Our Reality (Doki Doki Literature Club!)

The Absent Part 3

Move on... That's what Monika suggested and I kinda accepted it back then, but soon after I found myself thinking about it again. I don't know how she can easily say we should just move on like that. Does she not remember what happened that night?

I mean, we talked about it, so I know we all acknowledged what happened that night happened and now we're just supposed to sweep it under the rug.

Granted, it seems like everyone else outside of us has done so. As far as anyone else is concerned, it never really happened. All those coincidences Monika pointed out along with how Shujinkou's second wind was like his inner demon took over...

Seriously, are we supposed to ignore the whole human paddleball?! The one-man army assault?! Sayori's speedy rescue?!

"Ugh!"

Natsuki buried her head in her pillow.

"No wonder, Monika told us to move on... Trying to figure that night out makes my head hurt."

She squeezed her pillow gently and released a tired sighed into it.

"I want to move on, but does that really mean everything can go back to normal?"

The moment that question left her lips that she felt her eyes drawn upwards. Slowly freeing her head from the softness of her pillow, her attention soon gravitated eyes towards a familiar drawing hovering over her head. Reaching towards it, she softly took it off the wall and brought it to her face.

"I know you didn't want me to make a big deal over you being here, but I still wanted to do something to cheer you up."

What Shujinkou had said to her when he gave her a drawing of herself echoed through her head as she continued to stare at it.

"...I wonder if I can even face Shujinkou when he wakes up."

Those melancholy words were quickly followed by a loud, wailing roar coming from her stomach.

"So hungry..."

She slid out of bed and walked downstairs. Once in the kitchen, she opened the refrigerator door.

"...Knew I forgot to do something today... Great..."

With no other option, Natsuki stepped towards a nearby cabinet, opened it and pulled out a box of cereal. She then reached for a bowl, sat down and absentmindedly poured what little was left of the cereal into the bowl.

Really should have taken Shujinkou's mom up on her offer...

That regret would remain with Natsuki for the duration of her short meal.

I wonder when Papa will be home...

...

"Ugh..."

In one of the stairwells of her school, Natsuki's head rested along the top railing as she slowly stroked her stomach.

"Why didn't I take her up on her offer...!"

She clenched her trembling hand into a fist, greatly tempted to strike her stomach just so it could stop its constant wails.

I know it would just make things worse, but it's so tempting...!

"Natsuki?"

Curiously looking over her shoulder, Natsuki spotted Yuri standing behind her.

"Hey... What are you doing here?" Natsuki asked.

"I was just looking for an adequate spot for lunch today."

"Why don't you just go to the clubroom?"

"I guess you could say I was just looking for something different. I had considered the abandoned school building, but I'm not so sure now."