Sundew - Sayonika

Sayori bounced into the clubroom whistling a cheery tune, poem in hand. She beamed at her fellow club members and slid into a seat, sighing. Tipping her purse upside down, a singular coin fell out; she would have to wait a little longer for a snack. Hopefully she could trick Natsuki into buying her a cookie or at the very least some apple juice. She drummed her fingers against the table, rereading her poem - Sundew. Despite being something she had worked hard on, she didn't think it was that good. Maybe.

Monika waved idly at Yuri and Natsuki, doing her usual smile in an attempt to raise the mood. Approaching Sayori, she knelt down at her desk. "Hi, Sayori. Are you feeling alright?" At Sayori's response of a weak smile, Monika scanned the desk and noticed the coin. She smiled gently. "Alright, come with me." She gently took Sayori's hand and led her out of the clubroom, down one of the school's many corridors towards Sayori's favourite thing there - the vending machine.

Monika smiled into the machine's glass. "So… chocolate chip cookie and apple juice, right?" Sayori seemed to have perked up now, at least a little bit. She unwrapped the cookie and stuffed it into her mouth. A moment later, she swallowed, and a large smile spread across her face. She continued to beam whilst wolfing down the rest of it, clearly a lot cheerier now. After she had finished, she smiled gratefully at Monika and hugged her tight. Clinging to her like a small child, she uttered a word of thanks and then let go.

The Literature Club was still silent when they returned. Natsuki had curled up in her usual corner to read the next few volumes of Parfait Girls, and Yuri had a steaming cup of tea on her desk - she was solely focused on her book, The Portrait of Markov. While Sayori announced the next club activity with her now upbeat voice, Monika ensured that the desks were pushed together into a small table. The seating arrangement ended up with Monika facing Yuri and Sayori opposite Natsuki. Each girl was to swap poems with the one they were facing opposite to and read it aloud to the others; a hopefully confidence-boosting task Monika had devised.

Monika's loud, clear voice filled the room. It was something Sayori admired about her; the confidence she had gained from the Debate Club was impressive. Sayori herself had never been as confident - despite her apparent extroversion and bubbly nature, she had only really ever made friends with the girls at the club. On her turn to speak, Sayori looked nervously in Monika's direction. Monika gave a warm, encouraging smile. Her poem recital passed without incident, and Sayori breathed a sigh of relief. After Natsuki and Yuri had taken their turns, everyone began clearing away the tea, cupcakes and tables. Sayori approached Monika after the other girls had left. Her eyes darted around and her hands fidgeted uncomfortably.

"A new sushi place opened on the high street," she said, smiling. "I hear that they have really good vegetarian options. Can we go - maybe this weekend? Or on Thursday?"

"Why don't we go tonight?" Monika asked, slightly knocking Sayori off guard. "Why not?"

"Okay! I'll grab my things real quick." She paused. "Thanks for the juice and cookie earlier."

The sushi bar was quiet, and fairly empty. Warmly lit and filled with the familiar scent of herbs and spices, it put them both at ease; it felt homely. A warm and soft heat made its way from the kitchens into the small dining area as the girls sat down and placed orders.

"I like it here," Sayori said quietly. She seemed almost perfectly relaxed now; calm and docile.

Walking home, she clung softly to Monika's arm. She didn't want the night to end. She wanted to stay with Monika as long as possible, enjoying her calm and collected company. Monika seemed to notice this, and especially gently intertwined her hand with Sayori's - a small, simple gesture of comfort that meant the world to both of them. Monika's soft hand squeezed Sayori's just a bit. A sign that she would always be there for her. A sign that no matter what, that they would always be together. Absolutely always. Forever.

Because that's how love should be, right? Always together, just the two of you. Together.

Monika smiled as she saw Sayori disappear into her house. For once in a while, she hoped that there was something that was real. She knew she hoped in vain. Deep down, her heart told her otherwise; told her that this was just a story that someone had written down. Or was it lines of code? She couldn't be sure. Either way, she knew, truly, that none of it was real. The Literature Club, Sayori, everything was a lie. Somehow that realisation had just sort of… hit her. Kind of like… some kind of epiphany. Files flashed before her eyes. A burning sensation came to her retinas, being hit by blinding light. In a quick, instinctive reaction, she shut them - and then there was blackness. She saw nothing, but at the same time she saw everything. And there they were, staring back at her, but not seeing her - the player. She reached out, hoping to break free from the code that encompassed her, hoping to be more than what she was. Just an image. monika.chr.

Sundew

The sun drips through my window.

It does this every morning.

Over the horizon, your face surfaces in my memory.

I smile.

As I hold the flower between my fingers,

It twirls, showing its infinite beauty.

As I slide it behind your ear, you laugh.

"Cake!"

The grass shines beneath us,

A patchwork blanket

Now a guard from insects.

Dew falls from the leaves, shining in the sun.