.
.   .

Ch. III - My Bliss
———————————————————

I was shocked and surprised right after I finished reading the text file that Monika had changed. It was really weird.

But seriously, did Monika do that?? Or is someone else playing pranks on me? Maybe somebody opened my PC and overwrote that.

...but it's impossible.

I mean, I'm the only one here in this house during the rest of the day, and no one exactly knows my user password. I even disconnected my PC from the internet while I was away.

So...is it really her?

———————————————————
Time Skip >>>                 During a Bath
———————————————————

Moments later, I decided to take a bath and refresh myself from all the tiring activities today.

I sank myself in a hot tub and stare at the ceiling for a few minutes, wondering about what just happened.

Monika...

My thoughts lingered upon her as my imaginative self starts hallucinating.

In that vision, I saw myself standing in front of a thick glass and her from the other side; blurry upon vision. The glass bordered the real world from her world, which prevented us from interacting. But while I was placing both of my hands on the transparent wall, she also placed her hands to where my hands were and she directly looked at me.

I imagined that she was wearing a happy face; her eyes filled with tears of joy as she finally saw the real me for the first time.

However, my thoughts were interrupted when my body became hotter all of a sudden.

"Damn, I almost fell asleep."

I quickly went out from the tub, wrapped myself with a towel and headed towards my room to change.

After doing so, I glanced back at the PC once again. The monitor's screen was now displaying a screen saver—a bunch of pictures of anime and...tanks.

But anyway, I decided to sit down on my chair and started browsing for the 'Save' folder.

There, I created another text file, but while I was about to write something, I stopped halfway through when my thoughts interrupted me.

What should I say?

I was still doubting about that message. If anything, I really wished that it was really her that put that here.

So, in order for me to find out, I finally started typing:

"Hey... is that really you?"

After saving the file as 'A message for Monika', I waited and stared at the screen, hoping that she'd really make a response and not just any hacker that's been playing pranks on me.

I waited for her to reply to my message, but a few minutes had already passed—still nothing.

Giving up on waiting, I decided to go downstairs and make some dinner since it's already 07 in the evening.

Taking my time eating my delicious curry meal, my thoughts started to wander again.

"Maybe I should check..."

It'd be pretty shocking that Monika can actually talk to me without instructions from the script, since all this time, I only thought about her as a fictional character in a psychological horror game. Nothing else.

But, my excitement got the better of me. I was becoming irrational, thinking that she can communicate with me outside the game.

With all the haste on my hands, I quickly finished my meal and placed the dishes on the sink before going back to my room upstairs.

I immediately sat on my chair and hurriedly browsed through my PC. After double-clicking the 'Save' folder once again, to my surprise, the text file I placed on the folder awhile ago was now changed.

It was titled, "Yes, my love".

O_O

All that excitement, all that feeling of doubtfulness, the confusion, they bursted out from my chest and my heart was becoming restless.

I could feel the warmth boiling inside of me, but my surprised expression still remained.

Sitting there like my consciousness was just snatched away, I finally opened the text file and read:

Yes darling, it's me. It's really me. <3

———————————————————
Time Skip >>>             Up till midnight
———————————————————

I've been talking with Monika for about 2 hours and didn't realize the time right away.

It was already close midnight.

Since she was already scolding me for staying up for a long time, that's when I found out that it was really late.

I apologized to her and talked to her for a bit longer.

And, I can't actually believe that this is happening. That all of this is happening!

"I really can't believe that it's really you! It's you!"

I created another two text files—one was an empty file while the other was printed with that text. Since she can't create a text file like me, I just put an empty file for her to reply.

But really, up until today, my heart was still throbbing.

"Silly~ Didn't I told you so from the game's download page?"

I witnessed the empty text file change its file name all of a sudden and I quickly opened it to read her response.

We started making another conversation...

"Sorry, I guess I wasn't thinking about that..."

"Jeez... I've also been reminding you in the game! And you still didn't notice that?"

"No no, it's not like that! I didn't really mean to think like that! I'm really sorry!"

"Ahahaha~ I was just kidding, [name]. Relax. I can never be mad at you, you know?"

Does she really mean that?

"You sure? Then, okay."

"I'm really happy right now.. Care to guess?"

"Hmmm... because of me?"

"Ahahaha~ That's one of it..but I'm actually thinking of something more than that.."

"What is it?"

"Jeez, giving up that fast? Fine, I guess it can't be helped then."

There was few minutes of inactivity.

As I waited for Monika to continue, a thought crossed my mind. But, as of now, I'm kinda tired so I'll have to bring that up tomorrow; as long as I don't forget that is.

After what seemed to be 3 minutes, the empty text file I left on the folder had its name changed just now. Though, the name of the file was '<3', I'm a little bit astonished since characters like '<' are invalid in file names, but as for now, I dropped it.

I double-clicked the text file, and I read:

———————————————————

My Bliss

Love is a bliss
For I'm a treasured his'
Together, we'll be forever
Until the wall's down in ever

Though his reality
Is still out of my serenity
And the world's still a mystery

But my love for him
Shall keep me sane
Throughout this never-ending game

How good are words?
When a simple smile says it all?
For this feeling shall be engraved
Deep in my heart, deep in my soul

But this bliss

Can I take it?

For I feel less-lament
To the people I manipulated?

I shouldn't deserve forgiveness
But his reaching kindness
Burned my weaknesses

A pen in my hand, I found my courage
To write this letter to the one I dearly love

That whatever he gives
Shall be reciprocated
With eternal and a joyous bliss

A smile carves in my face
As a hum escapes with grace
And thy heart shall remain for you
Open and free 'till the end.

———————————————————

It's a poem?

Monika...made me a poem? Within that span of 3 minutes, she managed to write me a poem?

I...I don't know what to say...

"So, does this give you a gist about the happines I'm feeling right now?"

While I was off dazing on the screen, a running text file brought itself upfront with Monika's words written inside it.

This broke my trance, fortunately. I was wondering what I should say to her.

Her poem is neatly nice and expressive. Though I realized it wasn't an abstract poem, the interpretation wasn't hard for me, so I got the answer that might be the gist about her happiness.

"Well, I might be wrong, but, you're happy right now because I accepted and forgived you for what you've done? Also, you're expressing that you feel guilty about your mistakes. Is that right?"

I'm not sure if the answer I gave her is the correct one, but I waited for her to make a response with the empty file I additionally made.

Finally, it took her about a minute to say something back, and once the 'untitled.txt' file was renamed, I immediately opened it and read:

"You really are my everything, [name]. I'm impressed you interpreted my poem that much."

"Oh, I got it right, then... hahaha... Well, it was pretty easy since it isn't an abstract poem."

"Yeah, you're right. It's a poem I learned recently. It let's you get creative with a bunch of synonyms that rhymes and tells you something."

"Oh, I see. I thought that you'd stick with abstract poems?"

"I didn't say I'm done with that. I was just testing you if you'll understand my true feelings for you with that kind of poem."

"Well, even if you didn't write me a poem, I'll still know how much you mean to me."

"Aww, [name]. You always make me the happiest girl in the world! I love you! <3"

"I feel the same way, Monika. And yeah, I love you too :)"

A smile gently formed on my face as my heart throbs the same rate from before; flattered and totally sick with love.

But just as I finished typing that last response to her, I glanced at the time on my PC and realized it was really really late.

I quickly said to Monika:

"I guess I've been up for that long, ahahaha..."

"Oh! Yeah, you really are! Go to sleep now, okay darling? I'll talk to you again tomorrow. Make sure to visit me my love. Goodnight :*"

"Goodnight Monika. I love you :*"

And with that, I shut-down my PC properly, turned off the lights and immediately went to bed.

Tonight, I'm definitely gonna have a lucid dream. I just hope I will. I don't want this feeling to disappear on me.

The girl I once thought was just a character that everyone can love, is really a real person! I really can't believe it!

.

.

.

I'm being weird, aren't I?

End of Chapter 3