4- World.exe Has Exploded

"Excellent, you're gonna-" Yet again, Monika speech was interrupted. Only this time, she did it to herself as an odd expression crossed her face for a brief second before her eyes focused on Cal and she frowned with worry. "Is something the matter, Cal? You look like you just saw a ghost."

The only boy in the room quickly forced himself to focus as he waved her off and smiled. He had to. "Yeah, I'm fine. Was just remembering something unpleasant. Don't mind me."

"Well... Are you sure? I mean, because... uhm." Monika winced and gestured to her nose, she also looked weirdly fascinated. "Because you're bleeding."

Cal stood in shock for maybe a second or two and gingerly brought his fingers to his lips. And sure enough, they came back red.

"What, you're bleeding? Show me." Sayori poked him and said, her voice uneasy.

Not able to refuse. Cal turned toward her. "I'm fine, really. Just a bit of nosebleed, no need to make a big deal out of-" He was forced to shut up as Sayori brought an handkerchief to his face and cleaned up the blood carefully.

After a few sweeps, she freed him and smiled proudly. "There, all clean now!"

Despite himself, Cal couldn't help but grumble under his breath over his treatment, inwardly embarassed. "Thanks."

(Tch, get a room already.)

The corner of his mouth twitched as he somehow overheard something he probably wasn't supposed to. Throwing a quick look toward the culprit, Natsuki seemed surprised for a second as she confirmed by looking sneakily at the others girls that she had indeed whispered the words under her breath like she had thought before flushing and averting her gaze whipe crossing her arms.

Refraining from the overwhelming urge of smirking and mouthing a silent 'jealous?' to her, which definitely wouldn't pass unseen by the others. Cal decided to be the better brat and let it go. Turning back to Monika after sending a last small smile at his childhood friend.

Just for an instant as he did, he thought having seen the brief glimpse of a frown on the beautiful face of the president. But like a mirage, he wasn't sure if it had really been there or not.

Clearing her throat lightly, Monika looked around at the people around the table before coming to rest her gaze on him. "Do you feel well enough to continue? I have to ask, since having a nosebleed suddenly is not exactly something..." She looked to be searching for the right word. "Common. Unless it is because of a condition?" She asked him curiously.

'Oh, man. How do I get out of this one?' Cal stayed silent as he wondered how to answer. He was pretty much forced to bullshit, since he couldn't just tell the truth. Bet THAT one would really make the world explode.

"I'm not sure. It's pretty much a first for me too." He said before falling silent for a second and shrugging. "I only felt a brief bout of dizziness just now, then the nosebleed... I didn't eat much today, maybe it's because of that?" He wondered aloud, and like he had suddenly found the answer, he clicked his fingers and grinned. "That's it! It was probably whiplash, too much good things too fast for my empty stomach, my system couldn't take it." He indicated to the teacup and cupcake wrapping before him and nodded repeatedly, as if he had found something profound. If he had a beard, he no doubt would be running his fingers through it.

Best of all, what he said held a part of truth.

'Damn, I'm so smooth. I'm even surprising myself today...' Cal cut the following thoughts short, falling into more existential dread right now would do him no good. He would gracefully leave that to future and alone Cal.

He could tell the sweets and tea enthousiast didn't quite know what to make of his statement, earning him a squint and a odd and curious look respectively. However, Sayori, ever the good sport, gave him a small chuckle. it was probably more because of his silly behavior than anything else. Meanwhile, Monika, by the virtue of who she was, was the only one who dealt him mental damage by lifting a single questioning eyebrow. Luckily, it was unset by the faint amused smile on her face.

"Well, who knows? Maybe your words hold some truth to them, or not. In any cases, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt since you seems fine now. Though I'll ask you to tell me if there's anything, alright? There's no need for you to force yourself if you feel unwell. As the president of the club, it's my responsability to make sure every members are comfortable and if they are well enough for participating in the activities or not, especially for a new member like you." The club president kindly but sternly told him.

Cal very nearly rolled his eyes at that. What was it with him being mothered by girls he just met today? Earlier it was Sayori, and now Monika? Truly, did he gave such a helpless and fragile image? Or was it just an expression of how the two girls inwardly wanted to take care of him?

Mmmmmmmmmmh... Indeed a possibility worthy of deep contemplation.

"I'll tell you if I think I can't go on, but right now, I'm alright." Cal let her have it in the end, trying to keep the wheel rolling and speak about something else than the consequences of fucking around and finding out.

Monika nodded, a small smile on her face. "That's all I'm asking." She clapped her hands lightly. "So now I'd like to ask you an important question Cal." She gazed at him. "Wha-"

"What kind of book do you read?" Another, deeper and smoother voice interupt Monika and ask in her stead.

Turning toward the culprit, Cal is met with Yuri, who seems totally oblivious, or even aware that she has quite rudely interrupted Monika. With none of the other girls showing any reaction to it either.

Throwing a quick look to the club president, and seeing her neutral expression on her otherwise cheerful face. Cal wince in his mind. And deciding that today was already alot, try to get things done with as quick as possible. As such, for the first time since he got here, he seeks the subtle pressure omnipresent in his mind and let it affect his tongue and mouth. Letting him utter after a few second of silence a quiet and half-joking. "Manga?"

As soon as the words left his lips, it was like the world itself 'got' streamlined. And nothing from then on deviated from the true script of the game as long as he let it go without intervention. Even whatever he did earlier by saying that he did like litterature had seemingly no influence on what the girls were saying. It left him feel like a puppet in his own body after a short while, and it disgusted him. That it almost made him fall straight into depression because of the 'lifelessness' of the girls. Then he remembered his interaction with Sayori before coming tk the club and endured it all.

For science! Kinda. And mostly because even his seemingly now insane mental fortitude was getting weary from everything that happened in the span of a couple hours.

Thus, the conversation went from Yuri speaking of her own preference in books and that she was currently liking horrors stories, to Natsuki and her writing about and liking cute things to him wanting to read what she wrote and her refusing because she wasn't confident in her writing and Yuri aggreeing with the sentiment, to finally Monika proposing the idea of everyone writing one poem at home to share it with the members of the clubs tomorrow. An idea that was agreed on by everyone in the end.

And thus came to an end his first evening in the litterature club.

Not that it meant he could finally relax though. As Sayori waited for him by the door of the club. "Cal, since we're both here already. Do you want to walk home together?" She asked quietly, almost nervously, the trepidation in her voice well concealed, but noticed by him nonetheless.

Ignoring the brief flash of umprompted memories provoqued by her words, Cal smiled. "Yeah, might as well." He lifted an eyebrow quizically at her. "Why even ask intp the first place. You think I wouldn't want to?"

Sayori averted her gaze, scratching her cheek as she chuckled sheepishly. "No?"

Rolling his eyes, he waved her over as he stepped outside. "Very convincing, now come on. I've done enough socialization for a year and now I just want my bed."

"..." Sayori fell into step besides him, a small genuine smile appearing briefly on her face before it vanished as she seems to have thought about something.

Most of the way back home was spent in silence as they walked, Sayori not talking as she looked lost deeply inside her own head. Which was simply not a thing that happened.

When they arrived before his home, Sayori gathered her courage and finally asked what was on her mind.

"So, what do you think of Natsuki, Yuri and Monika?"

Cal paused as he looked at his childhood friend. "I don't know them well enough yet, but they seems like good people at first glance. I can see why you love the club so much with them around."

Sayori beamed brightly, "Right? They're just great!" She nodded slowly at her own words.

"You're not going to regret joining the club, Cal. I'll make sure of it. See you tomorrow." She said and waved at him before turning toward her house, only to turn back right away to remind him. "Oh! And don't forget about writing a poem for the club!" With that, she rushed toward her house.

"Speak for yourself!" Cal cried back and shook his head as he saw her disappear inside her house. For an instant there, he had been tempted to invite her for a sleepover at his house, but thought otherwise as it would've been imprudent with his dubious hold of his current situation and mental sanity. That and he was afraid that, that too, would prpbably make the world explode.