Work Text:
Natsuki noticed it on a Tuesday, Not the rain tapping against the classroom windows or the fact that Sayori had somehow managed to trip over absolutely nothing for the third time that week, Yuri was disappearing, Not physically. Not at first, It first started with little things, Yuri forgot what page she was on while reading, Yuri repeated herself during discussions, Yuri would stop speaking halfway through a sentence, staring at the desk as like she'd misplaced the rest of her thoughts somewhere, The first time it happened, everyone laughed it off, The fifth time, nobody did.
"Yuri?" Sayori asked carefully.
Yuri blinked.
"Ah, Sorry."
Her smile was polite, Too polite.
Like she'd practiced it beforehand over and over again, Natsuki was the only one to notice something happened with Yuri that wasn't normal, Yuri noticed the look and immediately glanced away.
"I'm fine."
"You literally just introduced yourself to me again."
"...Did I?"
The room fell quiet, Yuri laughed softly, It sounded wrong somehow, Like hearing someone speak for Yuri instead of the person themselves, Monika closed her notebook.
"I'm sure she's just stressed."
Yuri looked toward Monika, For a moment, her expression became unreadable, Then she smiled again.
"Yes."
A pause.
"Shes definitely just stressed."
After the meeting ends or something bro idk.
After the meeting ended, Natsuki found Yuri in the hallway standing in front of the shoe lockers, Not opening hers, Just staring.
"Earth to yurii, hello?."
Yuri jumped.
"Oh- Natsuki."
"Your shoes are over there."
"...Right."
She walked to them, Stopped, Turned around.
"Which pair are mine?"
Natsuki very so not silently judged her.
"...Youre joking."
Yuri didnt answer.
For the first time since joining the club, Natsuki saw fear in Yuri's eyes, Real fear, Not embarrassment, Not anxiety, But fear, Natsuki grabbed her arm and led her to the correct locker, Yuri whispered a quiet thank you, Neither of them mentioned it again.
-Time skip again😛
Things got worse, Yuri forgot books she had owned for years, Forgot poems she had written, Forgot conversations that happened hours earlier, Sometimes she would suddenly stop and stare at Monika during club meetings with an expression Natsuki couldn't understand, Like recognition, Like accusation, Like begging, Monika always smiled back, The same smile every time perfect, Unchanging and too perfect.
-Another time skip 🥹✌
"Natsuki youre staring."
Natsuki nearly dropped her manga that isn't literature according to yuri, Yuri sat beside her beneath the tree behind the school.
"I wasn't staring."
"But you were."
"I was observing."
Yuri laughed quietly.
"That's just a smarter word for staring."
Natsuki rolled her eyes.
"Hmph of course you would know."
The wind moved through the trees leaves overhead, for a while neither of them spoke, Yuri broke the silence first.
"Natsuki?"
"What?"
"If you forgot someone..."
Natsuki looked up.
"...Would they still exist?"
"What kind of question is that?"
Yuri looked down at her hands.
"I don't know."
The answer came out almost as a whisper.
"I just wanted to know."
Natsuki closed her manga.
"Obviously they would."
Yuri looked at her.
"People don't disappear just because someone forgets them."
"...Really?"
"Yeah."
Yuri smiled, A real smile this time, Small and..fragile.
"That's comforting."
-Time skipp
Three days later Yuri forgot Natsuki's favorite cupcake flavor, Natsuki almost laughed, Yuri had remembered that ridiculous argument from months.
"You hate chocolate frosting because it's apparently "too predictable,""
Yuri used to tease.
Now she stared apologetically.
"I'm sorry."
Natsuki forced a shrug.
"No big deal."
But it was, Because the next day Yuri forgot where she sat in the clubroom, And the day after that she forgot the ending of her favorite novel.
And the day after that-
"Natsuki."
She looked up, Yuri stood in the empty classroom after school, Everyone else had gone home, Yuri looked terrified.
"I think something is happening to me."
Natsuki's chest tighted or however the fuck you spell it.
"What do you mean by that?"
Yuri hesitated.
Then-
"I hear things sometimes."
"...Things?"
"Like typing."
Natsuki blinked.
"What?"
"Typing."
Yuri looked toward the classroom door.
"Like someone is writing me."
The room suddenly felt colder.
"I know that sounds ridiculous."
"N-No, I just-"
"Sometimes I know what I'm about to say before I say it."
Her hands trembled.
"Sometimes I feel things disappear."
"What things?"
Yuri looked at her.
"Pieces of me."
-Time skip aahha angst my beloved
Natsuki didn't sleep that night.
-
The next week, Yuri stopped bringing books, That scared Natsuki more than anything else, Books were Yuri, Books were her comfort and safety and familiarity, Without them she looked unfinished somehow like she was..Lost.
-
Monika found Natsuki after the club meeting ended.
"Can we talk?"
Natsuki crossed her arms.
"What about?"
"Yuri."
Immediately her attention shifted to Just Monika.
"What about her?"
Monika looked out the window.
"Sometimes people change."
"That's not changing."
"No?"
"No."
Natsuki's voice rose.
"She forgets things every day! She looks exhausted all the time and she acts like she's scared of her own shadow!"
Monika remained quiet.
"You're president."
Natsuki stepped closer.
"Do something."
Monika looked at her.
For the first time, she didn't smile.
"I can't stop this."
"What does that even mean?"
Monika looked away.
"...Nothing."
-
The confession happened accidentally, Of course it did, It was raining, The clubroom windows rattled from the wind, The rest of the club had already left, Only Natsuki and Yuri remained.
Yuri stared out the window.
"I used to know what rain smelled like."
Natsuki frowned.
"What?"
"I know that sounds strange."
Yuri laughed weakly.
"But I can't remember anymore."
Natsuki didn't know what to say as Yuri countinued.
"I think I'm disappearing."
"Stop saying that."
"I am."
"You're not!"
Yuri looked at her, For a moment, she looked older than she ever had before.
"Telling me I'm not won't stop it."
Silence.
Then-
"I'm scared."
The words shattered something inside Natsuki, Because Yuri never asked for help, Never, this purple haired freak used to do stuff her own without asking for help.
Natsuki looked away.
"I don't know what to do."
"I know."
"I hate that I don't know what to do."
Yuri smiled sadly.
"I know that too."
Rain hit the windows harder somehow.
And somehow, Natsuki said it.
"I don't want you to go."
Yuri froze.
Natsuki looked horrified at herself.
"I mean-"
"You don't have to take it back."
The room became very quiet.
Yuri stepped closer.
"Natsuki..."
"I like having you here."
Her voice cracked not freaky kind guys.
"I like arguing with you and your stupid books and your stupid tea and your stupid messy handwriting and-"
Yuri laughed.
A real laugh.
"I know."
Natsuki looked up.
Yuri's eyes were shining.
"I like you too."
For one impossible moment—
Everything felt normal.
-
The next day Yuri didn't come to school, Or the next, Or the next.
-
When she finally returned, she looked pale, Tired, Like she hadn't slept in weeks, Natsuki almost hugged her, Instead she shoved a cupcake into her hands.
"You missed club."
Yuri smiled faintly.
"Sorry."
"You owe me three arguments and two book recommendations."
"Only two?"
"Don't push it."
Yuri laughed quietly.
Then stopped.
"...Natsuki?"
"Yeah?"
"If I disappear..."
Natsuki immediately glared.
"You're not disappearing."
"...If I do."
Silence.
Yuri looked down.
"Will you remember me?"
Natsuki answered instantly.
"Obviously."
Yuri closed her eyes.
"...Good make sure not to slowly forget my face."
-
The final meeting felt wrong from the beginning, Sayori was unusually quiet, Monika barely spoke, Yuri kept looking toward the front of the room, Toward Monika, Just Monika, Toward the computer that wasn't there, Toward something only she could see, Finally she stood.
"Natsuki."
Her voice shook.
"Can we talk outside?"
-
The hallway was empty, Sunlight spilled through the windows, Yuri looked at her for a long time, As like shes memorizing her.
"Natsuki."
"What is it?"
Yuri smiled sadly.
"I know what's happening now."
Natsuki felt her stomach drop.
"What?"
"I'm being deleted."
The words sounded absurd.
Impossible.
Yet somehow-
Somehow..
Natsuki believed her.
"No."
Yuri laughed softly.
"I know who is doing it."
Natsuki's eyes widened.
"Monika?"
Yuri didn't answer.
She didn't need to.
"No."
Natsuki shook her head.
"No, no, no-"
"It's alright."
"It isn't!"
Yuri looked toward the clubroom door.
"I don't think she hates me."
"That doesn't make it better!"
"No."
A pause.
"It doesn't."
Yuri looked back at her.
"I think she just decided I wasn't part of the story anymore."
Natsuki's vision blurred.
"Then we will leave."
Yuri blinked.
"What?"
"We'll leave the club."
"Natsuki-"
"We'll go somewhere else!"
Her voice cracked.
"We'll read books somewhere else and argue somewhere else and you can recommend boring novels somewhere else-"
Yuri smiled.
A beautiful, heartbreaking smile.
"Natsuki."
"No."
"Natsuki."
"No."
Yuri stepped closer.
For once, she wasn't the one trembling.
"If love could keep people here..."
She swallowed.
"...I think I would have stayed forever."
Natsuki stopped breathing.
Yuri reached for her hand.
Her fingers felt cold.
"So I need you to do something difficult."
Natsuki shook her head immediately.
"No."
"Remember me."
Tears finally spilled down Natsuki's face.
"Yuri-"
"Remember that I was here."
Her voice grew quieter.
"Remember that I loved books, Remember that I loved tea, And remember that, for a little while..."
She smiled through tears.
"...I was loved back."
Natsuki couldn't speak, Couldn't breathe, Couldn't think, Yuri looked at her one last time.
"Thank you for being my favorite chapter."
The hallway fell silent, The sunlight remained exactly the same, The school remained exactly the same, Somewhere in the distance, students laughed, A classroom door closed, Life continued, And Yuri was gone.
-
Nobody mentioned her afterward, That was the worst part well to Natsuki it was, Sayori looked confused whenever Natsuki brought her up, Monika only lowered her eyes, Teachers never questioned the empty desk, The class list changed, The photographs changed, The library records changed, It was as though the world itself had corrected an error, As though Yuri had never existed at all.
-
Except for one thing, One book remained in the clubroom, An old novel resting neatly next to the window, No name written inside, No owner, No explanation, Just a pressed lavender flower between the pages, Natsuki picked it up carefully, Opened to the marked page, A sentence had been underlined in fading ink.
"Stories only end for the people who stop remembering them."
Natsuki stared at the words until they slowly blurred, Then she closed the book against her chest.
-
Years later, she still visited libraries, Still bought novels she'd never normally read, Still learned how to make tea properly despite insisting she hated it, Sometimes she would catch herself turning to make a sarcastic comment to someone who wasn't there, Sometimes she'd see purple hair in a crowd and her heart would stop for half a second ,Sometimes she dreamed of a clubroom filled with sunlight, Four girls laughing, Pages turning, A story that got to continue.
-
Yuri existed in exactly one place now, Not in photographs, Not in school records, Not in memories shared by friends, Only here, In the space between pages, In secondhand bookstores, In the scent of tea leaves, In unfinished conversations, In stories, And in Natsuki, Who remembered, Who refused not to, Who carried an entire person alone because someone had to, Because love, even doomed love, still leaves something behind, Even after the story decides it is over, Even after the last page turns, Even after the character disappears.
Someone remembers.
Someone always remembers.