Author's note: Thanks for all the support on this story so far guys, this feels great writing a large chapter based story again and having as much support for it already both here and on Ao3, really appreciate it you guys!

Yuri and Natsuki walked to the literature club very happily, Natsuki keeping a pretty firm grip on Yuri's hand the entire way. Not once however did Yuri point this out to her, afraid she'd end up letting go early as they walked down the school halls, nearing the literature club.

"So your parents really travel for that long huh?" Natsuki asks, stopping in front of the club's door.

Yuri nods, "Yes well, they work hard to give me a comfortable life, designing structures and buildings is far from light weight work. They um..." Yuri pauses and thinks, telling Natsuki too much may not be a good idea especially when they've just started to get along, "Well, I think it may be best if we leave it at that actually," she laughs awkwardly.

Natsuki snickers as she lets go of Yuri's hand, opening the door to the club, "Alright I guess, weirdo."

Natsuki walks in, cheerfully calling out to Monika and MC, Yuri sighs and looks down at her arm holding the container of sweets. Gently gripping her wrists, a burning sensation following with it, she shakes her head and tries to clear whatever thoughts she's suddenly having. Following Natsuki over to some of the tables and putting the cakes down, the two other club members coming over with the entire room already completely decorated?

"Hey, you guys are here!" Monika chimes happily, MC smiling with her as he comes from behind.

Yuri instantly locks onto Monika, the events from last night playing back to her, 'Monika's here, maybe... should I tell her what I saw? She's the club president after all...'

"Course we're here, why wouldn't we be?" Natsuki asks, MC coming over and starting to unlock the containers of sweets.

"Well, Sayori wasn't in any classes today and I didn't see Yuri during passing periods like I usually do, I figured you guys were staying home today or something," MC explains, about to go for a cupcake before Natsuki lightly slaps his hand, glaring at him not to take one.

"Sayori isn't here today?" Yuri asks, finding that rather odd as she usually messages the group chat when she'll be absent from the club.

Monika nods, helping Natsuki with unpacking the sweets the two girls made, "Apparently not, I'm not sure why either but this isn't the first time she's missed a day of school. I'm sure she's fine," despite her assurance, Yuri can already tell something's up with their club president.

There's no way that Monika of all people would ever just settle for "I'm sure she's fine" when everyone in the club knows Sayori gives a heads up whenever she'll be absent.

"By the way, why aren't you guys dressed in your uniforms?" MC asks, noticing they're not wearing the required clothes.

Natsuki sighs and crosses her arms, gesturing towards Natsuki, "This one decided that we should stay at her place and finish baking the cupcakes you asked for, Monika."

"Natsuki please that's unfair, besides you forgot to bake them yourself, I only reminded you," she replies calmly, Natsuki surprisingly enough just pouts and looks away embarrassed, not bothering to argue back!

"Ugh, whatever, you're lucky you aren't half bad at decorating..." she mutters under her breath.

Their president gave a quick chuckle at the two, "What?! You two were with each other and not arguing for once? Since when did that happen?"

Yuri and Natsuki both tint pint, looking away from each other, "While we may not get along often, I cannot deny that Natsuki is very... Um... S-Serious with her baking. We both agreed to put our differences aside just this once," she explains, MC coming over and sitting on a desk next to the two girls.

"Wait, what were you even doing at Yuri's house anyways Natsuki? I thought you said you didn't know where she even lived!" MC asks, Natsuki starts to fumble a bit as she has no idea what to say as an excuse to that.

"None of your business! Besides, Yuri lives in the same direction I do anyways so she was on the way..." the pinkette lies, Yuri just glad she came up with something on the spot.

Before Monika can comment on Natsuki dodging the question they hear the club door behind them slide open! Everyone turning around and about to greet Sayori, expecting it to be the bubbly young girl but seeing it's someone else entirely! A boy and a few others with him slowly peeking inside and looking around before he speaks up.

"Hey uh, is this the 'literature club'?" he asks, a couple of girls coming in with him and looking around.

Monika beams, excitement filling her instantly, were these people here to join her club?!

"Yes, this is the literature club!" the club president says cheerfully, the other members all deciding to leave this topic for another time as there's people actually here to check their club out.

The guy walks over with his group of three other friends, the four students saying that their club sounded interesting and wanted to see what it was about. Monika explained eagerly, telling them their normal activities, discussions, and general all round use of club time revolving around literatures. To everyone's delight, these other students all seemed like they felt pretty welcomed to the new club already! Coming around and saying hello to Natsuki, Yuri, and MC with a couple of them taking some of Natsuki's cupcakes. They even took some of the pamphlets that Monika had printed out the week previous and thanked Monika as they left.

What's even better about that is that it didn't stop there either! More and more people started to come into the room looking to check the club out for themselves. It got pretty crowded pretty quick, not suffocatingly so or anything but still more people in the room was all the girls were hoping for! This was especially good for Monika, the club president managing to sneak away while her friends were all distracted by the chaos of so many people coming in all at once.

Monika slipped out from the room, staying just outside of the club's door, fixing her hair and moving it out from her face as she takes out her phone. Unlocking it, she sighs and goes straight to Sayori's contact, their most previous message being from months ago as she's and Sayori just talk in the group chat together rather than in private. Monika can see the message she was about to send to Sayori still typed out, something the game did to "encourage" Sayori to go through with committing suicide.

Instantly, she deletes the message, trying to get rid of everything that has ever plagued Monika of her past actions to her friends before she starts to send the girl a whole new message.

Monika: Sayori? Hey where are you? Things are getting crazy at the club, people are finally coming by to look at the club! Are you feeling okay? It's not like you to skip school without telling someone!

To Monika's surprise, Sayori didn't take ages to message back as the girl sometimes takes hours to just open her messages, let alone reply.

Cinnamonroll: Yeah I sorta forgot to tell you guys, didn't feel well today. Glad the club's getting some attention <3!

Monika grunts, she knows Sayori's lying, it's obvious that she is without a doubt but what does she do? She can't just call her out, Sayori will just go silent and not reply as this has happened a couple times before. Maybe she could go to her place later on and-

"Monika?" Yuri calls softly from behind.

Monika gasps startled and turns around, Yuri approaching her and trying not to get in anyone's way as the club president huffs out relieved.

"Jeez Yuri, a little warning next time, please? You scared the hell outta me," she breathes, putting her phone away.

Yuri glances behind her, making sure that Natsuki and MC are distracted before turning back to Monika with a face of determination.

"Monika, I need to talk to you about something... Serious," Yuri says, her usual meek attitude nowhere to be seen.

"Oh, uh, well okay sure! What's wrong, is everything okay?" Monika asks, genuinely concerned.

Yuri clasps her hands together and takes a breath, first looking for the right words, "Last night, Natsuki came to my house. She asked to stay the night and well... We had something to eat and she fell asleep on the couch. I shouldn't have done this but I decided to make sure everything was okay with her," Yuri looks away and sighs, composing herself as she holds her side, mirroring the same place Natsuki was injured, "Monika... I saw Natsuki's ribs..."

Monika is taken aback, "I'm sorry what? See her ribs?" she repeats, confused at what Yuri means.

"As in she's starving, Monika!" she exclaims taking a step closer towards the club president, Yuri's eyes riddled with worry, "A-and on her side there was this horrid bruise as well! From her side down to the center of her chest, a-and it looked very recent, I didn't know what to do! She looked so hurt and broken, abused even! " she exclaims finding no other fitting way to describe what she's seen.

Monika stops Yuri and grabs her shoulders gently, "Yuri!" Monika calls, locking eyes with her, "Stop. Take a breath please," she asks.

Yuri complies and nods, trying her best to regain control, even starting to play with her hair as that always calms her down. Monika smiling happy that she seems at least a little bit calmer now.

"I'm sorry..." she mutters, realizing she was being frantic, "But Monika please, I-I need your help. I don't know what's going on with Natsuki, but she's so... so fragile looking! I-I was amazed that nothing was broken when I saw her chest," she admits not caring how appropriate it was to have pried into something Natsuki obviously didn't want anyone to know about.

Monika looks down and starts to think, 'Was it really that bad..? I suppose that could make sense why she's always so tired.'

Yuri impatiently waits, Monika deciding what to do carefully, "Okay, I'll at least talk to Natsuki later about this, ask her if she's been in any fights lately. However, Yuri I need you to stay calm about this okay? I can see you're concerned, but panicking won't do any good for you," she says, putting her hand on Yuri's shoulder with a reassuring look.

Yuri feels relieved and thankful to Monika, glad she knows someone willing to listen to her about such a serious claim.

"Th-Thank you, Monika. If I could help you in any way as well please tell me," she offers.

Monika bites her lip slightly, watching Yuri about to leave to help the others before Monika stops her.

"Actually Yuri," she calls, the violet haired girl turning back to her and stopping, "Can you come with me today to Sayori's house? I messaged her and well... I think something's up with her too," she admits, holding the helm of her skirt.

"O-of course, I'll gladly come to check on her with you! It's the least I can do," Yuri assures, her gratitude showing to Monika already.

Why was Yuri so concerned? Natsuki and her almost never got along with one another, what could've happened between the both of them in just a few days that Yuri suddenly cares about the pinkette so much?

Monika was about to ask but doesn't get the chance when that same pinkette pokes her head out, "There you both are! Get your asses back in here, they're eating us alive!" she snaps.

Grabbing Yuri by her hand and pulling her back towards the crowded clubroom leaving Monika outside. The club president notices a sudden dust of red on Yuri's face the second Natsuki grabbed her hand, Monika already getting a very good idea of what's really happening between the two. She crosses her arms and leans against the wall, smiling at the two girls and their growing feelings for one another while pondering what else she's done after messing with the code...

...

For the rest of the club time, all of the girls and MC talked with new coming people, explaining what the club was really like. Handing out plenty of cupcakes and pamphlets to people who were interested before they all left at the ring of the bell. Monika was especially happy, beaming with excitement that finally more people came to give her club a try. All of them celebrating with some of Natsuki and Yuri's cupcakes, Monika keeping a special eye on the other two girls and noticing Yuri slipping the pinkette whatever cupcakes she got for herself.

She still wasn't sure what was happening with the game's code to make both girls so friendly together all of a sudden, but Monika wasn't complaining. If anything she found this to be rather endearing and overall sweet despite whatever Yuri claims Natsuki's going through.

Monika and Yuri say goodbye as MC walks away, deciding he's beyond exhausted after so much action today and also worried for Sayori as well.

"Actually MC, me and Yuri were already going to check up on her later, we can give you a ride if you'd like," Monika says quickly, MC stopping and turning back as Natsuki stays close to Yuri.

"A ride?" Yuri repeats.

"Yup! I drive, usually I just walk here but I was running late so I took my car today," she explains, none of them knowing Monika could even drive.

"Well I suppose we can, I don't mind it at all-"

"I-I can't go..." Natsuki blurts out, Yuri looking down first at her with clear worry.

"Why not?" MC asks, Monika notices the look Yuri has as she keeps her eyes on Natsuki.

She sighs and crosses her arms, looking away with a pout, "My dad doesn't like me staying out after school, he's probably home now anyways and I wasn't home last night for him since he forgot to unlock the door."

'Unlock the door? Is that why she was at Yuri's place last night?' Monika wonders, shrugging at the pinkette instead however.

"Oh, well... Okay! Um, we can just go instead, Natsuki! If you want though I can drive you there-"

Natsuki puts her hand up stopping the club president, "No, really I'll walk, it's fine. Besides, Sayori needs you guys right now and anyways it's just getting late and I don't like being out at night okay?"

Before anyone can protest, Natsuki starts to leave, pulling away from Yuri who was holding her hand behind her back?! The club watches, unsure of what they should do or if they should try to stop the pinkette after her insistence.

"N-Natsuki!" Yuri calls, hesitating to follow and even reaching out towards her, clearly wanting to ask what was wrong before stopping, looking down.

Monika and MC watch, MC coming from behind the bookworm as Natsuki leaves through the school's gate with other students, "Uh... that was a bit weird," he says, getting Yuri's attention.

She looks over at MC and sighs, tinting pink, "Sorry I... I don't know what came over me just now," she mutters.

MC glances back at Monika, sharing a look of "you saw that too, right?" to which Monika nods at him. Both keeping their thoughts to themselves for now and assuring Yuri that Natsuki will be fine and they should probably start leaving now. All of them agreeing and walking to the student parking lot and getting into Monika's sky blue van that's surprisingly roomy inside. MC sits up front with Monika while Yuri sits in the back, looking down at her sleeves and touching her wrists, remembering what it felt like having Natsuki hold them.

Monika starts to drive and leaves the parking lot, Yuri trying to take her mind off of the pinkette who she misses already, "So what's wrong with Sayori that we're going to her home, Monika?"

Monika sighs as she stops at a light, "She messaged me back earlier and told me she's fine and forgot to message me to say she was going to stay home. I know Sayori enough to tell that's not true though." MC nods and relaxes into the chair to think.

"It's true, she's very talkative, for her to message back like that, somethings not right," he agrees, it makes sense since MC and Sayori have known one another the longest.

With everyone in agreement, Monika drives in silence the rest of the way to Sayori's home, pulling up in front of MC's house instead and looking over to Sayori's place.

All of her lights are off and things are strangely quiet, "That's odd," MC mutters, unbuckling himself as he gets out of the car.

"What is?" Yuri asks, struggling to walk out from the back seat.

"Her lights are all off right now and it's starting to get dark, Sayori hates the dark. She's had a fear of it ever since we were kids and has her house lit up pretty much all day the moment she gets home," he explains, Monika getting out and locking her car.

"Maybe she's not home at the moment," Yuri suggests, Monika coming around and walking up the house's main walkway.

"Doubt it, honestly..." Monika looks down, Yuri noticing a troubled expression from their club's president, "I think I have an idea what's really going on here."

Monika didn't want to believe it, but it's possible not all of the game's code was changed, she just hoped that wasn't the case for Sayori's files too. All three of them walk up to the front door, it's unlocked. Monika takes the door's knob, gently opening it and walking inside the dim and quiet house to look for Sayori...

...

Natsuki felt dread befall her the moment she had let Yuri's hand go, having already grown used to being touched so softly by someone else. She wanted to go with them all to check on Sayori, really she did, but she knew if she was late and her father wasn't drunk once more she'd be in for it. Not to mention he really is an officer, if her father wanted he could easily get a missing person's report out and charge her friends with kidnapping, or worse.

She wasn't going to risk it, her time with Yuri was the most fun she's ever had in her life, but she wouldn't dare put her friends in danger to meet her father's wrath as well. Looking down as she sulked, she had passed Yuri's house again a few minutes back and was so tempted to just wait for her to get home. Natsuki willing to beg Yuri to let her stay another night no matter how much of her dignity would be lost.

But she knew she couldn't do that without Yuri asking what was really going on... And she'd rather deal with her father's abuse again than ask for help from someone like Yuri. Especially when Natsuki knows she doesn't deserve anything Yuri has to offer her, she's lucky to have spent even just one day with someone so soft and sweet like her.

She stops at the door and doesn't even hesitate this time, her thoughts of her time with Yuri earlier distracting her enough that she forgets to feel the terror of this place. Opening the door and walking inside, surprised to see it's not locked but not surprised when the stench of beer and whisky hits her nose. Any normal person would have reared at the smell, it was worse than being in a bar, but Natsuki was far too used to this.

'Well at least he didn't lock me out again...' she thinks, closing the door quietly and peeking into the living room, her father's in there sat on the couch, his back to the pinkette with the TV on and some sort of sport playing in front of him.

The pinkette about to slip past, taking a single step and making no noise at all before her father's drunken tone breaks the TV's narrator, "Natsuki... You're home huh?"

Her heart sinks and Natsuki's blood goes cold, her hand holding the corner of the wall, needing something to grip and steady her nerves as her father looks behind him, his dull drunken gaze boring into Natsuki.

"Y-yes..." she mutters.

She watches her father get up, almost tripping on the coffee table in front of him, knocking over a ton of different beer bottles and one large half drank glass of whisky. Honestly, Natsuki's not sure how her father's even still conscious right now but she has more important things to worry about when he starts to approach her.

He stops a few feet away and looks down, squinting at his watch with his black greasy hair swaying in front of his eyes, "How disappointing... You're not late," he grumbles.

Natsuki feels very slight relief that's dashed when he stumbles towards her again, making her back away, her father gets closer and closer until she's backed against the wall behind her. The drunken man getting WAY too close, so much so that Natsuki could smell the insane amount of alcohol that he's drank tonight. Cornering the pinkette and looking down at her with slightly bloodshot droopy eyes.

"P-Papa?" she mutters, not sure what to say, knowing she might set her father off easily no matter how polite she tries to act.

He coughs but chuckles at the same time, Natsuki closing her eyes from his spit flying onto her face, "Y-Y'know... For such a pathetic little bitch," Natsuki gulps and turns her head when her father reaches up, brushing down the pinkette's bruised cheek with his knuckles as she quivers, "You look so much like her..."

Natsuki takes a glance at her father and holds the shirt Yuri gave her, wishing she was back with her, "L-like who-ack!!!" she cries out when her father grabs her face roughly.

"Your mother obviously," he grumbles darkly, slurring his words as he presses her head back against the wall, Natsuki almost starting to cry from how scared she is, "Even your voice sounds l-like her. It's pathetic that she left me because of you..." he suddenly lets her face go with a push backing away from her and looking at the shaken pinkette.

Natsuki keeps her eyes on her father, wanting to do something to at least prepare herself against whatever he plans to do. However to her surprise, he just walks away towards the living room, grabbing the half finished glass of whisky and downing it with loud sloppy sounding gulps. Throwing the glass behind him, shattering onto the floor with the ice mixing as well, her father wiping his face with his sleeve before looking back at the pinkette.

"She was one helluva woman... w-watched me drink myself stupid and... Augh, didn't complain. She joined me a few times even, we'd get wasssted together, eheh," he explains, looking down and grabbing one of the empty beers, "Then she found out t-that we were pregnant and... She stopped. 'No more parties' she said, 'not tonight, Will. I don't want to hurt the baby' when I asked her to drink with me again," he stops for a moment and looks at Natsuki, heaving now, "A-and ya know what? It only got worsh from there when you were born damnit, she started to spend less time with me! I had ta... T-Ta work more often, couldn't go out as much cause you wouldn't shut the fuck up!" he shouts, hunched and stumbling in her direction while speaking nonsense.

"Pa-Papa I-I-" Natsuki stops and ducks when her father throws the empty beer at her, shattering into the wall right next to her head, almost scratching her up from the shards.

"You changed her!!!" he shouts.

Hobbling over as Natsuki was about to start running, her father hooked the collar of her shirt, pulling her back and throwing her down onto the ground with all the glass. Some of the shards stab Natsuki and others barely prick her thanks to Yuri's much thicker clothes but still it hurt to get thrown down. Not able to even get onto her side or cover herself before her father is on top of her, sitting on her stomach and grabbing her neck. Tightly squeezing her throat and starting to choke the pinkette just enough to make it impossible to get any air.

"You!!! Y-you took my, mmf, beautiful wife away you little shit! My w-wife! She left me, she left me with you b-because you drove her away!" he shouts, Natsuki grabs her father's wrists and chokes out, a sharp pain in her head as she tries to gasp for air, "She left because of you!!! All you've ever done is r-ruin everything for me, t-taken everything from me!!!" he cries out, starting to sweat and heave above Natsuki as she kicks and struggles, her father starting to cry as he chokes her harder.

Things begin to go black for Natsuki as she stays there for what feels like an eternity in agony, her lungs burned and pleaded for precious air and her legs had given up on kicking. Only jolting with small sudden movements as she laid there, her father crushing her and keeping his grip on her tight. Would he let go after she passed out? Would he do more to her once she lost consciousness? Was... Was she going to die?

Natsuki thought about her life, her mother who really had looked a lot like how she is now, vaguely remembering how kind she was to Natsuki. Or how when her father came home early, happy to see his girlfriend and daughter, a normal family when she was younger. It had become abuse all too soon, her life painful and full of horror for the rest of her days all by her own father's hand. Maybe... Maybe this was for the best. Maybe it was good this was happening, as horrible a way to go as this, there'd be no more pain after this, no more hurt, just peace...

But what about her friends? What about the literature club? And Yuri?

Natsuki's slowly closing eyes suddenly widened for a moment, Yuri coming to mind and the last two days being the most alive she'd felt in her whole life. She wanted more... She wanted so so much more of that, even if she would have to fight an impossible battle, it was worth it.

Her grip on her father's wrists tightened, her tear filled eyes seeing her rage filled father above her, she growls at him, "S-sheeee... d-d-didn't leave you!!!" she wheezes out, her father's hands on her neck loosening a little bit, just enough for her to gasp in quickly and shout, "She's dead!!!" as loud as she could with her raspy voice speaking volume to her father.

He rears back in shock letting her throat go, his eyes going wide as if he couldn't believe his powerless daughter would say something like that to him!

"W-what... What did you say..?" he asks, almost as if daring for Natsuki to repeat herself.

The pinkette chokes and spits, gasping and holding her neck, her burning lungs filling with air as she says again, "M-Mom didn't leave you, Papa!!! S-She died!" she forces out still rubbing her neck.

Looking up at her father as he stands up, his hands are closed into fists and sweat is drenching the top of his suit as he looks down at her. He just looks blank suddenly, like his mind is only just processing this for the first time ever, slowly just walking away from Natsuki's coughing fit and back to the living room. Slumping down onto the couch, completely broken after what his daughter had just said.

Natsuki didn't stick around and scrambled to her feet, her throat burning and her head splitting as she runs upstairs quickly. Running past the bathroom and going straight to her bedroom, slamming her door shut and locking it...

Natsuki heaved and gasped, her heart beating rapidly as she held her neck, rubbing it, she's sweating a lot as well. Taking her shirt off so she won't ruin it, she turns her light off so it's darker, not that it matters since she has no windows anyways. She hobbles over to her bed, throwing herself onto it and clutching Yuri's racoon shirt to her completely bare chest. She felt terrified just now, she just fought back against her own father!

She should feel good about that, a sort of power at the least but no, she just feels... Empty. She's scared, alone, the only company she has being the shirt Yuri gave her that she refuses to let go of. Why couldn't she have just gone with Yuri? She should've just turned around and told Yuri what was really going on, that she didn't want to leave her. But instead she just suffered more, and after what she said to her father who knows how bad things would get for her now.

She tries not to think about it, looking down at the shirt, she turns around, her back facing the door as Natsuki hugs the shirt tightly. Think only about Yuri and how warm she is, burying her face in the borrowed shirt and starting to cry quietly to herself. Wishing she was back with Yuri and her friends right now, or really anywhere else away from here...