Doki Doki Literature Club - The Taste of Sunshine

Sunshine, Finally

February had been marked by a large number of uncharacteristically warm days, not that Sayori or Genji were complaining, but the absence of snow crunching under their feet as they walked made it feel more like the beginning of Spring than the heart of Winter.  Today wasn't something that either of them had initially planned, but it had been weighing so heavily on Sayori with recent events that she'd asked to make this special trip.  It felt strange, in less than twenty four hours she was going to be at her wedding and celebrating the biggest day of her life, but today...today she decided that there was someone she needed to visit, and needed Genji there for support.  She knew that Monika wouldn't be able to join them today, not with her still being grounded, but that was alright.  They'd already talked with her, and she offered all of her support to Sayori for this visit. 
    Despite it being early afternoon, Sayori couldn't help but feel unnerved any time that she was in a cemetery.  She'd always felt the same way when visiting her mother's grave, and in truth the feeling was twice as bad today because this was something that she wanted to do rather than felt obligated to.  Finally arriving after a short walk from the car path that was paved and weaved through the cemetery, Sayori looked at the headstone and then knelt down, spitting on the sleeve of her coat and then wiping dirt and dust from the granite etched name.

Sawa Higashi
~Gone But Never Forgotten~

    With her body recovered, Sawa's parents had finally been able to lay her to rest.  Sayori couldn't fathom how hard that must have been for them to have wounds torn open after so long, and now there would be no justice for Sawa as the investigation had been shut down.  She just stared at the name and ran her fingers over it before finally breaking down crying.
"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry, I really am..." she said softly, in between sobs.  "I...I wish that I could turn back time, Sawa.  I would have done everything that day so much differently, you'd still be here...even if we didn't get along...even if you did all those mean things to me...I'm sorry for what I did to you..." she continued through sniffles and coughing.  She motioned for Genji to come over and kneel down with her, "And Genji is here too, Monika couldn't be here today but they both feel the same way.  But...but at least you can rest now...and someday...someday I hope I get to see you again, so I can tell you to your face how sorry I am" she said and continued to cry, putting her hand over her face.  Genji rubbed her back gently, while he did he heard the crack of a stick being stepped on from behind them.
Slowly walking up was an older woman, she had long black hair and despite having makeup on her face looked weathered and exhausted.  She was wearing a white fleece with black pants and dress shoes, and despite it being a relatively mild day still walked with her arms folded to keep her hands warm.  They stood up, having noticed the woman, Sayori wiping her eyes and coughing to clear her throat.
"I'm sorry, we'll get out of your way" she said to the woman, who had stopped about five feet from them.
"No, it's alright you can stay.  Honestly I thought the only people who had come to see Sawa were her father and I" she explained.  "You...look familiar..." the woman continued, trying to place where she knew Sayori from.
"I'm Sayori Fujita...I...um...Sawa and I knew each other when we were younger..." she said.
The woman's eyes lit up.
"Oh yes, now I remember.  You're the girl that Sawa...well, let's be honest, you're the girl that Sawa bullied.  I remember the drinking fountain incident...once I learned the extent of what she'd done to you, I can't say that I blame you for how you reacted" she said, in a moment of blunt honesty.
Sayori shook her head.
"I...I shouldn't have ever done that.  I should have just spoken up and told someone what was happening, then she would have stopped" she replied softly.
Sawa's mother smiled at Sayori and shook her head.
"Sayori...I have to be honest with you.  My Sawa...was different...there was no amount of talking that you could have ever done that would have changed her.  She was such a sweet girl when she was very little but..." her mother explained, then hesitated.
"You don't have to tell us anything, we just wanted to come pay our respects to her after seeing everything that has been on the news" Sayori said.  She would have continued but Sawa's mother gently cut her off.
"When Sawa was quite little, she fell and hit her head on the cement walkway just outside of our front door.  I remember when it happened like it was yesterday, she was so proud of herself that she was able to jump from our porch down to the walkway, completely bypassing the two steps that she normally used leading to it.  When she was showing off to me, she landed funny and fell forward, hitting the front of her head on the walkway.  She was checked out at the hospital and even though they said she was fine...you could tell that she wasn't.  There was a mean streak and temper in her that hadn't been there before.  Sayori, I'm not making excuses for my daughter, but I'm sorry for all of the things that she did to you" she finished.
Sayori walked up to Sawa's mother with tears in her eyes and hugged her as tightly as she could.
"I'm so sorry for your loss, I truly am" she said.
There was a long silence between them before they ended their embrace.
"Thank you Sayori, I know she would have appreciated having someone besides her father and I visit.  Both of you I mean" she said, motioning to Genji as well.
"I'm sorry, I was so wrapped up in talking to you that I forgot to introduce him.  This is Genji, he's my fiance.  Our wedding is actually tomorrow and then next week we're moving to Sandcrest...we wanted to see Sawa before we left" Sayori explained.
"Well, I thank you both, truly" she said.  "And congratulations on your marriage.  It can be hard work but if you love each other, you'll make it" she continued and smiled at the pair.
Once they'd finished talking with Sawa's mother, Genji and Sayori left the cemetery and headed home.  While she couldn't go back in time and undo what she'd done, Sayori did feel like the weight of guilt that she'd been carrying was ever so slightly lighter.  One way or another, she wanted to do something good with her life to help others, to make up for what she took from the world by killing Sawa.  She knew that even at her worst, Sawa didn't deserve to die.  And with their upcoming move, Sayori had been thinking about what she wanted to do once they were settled in since Genji was already setup with his internship.  She was sure that it would lead to a full time job with Bubblegum Blast which would be wonderful for their new family...but what about her?  Up to this point she'd only been making videos on YouTube doing covers of anime theme songs.  That wasn't a job and she knew it, and she didn't have Genji's years of musical background that could justify a company taking a chance on her when she had no higher education beyond high school.  Genji had already talked about wanting to attend University at some point to obtain a degree in Music Theory, but that would be down the line a little ways.  Sayori had the world in front of her, and with a baby on the way she wanted to make sure she could contribute to the family equally, but at the same time do something that was meaningful to her.  She looked over at Genji while he was driving and smiled.
"I think I'd like to apply to University once we get settled in with your dad in Sandcrest" she said.
"Oh yeah?  What degree program do you think you'd like to go for?" he asked.
There was a pause, Sayori felt good about her decision.
"I think I'd like to become a high school guidance counselor.  If I can help students realize their potential or help them with their problems...if I can there there for students like us or...if I can be there for students like Sawa...that is what I want to do" she said with a big smile.
Genji looked over at her.
"I think that's an amazing choice, you'd be perfect for it" he said approvingly.
"I know it'll be hard going to classes, especially once the baby comes...but..." she began, but Genji cut her off.
"We'll make it work, trust me.  I'll make sure you can attend your classes no problem, even if I have to take the baby to work with me" he replied.
"Oh I'm sure they'd love that!" Sayori said as she began to laugh.  "What do you think, Sayori junior, you want to go to work with daddy?"
"Psh, trust me, we're going to have a boy" Genji said.
"No way, definitely a girl, I can tell already" she countered, giggling.
"You know, as long as they're healthy, that's all that matters to me" he replied.  "We probably need a better name than Sayori junior or Genji junior"
"Yeah..." Sayori said, starting to think, "What about Sora?"
"After the Kingdom Hearts character?" he asked.
"What?  No, I just like the name" Sayori said with a laugh, "But you're probably right, people would just think of the game...let's see...what about...Kenji?"
Genji thought for a moment.
"Well, it's not a bad name, sounds a lot like mine but its not bad...what about a name like...Ichiro?" he asked.
Sayori shook her head in disapproval and took out her phone, pulling up a website with popular baby boy and baby girl names.  Scrolling through she was about to give up when she landed on a name that seemed to connect with her.
"Hey what about the name Kota?" she asked.
Genji thought about it for a moment before responding.
"I really like that one actually.  Let's write it down, we have a lot of time to decide.  Now what about girl names?" he asked.
Sayori continued to scroll through the website looking at baby girl names.  There were a number of them that she and Genji talked about while they drove home.  Kana, Ichika, Mika, Reina...nothing really jumped out at them until they were just about done with the list that Sayori was looking at.
"Oh!  What about Haruka?" she asked excitedly, "That one I really like!"
"That's a really good one I think, let's write that down with Kota so we don't forget them" he replied.
"Already done!" she said happily, finishing leaving herself an entry called "baby names" on the note app of her phone.
From this point, the rest of the day seemed to vanish with everything that the pair was working on at home.  Genji's house had become a hive of worker bees getting everything ready for the wedding that would be happening at eleven the next morning.  Natsuki, Yuri and Monika had all been put to work by Ami cooking, cleaning and baking, with Natsuki taking command of everything in the kitchen.  Being that it was Genji's wedding, an invitation had been extended to his father and his family, with the plan being that they would be there for the event on Saturday, and then early next week would be heading back home with Genji and Sayori.  Strategically, Ami put her ex-husband and his family to work as well.  Ami found his new wife, Hana, to be quite nice and very easy to talk with, and her daughters (Genji's half-sisters) to be very nice girls.  Tetsu though?  No, he may have been Genji's dad but she didn't want to be around him any more than she was going to have to.  With that in mind she sent Genji with his dad to pick up supplies for the wedding that were still needed.  This would give the pair more time together to talk and bond, which was invaluable.  They already were enjoying visiting through video chat, so time together while picking up things that were still needed was a great way for them to spend time together.  These included meal ingredients, tablecloths, along with extra folding chairs so everyone would have somewhere to sit.  Meanwhile, she would be going out with Hana, Hitome, Suzumi and Sayori to pick up the wedding dress from the tailor.  Sayori's dress was actually Ami's, with alterations made so it would fit her properly.  And fit it did, when trying it on at the tailor Sayori seemed to glow when wearing it.  It was enough to move all of them to tears of happiness as the reality of the wedding was really sinking in.
After a hard afternoon of working and getting things set, all that was left was to have the wedding the following morning.  Unfortunately on such short notice a venue that they would have been happy with couldn't be found, so Genji and Sayori decided that it would mean the most to them to have their wedding right there at home.  Ami found this so touching that she had been sporadically crying since they made their decision, and today had been regularly consoled by Monika who also found herself becoming emotional.  In fact, as the afternoon passed, Monika found herself also starting to have a panic attack.  These were the final days she was going to have together with Genji and Sayori...and while she was extremely happy for both of them, she felt as if her heart was being crushed.  That evening the entire group ordered pizza and watched tv together, played board games, listened to Hitome and Suzumi tell everyone stories about the competitions they'd each been in...it was truly a magical time for the family.  And while these memories were being made, Genji stepped outside to talk with Monika at her request.  They stood at the end of his driveway, looking off into the distance at the mountain range that was barely visible now with the setting sun.  She looked at him and smiled, and without a word hugged him as tightly as she could, unable to stop herself from crying.
"I'm going to miss you so much" she sobbed into his shoulder.  "I'm happy for both of you...so why does this hurt so bad, Genji?"
He hugged her back, the pair silently embracing for a long moment before he spoke.
"I'm going to miss you too, Monika" he said as he let go and wiped a tear away from his eye.
Genji and Monika had been best friends since they were little kids.  There was so much that they'd experienced together, so many times they complained to each other about things at home...they had been forging a bond since they were children that was stronger and deeper than any of their friends realized.  And now it was time to say goodbye.  Even if they made plans to visit one another, it didn't change the fact that this was the next chapter in their lives.  Monika knew that this day would come but...she wasn't ready for it, not yet.  They still needed to make it past the mountains, they needed to see what was on the other side.  Ever since they were children they'd been saying that, and now Genji was really doing it.
"You know...I always knew one of us would make it over those mountains one day" she said to him, her voice quivering and she sniffled.
"It'll be alright Monika, I..." he began, but she cut him off.
"Genji, I have to tell you something and I need you to listen.  Ever since we were kids, we've been talking about going over those mountains together, or coming up with different stupid things to do together.  And somehow along the way...I think I always just imagined those days were going to last forever.  I'm happy for you and Sayori, I know you're both going to be amazing parents and have a great marriage...I just...I need to say something to you" she said, taking a step closer to him and looking him in the eyes.
"Monika?" he asked.
"I love you Genji.  I've always loved you.  And yes, you moving away is going to kill me...but I'll be ok.  When I was a little girl, I used to imagine us getting married someday and finally making it over those mountains to some far off magical land..." she said as she trailed off before continuing.  "I love both of you enough to let go and watch you fly away together.  You're good for each other, that's what matters the most.  And if you're happy Genji, then I'm happy for you" she said and leaned forward and gave him a kiss on the cheek.  "I love you Genji, I feel better now that I was able to say that to you.  I'm going to walk home now, I think.  I'll see you guys in the morning" she said, and with that turned and began walking down the sidewalk.
It took Genji a moment to compose himself before going back inside.  It was true, he and Monika were always extraordinarily close, and there had been a time long ago where he did have feelings for her...but that had been in the past.  He was thankful that she was happy for he and Sayori, and knew that she would be ok in time.  He would miss her dearly, but knew that Sayori would want Monika to be a part of their lives just as much as he did.  After a moment, and watching Monika turn the corner a couple of blocks away, he rejoined everyone inside to continue with the night's festivities, explaining that Monika decided to head home early because she wasn't feeling well.  It wasn't said, but everyone knew that with how close she and Genji were it was likely hitting her very hard that he and Sayori were moving away.  Regardless of that, no one said a word, those feelings were Monika's and she had every right to them, it was an emotional time for everyone and the next day was sure to be even more of a rollercoaster.
The following day Natsuki was up an hour before everyone else, already busy at work in Genji's kitchen with Ami prepping everything they would be serving after the wedding later that morning.  It wasn't a tremendously large group that was going to be a part of the day's events, in truth Genji and Sayori enjoyed the intimacy of a much smaller group for their wedding.  Of the family that would be in attendance there was Ami, Tetsu, Hana and then Hitome and Suzumi.  Traditionally, Sayori's father would have given her away at the wedding, but despite her reaching out to him she received no call back or response to her text messages.  As such, and not about to let his new daughter-in-law down, Tetsu stepped up to give Sayori away,  a gesture that meant a great deal to her.  Friends in attendance were Natsuki, Yuri, Kaori, and Monika, each of which arrived early to help out in any way that they could.  The last person to arrive was the wedding officiant, cutting it rather close to their planned start time for the wedding, but thankfully getting there with a little time to spare.
Everyone had worn their best clothes, but after Sayori (who was radiant in her wedding dress), the best dressed had to be Kaori.  She'd chosen to wear a shimmering ruby dress with white hair clips in her black hair, along with her diamond birthstone pendant, and shoes to match the dress.  Even Natsuki took time out to tell her how beautiful that she looked.  Yuri was so happy to see her little sister being the center of attention for something positive, and thankful that all of her friends made her feel so welcome and part of their group.  She'd been apprehensive at first with Kaori attending; she knew how her sister could be with inappropriate remarks or her temper...but today?  She was happily sitting and enjoying getting to be a part of things with everyone.  Yuri looked at her sister having fun with everyone and thought to herself "it looks like our club has an official new member".
The ceremony itself was kept short by design, but what stood out were the wedding vows that Genji and Sayori wrote for each other.  These would go on to be something that they had framed, their respective vows written out with photos of themselves together next to them.  Being in front of everyone normally would have made Sayori incredibly nervous, but today was different.  Everything and everyone else seemed to just be background noise, all she thought about was Genji and how happy she was.  When it did come time to do vows, there wasn't a single dry eye in the room.

~Genji~
Sayori...I don't know if there are words that can accurately describe what you mean to me, but I'm going to try my best.  I think back to some of our craziest times together, all of our walks to school, times you asked me if you could copy my homework even when you knew I did it wrong...all of the evenings we would stay up until the early hours of the morning just talking on the phone about the most random things...during all of it I always wondered, what did I do to deserve someone this wonderful?  You're warm, kind hearted, funny, thoughtful...you always see the best in life and in everyone around you.  The world, and the lives of everyone you know, are better because they have you in it.  You're my other half Sayori, and with you I finally feel complete.  I love you so much, and promise that I will always do everything I can to make sure you feel like you're living happily ever after.

~Sayori~
Genji...without you, I wouldn't be here today.  My white knight, my guardian angel, the love of my life...any or all of these perfectly describes who you are to me.  You've stood by me no matter what has happened, through our best and worst times together, you always have made me feel like a princess.  You make me laugh and smile, every day with you feels like an adventure that I am excited to be on.  I have to make a confession, ever since our time in the Literature Club...I knew you were the man I wanted to marry.  We've gone from writing poems to show one another to bringing a life into this world and beginning a new journey as husband and wife.  You're talented beyond words, loyal, loving, and make me feel like I'm the only woman in the entire world.  You will have my love through all of this life and the next, you are my heart and soul, and I promise that I will always be hand in hand with you as we embrace everything in life together.

With the exchange of vows and their rings, Genji and Sayori were pronounced husband and wife.  Monika had to help calm Ami when Genji kissed Sayori at the conclusion of the ceremony, it was so overwhelming to see her little boy finally grown up.  She embraced him afterward, hugging him tightly and telling him how proud she was to be his mother.  Both Ami and Tetsu hugged Sayori and told her they were so happy to have her officially a member of the family now.  With the ceremony completed, Natsuki put on some light dinner music and with Yuri's help began getting everything out that was going to be served.  For simplicity's sake, they decided to make large quantities of each meal item and serve them buffet style.  There was salad (a variety including chopped, macaroni and potato), mixed vegetables, chicken cutlets, roast beef, rolls, as well as a surprise that Yuri had spent quite a bit of time making and brought with her that morning to heat and serve, multiple pans of lasagna as well as Italian sausage with peppers and onions.  Genji and Sayori approached Natsuki as everyone was getting their food.
"This couldn't be more perfect Natsuki, thank you so much!" Sayori said, giving Natsuki a huge hug.
"It was nothing, just wait until we serve dessert.  I've got chocolate mousse and a triple layer wedding cake that I spent all day on yesterday.  And I have a surprise for you guys with it...Genji don't kill me for this" she said as she opened the refrigerator to show them the cake.  It was stunning, white frosting with sugar pearls and white sprinkles adorn the cake, and in place of a regular wedding topper, Natsuki had taken Genji's Mario and Peach amiibos that were both wearing wedding attire and placed them on the top of the cake.
"That is...incredible...Natsuki thank you so much, seriously" Genji said and hugged her.
"You're welcome, both of you" she replied, "I'm just glad you weren't upset I put the amiibos on the cake" Natsuki finished, laughing.
The food and desserts were all wonderful.  Everyone had come together to give Genji and Sayori the best day they could possibly have.  And in the years to come, the pair would repay that favor to their friends and family on their special days as well.  As time moved on, Genji and Sayori found that life was rarely a straight road, rather it took winding curves and unexpected turns.  For them, as long as they were together, they could take on anything that the world threw at them.  As quickly as time seemed to have passed from their time in the Literature Club until now, it went even quicker leading up to the birth of their first child.  Genji and Sayori welcomed their son, whom they named Kota, into the world nine months later. And a mere two years later would welcome a daughter, Haruka, into the world.  They would forever be indebted to the Literature Club for the blessings of both of their children.  And thankfully, some bonds run so deep that even time and distance can't break them.  The worries that each had about not seeing each other again would ultimately prove to be unfounded.  Genji, Sayori, Natsuki, Monika, Yuri, and even Kaori, would ultimately reunite in Sandcrest, bringing the club back together as they all hoped it would be.

But that, my friends, is a story for another time.  Genji, Sayori, Natsuki, Monika, Yuri and Kaori will be back in Doki Doki Rivals.  Please look forward to it!