Chapter 4: Chapter Three- Friends and Poems
I was currently at my desk thinking about what I should write in my poem.
"What should I write about? Love? Freedom? Friendship?" I was genuinely at a loss for what to do. Of course, I've written poems in the past, but usually I was given a prompt.
Speaking of friendship, I really need to make some male friends. Don't get me wrong, I like being around Sayori and Monika, but shouldn't there be a balance?
"Urg." I had to stop giving it too much thought. If I analyze everything, I won't be able to make friends. I'll be fine if I just behave normally.
"I'll just write about how I feel."After deciding what to write, it eventually came out as follows:
Freedom
There was a time when darkness ruled,
And life seemed but a mere tool
A chain of misery, unbroken and cruel,
A terrible situation, to say the least, a fool.
But then a glimmer of light appeared,
A tiny flame, but one that persevered
A spark of hope, that wiped away the fear,
A promise of freedom, that drew ever near.
And so, with trembling steps, they took
A path less travelled, with no rulebook,
They walked towards the light, no backward look,
With courage in their heart, and soul unhooked.
The journey was long, and fraught with pain,
But with each step, freedom was their gain
They fought the darkness, and broke its chain,
And emerged victorious, free from the bane.
Now they stand tall, with head held high,
With a sense of purpose, and a sparkle in their eye
No longer a victim, but a warrior of the sky,
Free from the terrible situation, that once made them sigh.
For freedom is not just a word, it's a state of mind,
A place of light, where darkness cannot bind
It's a journey that's worth taking, one of a kind,
And when you reach the end, you leave the past behind.
"Is this too long?" I don't remember how long the poems were in the game, so I might have gone a bit overboard. Regardless, I was proud of myself. I went to sleep shortly after finishing.
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"Sayori."
"Hm?"
"How do I make male friends?" It was lunch time already. Sayori was eating the food I made for her. We decided to pack lunches for one another.
"Um, just talk to them?" Sayori stated.
"Obviously." I deadpanned. I decided, for some strange reason, that it would be a good idea to consult Sayori. Then again, Sayori is a cheerful and lively girl, so making friends must come naturally to her.
"Gasp! Don't tell me… you don't want to be friends anymore?"
"What?! N-No, of course not. I like you!" I spoke without giving it much thought.
"W-Wait, not like that! I mean that I like our friendship! Wait, that doesn't sound right either! You get what I mean, right?" Please let me go die in a hole! Sayori covered her red face with her hands.
"A-Ah, well, I like you too." She muttered something I couldn't hear.
Ring! The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch.
"A-Ah! I-I'll see you later, F-Fumiya!"Sayori hurriedly stood up and left..
"Sigh." I didn't blame her for fleeing; I would have done the same if we hadn't been eating lunch in my classroom.
"Girl problems, huh?"
"AH!" I was taken aback when I heard a voice behind me.
"Y-You heard all that?" I asked the voice as I turned to face him or her. It was one of my male classmates, whose name I can't remember.
"Who didn't? You guys were loud." He stated. "Oh, the name's Hayashi Kazuki, since it looks like you have no idea who I am." Well, at least I didn't have to bother asking him for his name.
"R-Right."
"Well, see ya." Hayashi waved dismissively as he walked away. He seemed to understand what I was going through. Did he also have a lot of female friends? What a strange person.
"Wait, did I make my first male friend?" Inwardly, I murmured. Even if I didn't, I felt like I was moving in the right direction.
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"Welcome back, Fumiya-kun~"
"Y-Yeah."
I was back at the literature club. Monika was the first to greet me, but the response I gave was awkward. How do you respond to that? Do you give a nod? A handshake? A simple yes? Besides, every time I look at her, I'm reminded of her confession. How is she not embarrassed? Fortunately, since I was the last person to arrive, everyone else was already present and hanging out, which made the situation less uncomfortable.
Yuri was the first one to notice me, "Oh, hello, Fumiya-san." I felt at ease listening to her voice. "I'm glad you've come back."
"Huh? I wasn't going to run away." Her question perplexed me. Why wouldn't I come back?
"Sorry. Sayori told us that this is the first time you've joined a club, so I was hoping this wasn't too overwhelming of a commitment for you."Yuri seemed concerned that the club might be too much for me. "Making you dive headfirst into literature when you're not accustomed it it…"
I was about to reassure her that I wanted to be here when, all of a sudden, Natsuki came up and joined the conversation.
"Oh, come on! Like he deserves any slack." She said with a harsh tone.
"Sayori told me you didn't even want to join any clubs this year."
"Well, I–"
"And last year, too!"
I couldn't even get a word out. What I found interesting was that I supposedly didn't want to join a club in the first place. It makes sense when you give it more thought. Sayori would have approached me about joining a club, and I would have rejected her, saying that I couldn't, probably because of my parents. Then again, I might be mistaken and everything is just a big coincidence. Then again, I could be wrong, and it's all just a big coincidence.
"I don't know if you plan to just come here and hang out, or what…"Natsuki resumed speaking. "But if you don't take us seriously, then you won't see the end of it."
"Cut him some slack, Natsuki. You do remember that he has amnesia, right?" Monika came to my rescue.
"Well…"
"And you certainly have a big mouth for someone who keeps her manga collection in the clubroom."
"M-M-M…!" Natsuki was too flustered at her "secret" being revealed. Monika's teasing is a deadly weapon.
"Manga is literature!" She, once again, screamed in a cutesy voice. Natsuki, defeated and embarrassed, plopped back into her seat.
"Don't worry, guys~" Sayori decided to join the conversation. "Fumiya always gives it his best as long as he's having fun."
"He helps with busywork without me even asking." Although it isn't exactly busywork, I have been assisting Sayori with her homework via text. To be honest, it's frustrating to see her struggling in her homework.
"Like cooking, cleaning my room…" I can certainly attest to cooking for her, but I haven't cleaned her room…yet.
"How dependable…" Yuri gave herself a small nod.
"Thank you, Sayori."
"Ehehe~"
"You two are really good friends, aren't you?" Yuri took a good look at us. "I might be a little jealous…" If I were in her position, I could easily imagine feeling envious. Still, we might end up being good friends.
"Hmm? How come? You and Fumiya can become good friends too!" My thoughts were expressed by Sayori.
"U-Um…" As she began to twirl her hair, Yuri turned her head away.
"S-Sayori?"
"Hmm?"
"..." I wasn't sure what to say to her. Even though I knew Sayori had no malicious intentions, I could tell Yuri was uneasy.
"Oh! Yuri even brought you something today, you know~"
"W-Wait! Sayori…"
"T-Thanks?" I was caught off guard. Also, I was pretty sure this also happened in the game, didn't it? Did that mean that certain events were fixed? I could be mistaken, though, as my memory isn't exactly photographic.
"Um…Not really…" Yuri spoke in a meek voice.
"Don't be shy~"
"It's really nothing…"
"Um, Sayori–"
"Sayori made it sound like a big deal when it's really not…" Yuri interrupted me, and decided to explain herself, which I felt was unnecessary.
"Uuuuh, what do I do…"
"Eh? I'm sorry, Yuri, I wasn't thinking..."Sayori apologized after appearing to realize what she had done.
"Um, you don't have to force yourself, Yuri." I looked away sheepishly. "You know, I don't have a lot of friends, so receiving anything from you would definitely make me happy." It was accurate to say that my only friends at the time were Sayori, Monika, and possibly Hayashi.
"I-Is that so…"
"Yeah, so you don't have to if it makes you uncomfortable."
"Alright…Well here." Yuri proceeded to take a book out of her bag.
"I didn't want you to feel left out…" I took the book from her hands as she spoke. "So I picked out a book that I thought you might enjoy. It's a short read, so it should keep your attention, even if you don't usually read."
I really appreciated the gesture. With all that is going on, I haven't had time to read anything.
"And we could, you know…discuss it…if you wanted." She looked away bashfully. What she did took a lot of courage, so it's only fair to respond truthfully.
"I appreciate it, Yuri. I'll read it and let you know what I think."
"Phew…" Evidently, Yuri found the entire situation to be extremely stressful; I felt bad for her. "I look forward to hearing your thoughts."
After that was resolved, I sat down and started to gather the poem I had written the day before, thinking I would be able to share it right away, but I was mistaken. Sayori and Monika were having a conversation in the corner, Yuri was already reading a book, and Natsuki was in the closet looking for something.
"I guess we're doing that later." I muttered to myself. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing because it gave me time to read the book Yuri gave me.
I looked at the cover: it had a big eye on it and was titled Portrait of Markov. I'm pretty sure this book was exclusive to the game and was used to foreshadow Yuri's self harm habit. Fortunately, Monika's interference caused those habits, and now that she lacks the authority to do so, Yuri shouldn't have them.
"Cupcakes!" Sayori's voice interrupted me as I was about to start reading.
"Ahaha. Good thinking. Natsuki would love to do that." Monika answered. It looked like they were talking about food.
"Ah! You're right! Natsuki makes the best cupcakes! That works out perfectly~!"
"That wasn't why you suggested it…?"
"Cupcakes speak to my creative tummy~!" At Sayori's statement, I couldn't help but chuckle a little.
"Cupcakes it is, then." Monika had an awkward smile on her face; it seems she wasn't expecting that from Sayori.
"I'm hungry…" Again, I found myself smiling at her comment. You would too, right?
A realization suddenly dawned upon me: Monika was still reciting her lines from the game, word for word. Why? Is it to keep up appearances? It's not like she doesn't know either. She made the remark about me already playing the game two days ago, so it's clear that she already knows what she would have done if I hadn't been present. What is her goal? She did say she was going to make me fall in love with her, much to my chagrin. No, stop Fumiya! I was disappointed in myself. There is no way Monika is doing this with bad intentions. She's probably used to this already and was just doing it unconsciously.
"Sigh, I need to–" Unexpectedly, Sayori's face was in front of me when I opened my eyes.
"AH!" I let out a loud scream, almost knocking me backwards.
"Ehehe, sorry~" Sayori stated in a cutesy voice. Don't give me that cutesy voice. You scared the hell out of me!
"Wait! Actually, I'm not sorry at all! It's your fault for being in a pensive mood! You're making me worried!"
"Don't say that out loud!" I looked over to see if Monika had overheard. For some reason, I felt that Monika would get suspicious if she heard me being distracted. I quickly dismissed that thought, however.
"Then don't make me worry!"
"I'm sorry." I started. I was just reflecting on how appreciative I am that you are watching over me. I lied. I felt bad for lying to her, but I can't tell her my thoughts.
"Ehehe~ Aww, thanks! It's what I do best!" Thankfully, she bought my lie.
"But take care of yourself too, Sayori."
"Eh?"
"You worry me sometimes, too. Like yesterday."
"Yesterday?"
"I had to go in your room and wake you up."
"That's…" I then noticed that her hair was sticking out.
And then there's your hair."
"My hair?"
"It's sticking out." I patted her hair down, but it kept going up.
"M-My hair is just really hard to get right…" I was about to drop the subject, but I noticed something else.
"Even your bow isn't straight!" Despite what I just said, I actually thought it looked really cute that way.
"And your collar has a toothpaste stain as well."
"B-But nobody would ever notice that…" I was starting to get worked up. Even if I technically only knew her for about two days. I did genuinely care for her wellbeing.
"Look…If a guy ever has a crush on you, they'll definitely notice something like this." Considering I have no romantic experience, I knew it was hypocritical of me to say this, but I knew this much at least.
"Ehhh?!"
"Finally, your blazer."
"W-What about it?"
"You need to button it up. Here, I'll help." I started to button up her blazer.
"Ehehe~ This is so funny."
"Huh? Why?"
"I was just thinking how weird it is to have a friend who does these kinds of things."
"Friends help each other out, right?"
"S-Sure, but I'm happy we're like this." I kept buttoning up her blazer until I got to her chest area.
"This one won't even close!"
"Ehehe~"
"And why are you smiling at that?"
"It means my boobs got bigger again!" It was at that moment that I realized what I was doing. I was so worked up about her well-being that I started getting really close to her, and now my hands were near her chest while our faces were mere inches apart.
"Y-You k-know what? Y-You can keep it unbuttoned." I backed away from Sayori, my face red and hot at my embarrassing actions. Welcome back, stutter-chan.
"Really? Yaay~!" She then proceeded to undo all my hard work.
"Phew! This is so much better~!" She stuck her arms out and twirled around.
"I guess we really are better at taking care of each other than we are at taking care of ourselves."
"Y-Yeah."
"So maybe you should come wake up in the mornings from now on!" I internally sighed. In the end, I got worked up for nothing.
"F-Fine, I'll come by in the mornings." It wasn't a bother to me. I got up early anyway to make Sayori lunch.
"Really? I was joking." I seriously can't tell when she's joking.She expressed it with such candor and sincerity.
"Y-Yeah…I don't mind…" I resigned myself to fate. Even if I wanted to, I was powerless to reject her. It would make me look like a jerk.
"Yaay!~"
"Geez…"
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Shortly after that discussion with Sayori, Monika finally made her voice heard.
"Okay, everyone! Let's share our poems now!"
"Yaay~ I can't wait to read yours, Fumiya!"
"Y-Yeah, hope mine isn't too depressing to read." Sayori trots away to retrieve her poem before hearing the last part. Looking at my poem, it definitely seems like I was going through something.
"Oh? What's so depressing about it?" Monika was nearby, so she heard everything I said. As I turned to look, I noticed Sayori and Natsuki having a conversation.
"S-Since everyone is busy, let's just share our poems with each other, and you'll see why." We exchanged poems, and I was met with a familiar title:
Hole in Wall
It couldn't have been me.
See, the direction the spackle protrudes.
A noisy neighbor? An angry boyfriend? I'll never know. I wasn't home
I peer inside for a clue.
No! I can't see. I reel, blind, like a film left out in the sun.
But it's too late. My retinas.
Already scorched with a permanent copy of the meaningless image.
It's just a little hole. It wasn't too bright.
It was too deep.
Stretching forever into everything.
A hole of infinite choices.
I realize now, that I wasn't looking in.
I was looking out.
And he, on the other side, was looking in.
"Do you like it? It was the first poem I made for you~" Monika said as I finished reading her poem. I liked the sentiment, but once you realize what the poem is saying, it becomes unsettling.
"Ah, don't worry about me writing poems like this."She seemed to be able to sense my reaction to it. "It's only for today. Okay~?"
"R-Right."
"Oh! Don't forget to read the back. It's got a special message~"
"The back?" Huh, she added more? That's pretty cool, I wonder what it says…
"W-W-What!? Y-Y-You can't show that to the others!" I had turned her poem over to find three words on it: I love you!💗
"Of course not silly~! It's for you to keep. I made a separate copy for the others."
"..." What do I even say?!
"T-Thanks?"
"You're welcome~ Oh, and your poem is really good. It reminded me of how I used to feel." Now I felt bad. I've heard that Monika suffered when the game wasn't playing. It wasn't my intention to bring it up to her.
"Sorry…I didn't mean to remind you of that."
"Huh? Don't worry about it."
"But–"
"You're here with me right now; that's all that matters."
"O-Oh…" Yeah, she's right. I have to stop getting so worked up.
"Fumiya! I have my poem~" Finally done with her conversation, Sayori runs up to me, poem in hand.
"Oh? Did you guys already share your poems?" Sayori asked, seeing our poems in our hands.
"Y-Yeah. L-Let's share our poems over there." I pointed to a corner in the room. Right now, being near Monika was not good for the heart, so I had to get away.
"Eh? Okay!"
"Good job on your poem, Fumiya-kun!" Monika said as Sayori and I walked to the corner.
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"...Oh my goodness!" Sayori exclaimed as she finished reading my poem. Was it good? Was it bad? I was anxious to find out.
"This is sooooo good, Fumiya!"
"Oh, thank god." She liked it, but then again, Sayori isn't the type to say mean things anyway.
"I love it~! I had no idea you were such a good writer!"
"T-Thanks, Sayori." I was honestly relieved at that. "Although, how do you know it's good?" Well, "good" is subjective, so that was a silly question, still, I wanted to know what made it "good"
"Eh? Well…I think I understand you better than a lot of other people, you know? So when I read your poem…It's not just a normal poem…It's a Fumiya poem! It's bound to be good!"
"Really?"
"Uh-huh! And like I can feel your feelings in it~" She then proceeded to hug the sheet. I suppose some things are good when done by a particular person.
"W-Well, I appreciate it, Sayori."
"Ehehe…I'm really happy you're getting used to the club~" She handed me back my poem. "Now, you'll read my poem too, right?"
"Of course." I took her poem.
"Don't worry, I'm really bad at this. Ehehe…" Sigh. We have to work on that self-confidence. As I was thinking that, I began to read her poem.
Dear Sunshine
The way you glow through my blinds in the morning
It makes me feel like you missed me.
Kissing my forehead to help me out of bed.
Making me rub the sleepy from my eyes.
Are you asking me to come out and play?
Are you trusting me to wish away a rainy day?
I look above. The sky is blue.
It's a secret, but I trust you too.
If it wasn't for you, I could sleep forever/
But I'm not mad.
I want breakfast.
I snorted, a small grin forming on my face. "Don't we all, Sayori."
"E-Eh?"
"The 'I want breakfast' part"
"Oh! I made eggs and toast after!"
"Oh." Of course she would. "So you made this in the morning, huh?"
"W-What? N-No! Why would you say that?" Sayori said that, but her nervous expression betrayed her.
"You said you made eggs and toast after. I don't think you eat breakfast at night."
"Ehehe…"
"Regardless, I think you did a pretty good job."
"Yaay! Next time, I'll make the best poem ever~!" I'm glad she's so enthusiastic about this.
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"..."
"...?"
"..."
"...So?" I chose to show Natsuki my poem after Sayori, but I apparently left her speechless.
"Well, it doesn't evoke any emotions." Oof, that hurts.
"So it was bad?"
"I didn't say that!"
"S-Sorry…" Sigh. Great, I got off on the wrong foot already.
"Sigh. Well, anyway, I guess I need to show you mine. Not that you'll like it…" She handed me her poem.
Eagles Can Fly
Monkeys can climb
Crickets can leap
Horses can race
Owls can seek
Cheetahs can run
Eagles can fly
People can try
But that's about it.
Well…it was certainly blunt. I personally think that we can accomplish much more than simply "trying," but hey, everyone has their own beliefs, and I respect that.
"Yeah…" Natsuki's face was flushed. She was embarrassed that someone else had read her writing.
"I told you that you weren't gonna like it."
"No." I handed her back the poem. "It was short and to the point. Nothing to dislike."
"What? Just be honest!" Natsuki raised her voice at me. She didn't seem to believe me. If she was going to be adamant that I didn't like it, then I'd just match her energy.
"I did like it. Tell me, is there something wrong with the poem?"
"Well–" Natsuki fell silent, pondering.
"Because! Everyone in high school thinks that writing has to be all sophisticated and stuff…" Natsuki took a big breath before continuing. "So people don't take my writing seriously."
Although I vehemently disagree, I can understand her viewpoint. If you're a beginning writer or a high school student, you might believe that good stories and poems must be lengthy and incorporate unfamiliar words. That may be true to a certain extent, but that does not imply that poems or stories without them are worse. They may even be superior.
"But that doesn't matter. Writing is about expressing your feelings; no matter how you write it down, it's valid."
"Yes! Exactly! I like it when it's easy to read, but it hits you hard. Like in this poem." I nodded my head. I had been thinking the same thing.
"Seeing everyone around you do great things can be really disheartening…" She paused before continuing. "So I decided to write about it."
Man, Natsuki brings up some valid points. It can be depressing to watch other people—especially those who are your age—accomplish amazing feats. It gives you the impression that you are not living a meaningful life.
"But the other nice thing about simple writing is that it puts more weight on the wordplay. Like I set up a rhyme at the end, but then made it fall flat on purpose. It helps bring out the feeling in the last line." She finished.
"Huh. So by making the last line not rhyme, you're saying that effort doesn't equal results?" That's how I see it, at least. She built up that rhyme for the majority of the poem, but as in real life, it didn't pay off at the end.
"Exactly!" A smug look appeared on her face. "That's what it means to be a pro!"
"Looks like I learned something today." I was surprised, to be honest.
"I'm glad you learned something. Didn't expect that from the youngest on here, did you?"
"That's true, but do you finally see?" I asked.
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"That I do like your poem."
"O-Oh!" Natsuki remembered why we started talking in the first place. "B-But of course!" Seemingly embarrassed, Natsuki walked away before I could say goodbye.
"I'll just leave her be." I muttered under my breath. Looking at the clock, I could see that club time was nearing its end.
"I've got to hurry."
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"..."
"Mm…"
"..."
Once again, I'm standing silently, waiting for Yuri to speak. Normally I would have no problem with that, but Yuri has been staring at the poem for about two minutes now.
"Uh…"
"Oh! S-Sorry…!" She seemed to be really engrossed for her to be flustered like that. "I forgot to start speaking…" Oh, that explains it.
"Oh…"
"U-Um!"
"S-Sorry if it seems like I'm forcing you to talk. You can take your time to collect your thoughts." Ironically enough, I also got flustered. Her flustered face was cute.
"T-Thank you…" A few seconds passed before she spoke again. "Okay…This is your first time writing a poem, right?"
"Y-Yeah. May I ask why?"
"I'm just making sure." Making sure of what? "I guessed that it might be after reading through it." Ouch, so it was that bad.
"I see…that bad, huh?" I guess it made sense. Yuri has more experience in writing than I do. At least she was honest about it.
"No!" She shouted. "Did I just raise my voice…? Uu, I'm so sorry…" Yuri buried her face in her hands.
"I-It's okay. I'm not bothered by it." I told her.
"Right…um…" She calmed herself down and began speaking.
"I didn't say it was bad, it's just that there are specific writing habits that are usually typical of new writers. And having been through that myself, I kind of learned to pick up on them. I think the most noticeable thing I recognize in new writers is that they try to make their style very deliberate. In other words, they tend to pick a writing style separate from the topic matter, and they from-fit the two together. The end result is that both the style and the expressiveness are weakened." She paused.
Without stuttering or showing any signs of nervousness, Yuri had managed to speak like a pro. I suppose this could happen when you're really interested in something, just like earlier when I started to get really close to Sayori.
"Of course, that's not something you can be blamed for. There are so many different skills and techniques that go into writing even a simple poem." Yep. Just learned that with Natsuki.
"Not just finding them and building them, but getting them to work together is probably the most challenging part. It might take you some time, but it all comes with practice, learning by example, and trying new things. I also hope that everyone else in the club gives you valuable feedback. Natsuki can be a little bit biased, though…" Yuri at last finished speaking.
To be completely honest, there was a lot in her speech that I could pick up on, and even though she spoke constantly, hearing her voice was comforting. Yuri probably hasn't noticed it yet, but she's been talking to me calmly.
"That was very informative. Thank you, Yuri." I spoke honestly.
"You're welcome, Fumiya-san."
"May I read your poem now?"
"Please do!" An enthusiastic look appeared on her face.
"I'd love to share my thought process behind it…" Yuri enthusiastically smiled, she must not have been able to share her writing with the others before, so she's excited to finally share it.
I can't say that I don't understand how Yuri feels. There were a lot of moments when I was proud of the work I'd done and wanted to share it with my parents, but they didn't share the same enthusiasm I did. The work I did was what they expected of me. They didn't think it was worthy of praise, instead telling me that I should've done certain aspects better and that I shouldn't be proud. Anyway…
Ghost Under the Light
The tendrils of my hair illuminate beneath the amber glow.
Bathing.
It must be this one.
The last remaining streetlight to have withstood the test of time.
The last yet to be replaced by the sickening blue-green of the future.
I bathe. Calm; breathing air of the present but living in the past.
The light flickers.
I flicker back.
I can't say I understand completely what it means, but I have a vague idea. What inevitability are you talking about, Yuri? Why do you want to give up and accept it?
"..." I looked back at her and noticed she had a worried expression. Did she notice how I felt as well?
"I…I'm sorry I have such terrible handwriting!" What?
"What? That wasn't even in my thoughts…" She was worried that I couldn't read her handwriting. Sigh. She needs more confidence in herself.
"But it took you a long time to read…" I could see why she thought that. I was thinking pretty hard there.
"Oh, I was just reading it thoroughly. Plus, your handwriting is actually very pretty."
"That's…a relief…"
"So don't worry. Your poem was really good."
"Really? I'm…really glad you like it." She let out a sigh of relief.
"I'll be honest…Since it's our first time sharing, I wanted to write something a little more mild. Something easy to digest, I suppose."
"Really? Now I'm curious about your usual poems. It took me a while to understand what you were trying to express in this one, honestly."
"Ah, I'm glad to hear that."
"I look forward to seeing your other poems."
"I-I feel the same."
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After showing everyone my poem, I sat down, intending to start reading the book Yuri gave me since I was interrupted by Sayori last time.
"Hm?" But before I could get comfortable, I saw Yuri and Natsuki exchanging poems.
Natsuki's eyebrows furrowed in frustration, and Yuri just smiled sadly. That wasn't a good sign.
"Eh? Um…did you say something?" And now Natsuki whispered something under her breath. Please don't say anything unnecessarily.
"Oh, it's nothing. I guess you could say it's fancy." And so it begins.
"Ah–Thanks…Yours is…cute…"
"Cute? Did you completely miss the symbolism or something? It's clearly about the feeling of giving up. How can that be cute?"
"I-I know that! I just meant…" Yuri pauses. "The language, I guess…I was trying to say something nice…"
"Eh? You mean you have to try that hard to come up with something nice to say? Thanks, but it really didn't come out nice at all!"
"Um…Well, I do have a couple of suggestions…" Damn it. Natsuki will take it the wrong way. Even if Yuri means well.
"Hmph. If I was looking for suggestions, I would have asked someone who actually liked it. Which people did, by the way." Natsuki declared, becoming defensive.
"Sayori liked it, and Fumiya did, too! So based on that, I'll gladly give you some suggestions of my own." Things were about to become ugly.
"First of all–"
"Okay, that's enough." I interrupted Natuski before she could say anything she might regret.
"F-Fumiya-san?!" Yuri was surprised to see me suddenly cut in.
"Wha-!" Natsuki yelped. "Why are you defending her, Fumiya?! Can't you see that she–"
"First of all, I'm not defending anyone. Second of all, your fighting is making Sayori upset." I glanced at Sayori and saw her making a face that says "thank you."
"Fumiya…" Muttered Sayori.
"Well, Yuri was the one who started it!"
"W-What?! I did not! It was your immature–"
"Stop! Fighting won't help anyone." I raised my voice. "Look, I'll give my opinion on the matter." I already knew they were going to ask for my opinion eventually.
"..." Everyone was looking at me expectantly.
"You're both wrong."
"What?!" They both shouted in unison.
"But you're both right as well." A confused expression appeared on their faces, so I moved to elaborate.
"Yuri, do you always want to read something that uses big words? Even if they were for simple instructions?"
"T-That's–"
"And you, Natsuki. Do you always want things to be straightforward? There being absolutely no variety?"
"B-But–"
"Look, the point I'm trying to make is that writing is supposed to bring out your creative side. There is no one right way to write, and I enjoyed both of your poems very much." I cleared my throat, readying myself for the somewhat embarrassing thing I'm about to say.
"A-And I consider both of you my f-friends, so trust me when I say I don't want to see both of you fighting."
Natsuki and Yuri remained motionless as they considered my words. They appeared to be genuinely surprised as well.
"I-I guess I might've overdone it a bit. Sorry." Natsuki averted her eyes as she faced Yuri.
"I-I'm s-sorry as well! I-I got carried away. I really did…like your poem." Yuri stated, also looking away in embarrassment.
"Yay! We're all friends again~!"Sayori appeared out of nowhere and embraced them.
"Sigh. I'm glad I was able to resolve that." I muttered.
"I'm glad too." Monika stood next to me with a melancholy look on her face. Despite her misplaced love for me, I can sense that she does care for her friends.
═════════♥️═════════
"Ready to walk home, Fumiya?" Sayori asked me with a cheerful expression.
"Yep."
"Ehehe~"
After a long day, club time had finally come to an end. We also decided that we should do this again in the near future. But there's something that worries me.
I drift further and further from the game's events with each passing day. I know that's supposed to be a good thing, but the problem is that I don't know what will happen in the future. My choices will determine whether or not they have a happy future. Ugh, I've got to stop thinking ahead. Being worried about the future will not be beneficial. I've got to take it one step at a time.
"You know, Fumiya…" My thoughts were interrupted by Sayori's voice. "It's nice that I get to spend time with you in the club. But I think seeing you get along with everyone is what makes me the happiest."
Where was this coming from?
"And I think everyone really likes you, too!"
Some a little too much.
"Ehehe~ Every day is going to be so much fun!"
"I hope so…"
The future worries me, but I need to remember: the future is not set in stone. Anything can happen, and I'm going to do everything I can to make it a good one.
Author's Note
Phew, chapter three done.
A little under 6000 words, the most I've ever written.
I'm starting to get used to writing by now.
As always, share any thoughts you may have, I'd love to read them. Thanks for reading!
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