Our Reality (Doki Doki Literature Club!)

Another Brief, Yet Interesting Meeting

Hiroko flipped through the pages of Spider-Man: The Manga Volume 3. She breathed a tired, annoyed sigh as she gently closed the novel.

"I still don't know how you enjoyed this as a kid, Shujinkou."

She expected to hear some kind of a defense for the story but instead received silence. She curiously glanced to her left.

Sitting next to her was Shujinkou. His face was distorted with sorrow and it appeared that it wouldn't be long until he would start crying.

What is he reading again?

Her eyes lowered. In between his hands was a comic book. Leaning forward, she read the title on the front cover.

Ultimate Death of- Oh, I get it.

Shujinkou soon closed the book and sighed. "Every time... It gets me every time..."

"And to think that was your third Spider-Man," Hiroko joked.

"He was my favorite Spider-Man," he defended.

"So, can I ask you something?" Hiroko raised the book she was reading for him to see. "How did you enjoy this as a kid again?"

"I just did."

"But how? As a fan, this story is the complete antithesis of Spider-Man. There is no 'With Great Power, There Must Also Come Great Responsibility'. There's no happy endings. There's just... this."

In response to her accusation, Shujinkou simply raised his book and pointed to the words "Death of Spider-Man".

"Okay, let me rewind to the kid enjoying this part. This entire manga is depressing. First story, Yu gets his powers and accidently kills his friend/love interest's brother. I was thinking okay, it's a good alternative to the whole lesson of power and responsibility with an Uncle Ben.

Then there's the second story with the Lizard; Interesting concept and despite my earlier comment about there being no happy endings, the bittersweet nature of the ending fit the story. Same with the third, I gave that a pass.

Then the fourth story and fifth, I kinda got wary. It was definitely something Spider-Man would face but I was a little iffy on the ending. But it's the sixth story where all heck breaks lose.

I will support adaptations going their own direction but I'm trying to figure out what drawn you to this book. Like...

Story 6: Yu Under Suspicion. It starts with Yu getting blamed for attempted sexual assault. He beats the guys up at the end but sticks with the blame.

Story 7: Summer of Madness. An American soldier who was due to go back to Vietnam during the war went crazy with envy over the peace normal Japanese citizens have, started shooting people and we find out that Yu is bullet-proof.

Story 8: Where Am I Going? Yu, still being labeled a delinquent for sexual assault is wondering what to do with that life."

"You told me that was what he was thinking about in the first few pages when he was studying," Shujinkou interjected.

Hiroko anxiously scratched her right cheek. "In my defense, you were 10 when you were asking...

"That's true," Shujinkou conceded. "I'm really grateful you didn't tell me what it meant until I was old enough."

Hiroko cleared her throat and immediately picked up from where she left off.

"Yu gets involved with a charming delinquent and gets to see how delinquents really live.

Story 9: Woman of Winter. Yu skips school for a long time to follow a woman whose power of ice and snow kills people who abused her in the past before she commits suicide for her horrible life.