Work Text:
“Okay, everyone!”
The voice, usually the signal of the beginning of a new day for the Club, is riddled with panting, and much weaker than it usually is.
Monika, running a hand through her rain-soaked hair, drops her soggy bookbag behind her podium and looks up just in time to see Sayori scrambling into her seat.
The brunette at the front of the room pants softly; the previous run across the courtyard wasn’t a long one, but her squeals under the pelting of the cold rain had made her lose a lot of breath. Everyone else seems just as tuckered out.
Yuri and Natsuki seat a row behind Sayori, collapsing into desks specifically moved to be directly next to each other - “their” desks. They’re panting as well, but still finding time in between gasps to giggle like children at their own expense as, sitting in their seats, they press the sides of their heads to each others’ and catch their breath. They both have their arms resting in the same way on their respective desks, with one arm’s elbow propped up on the desk so that the hand may be clasping the other’s, and both’s second hand laying palm-down on the desk. Sayori is working on trying to smooth her hair out; hers is arguably the most messed up out of everyone’s, but she’s making do with what she has, even if it’s just her fingers.
Fighting back a giggle at the memory of the four girls sprinting through the courtyard under the rain, yelping either to be loud or just to be funny, Monika straightens her body posture and clears her throat, although it does nothing to stop the laugh that bubbles from her mouth the moment she tries to speak.
“I do hope everybody had their bags closed!” She says, a bit louder and airy than she intended, her eyes closing and a happy, humored smile capturing her lips. She scratches the back of her neck.
So comes the response from the other three girls; there’s a “mine’s good” from Sayori, a “yeah” from Natsuki, and a simple “mmhm” from Yuri, ever tired after the run she usually passes on taking.
“Sorry, again, guys.” Monika apologizes, being sure to lower her voice this time. “I didn’t know the janitor would lock the entryway to Hall B so early after school today. He usually doesn’t, so it kinda threw me off guard. Anyways… are we ready to begin?”
She opens her eyes again to meet the gaze of her clubmates, but only Sayori is staring. She responds with an eager, ever-cheery “yeah”, and Natsuki, behind her, nods her head simply while “sneaking” a kiss to Yuri’s cheek.
“Alright then. Pass your poems to one another and critique!” Monika responds.
Sayori opens her bag first, seemingly over-excited to share her writing with the other two girls. Yuri and Natsuki take their time leaning to the side in their chairs and digging through their respective bags, both giggling no longer but still wearing goofy, lovey-dovey smiles on their faces. They pull out their parchments, Yuri’s noticeably a paper or two thicker than Natsuki’s, and the first swap begins. Natsuki gets Yuri’s poem, Sayori gets Natsuki’s, and Yuri gets Sayori’s.
While the three are reviewing each others’ nightly works, Monika takes to looking to her left, out the window, at the courtyard that is soaked already but still being pelted. She takes note of how the rain makes her sleepy as time passes by. The sound of the three girls talking and the sound of papers being rustled about slowly blurs as Monika eventually winds up closing her eyes; she can’t fall asleep standing up, but she’s more than a little groggy by the time a voice stirs her out of her limbo.
“Monika?”
It’s Sayori, who has taken it upon herself to get up from her desk and stand on the opposite side of the podium. She stares at Monika with a curious glance that the brunette meets once she opens her eyes again; she even tilts her head a little, her drying bangs sliding down across her forehead at the movement.
“Are you sleepy?”
Recognizing the unprofessionalism that had to have come with nearly dozing off while managing her own club, Monika immediately straightens her posture, alertness swimming in her eyes again within the span of a split second. “Oh. No! Sorry, it’s just the rain. Did you all finish giving critique?”
“Mmhmm.” Sayori responds, nodding as well with the confirmation. “Hey, don’t worry about falling asleep… the two lovebirds in row three are well on their way.”
A defensive “I heard that” riddled with a joking tone prompts Monika to look past Sayori, seeing Yuri and Natsuki laying with the sides of their heads resting on their arms. Admittedly, Monika smiles at the sight; in terms of companionship, Yuri and Natsuki started on a pretty rocky road, and it feels nice to see them so close now. Not to mention, they’re a pretty cute couple. She remembers someone saying it was the “biggest plot twist of the year”, and a fainter smile graces her lips as she remembers the origin of the catchphrase she uses when addressing them.
“Hey, plot twist of the year! How are you guys?”
“Plot twist of the year! Good to see you two.”
Natsuki opens one eye to peek at Sayori the moment Monika looks, and then she closes the eye again, hiding salmon orbs behind tan and ever-droopy eyelids.
“Well, yeah, I was speaking kinda loud on purpose.” Sayori responds, giggling a little as she steps back and away from the podium. “Anyway, Monika… we’ve done all we needed to for the day… well, at least I think we have.”
“Hmm, you’re right.” Monika agrees, tapping her chin with a finger in an inquisitive manner. “That storm outside is still pretty bad… and my Mom won’t be coming to pick me up until four. So I know I’m definitely stuck here.”
She more or less was mumbling that to herself, but the ever-attentive Sayori caught it anyways.
“You could try and call her with my phone!” Sayori offers kindly, already reaching into her pocket to retrieve the device, regardless if it’s requested or not.
“No, no, it’ll be okay!” Monika replies quickly. “I can wait. It’s… admittedly, kinda cozy in here today. You can call your Mom though, and ask if she’ll come pick you up. I know you probably don’t want to stick around here longer than you need to on a Friday.”
“Actually… you’re right. It is kinda cozy in here. And I know the two lovebirds back there agree.” Sayori says, nodding her head back towards Yuri and Natsuki as she exaggerates the word “there”. “So… maybe I’ll just stick around… and wait until you guys are able to go home before I leave.”
The word “home”, as she hears it, makes the ever-uncontrollably-smiley Natsuki smile wider and give out a quiet “heh”. “Home” meant something different - something terrible - six months or so ago. Now, it just means a warm living room full of scented candles, a nice weighted blanket, a soft couch, a hot cup of tea, her beautiful girlfriend, and a True Crime doc on the t.v.
...Well, that’s more of a “ weekend at home” definition, but still.
“That’s fine with me.” Monika replies, resting her fidgety hands on the podium. "Well, given that, I guess we can all just… chill out."
"Ooh!" Sayori says, her eyes lighting up in childlike excitement at the idea of "chilling". "Yay! Thanks Moni!”
She runs back to her desk, digging through her bookbag and pulling out her laptop before taking her seat.
Monika waits moments more before stepping off her podium, taking her own seat at a desk a few spots across from Sayori. She knows it's just because of the rain outside, but she´s really, really tired, and it's getting harder to even keep her eyes open. She lays her chin on her arms and stares out the window, watching the rain pouring endlessly from the sky and impacting with the ground below.
When that grows boring and, admittedly, quite dismal, she turns her attention to see what her fellow club members are up to. Sayori's got her headphones in and is gently jamming out, and Yuri and Natsuki seat behind her, already asleep with their heads pushed close to one another.
She knows it's just because of the rain outside, but she's really, really emotional. A feeling of pride seizes her heart; it wasn't easy, but somehow she's done the one thing she wanted to this year. She's made a club, full of happiness and friendship and morality.
She's made a club that feels like a home.
Eventually, the rain pouring outside lulls the tired girl to sleep. She tucks her head down past her arms before she falls asleep, hiding her eyes from the light of the clubroom.
The last one left awake, Sayori eventually stops listening to music and settles for watching Youtube.
She realizes as she's looking around the room that this is the most at peace she's ever been in this room, and it isn't because everybody else is asleep. The aura radiating from the three sleeping girls just screams serenity, and Sayori sinks into it, never wanting anything to disturb it.
Besides enjoying it and listening to the rain, there's only one thing she can do forward - hope for more rainy days in the future.
And she does.