to follow me."

Yuri: "B-but …"

Natsuki: "Don't follow me home! You dumbass bitch!" She stares down at her with rage in her eyes as Yuri stood in place after her comment. "Don't ever visit my house ever again and don't let anyone know where I live."

Yuri: "…" Struggling to say a word.

Natsuki: "Promise me. Not a single word to anyone no matter what." The two stare eye to eye.

Yuri: "… V-very well. I won't say anything to anyone. No matter what."

Natsuki: "You're too kind." She whispers.

Yuri: "What was that you said?"

Natsuki: "Shut up already and head home. You'll get burned if you stay out for too long."

Yuri: "R-right … I'll see you around?"

Natsuki: "Whatever makes you happy. Later."

Yuri: "Yeah … l-later."

*Flash Back Ends*

Standing in front of each other. Both wondering what to say next. Both Michael and Natsuki said their hellos, so what now?

Sayori: "MC, you should've waited for me to answer the door!" She walks up to him from behind. "Who's at the door? Natsuki!" She moves up to hug her. "It's been soooooo long."

Natsuki: "Yeah, yeah it's nice to see you too, but can you not hug me that tightly."

Sayori: "Oh sorry about that. It's been too long since we last saw each other. A few days can be very long." She lets go of her, allowing her breath again.

Michael: "Why are you here? I thought you would be grounded?"

Natsuki: "I am, but I couldn't stay there much longer."

Michael: "But you'll get into more trouble."

Natsuki: "So what?" She held her arm in disappointment.

Michael: "… Well since you're here, would you like to come in?"

Natsuki: "Yeah" She says quietly. When she entered, she took off her jacket and gave it to Sayori to hang as she takes a seat on the couch.

Sayori: "I'll go get us some hot chocolate."

Michael: "Try not to burn yourself again."

Sayori: "I know!" She leaves to the kitchen, leaving Michael and Natsuki alone in the living room.

The two sit there in awkward silence before Natsuki broke the ice.

Natsuki: "How's the club doing?"

Michael: "Huh?"

Natsuki: "You heard me. How are things going at the club?"

Michael: "… It's been …"

Natsuki: "Fun?"

Michael: "Eh?"

Natsuki: "It's been fun, hasn't it? No fighting between you guys?"

Michael: "Uh?"

Natsuki: "Don't have to hear me and Yuri argue about who's right? Come on, say it to my face."

Michael: "…"

Natsuki: "…" She stares at him upsettingly. "I knew it." She whispers to herself.

Michael: "It's been depressing."

Natsuki: "Huh?"

Michael: "It's been depressing."

Natsuki: "How?"

Michael: "Just not the same."

Natsuki: "How exactly?"

Michael: *Sigh* "Don't worry about it. We're more worried about you."

Natsuki: "About me?"

Michael: "How come you never picked up our calls?"

Natsuki: "It's because my dad took away my phone."

Michael: (Should've known.)

Natsuki: "Listen I just wanted to say that I'm … that I'm s-s-s-s"

Michael: "You don't have to force yourself. We know that it wasn't your fault."

Natsuki: "I know that, but still!"

Michael: "Listen we've been working hard to prove that your innocent."

Natsuki: "You have?"

Michael: "Yeah"

Natsuki: "But why?"

Michael: "It's because you're our friend. It isn't right that you got framed for something that they did."

Natsuki: "And what if I did start the fight?"

Michael: "You may be violent, but we all know you wouldn't do something like this. You push it aside to protect the club." Her eyes widen to his response. "Please could you tell me what exactly happened?"

Natsuki: "What's the point? Even if I told you, it won't change anything. No one is going to believe me or you."

Michael: "We're aware that the guy involved is Sebastian, but it won't stop us from trying."

Natsuki: "Why?"

Michael: "Huh?"

Natsuki: "Why would any of you go through all this trouble to help me even after all those times I was mean to you? It's better to just drop it."

Michael: "That's not an option."

Natsuki: "Why not!?"

Michael: "Because I refuse to give up on a you."

Natsuki: "!"

Michael: "Listen, even though you've been mean to us all those times doesn't mean you're a bad person. All those times I spent with you, I've learned that you're a kind person deep down. You taught me not to judge a book by its cover, so please tell me what happened?"

Natsuki: "Tsk, you're an idiot you know that, but I guess since you asked I might as well." As she gets ready Sayori comes back to hand her a cup of hot chocolate.

Sayori: "What I miss?"

Michael: "She's about to tell us her side of the story."

Sayori: "Oh I see." She sits down and takes a sip of her cup as both her and Michael listen to Natsuki very closely.

Natsuki: "It started … during lunch break. While I was eating, I got bored and decided to reread my first volume of Parfait Girls again as I read in the cafeteria, I heard some boys talking loudly. I put down my Manga to see what was going on and saw that they were talking to me. They told me how much of a child I was for reading Manga in the cafeteria and made fun of me.

They called me names, they made fun of my appearance. They both started acting childish themselves. I started to lose my cool, but I tried to remain calm and ignore them by leaving. That is until one of them snatched my Manga. I tried to get it back, but they wouldn't and started to play hot potato with it. I tried desperately to get it back, but they wouldn't.

I got fed up with it that I screamed for them to give it back to me. They stood still for a brief second and offered to hand it back to me. When I walked up to him and reached out to get it back, he threw it to his friend again and when I looked back, he placed both his hands on the sides of the Manga. He had a smile on his face and before I realized that he tore my first volume of Parfait Girls.

He looked at me and told me to stop whining about it. He threw the pages up in the air and as him and his friend started acting like children again. It got me so angry, so angry that they would do that, that I snapped and viciously attacked them. That's when the teacher saw what happened and took me straight to the principal's office."

Sayori: "So that's what happened? I'm sorry to hear that."

Michael: "Wait something doesn't seem right?" Both Natsuki and Sayori look at him with confusion.

Sayori: "What is?"

Michael: "You mentioned two boys, but according to what I heard there were three."

Natsuki: "I did. What's your point?"

Michael: "Was the one making fun of you Sebastian?"

Natsuki: "No as matter of fact his friends were the ones making fun of me. Throughout the entire time he was just standing there. I don't know why, but he didn't get involve until after I started attacking them."

Michael: "Then that's when there were three boys on the floor."

Natsuki: "Yeah pretty much."

Sayori: "Where are you getting at MC?" She looks to her side and sees him thinking intensely.

Michael: (I wonder what was he was really doing? The way I saw him he seemed different compared to what I heard about him. Perhaps it was his friends that lied and he kept his mouth shut?)

Sayori: "MC?"

Michael: "I have one more question. Why did you decide to read at the cafeteria? Last I heard you only read at the club, so why there all of a sudden? Not only that, but I always see your first volume in the box with the others so why take it out?"

Natsuki: "It's because …" She looks down. "I wanted to be more open."

Michael: "More open?"

Natsuki: "After seeing you being so open all of a sudden, I thought that maybe I too can be that way, but in the end it backfired."

Michael: "Now I see and the Manga? What made that one so special to you?"

Sayori & Natsuki: "Huh!?"

Michael: "I notice that it's more torn than all the others, but you always have it with you all the time. What is it to you?"

Natsuki: "… The first volume of Parfait Girls was the last gift my mom gave me before she died. That's why I lost my temper when they ripped it apart."

Michael: "That's why you made sure it was safe every time you grabbed it? You wanted to preserve your mom's last gift."

Natsuki: "Yeah, but now it's gone. All because I couldn't protect it." She looks down trying to avoid crying.

Michael: "Natsuki." He puts his hand on her shoulder. "Could you please tell me about your family life?"

Natsuki: "Why?" She wipes her eyes.

Michael: "You talked about your mom, but never your dad. I want to know more about you. Please tell me something about your dad?" Natsuki shakes her head.

Natsuki: "I don't want to."

Michael: "How come?"

Natsuki: "It's no one's business to know about my family. If I say anything, then what will happen to me?"

Michael: "What do you mean by that?" She gets up.

Sayori: "Natsuki"

Michael: "Do you not get along with your dad?"

Natsuki: "… Maybe, but that's no one's business." She walks to the front door and grabs her jacket. "I'm not strong like you. I can't open up." She says her last words before leaving.

Sayori: "Wait Natsuki!"

Michael: "Let her be."

Sayori: "But …"

Michael: "Let her have her alone time."

Sayori: "But you saw her, she was …"

Michael: "Please, just do it."

Sayori: "A-alright, I'll do as you say." She says sadly.

Michael: "Thanks" He takes a sip of his hot chocolate. (I was right. She's having problems with her dad as well.)

Sayori: "What are we going to do?"

Michael: "Don't know, but I have to help her." (After all I'm the only one who can relate to her. My father never cared about me, but even then, it never stopped me. It may have been in the past, but after meeting the girls I now know that's not true. I'm nothing like my dad and it was thanks to them that I have my act together. Now it's my turn to do the same for her.)

Sayori: "MC?"

Michael: "I need to talk to Yuri."

Sayori: "Why her suddenly?"

Michael: "Because I feel she knows more about Natsuki then she led on."

Sayori: "Really?"

Michael: "Yeah" (After all they know more about each other than any of us.)

"Whenever Natsuki does something rude she normally takes the time to bake some sweets for me as her way of apologizing."

"Sayori, could you call her for me? I need time to think for myself."

Sayori: "Yeah sure thing." She rushes up stares to call her.

Michael: (Yuri you always felt your useless, but in reality, you're just the one we need more than anyone to help out Natsuki.) He smiles softly. (She may not be very open, but I know she may have given you hints of how she really feels. Well, I better get ready.)

"Christmas is almost coming."

End of Chapter 43