Monika slowly crept inside Sayori's place of residence, MC and Yuri following her as they slowly looked around the place. It's like any other normal home but it's a little eerie, it reminds Yuri of any classic horror scenario walking into an almost completely silent and empty house before something terrible occurs.

"I bet she's upstairs," MC says, "That's where her room is."

Monika acknowledges MC and goes straight for the stairs, Yuri and MC following once more and trying to be silent as they reach the top of the stairs. Sayori's bedroom at the end of a hallway, Yuri has an urge to reach down into her bag and grab the knife she keeps on her at all times. Despite knowing there's nothing to be afraid of she can't help but think of something threatening waiting for them all.

Monika sighs and stops at the bedroom door, closing her eyes and taking a moment to herself, her hand resting on the door knob while the others watch, waiting.

'Please... Out of everything I've done please don't let this have been left in the game,' she thinks, pleading to herself everything will be okay.

She opens the door gently...

...

Monika kept her eyes shut as she opened the door and walked in, the other two didn't make a sound or give any reaction. Monika opened one eye slightly and saw Sayori... not hung up on the ceiling fan like she was expecting.

Instead the young girl was on her bed, sat up and against the corner of her bed, Sayori hugging a massive and adorable cow plushie against her. Her eyes were closed as she laid her head against the stuffie, music playing from her PC across the room that sounds very peaceful and soft.

Monika felt her heart drop in relief, trying to remain composed and unaffected from the way her heart had been racing the whole time she was driving here.

'Thank god she's okay,' she thinks to herself, Yuri and MC looking at Sayori who seems asleep but notices she's actually crying to herself quietly.

Yuri takes her hand away from her bag, MC slumping as he walks past Monika and sits down on the edge of the peach haired girl's bed.

"Sayori?" he calls, Sayori jolting startled with her eyes shooting open and looking straight at her childhood best friend.

Her eyes are reddish and a little puffy making it clear to everyone in the room she had been crying for awhile now and taking refuge in the safest place she knows.

"M-MC?!" Sayori gasps, wiping her eyes and nose quickly, hiding behind the stuffed cow more, "W-what are you-" she's silenced when MC moves past the giant stuffed animal and pulls her into a pretty awkward hug.

Holding his best friend while Monika and Yuri watch, Sayori finally noticing they're in her room too, clearly worried. Monika especially looks like she wants to say something but doesn't think she can find the words to.

"W-What are you guys doing here?" Sayori asks, hugging her best friend back, burying her eyes against his neck.

"Monika wanted to come here, she said that your text didn't sound... like you," Yuri explains.

Sayori keeps herself buried in MC's neck, waiting and trying to stay calm before breaking down against her friend, looking up at Monika who looks... guilty. Refusing to look at Sayori and rubbing her arm, not believing she deserves any thanks or recognition.

"M-Monika? Y-You really c-came here to check on me?" Sayori chokes out, crying as MC rubs her back comforting her.

Monika takes a breath and nods at her, "Yeah, I did, you always tell us when you can't go to school after all. I knew something was off so we came here," she explains, feeling exceedingly uncomfortable being in the spotlight.

Sayori goes back to her weeping, hugging MC again as Yuri approaches the bed sitting on it as well.

"Sayori? What's wrong, whatever it is we're here for you, you know we are!" Yuri says, raising her voice, reaching out to the weeping girl who gladly holds her hand.

Monika just watches and waits, all of them listening to their most innocent friend cry as she's comforted by MC and Yuri. Eventually she does calm down however, sniffling as MC sits next to her and Yuri waits patiently.

"I just... I don't know what to do anymore," she mutters, hugging her legs to her chest, "Everything seems so full of rain clouds, I-I feel so alone and... I'm not okay..." she admits, keeping her head against her curled up legs, "I-I can't keep pretending anymore, I want to be happy again! I want these rain clouds to go away already..." she whimpers, her voice low and tired.

MC sighs at her, wrapping an arm behind her and pulling her against him again, "Sayori... Why didn't you tell us this before?"

Sayori hiccups and wipes her eyes again, on the verge of breaking down again already, "I-I didn't want to worry any of you, you shouldn't have to p-put up with my antics-"

"Sayori!" Yuri snaps, startling everyone around her, "Your emotions and feelings are not "antics", they matter! Everyone deserves to be happy and you are no exception-" Yuri steps closer, her brow furrowing.

"You shouldn't force yourself to hide them away, no matter how scared you are. You're our friend. We all care so much about you!" The usually soft spoken Yuri scolds, Sayori astonished at her sudden change in tone.

"Yuri's right, Sayori," Monika spoke up, standing at the foot of Sayori's bed, "Out of any of us here, you should be the last person suffering alone... Just tell us how we can help, please?"

Yuri, MC, and Monika's eyes are all locked on their troubled friend, waiting for her answer, her lips starting to quiver.

"Stay... S-Stay with me, I feel so much safer with you all," MC smiles at her and pulls her close, Sayori resting her head on his shoulder.

"Well, why don't I stay the night then, it'll be just like when we were kids," he laughs, Sayori looking up at him as Yuri passes him a tissue so he can wipe her nose, "Remember? We used to stay up late together and watch horror movies or old animes like Sailor Moon?"

Sayori cracks a smile and sniffles, giving a soft chuckle, "E-eheh, yeah... We'd stay up so late that only mom's breakfast would persuade us out of our beds!" Sayori chimes, smiling more at the thought.

Yuri hums and stands up, grabbing her bag, "I suppose it's been decided then, how about we order something to eat then? If we're going to spend the night here we should have dinner now," Yuri recommends.

"W-what? You mean you're staying too, Yuri!?" Sayori exclaims, shocked.

"Well of course, Sayori. We can't just leave you after what you told us," Monika chimes in, backing Yuri up and her insistence to stay with her for the night.

Sayori almost feels like crying again, she's always wanted a slumber party with her club mates but none of them were ever free to come over for one.

"I'll go ahead and order a pizza then," MC reaches down, grabbing his phone to search for the nearest pizza place, "How about you girls go downstairs in the meantime so we can get a movie going?" he suggests, Sayori thrilled as she scoots off her bed and grabs Monika's hand?!

"Yeah, pizza! C'mon Monika let's go find you and Yuri some sleeping bags!" she exclaims, her demeanor brightening quickly making everyone smile at this.

Monika doesn't argue and allows the cinnamoroll to pull her away from the group, Yuri glancing at MC who sighs relieved and starts to call the nearest pizza place.

"This was... unexpected," she mutters, MC sighing at her in response.

"I know, I never would've thought Sayori was hurting so much. But as long as she stays open with us, I think she'll be okay," he says, clearly bothered and knowing it's going to take more than this to help Sayori but still trying to stay positive.

"Hmhm, quite the optimist aren't you, MC? Though, perhaps you have a point, I'm sure she'll appreciate having us all to confide in after being so alone," she mutters, MC nodding at her just as someone picks up the phone on the other end.

Yuri sits down next to him and waits for MC to finish ordering, already thinking about taking a slice or two home with her to later give to Natsuki at school...

Monika helped Sayori look for two other sleeping bags in her downstairs closet, the eager girl absolutely radiating with joy and seeming so much more energetic after letting her feelings out earlier. Monika tries to smile with her and enjoy her change of mood but still, she can't help but feel uncomfortable being this close to Sayori. How could she when she's treated her the worst out of the other girls-

"Monika?" Sayori calls, snapping Monika out of her thoughts, "Hey, you okay? You're spacing out a lot right now."

Monika quickly refocuses almost effortlessly and nods, "Y-Yeah! I'm sorry just, I'm still processing everything right now is all. I was really afraid something horrible happened to you honestly, Sayori..." she admits, Sayori turning away and searching through her closet for the sleeping bags.

"I'm sorry, I can't believe you actually came to my house though..." Sayori nearly falls when she yanks the sleeping bags out from the back of the closet, Monika half attempting to catch her just in case.

"You don't have to apologize Sayori, but of course I came to check on you! What club president would I be if I didn't give you the help you need? Much less your friend..."

Sayori turns back to Monika, looking up at her very obviously still in shock after hearing how much her friends care about her, how much Monika cares about her.

The peach haired girl drops the bags and just grabs at her friend, pulling her in and holding the club president tightly, her face directly against Monika's chest catching her off guard.

"I-I don't really know what to say..." she mutters, her voice sounding broken again just like it had back in her room when she was crying, "I thought you all didn't care about me, that was kinda silly I guess wasn't it?"

Monika looks down at her, her arms in the air wanting to hug her back but not daring to touch her back. She couldn't after what she had done to her before, no matter if those actions had been erased she still made Sayori kill herself multiple times. She used her, the sweetest person she'd ever known, just to get with some random stranger who deleted her without second thought.

"Kinda silly? More like ridiculous," she chuckles forcibly, "I get it though Sayori, just no more lies okay? Be open with us all, Yuri said it best about not hiding your emotions after all."

Sayori nuzzles Monika's chest and hugs her tighter, "O-Okay, I'll try," she sniffles, "T-Thank you Monika, you're such a good person."

Monika's eyes go wide and dilate, 'Stop it... Stop lying to me damn it, d-don't touch me like that, I-I don't deserve it!' she thinks. About to push Sayori away by force only for her to let the club president go on her own.

She wipes her nose again and smiles weakly at Monika, only able to return the smile with an uneasy stare not sure what to do. Thankfully, she tries to bounce back quickly, clearing her throat and fixing her collar to occupy herself.

"As sweet as ever, Sayori," she says laughing awkwardly, "Thank you though that's really nice, how about we go back upstairs now though? I bet Yuri and MC are wondering where we are," she suggests, Sayori grabbing both sleeping bags in response.

"Ah! That's right, the others! Oh, I hope MC remembers to get pepperoni!" she exclaims, clumsily rushing past Monika and up the stairs, both sleeping bags in arms leaving Monika alone.

The club president feels off balance, looking for the bathroom with her legs faltering every so often until she finally finds it, locking herself inside. Her heart is racing for all the wrong reasons, Monika clutching over it as she leans against the door panting and scared. Why? Of all the people that the code couldn't have changed, why did it have to be Sayori?! Not only that but Monika can't change any of this either as she purposefully locked herself out from the main games character files including her own.

What does she do? She's trying to change and be better but there's no way she could face Sayori anymore, but she's made it clear that she's grateful towards Monika for coming to check on her. It felt good being appreciated like that no matter how little Monika deserved it, and the way Sayori snuggled against her...

"S-She felt so... so warm, I've not felt anything like that before," she mutters, letting her shirt go as she starts to calm down at least a little bit.

"Monika?!" Yuri's voice calls out, "Are you okay in there?"

Monika jumps and gets away from the door, going to the sink and turning on the faucet, "Y-Yes! Yes I'm fine, was just spacing out!" she calls back, cupping her hands and splashing some water into her face to clear her head.

"Okay, s-sorry I was just worried, MC ordered a Pizza, they'll be here soon a-and we're going to watch a movie!" Monika grabs a towel, drying her face and leaning against the sink.

Taking a deep shuddery breath, hanging her head, "Okay, sounds good..." she mutters, Yuri already having left anyways as Monika stares down at her hands, not sure what she should be feeling right now...

Monika eventually left the bathroom and she actually did feel a lot better after getting some time to think, all of the others already getting Sayori's game console set up to play while they waited for the pizza.

Yuri hummed as she sat on the couch again reading a book like she usually does, Monika sitting down next to her while MC and Sayori raced each other in Mario Kart.

"I'm gonna win MC!" she announces, sitting in a pretzel shape and constantly rocking the controller back and forth as if it'll help her in the race.

"I play this game almost religiously you little brat, no way am I gonna lose!" he fires back, both of them with the biggest competitive smiles on.

Monika laughs softly through her lips, glad Sayori's already having such a good time together, although that does make her wonder about Yuri now. Turning towards the bookworm who's engulfed in her story, lightly tapping her shoulder to get her attention.

"Hey, Yuri?" she calls, Yuri looking up from her book, "So what's been going on with you and Natsuki?"

Yuri just stares for a few seconds, raising a brow, "What do you mean, Monika?" she asks, not closing her book just yet.

Monika shrugs and crosses her arms, "Oh nothing, you just seemed to have enjoyed her company is all. Honestly, I was pretty shocked to hear you let Natsuki stay with you for the night too so I'm curious," she admits.

Sayori spins around faster than you could blink, "WHAT!?!" she exclaims startling Yuri who's starting to blush a little.

"Ha! Yeah, I win!" MC announces, crossing the finish line while Sayori accidentally drove into a wall from getting distracted.

"Natsuki was at your house, Yuri?!" she asks, not caring that she just lost.

"U-Um... yes, she was," she starts to get nervous, hiding half of her face behind her book.

"Alone?!"

Yuri screams internally, of course out of everyone to find out about this it had to be Sayori, "Y-Yes, alone but it was just a favor!" she assures, wanting to clear any misconceptions up.

"You sure Yuri? Cause you're getting a little red there," MC points out, Yuri instantly reaching to her face and hiding herself again.

"Wait, so are you and Natsuki a thing!?" Sayori asks, almost throwing her controller as she leans over the side of the couch, Monika finding this both funny and endearing to see Yuri getting so flustered.

"N-No!!! No of course not, jeez Sayori w-why would you even think that!?" she fires back, fully flustered now and taken over by embarrassment, "Natsuki and I have just been spending a little more time together by chance is all."

Monika isn't buying it and leans away, crossing her arms and legs, "That so? But I thought you made it clear you hated Natsuki?"

Yuri goes to answer but just sighs, obviously defeated as yes she had said that, or at least implied that she didn't like the pinkette.

"I-I know but... I don't really think that, we fight sometimes s-sure but I don't hate anyone no matter how much Natsuki gets on my nerves!" Yuri does actually sound really sincere about this and after how concerned Yuri was for the pinkette, it's hard not to believe her.

Still though, the club president just can't ignore the constant blushing and obvious want to be around the pinkette whenever she's even just mentioned in a passing conversation. It was way too coincidental, even if Yuri didn't accept it yet, it was pretty clear what was starting to happen here.

"Eh, I still ship it," MC comments, already starting a new race.

"M-MC!!!" Yuri exclaims, her voice almost going high pitched making Sayori giggle loudly, getting her controller back to race her best friend again.

"I do too! You both sound so dang cute together!"

Yuri growls frustrated and keeps her face covered, "I'm going to get you both if you all don't stop, t-there's nothing going on I swear!"

Monika giggles softly and holds Yuri's shoulder, getting her to look up, "We know Yuri, we know. It's just, well, heartwarming to see you and Natsuki getting along is all," she assures, trying to deescalate Yuri's flusterment.

"Yeah, you guys did argue like a lot all the time anyways!" Sayori says, leaning in closer to the screen as she gets a boost from a powerup, "I'm just glad I don't have to keep getting in between you both all the time now."

Yuri sighs and is about to reply before hearing a knock at the door, Yuri looking over her shoulder and deciding to get away from the conversation to answer it. She took the pizza while MC got up to pay and tip for it, turning off the game and instead putting on the movie Howl's moving castle for them all to watch and enjoy their pizza with. Yuri is mostly just glad that they're no longer on the topic of her and Natsuki possibly growing closer than anyone would expect.

However after having this all brought up... her thoughts can't help but wander back to the pinkette already. How has it only been two days? It feels like a week has gone by or more with all that's happened today, the way she snuggled with Natsuki this morning, or when she was baking with her and the pinkette pinned her to the fridge.

Yuri gulps, feeling herself heat up as she looks down at her wrists, touching them gently and closing her eyes. Thinking back to earlier today when Natsuki held her, she was gentle with her hold and her hands, while small, were so soft too. Yuri hadn't felt so nice before when Natsuki was holding her, usually her wrists burn and itch with how much she cuts herself.

But for the first time ever when pinned down by Natsuki, she wasn't in control of anything, and she felt perfectly fine. The urge to hurt herself wasn't even a passing thought of hers, she longed for Natsuki's hold once more because of it.

She sighed as she finished her food, not feeling too hungry anymore while everyone else already seems like they're about to pass out asleep. Sayori and MC are practically asleep on one another, Sayori's face covered in pizza sauce while Monika simply sits back watching the movie, seeming pretty invested at the giant pile of moving junk considered as a "castle".

Yuri looked over at Monika and got up from the couch, walking over to her friends and taking their plates of half eaten pizza while also cleaning Sayori's face of any pizza sauce. The young girl snoring softly as she holds her best friend in an uncomfortable looking position as she's practically upside down at this point. Yuri giggles to herself quietly as she tosses the plates away and returns to Monika, sitting down next to her and sighing.

"I would say that Sayori is doing much better now, wouldn't you agree, Monika?" she asks, their club president looking away at the normally hyper girl and smiling at the sight.

"Yes... but still, to think she'd hide this from us like that," Monika mutters, Yuri about to say something before Monika says quickly, "And Natsuki too..."

"Excuse me?" Yuri asks, not sure if she heard her correctly.

Monika looks at Yuri with worry, "Yuri, you and I know something's going on. I haven't seen her the way you have but if she has injuries that severe, something's going on."

Yuri goes to retaliate, wanting to argue that this isn't true but she stops knowing Monika is just stating the obvious. She's right after all, in no way could those bruises be from a bully at school and even if they were why would she be so skinny?

"But... why?" Yuri asks, reaching up and starting to play with her hair avoiding eye contact, "I don't understand why anyone related to Natsuki would hurt her so grotesquely!" Monika listens as Yuri starts to get visibly angry.

Why would anyone hurt others for no reason? That question resonates with Monika more than she would like, even if there was a reason for her previous actions, they weren't good ones.

"Yuri I..." she sighs, leaning back against the couch and looking up at the ceiling, "I don't know... People do things that we can't understand. We say things we don't mean all the time too when we get upset or hysterical. I've definitely done or said a few stupid things before because I let my emotions get the best of me. Although Yuri, why don't you just ask Natsuki about it?" Monika asks genuinely, wondering why she hasn't asked her.

Yuri's silent for a moment, her words caught in her throat, "I-I... well... I don't think Natsuki would take my concerns seriously. She's just rather dismissive of her home life as it is, although I suppose maybe that makes your "abuse" statement more believable..." she mutters.

Monika nods, getting up from the couch to face Yuri better, "Okay then, so why aren't you confronting her about it?!" she exclaims, startling the bookworm a bit.

"W-well I-I-" Monika stops her, her emerald colored eyes boring down on her.

"Yuri, look at Sayori. Do you think if we all hadn't come here today that she would have told us what was wrong on her own?" she asks.

Yuri can't help but see where her club president is coming from, "N-no... S-She wouldn't have, I know..."

Monika smiles confidently, crossing her arms and leaning back satisfied she finally got the point across to Yuri, "Exactly. People who are going through a rough time in life don't tend to tell people about it, Yuri. I don't know exactly what's going on with Natsuki, at least not to the extent you do, but you said it yourself. She's stubborn, someone prideful like her won't admit to you what's really going on."

Yuri's at a loss for words, what Monika's saying is correct, everything that Yuri's discovered about the pinkette is nothing short of horrible. Of course someone as sweet as Natsuki would want to get her friends to stay out of her personal issues. Besides it's not like she's not able to relate, Yuri's never dared to ask her friends for help with her self harming habit and abuse is on a whole other level if that is the case.

"Yes... I suppose you're right... I-I'll try to bring it up to her then at some point..." she mutters, Monika smiling at Yuri glad that she could convince her to bring up her worries to the tsundere later on.

"Great! Well in that case how about now that we've had this little heart to heart, we get those sleeping bags from upstairs and get some rest?" Monika suggests, pointing over to the other two fast asleep on the couch, "I doubt they'll be moving anytime soon after all."

Yuri nods and reaches for her bag, holding it, "If you'll excuse me, I need to use the bathroom first, I'll be right back," Yuri assures, excusing herself before Monika can say anything.

She leaves for the bathroom down the hallway, Monika just leaving to get the sleeping bags rather than bother Yuri anymore. Walking in and locking the door before sighing to herself, her mind wracked with unanswered questions that have been nothing but plentiful these last few days. She reaches down into her bag and searches, touching something hard and metallic, she pulls out her knife.

Touching the handle of it gently, it was a custom made blade she had purchased for her taste and grip specifically. Decorated with silver flowers that shined on the blade and a grip designed for her to always have a good hold on it. For now though she just stared into the reflection of herself in the blade, entranced by the silver color as she admires the sharp object in her hand.

She could only think of one thing however, rather than using this blade to inflict harm on herself like she usually does, she thinks only of Natsuki's safety. She wasn't sure what to expect anymore when she next saw the pinkette, but Yuri isn't ready to let someone so precious and important to her go.

"No matter what happens... I'll protect you, Natsuki... I promise," she mutters, rubbing her thumb down the flat end of the blade, an unexplainable desire overtaking Yuri to keep Natsuki safe and close to her... and only her.