Our Reality (Doki Doki Literature Club!)

It Mattered To Me

"Wha- What is this?"

Though Shujinkou was trying to find an answer to his dilemma in his past, he somehow ended up briefly experiencing another's.

"These are Hiroko's..."

It was a strange feeling experiencing his childhood from another perspective, but it didn't stop there. His head was being filled with brief moments that his sister had experienced. Including...

I have to find Shujinkou. I have to make it up to him.

"Hiroko..."

He then remembered the manifestation of his repressed memories that he had encountered before. At first, he passively agreed with everything his past version said, but now those words filled him with anger.

His hand no longer trembled with anxiety, but with that specific emotion.

"Why am I'm always such an idiot?" he raged. "I..."

His hand snapped back to his side as he shook his head.

"'What am I supposed to do?'"

Those were the words he previously said. He was dealing with a situation he knew nothing about and powers he couldn't comprehend clearly had a hand in his current situation.

"...I know it's risky, but if a friend needs me to be there, I'll be there—to help!"

"Why are you quoting Re: Coded dialogue?"

A sharp chill shot up Shujinkou's spine the moment he realized Hiroko was standing right in behind him.

"Hiroko?! Why are you just getting home so late?"

"I was in line for all evening just for a chance to..."

She immediately cut herself off the moment Shujinkou's panicked expression sunk into her mind. "Wait, why are you acting like you hiding something?"

Shujinkou simply scratched his right cheek."I'm not hiding anything... I was just going to go out for a bit."

"This late?"

"It's important."

"Must be if you're this jittery." Hiroko scratched her right cheek. "It isn't serious, is it?"

"Not life threatening..." Shujinkou answered. He hoped that what he was about to do wouldn't be a threat to anyone.

But just in case, he took one long look at Hiroko. His eyes scanned her from head to toe.

"What's going on?" she asked, perplexed.

"Just... making a mental note or picture or whatever it's called."

"Why...?"

"Just in case."

"Okay..."

Shujinkou once again scratched his right cheek. "Alright... 'Night."

He soon took off, not even giving his sister a chance to respond nor even realizing that he briefly bumped into his sister as he did so.

"Huh?"

Hiroko silently placed her hand over her chest as she processed what that brief contact did to her.

"So that's how it is..."

Following her brother's example, Hiroko broke into a sprint into their home.

...

Shujinkou took a moment to catch his breath as he stood before Monika's home.