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Monika hummed, organizing the chairs that other students haphazardly pushed aside in their rush out the door, escaping the lectures and assignments for another afternoon and evening until the cycle repeated. She wasn't one to care about such rushes home. While nothing terrible, her home life didn't leave much to rush towards. A clean home, and often empty. Her mother and father cared, but that care meant long trips out of town to other cities and other countries.
'No, I don't need to think about them at this moment, think about them.' The president of the Literature Club smiled, thinking about the other members of the Literature Club. The initial thought of only having three other members worried her: Would the school allow them to stay together with only four people in a club? However, given how few resources were used for the club, the club was safe. She thought the club would continue to grow, but it never did. The club remained ignored by the populace of the school for other clubs. It remained the four of them.
And she was happy with that. The president wouldn't refuse other members, but with three students she'd gotten so close to, she didn't want anything to jeopardize the happiness she'd found.
Monika watched one of the classroom doors open and immediately noticed the pink hair of their "newest" member.
"Good afternoon Natsuki, how are you doing today?" Monika asked. Natsuki shrugged her shoulders, pink eyes looking at Monika's green,
"Eh, just a standard day for me. How about yourself?" Natsuki replied. Monika groaned,
"Oh, don't get me started. My mind is a bunch of derivatives at this moment. I need to unwind, and this," Monika motioned to the classroom,
"Is the perfect solution."
"I'd say being out of the school would be better, but hey, you do you," Natsuki said, going towards the room filled with her manga.
"And leave my girlfriend with you and Yuri swapping tongues? I don't think so." Monika said. Monika heard cluttering coming from the closet in response. Natsuki went out of the closet, manga in hand, and face flushed,
"I'll have you know that at least we haven't come in while you two were grabbing each other's tits like stress balls." Monika's face turned red at that moment. It was one of her favorite and least favorite moments. Sayori loved affection, and during their kissing sessions, Monika, during the daze, found herself cupping Sayori's breast. She apologized quickly to Sayori, but Sayori's response was only a shy giggle,
"Aw, why'd you stop? It felt...nice." Sayori's face was a soft smile, something only she'd seen from Yuri a couple of times. But Sayori in that position, one so vulnerable but so willing to let her in, she'd seen it before. Sayori poured her heart out to the Club President about her bad days and how some days she wanted to die. It ended with them embracing and Monika whispering comforting words to Sayori, tears falling down her face. They'd grown close that day, but Monika didn't realize how much she'd grown to care about Sayori. During days when the work became too much, Sayori was there to bring happiness to her day. She'd end up not thinking about what happened to make her down, but instead about her sunshine, the smile that filled her heart and one that she never wanted to disappear.
"Fair enough, Natsuki, but I'd like to believe that you'd hold your stress ball quite rough." Monika replied. Natsuki grew red and didn't bother replying, taking her seat with a huff and delving into her manga.
The pink-haired student was definitely one she didn't expect to enter her literature club and one she didn't enjoy. Yuri didn't appreciate her introduction, but she wasn't surprised that the two would end up together. Going after each other so often, she knew the two had different approaches to enjoying literature. Still, she also saw that despite the easy physical differences, they were similar in their passion for their style of literature.
Speaking of Yuri, the dark-haired student entered, clutching a book with one hand and a slip of paper in the other. Monika could see the hints of a smile painting her face. Yuri was a big ball of stress and anxiety. Monika had seen it for herself when she entered the room, face flushed, ready to dart out. Monika was glad she stayed. Yuri held a knowledge of literature that surpassed her own, something she was initially jealous of, but she found that she was learning in a way that didn't stress her out. At the very least, she could explore different genres and discover authors she'd never considered reading.
Yuri moved to where Natsuki was sitting and gently laid the paper down next to her manga. Yuri then pulled the chair next to Natsuki and sat down, opening her book, which she described as, "Not as dark as it looks, it actually has a lot of bright moments for the protagonist to show that the world isn't that bad." Initially, the pink-haired girl continued reading her manga. However, Monika could see her mind racing with what could be written. With a huff, she saw Natsuki open the paper. The pink-haired girl's face grew to have a smile.
"I'd love to, Yuri, you big dope." Natsuki rested her head on Yuri's shoulder, nuzzling into her blazer. Yuri's face flushed, but Yuri's smile confirmed that she didn't mind it,
"I'm glad to hear, N-Natsuki. I'm sure we'll have a great time." Yuri said. Monika rolled her eyes at the two. No matter how much Natsuki will deny it, they're so sappy.
"Aww, aren't they cute?" Sayori squealed, finally entering. Monika's eyes lit up when she saw her girlfriend. Her bright blue eyes always seemed to twinkle, either in tears or in happiness; they never stopped shining.
"I'M NOT CUTE!" Natsuki yelled.
"There it is." Monika quipped.
"Ugh, fine, we're cute, whatever, cuter than you two lovebirds," Natsuki replied, relenting. Yuri was smiling, pretending she was still reading but obviously invested in the situation. Sayori grabbed at her heart,
"How could you say such a thing? Didn't you see the picture that we sent of our hands shaping a heart? That's about as cute as cute can get." Sayori responded. Oh, that picture. She'd never done anything like it before because it was her first relationship, but Sayori said she'd seen it on social media, and they should do it because,
"It symbolizes the two of creating a whole heart, you complete me, and I complete you," Monika remembered Sayori's demeanor dropping,
"Unless..." Monika interrupted with a kiss, spelling away all the negative thoughts trying to invade Sayori's mind. The picture began a growing collection of images that the two have been collecting of each other. Small snippets of their growing relationship.
Monika clapped her hands together.
"Alright, everyone! We're all here now, so let us begin." The four of them congregated, four chairs creating a small, tight-knit circle. Monika, for only a moment, took in the sight of the other three. What started as an escape became a club that brought her unexpected happiness. Seeing three others who had so much hanging over them had grown into good friends, with one, her love beyond her wildest dreams. All three of them, smiling, laughing, holding their poems, Monika looked at her own:
Full
It used to be empty
But now it's full
My stomach
Starving for purpose
Now it's full
My mind
Full of useless knowledge
Full of stress
Begging for release
But then I found friends
Friends that created memories
Now it's full
My heart
Alone
Going through the motions
Then someone filled it
Even with occasional rainclouds, she's sunshine
Now it's full
The Literature Club
Once empty
Now it's full
She was happy she lived in this reality.