Chapter Text
*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*
Despite not feeling entirely rested, I turn my alarm off and quickly get up. Today is Monika’s birthday party! It’ll be fun, and hopefully we can pull the surprise off well enough to get a great reaction from Monika. I’ve only seen surprise parties in TV shows and whatnot, but this is going to be a great experience. Great friends, delicious cake-... oh crap!
MC: “AWWWW! No way! I completely forgot to get her a present! Crap! I need to get ready fast!”
I shoot Sayori a text that I’m leaving super early.
I shower and eat as fast as I can before getting dressed, grabbing my wallet and phone, and heading out the door. I’ll get the cake on the way back.
The sun is only just beginning to rise as I make my way down the chilly streets. Should have gotten a jacket.
Making my way down to the big market downtown, the sound of birds waking up for the day and the quiet streets create a calm and relaxing atmosphere for a walk.
…
I enter the market, suddenly struck with the realization that I have no idea what I’m looking for.
“Uhhhh… Ok. She must like reading. I could get her a book. What genre does she like though?”
Now that I think about it, I could’ve come out of that coffee date with way more information than I got.
Coffee date! Not the same as an actual date, right? Gah! I’m getting side-tracked.
Alright, she’s vegetarian, she likes reading, writing, and she works a lot. Not too much to use. Maybe a vegetarian cookbook? Does she even cook? It would be pretty pointless if she didn’t.
The more I think about it, the more I think that just giving her money would be my best bet. It’s not like she needs it though. I really don’t know as much about Monika as I do the rest of the club. Maybe I can work on that.
After standing near the entrance looking like a buffoon for two minutes, I decide to just give her money. It's not very tasteful, but definitely safe.
I turn around to leave.
“GAAASP!!”
I lose my breath and stumble backwards, falling on the floor next to the entrance.
______________________________________________________________________
SEPTEMBER 22ND, TUESDAY, 7 P.M.
Tamotsu: “W-What are you doing here, scum?! You stay away from my daughter!!”
Carter: “Don’t worry, I will.”
He playfully lifts up a can and smiles.
“Want a beer?”
As the scared father watches the notorious criminal chug his beer, he realizes that Carter must have followed him or had someone else find the address. As much as he’d like to pull his gun out and end this, he knew it would be considered first degree murder.
Carter throws a second can over the fence before hopping it.
It’s then that the angry officer pulls his gun. He’s trespassing now.
“Woah woah!! I’m not here to fight you, officer!”
“What the hell are you doing here?! Give me an answer I don’t like, and you’re a dead man!”
“You know that won’t change anything.”
Tamotsu contemplates these words, while still keeping a firm grip on his weapon and focusing on the target.
“Chenji is a big organization, Tamotsu. You kill me, and you’re priority number one for all of them. It’s not like your address is a secret. Neither is Yuri.”
“Ghhrr!!”
His grip tightens at the sound of Yuri being threatened. He wants to shoot him… SO. BADLY.
“Put the gun down, and I’ll give you a free one.”
The red-haired American smiles and points to his own face.
Tamotsu slowly puts his gun down, still seething.
“Right here, just give it to me. It’ll help you relax, trust me.”
Pointing at his cheek, Carter is allowing his opposite to punch him for free, albeit with a snarky tone. The frustration of being helpless takes the officer over and he takes a swing.
“GAAAH!!”
“AAH!”
Carter holds his face momentarily before spitting out a little blood.
“Nice! You’ve got some muscle on you. Phew Your comrades don’t have nothing.”
Shaking his fist, Tamotsu seems more in control of himself. Carter seems happy about the whole situation, until his smile quickly grows into a look of seriousness.
“Now, you’re gonna listen, and you’re gonna listen good.”
Tamotsu puts his rage aside for a moment to focus his attention.
“I’m listening…”
“Here’s the deal. I won’t touch your daughter… or you. We’re growing beyond that point. Chenji needs to move past petty blackmailing. BUT… I don’t let people get away with stabbing me. You understand?”
“What do you want from me?”
“Getting to the point? Fine. If you get any calls about any break-ins AT. ALL. Report nothing. Pretty simple stuff, right? That’s all I need. Just this one small thing. GOT IT?”
Tamotsu looks to the ground, before weakly giving a response.
“And what if I do my job right? What if I report your break-ins?”
“Hey now, I never said I was breaking into any place. That’s illegal.”
Carter responds in a mocking tone.
“But if you don’t do this one simple task, then I can’t guarantee you or your daughter’s safety, or her… hehehe, purity. We do go to the same school.”
At this implication, Tamotsu lashes out!
“DAMN YOU!! DAMN YOU TO HELL!!”
Carter allows him to yell as he points and shakes his fist.
“I get that a lot. Deal or no?”
“Grrr!! Yes, we have a deal. Please, just leave my baby alone.”
Carter adopts a completely sympathetic tone out of nowhere.
“Hey, no worries. I’m a man of my word. I always keep my end of the bargain… as long as the other party keeps their end, that is.”
“When does the deal end?”
Tamotsu sounds utterly defeated.
“I’ll tell you. I have your number. If you change the number, the deal is broken.”
“Ok, I understand. Don’t report or investigate break-ins.”
“Good dog.”
Carter chuckles as Tamotsu begins re-seething his anger. Carter won’t allow himself to get shot, however, as he flees the scene.
As the officer enters his home, Yuri has come down the stairs for some water.
She notices how red and sweaty her father is. His breathing is also impaired.
Yuri: “Dad! Are you alright?”
Despite trying to approach the situation rationally, Tamotsu can’t bear the thought of his daughter getting hurt.
He begins to close his eyes and shed tears.
Yuri rushes to his aid immediately.
“A-Are you hurt?! What’s wron-?! Eep!”
Her father grips her in a strong hug, one hand on the back of her head, as tears flow down his cheeks. It almost hurts.
Tamotsu: “I~I love you, baby.”
His own words get caught in his throat, as his control falters.
“I won’t let~ sob anyone hurt you-hu-hu~”
He begins more freely letting his cries out as Yuri is left not knowing how to react, other than to hug her father in return.
"Sniff I promise~"
______________________________________________________________________
PRESENT
N-No way!
MC: “Huff huff!”
He stands right at the entry, almost like he knew I was here or something.
Carter: “Man, you’ve got some really really bad timing, heheh.”
Carter cracks his knuckles and slowly strides toward me.
“W-Wait! Please!”
I can’t take any more punishment from Carter! I just can’t!
My heartbeat is sporadic!
“I-I thought Monika gave you the money!”
I shift backwards on the floor, hoping to create some distance. My head-
"Aaagg!!"
I-I need to focus. There aren’t enough people this early in the morning to see this.
“Oh, she gave me the money alright.”
Carter closes in and hoists me up with one hand by the collar, painfully and sharply inhaling as he does so. How strong is this guy?!
I lift my arms in front of me as a desperate means of self-defense.
“PLEASE DON’T!!”
I close my eyes as he swings!
…
No pain? I can only feel my head throbbing in pain, but nothing outward.
“PFFT, HAHAHAHAHA!”
Carter starts cracking up.
Was he messing with me?!
“Aw that was great, hahaha.”
“W-W-What was that for?!”
“So I could laugh at you.”
Blunt, but no less irritating.
“Nah, don’t worry, I promised your little girlfriend I wouldn’t hurt any of your stupid club.”
“S-She’s not my girlfriend.”
Why did I even bother correcting him? Why does that even matter? I can't think with this headache! Seems like it's linked to my heartbeat.
“Whatever, if you’re willing to put your own money on the line to help them, you must love at least one of them… sissy boy.”
“Ghh!”
“Haha! You make the dumbest faces I’ve ever seen. Alright, I’m out. Have fun looking for romance books, punk.”
He lunges toward me as he passes, scaring me and sending me off my feet once again.
“Man, you are waaay too easy.”
He goes further inside the store, leaving me looking like an idiot on my butt.
I can't help feeling extremely tired on the floor here. My vision starts to blur a little! N-No! Don't fade! I-... I feel like I'm slipping away! The tiredness and headache threaten to take over my consciousness!
"AAAAHGG!!"
It takes everything in my power to keep the black blur away! I can't let it take over!
"NO, NO, NO, NO, NOOOO!! STOP!!"
My control starts to come back and my vision slowly restores.
This feeling of slipping away, it felt familiar. It almost felt like a childhood memory coming back, lingering far back in my mind.
I get up and recompose myself, though my breath is still shaky.
“I hate him so much.”
I leave while I still have some energy left.
…
The walk home and that interaction has me thinking. I really need to work out and develop some muscle. In my current state, I'd barely be able to beat a girl at anything physically demanding. How can I protect myself like this? I can't. That needs to change. Maybe I could’ve saved Yuri and stayed conscious.
I get home to grab the pre-wrapped and pre-bagged cake, as well as my blue bottle of pills.
I take my pills on the way, and after an extra ten minutes of walking, I arrive at the school, only to be approached by a familiar voice behind me.
???: "Hey, MC! Wait up!"
I turn around and am met with red hair and glasses.
Amy: "Hey, how are you feeling? I heard you went to the hospital after a tussle with Carter. I was out sick that day."
"Yeah, he was-
I let out a big yawn.
“-harassing my friend."
"Yuri?"
"Y-Yeah, how'd you-"
"I heard."
"O-Ok then. Yeah he laid me out pretty good. Not like we were in a fair fight though. He had his stupid goon friends hold me down. I'm always tired now for some reason, and I get headaches pretty often. But all this should go away over time."
"What's your relationship with the school idol?"
"H-Huh?"
"Monika."
That quick and aggressive questioning kinda came out of nowhere.
"Monika? She's a good friend. Why?"
"She seemed pretty overprotective of you after the fight, and you guys do hang out on the weekends."
We went to a store and a coffee shop. Apparently that's enough to cause gossip and drama?
"Yeah, I helped her with festival preparations. What else?"
I don't want to sound hateful, but I'm tired. And after running into Carter, I'd like some time to myself, especially at a toxic place like school.
"With your reputation, getting involved with Monika romantically will not end well for either of you."
“Who said we were romantic?! A boy and a girl can’t just be friends?!”
“Normally, sure, but this is Monika we’re talking about. The school idol doesn’t just start spending her weekend with the school fre-... you know, with just anyone.”
Was she about to call me a freak? So she believes whatever these rumors are too. Either that or she talked too fast for her brain to catch it.
“Can you please just tell me what you want, Amy?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I’ve had a bad morning, and I don’t feel like going back and forth on your little pointless investigation thing.”
I probably sound like a jerk, but she’s clearly wanting something from me.
“Look, you’ve been the talk of the town the second you walked in this school. You didn’t talk to anybody, nobody talked to you, and you make great grades.”
I do?
But neither me nor the club have heard these things? Sure, I bet.
I instinctively roll my eyes and yawn.
“You mean like Yuri does? So being a reserved introvert marks you famous? Got it.”
“You’re different. People have heard crazy things about you. I’m just trying to hunt the truth.”
“Truth? The truth is: my life was pretty boring before I joined the Literature Club. Games, anime, manga- what are you expecting to hear?!”
Woah! I need to slow down. My mood is getting out of hand.
“I-I’m sorry, Amy. I didn’t mean to yell at you, but I think it would be best if I just went to class. I promise; you’re investigating a normal person with a normal life. Put that time into something worthwhile, for your own sake.”
“Was that a threat?”
I exaggeratedly sigh.
This girl has watched way too many detective movies.
“No, it was not a threat. Enjoy your school day, Amy.”
I turn to walk to my locker.
I don’t know what’s gotten into her. She wasn’t this aggressive before. Maybe she thinks I’m involved with Carter or something. Why was she prying me about Monika? I’m starting to think she’s just a paranoid investigator or something, connecting dots that lead into nothing.
I opt to hide the cake in the clubroom closet and just text Natsuki about it.
I get to my classroom a few minutes early and lie my head down.
Still~ so tired~... Why?
…
RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING
“GAH!”
The bell scares me awake.
Everyone is… leaving? Did… Did I sleep through class?
I stand and walk up to my math teacher.
“Mr. Akira?”
Akira: “Enjoy your nap, MC?”
“I-I’m sorry, sir! I didn’t hear the starting bell. It won’t happen again!”
This is embarrassing. I’ve never been the type to sleep in class.
“Ahaha, don’t worry about it, MC. You’re a bright one. I’m sure you can catch up easily. You didn’t seem to fall behind, despite being hospitalized. To be frank with you, I let you stay asleep.”
“I-I don’t understand.”
“You’ve done so well in my class that I figured you had a good reason for falling asleep.”
“I-I was just trying to rest my head before class. I didn’t intend to sleep.”
“MC, do you know how well you’re doing in my class?”
“I’ve not really been paying attention to the numbers, no sir.”
Mr. Akira begins going through his laptop before he turns it to me.
It’s a chart with my “advanced mathematics and algebra” grades.
…
It-… It’s near perfect!!
“W-Woah!”
“I thought you could afford to take a nap with an overall average of ninety-nine percent. With how well you’re doing, I assumed you were obsessed with your grades.”
Upon further inspection, I only missed one problem on a recent test. I could’ve had a perfect score! I won’t make a big deal out of this one mistake though.
“I-I never noticed.”
“You’re very talented, MC. I’d recommend taking a look at your other grades. You might surprise yourself.”
“Y-Yes, thank you sir! I really needed that this morning.”
“You’re very welcome, MC.”
We smile as I leave the room.
Near perfect score?! Sweet! I bet that’ll put mom in a good mood next time I see her.
…
I ask all the teachers if I can see my grades throughout my day. All of them comply, although some of them seemed kinda sketched out. The students would always act like I was up to something just for staying in the classroom for two extra minutes. These rumors must be pretty wild for people to avoid me like they have been doing recently. Mr. Akira didn’t seem to mind though.
All of my grades are very similar to my math. It’s all near perfect!! This has completely made my day! Nothing can ruin it now. Alright, time to intercept Monika. Nothing was making me forget about her birthday party.
I quickly get to the clubroom to find that Monika is the only one missing. Convenient.
There’s a painted banner that says “HAPPY B-DAY MONIKA!” Looks like “birthday” wouldn’t fit. I can definitely tell Sayori made it herself. Still looks decent though.
Natsuki: “Hey! Get out of here! Monika will walk in any second! Distract her like we planned, dummy!”
MC: “R-Right, sorry!”
Right when I walk back out the door, I see Monika making her way toward the club.
Crap! Gotta make up something fast!
I meet the president half way.
“H-Hey, Monika, mind if we take a short walk? Uh… S-Sayori made a mess, and she really doesn’t want you to see.”
Monika: “Oh, hehehe, that sounds like Sayori alright. How big is this mess?!”
“You don’t wanna know. Let’s just give her time to get it all straightened out.”
“Alright then. I’m already late after some jerk leaned an open drink against the inside of my locker door, so why not.”
She turns back the way she came, and we start to make a lap in the courtyard.
It’s a peaceful silence, not awkward, until I decide to make it awkward.
“Hey Monika, can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“Are the students here, uhhhh… gossiping about us?”
Monika sighs, as if disappointed the conversation went this way.
“Yeah, a little bit. Does it bother you? I can probably get them to stop with a little time.”
“I don’t mind it too much. I just really hate gossip in general.”
“I don’t blame you. The number of times people scanned my every move to see if I had a boyfriend was exhausting. I was just a first year!”
“That does sound exhausting. Apparently getting coffee was enough to think that you have a boyfriend, yet again.”
“Uhhg, Yep, I mean, I like you and all, but you know…”
Both of our faces turn red.
“Y-Yeah, right. Same here. I still enjoyed it, regardless.”
“I did too.”
We smile to each other in understanding.
“I think Sayori is probably done. We should head back.”
“We definitely should. That was a nice little break though.”
Amy: “I knew it!!”
You’ve got to be kidding me.
Amy flanks us from the left.
“I knew you were lying, MC!”
MC: “N-No I wasn’t! Me and Monika aren’t dating!”
Monika: “Amy, please, I know you like getting scoops or whatever, but we really aren’t in any kind of romantic relationship.”
Amy: “Even so, you two are involved in some way. Shopping, coffee, and now leisurely strolls when you have a club to run?”
I need to straighten her out before this gets out of hand.
MC: “Shopping was for the festival, coffee was a one time interrogation, and this ‘leisurely stroll’ is meant to give Sayori time to fix a mess she made in the club room.”
Monika: “I can assure you, Amy. He isn’t hiding anything.”
Amy: “Hmph I’ll find out what you’re hiding, MC, even if you won’t tell me.”
She aggressively spins and walks off with more pressure in every step.
Monika: “What’s that about?”
MC: “She tried to pry into me when I got here, but I had a bad morning and kinda just walked off on her. She was just getting on my nerves. This is the third or fourth time I’ve told her that nothing is weird about me, well, mostly.”
“Heh, I guess I can see getting a little annoyed.”
“Sorry about that. We really should get back now.”
“You were interrogating me?”
Aaaaaah, yeah, I said that out loud, didn’t I?
“I-I’ll tell you after the club.”
…
We make our way back to the club entrance.
“Hang on-”
I look through the doors window and see that the girls are in perfect position.
They’ve arranged the desks as a table, with one desk holding the cake and pointing toward the door. I can see the green icing from here. There’s even two presents on the teacher's desk. Oh my gosh, I can’t wait!
I flash them a grin, and turn to Monika.
“Ok, all cleaned up. You’re good to go, madam president.”
I hold the door open for her.
“Thank you. Hey guys- !!!”
“SURPRIIIISE!!”
Monika takes in a small gasp before putting her hands over her mouth.
Sayori shoots a confetti popper at the completely frozen Monika. This causes her to just blink hard.
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MONIKA!”
Once we’re all done cheering, we await Monika’s first words.
…
MC: “M-Monika?”
I look around to see the front of her face.
She’s crying!
Sayori: “Monika! Are you ok?”
Monika just starts nodding really fast.
Natsuki: “Didn’t know you were the sappy type.”
Our resident baker says with a grin.
Monika: “I-I~... sniff Th-Thank you! Thank you so much!~”
Sayori: “Awww, come here~”
Always count on Sayori to offer up the hug, I guess.
MC: “This was Sayori’s idea, you know.”
“But MC helped organize everything.”
Sayori and Monika separate.
Monika: “O-Oh goodness, sniff I-I need to get a hold of myself, ahaha.”
Despite her efforts, Monika still makes little whimper noises like she’s still holding back tears.
Yuri: “No one would judge you if you wanted to cry a little more, Monika.”
At the first sign of weakness, Monika lets herself go.
“Ahuh-hu-hu, I-I’m sorry~”
Her voice barely comes through.
She continues to cry. Now I’m starting to worry. Is this just happiness? Seems a little excessive for someone like Monika.
Sayori puts herself back in the position of hug expert by re-embracing her.
Sayori waves us all to her.
Reminds me of the festival day.
Natsuki, Yuri, and I join Sayori in comforting Monika, if a bit hesitantly and awkwardly.
Her cries come out more as sad than joyous, but not quite either one.
After a minute, Monika seems to have calmed down enough to speak clearly. We all disband.
“Sniff I’m so sorry about that everyone. I’ve just… never had a birthday party before.”
Sayori: “NEVER?!”
“Aha, no, never. If I have, I don’t remember. I’ve only celebrated once since.”
MC: “We appreciate you, Monika. We really do.”
I can feel my face heating up, but I don’t care.
Natsuki: “You’re an alright president, you crybaby.”
Nat blurts out in a playful manner.
It’s clear she doesn’t mean anything bad by it.
Yuri: “This club wouldn’t be the same with anyone else in charge. I don’t know if I’d ever feel welcome otherwise.”
Sayori: “Ooo, ooo, Natsuki and Yuri made you a cake!”
The cake has vastly improved since I last saw it. Sprinkles all over the top, as well as the planned icing that reads: “HAPPY BIRTHDAY MONIKA!” There’s also some icing fluff on the edge. Nat waited pretty last second for this stuff.
Monika: “It’s lovely! Thank you guys so much!”
Natsuki: “Let’s eat!”
Natsuki whips out a knife from under the desk, while Sayori gets a stack of paper plates.
These girls did a great job preparing. I did practically nothing in comparison.
Natsuki carefully cuts up some pieces and passes them around, starting with Monika getting her own name off the cake.
Sayori: “OH MY GOSH, IT’SH SHOOO GOOD!!”
MC: “Mmmm, that’s delicious!”
Monika: “I’m not much of a cake eater, but you guys knocked it out of the park with this!”
Yuri: “O-Oh, it was mostly Natsuki’s handiwork. I just did what she instructed.”
Natsuki: “Don’t beat yourself up, Yuri. You totally helped. MC too.”
Monika: “All three of you made this?!”
“Hmmm, nah, two and a half.”
MC: “Hey!”
At my own self-reduction, the group laugh.
Monika: “Well thank you too, MC.”
We all savor our pieces of fluffy cake in silence for a moment, before Sayori, while standing right next to me, borderline yells out:
Sayori: “OH! We have pres-”
The shock of the yell made me almost drop my plate. I fumble around with it, until I finally balance the plate in my hand properly. Thankfully, only crumbs were sacrificed.
“Oops, sorry MC.”
MC: “T-That’s ok. Phew”
My head thumps a bit, but there’s no need to let that be known. The pills definitely helped with that.
“We have presents for you, Monika!”
Sayori happily bounces up and down while lightly clapping her hands. She happily skips over to the teacher’s desk and gets the present from her.
Monika: “You guys didn’t need to do that. I don’t really need anything.”
Yuri: “I’ve not been to many birthday parties myself, but I believe that’s missing the point of the tradition entirely.”
MC: “Yuri’s right. It doesn't really matter if you need them.”
Sayori: “We just want to give them to you. This is your celebration of life, Monika!”
This, coming from Sayori, threatens to lower my mood. Her of all people…
Monika snaps me back into reality.
Monika: “O-Of course, I’m thankful. I’m just not used to it. I hope it didn’t dig into your finances too much.”
Monika opens up Sayori’s present, put into a thin blue and yellow striped bag with tissue paper half-hazardly sticking out the stop.
She pulls out some kind of book with a pen attached to the spiral spine. She opens it up to see its contents.
“Oh! It’s a new planner! Thank you, Sayori!”
She gives Sayori a warm smile and a quick hug.
“I’ve seen you using one before. So you can use this one when your other one runs out.”
“And it’s beautiful too.”
Monika faces the book to the rest of us. It has a wide grassy field, with a single tall sunflower highlighted toward the front.
Natsuki: “Nice pick, Sayori.”
MC: “Yeah, that looks great.”
Sayori: “Ehehe, I’m the gift master.”
Yuri gently approaches the teachers desk and grabs her gift.
Yuri: “I hope you won’t mind if I throw mine in the ring then?”
“BRING IT ON!!”
MC: “Gah! Why do you yell everything?”
Sayori gets closer to me.
“BECAUSE YELLING IS FUN!”
Monika: “SHH, Ok Sayori, but we don’t want to get into trouble. There’s probably a club below us, you know.”
“Sorry, hehe.”
Monika opens the dark green wrapping paper off of what looks like a one by one box.
“O-Oh! It’s a calligraphy set! I’ve never had one of these!”
“A calli-what?”
Yuri: “A calligraphy set is a set of pens that allows for more visual creativity in writing. Broader or thinner strokes, and different sized pen tips that allow one to express their creativity beyond their vocabulary.”
“... Heh?”
Monika: “Ahaha, let me show you Sayori.”
While Monika demonstrates the fancy pens to Sayori, I walk over and nudge Natsuki.
MC: “Could you afford anything?”
I try to ask this with understanding, not judgment.
Natsuki: “Are you kidding me? Heck no! I spend that money on food, and not baking ingredients either.”
“Do you want to borrow-”
“No MC, I don’t want to be indebted to you for a stupid birthday gift. I’ll just tell her, straight up. If she doesn’t get it, that’s her problem, not mine.”
“Alright, I mean, I wasn’t going to ask for it back, but I get it. She should understand.”
Sayori: “That’s cool! MC, my birthday is in April; you need to get me this!”
“Wh-Wha?! Why me? Would you even use it?”
Sayori pouts at me.
“I would!”
Monika: “Thank you so much, Yuri! I love this! I’ll be using them in our poems.”
Yuri: “You’re very welcome, Monika. I look forward to seeing them.”
It’s been nice seeing Yuri smile a lot, what with recent events.
Monika goes up to Yuri and extends her arms out.
“May I?”
“O-Oh, uh, y-yes, of course.”
Monika gives Yuri a quick hug, which Yuri happily returns.
I nudge Natsuki again.
MC: “I can go last, if you want.”
Natsuki gives me a look of slight appreciation before approaching Monika.
I notice her talking a little quieter.
Natsuki: “Hey, so, I didn’t really get you anything. Couldn’t afford it. You get it, right?”
I think I agree with the straight forward approach.
Monika: “Of course I do. You don’t need to feel obligated. The subject of money is different for a lot of people. If I knew you had put a gift for me over your own needs, I would have felt horrible. Don’t worry about it, Natsuki. I won’t kick you out of the club or anything, haha.”
“Ok, good. Thanks for understanding and all that. Just think of the cake as your gift.”
“Well, it’s delicious as always, so I’ll gladly accept.”
MC: “I think I might be in an even more embarrassing position than Natsuki, to be honest. I have a gift, but it’s pretty tasteless.”
I reach in my pocket and hand her three-thousand yen.
“I went to the store and froze up. I had no clue what to get you. I’ve not been to many birthday parties either; so I’m pretty bad with gifts. Sorry about that.”
“O-Oh, that’s ok, MC. A gift is a gift, and I’m thankful for it.”
Monika gives me a quick hug as well.
“You’re welcome. Happy birthday, Monika.”
“Thank you for the cake, Natsuki.”
Monika leans down to give Natsuki a hug, before Natsuki jumps back a little bit, eyes widening a little.
“S-Sorry, did I startle you?”
Natsuki: “N-No, it’s fine. It’s just… I don’t really do hugs.”
“Sorry, I didn’t know…”
“Whatever, you’re welcome for the cake.”
That didn’t seem like a normal startle reaction to me. It almost looked like a fear response.
Everyone goes for a second piece of cake.
“I’m gonna need to watch myself, or my tennis game might get thrown off.”
“Aw come on, it’s your b-day. You gotta live it up a little.”
Sayori: “And your first party!”
MC: “Your favorite cake flavor too.”
Monika: “Yeah, I guess it is-... MC, you sneaky little-!”
Monika playfully slaps my arm.
“Hahaha! Yeah, that wasn’t just a coffee date. It was an enhanced interrogation technique!”
Sayori: “MC Super Spy!”
“You know it! Not to mention that I only knew about your birthday because of the calendar at your house.”
Yuri: “Y-You two went out on a d-date?!”
Monika: “Well, not really.”
MC: “I just called it that, 'cause I don’t know what else to call it. I set it up to figure out Monika’s favorite cake flavor.”
Yuri: “Ah, I understand. That was quite clever of you.”
“Eheheh, well…”
I embarrassingly take that compliment.
“Oh, that reminds me. I just learned something awesome today. Sorry to shift the focus from Monika for a bit but-”
I take my final bite of cake before continuing.
I tell them about how I fell asleep in Mr. Akira’s class and what he told me when class ended.
“So, I went to my other classes, and it’s the same story for them too! My lowest grades are ninety-nine and ninety-eight! In Chemistry, I have a perfect score!”
Natsuki: “Oh that’s it! You are so helping me with my homework!”
Sayori: “Hey! I need help too. I’m pretty bad at math.”
Monika: “That’s… impressive, MC.”
Monika doesn’t seem all too thrilled.
Yuri: “Agreed, I’ve always thought of myself as quite studious, but I could never hope to accomplish a feat to that degree.”
“It must’ve taken all your time up, at least.”
I hope I didn’t make her jealous.
MC: “A-Actually, it didn’t. I just kinda retained all that info. Do the homework, study a little for tests, and that’s it. I never even cared about the numbers until now.”
“Well… c-congrats, MC. You can pick whatever future you want with grades like that. With everything that you've been through, it must be nice to hear news like that.”
The future. I never really thought about it.
Yuri: “But be warned- the school year has only started. It’s easy to fall behind, too easy.”
Monika really seems kinda upset.
MC: “A-Anyway, are we doing poems tomorrow, Monika?”
Monika: “H-Huh? O-Oh, right. Okay everyone! I think it’s about time we get this stuff cleaned up. This was a wonderful party, and I can’t thank you guys enough! I’m lucky to have you all as friends.”
Yuri: “We’re lucky to have you as president.”
Sayori: “Yeah, you’re the best!”
Monika: “Eheheh, thank you! Let’s have some poems ready for tomorrow. I’m excited to try this calligraphy set!”
It takes a minute, but we get the floors and desks cleaned off, the trash taken out, the dishes put away, and the wall clear.
We all grab our belongings and head for the door.
Monika stops me on the way out, with Sayori at my side.
“Hey, Sayori, could I talk with MC for just a moment. It won’t take longer than two minutes; I promise.”
Sayori: “Whatever you say, birthday girl~”
Our resident ball of happiness steps back into the club room.
“MC, I can’t take your money… or anything from you really. After all that money you gave to Carter, it just doesn't feel right.”
She reaches her hand out with the yen in it.
MC: “Forget Carter, Monika. This is your birthday present.”
“I refuse to take it!”
Monika gets firm.
“I-I’m sorry if I somehow offended…”
“It’s ok, MC. It was sweet of you. It really was, but… this is my own personal conviction. Please take it back.”
Despite being a small amount of money, I decide to comply with Monika’s conviction, only to make her feel better.
“Ok… I-I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
“Yeah, thanks for all you’ve done today.”
Monika throws me another quick hug before making her way down the hall.
I grab Sayori, and we head to our homes.