Joining a Club and Getting a Cupcake

"Sa-Sayori...?" I asked, two sides of myself clashing with one another. One side reacting to the image of her suicide with abject horror and sadness while the other side was just surprised she was even in front of me.

Standing up, I put my hand on her shoulders, feeling them. They felt real. She was real. And blushing.

She averted her eyes, her cheeks flushing red, "You dummy, what do you think you're doing...?" she said this but she made no attempt to move away from my touch, so I was the one who took my hands off of her shoulders.

Sayori. Cinnamon roll Sayori. A character from a game. A really fucking sad game.

"Wait a minute! Don't think you can distract me away from what I came here to do!" she suddenly became ultra-energetic, looking up at me with a determined expression. That's when I remembered this morning. I'd promised to join her club. The Literature Club. "Come on!" she gave an enthused yell as she tugged on my arm.

Though as soon as I took a step to follow on instinct alone, my leg gave out from under me. Then the pain hit me. But I bit my lip and held in the groan trying to escape my throat.

"Hiro-kun? Are you okay?!" Sayori instantly stopped her pulling and squat down next to me. She went to reach for my leg that was admittedly broken but I looked up at her with a smiling face.

"I'm fine! My leg just fell asleep, that's all!" I covered with a, frankly, lame excuse but I saw an easy way to cover it up and take Sayori's mind off of it, "Plus, I really like the red and white striped panties you're wearing!" I said the most perverted thing I could think of because I know how Sayori would react.

...Huh. That's odd. Part of me doesn't even personally know her...but another side of me has grown up with her.

Hearing what I said, it took a few seconds for Sayori to compute what I'd said before she flushed completely red like a tomato, "Hiro-kun!" she gasped before using her skirt to cover that area of herself. She stood up and backed away like I was some sort of pervert - which I guess I was - and I used this time to activate the 100 Seals technique that was just sitting in my mind. Instantly, I felt my muscles get suppressed by my nervous system. Their rapid growth and inhuman strength being limited.

They'd be useful in the future if I figure out a way to emulate a Volund that can let me unseal my muscles without breaking my bones but until then, they'd be nothing but a liability that'd hurt me. So I wouldn't use them unless I needed a short burst of strength.

Once I'd activated the seal, I manipulated my muscles to hold the bones in my leg together. Incredibly painful...but surprisingly effective.

It already felt itchy...which meant I was already healing. Impressive healing speed, huh?

Standing up and placing my weight on my other foot - because I'm not a masochist - I smiled at Sayori, "Come on, Sayori, it was just a joke?" I tried to diffuse the situation, "I wasn't actually trying to look at your panties," I laughed at how stupid the whole situation was.

I'd died, transmigrated AND now I'm speaking to a character I'd only known from a game...but she was also someone my new identity had grown up with. The whole situation was a real clusterfuck--Oh shit, am I going into shock? Holy shit, I think I'm going into shock.

"Let's just go to the club, meanie," she pouted before turning away with a blush. Shaking my head, I just followed along as I went by on autopilot for the time being.

Even the pain in my leg faded despite it still being broken. Definitely in shock.

But I carried on. I couldn't exactly just ditch Sayori after I promised to go to the club--Oh. Wow. I really did merge with a new personality, didn't I? I mean, I wasn't a dick before but I'd still prioritize a broken leg over trying to not break a promise--Wait, that's normal behavior! What kind of weird protagonist personality have I merged with you fucking R.O.B!?

Mentally, as you can see, I was completely out of it. But as I got closer to where the club was - an empty classroom that was only occasionally used by the 3rd years of the school for lessons - I began to snap myself back into focus.

I'd been in shock before. Both the emotional kind and the physical kind. I'd nearly died a few times, obviously. But I'd also lost grandpa as well. My only parental figure and family, and I lost him. So, I've experienced the type of shock I'm undergoing right now. So, I knew that I should try to at least think my decisions through a bit more before I do them.

Seeing as I was here and my walking was miraculously not worsening my broken leg, which was still healing fine by the way, I decided to fulfill my promise to Sayori.

Besides, I'm definitely not gonna let Sayori down with the information I have right now from both the identity created for me and the knowledge I have from playing 'Doki Doki Literature Club'. It was odd for the aforementioned reasons of one part of me knowing her intimately and personally while the other only knows her as a game character. But at the same time, I do find myself sincerely caring deeply for her from both sides.

It's just an odd situation. Too hard to put into words.

But I'm also oddly okay with it. Maybe my new merged self is having a bigger effect than I first thought? Or is that the shock is making me think weird? Probably a bit of both.

Sayori hadn't spoken to me on the way over to the club as she was too busy giving me the stink eye but I just smiled back at her whenever she looked over and that seemed to soften her up again as by the time we were outside the door, she stopped me.

"Hiro-kun...you are gonna join, right?" she asked and I was stumped for a second.

Part of me wanted to say no because I had other things I wanted to do. Read some manga and then laze about on my computer. Another part of me wanted to help her and the others in the club. The other part of me wanted to do some exercise as well but that was besides the point at the moment.

I had so little information on what types of anime had been added to this world that this sort of commitment could really slow my progress...but at the same time, I knew that wasn't exactly the case. I had the genetics of five brilliant fighters. I had talent beyond talent. I could afford to be a bit selfish...a bit reckless. So, looking down at Sayori who was looked expectantly back up at me, I gave a smile before patting her head.

"Sure, I made a promise, didn't I?" I smiled as wide as I could. Both parts of me knowing that I didn't want what happened in that game to happen to Sayori here. The first part to stopping that is seeing if Monika has the same power over this world that she had over the game.

...I really hope she doesn't.

(A/N - She doesn't.)

Anyway, Sayori blushed a little further but again she didn't move away from my hand, so I enjoyed the feeling of her fluffy hair a little more before gesturing to the door behind her, "Shouldn't we enter then? We're already a little late," I gave a somewhat embarrassed chuckle knowing I was to blame for that last part.

But hey, I'd just been transmigrated and I am walking on a broken leg--so, cut me some slack, yeah?

Sayori's blush only furthered itself as she realized how much she was indulging herself in the head pat and she clicked turned around and got closer to the door before swinging it open. It was like she was never embarrassed to begin with. She switched moods so quickly...it was like she was used to doing that.

...God, how dense was the me who knew her? Disorganized, messy, somewhat lazy, lack of motivation to get up in the morning, incredibly good at hiding her emotions behind a smile*--Jesus Christ, what an idiot. So not only was I average, I was dense as well? Goddammit. Got a lot of ground to cover then.

(*A/N - I mean, this isn't the definite guidelines you should follow if you wanna know if you or someone else has depression but that's how it was for me after my parents divorced. A lack of motivation can sometimes be normal depending on your circumstances but if such a thing continues for more than a few weeks, you should consider booking an appointment with your doctor. It might seem a bit daunting or too far for a bit of motivation you're lacking but it's better to be safe than sorry, you know?)

Not that it mattered. I was determined to help her. And I'm fully aware depression isn't something you can just 'determination' away and it's not something that can be banished through the power of friendship or whatever. It's a serious thing. But even then, I'm still ready to help Sayori however I can.

...Not sure how I feel about that but whatever.

As soon as the door opened up, I entered the room after Sayori who cheerily spoke up, "Here's our new member~!" she presented me like I was some ultimate prize on a game show, but I ignored her more eccentric introduction and stepped passed her with a smile.

"Hello everyone. I'm Hiro Takagi, Sayori's friend and I'm looking forward to joining the club," I kept the introduction short and polite as my eyes scanned across the people inside the club.

It was almost surreal how familiar yet real they all looked.

The first to return my introduction was the tallest of the bunch. A girl with a timid demeanor but a pair of intelligent purple eyes stared at me before darting away and then back to me. The girl was obviously shy and didn't take well to new people but she was still trying her best. Admirable. I found myself smiling even wider as she introduced herself.

"My n-name is Yuri Murasakino*, it's a pleasure to meet you," she bowed in a showcase of her overly serious nature but even then she couldn't stop herself from nervously fidgeting with her long purple hair.

(*A/N - None of the girls in DDLC have surnames so I'm gonna have to fill in that myself. 'Murasakino' is literally the word for purple. I'm lazy like that, I guess.)

Quickly after she introduced herself, a short girl with bright pink hair spoke up with a somewhat harsh tone, "Jeez, Yuri, who do you're greeting? The Prime Minister?" she gave a scoff before stepping forward and giving me a glance up and down, "The name's Natsuki Ueda, welcome to the club, I guess," she said in a classic Tsundere fashion.

"Is Natsuki trying to act tough?! You're so cute, Natsuki!" Sayori blasted past me and picked the shorter girl up and just overall treating her like a plushie. This seemed to break down whatever act Natsuki was showing off in front of me.

"I'm not cute!" she yelled with a flushed face, making both Sayori and I laugh. She glared at me before shuffling out of Sayori's grasp. She gave the two of us the stink eye before she turned away and walked off somewhere. Though I did catch her whispering about whether or not she should give us any cupcakes. Sayori, her air-headed natured completely disappearing when it concerned food, heard what she said and quickly chased after her.

...Little glutton.

Yuri also wandered off after saying she was going to get some tea for us all. Which left me with one person.

Long brown hair tied in a pony tail with a large white bow and she also had two bangs that went down either side of her face. Piercing emerald green eyes and a small knowing smile that told me everything I needed to know.

She knew. Whoever put me here kept Monika aware of the game. Maybe even went as far as to take the Monika from my game specifically.

"...Monika," I greeted tersely because, after all, I don't know how she is mentally at the moment, "How are you?" I asked and she kept staring at me with that small smile that was getting a little creepy...until she broke out giggling.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry--I just could hold it in anymore!" she laughed, her face losing the creepy rigidity that made her look like a statue and breaking out in a full smile that was full of joy and didn't set off any danger sense in my head. Monika walked toward me, ignoring the attention she'd brought to herself by laughing, and jumped up and hugged me.

Sayori and Natsuki vocally voiced their confusion and I could feel the stunned stare of Yuri not too far away from us. But I ignored them and just gave her a hug back. Yep - she definitely remembers. Whatever R.O.B sent me here is either really kind or has a sick twisted way of doing things.

...Probably a bit of both. Twisted kindness? Sounds about right.

Either way, this was going to be hard to explain to Sayori who I could feel was staring a hole into my side...or would it?

Letting go of Monika who was quite a bit shorter than me - Sayori, Natsuki and Yuri all were. This body seemed to be about 6'1" while they were all at the 5'5" mark or below.

"It's been a while, huh?" I asked with a smile and Monika nodded with a very apparent joy in her eyes.

"Mhm! It really has been a while, hasn't it?" she questioned before shrugging, "Though it really doesn't matter, does it? We're in the same club now, after all," she continued with her joyful attitude but Sayori had come over after seeing the surprising display of intimacy between us. Usually an awkward thing to explain away, right? Well, it's still awkward now but I think I have a quick fix if my memories are right.

"You know Monika, Hiro?" Sayori dropped the '-kun' honorific from my name that she usually used at school to avoid, in her words, 'making us look too close' or something like that. Teenagers get easily embarrassed by intimate stuff, honestly, and Sayori's the same.

Turning to her, I nodded and gave a reassuring smile when I saw the slight sadness in her eyes, "Yeah, of course I do. She was my tutor for a while last year when my grades were falling. The only reason I got into this school was because of her. Ain't that right, Monika?" I turned to the brunette who didn't miss a bit and nodded with a smile.

I felt bad for lying...but what else was I supposed to do? Say she, Monika and the others were video game characters and Monika remembers that and how I was the player? Yeah, I'd rather not. In a perfect world, I wouldn't have to explain this because Monika wouldn't have thrown herself at me in the form of a hug. But she had, so there's no need to cry over spilled milk.

"Hmmm..." Sayori gave both of us the scrutinizing of a life time, her blue eyes scanning over us like some sort of super detective looking for clues but in the end she threw herself at Monika, "Thanks for helping Hiro pass his exams, Monika!" she yelled and the brunette just nodded and awkwardly hugged her back.

While this happened, I gave a smirk to Monika who only rolled her eyes at me. Meanwhile, Natsuki had brought over some cupcakes and Yuri brought over some tea on a tray for us.

It was exactly like the game. Each of the cupcakes were decorated to look like cats. They looked both delicious and cute...and I don't know what that says about me.

Mentally shrugging, I reached for a cupcake and I took one under the gaze of 'Master Chef' Natsuki who seemed to be watching in case I took more than one. There were only five, so I could see why. But instead of being offended by her caution...I found it cute. Like a small puppy growling or barking at you - it wasn't scary. In the end, I just ended up smiling at her and nodding my head in thanks.

Being the big (or rather small) softie she is, she instantly blushed and averted her eyes, saying something under her breath. I could quite catch it but I assume it was something a tsundere would say.

By this point, Sayori had stopped hugging Monika and quickly followed my lead and picked up a cupcake, though she had a more vocal reaction, "Uwaaah~! They're so cute, Natsuki!" she said while practically drooling with stars in her eyes. Natsuki saw this and only seemed to get more embarrassed.

Yuri quietly took one and so did Monika before she lifted the cupcake like she was making a toast.

"To our newest member, Hiro Takagi! Welcome!" she smilingly said and I gave a short bow in response to the welcome or whatever and quickly took a bite of the cupcake.

It was delicious. Honestly. It wasn't top-quality but for a casual baker it was well-above the norm.

The others seemed to agree with my opinion as they gave groans and moans of enjoyment as they ate the cupcakes. But once everyone went on to finish their cupcakes and each of us got a cup of tear, courtesy of Yuri, Monika sat down on one of the desks and looked to all of us.

"Now, how about I assign a fun assignment for us all to do over the weekend?"

And thus it begins.