Komi Komi Literature Club!

Chapter 21: The Bad Dream

Where had the sun gone?

Walking through the hallways of her school, Komi looked around worriedly. Usually, being surrounded by other people was what made her uneasy, but today, the opposite was the case – the school was completely empty. It seemed like she was completely alone in here.

She kept her hands tucked to her chest as she searched for any other signs of life. The lights weren't on above her, but she could still see because of the sickly pale orange glow coming from the many windows around her.

Where had everyone gone?

Komi made her way up the stairs to her normal classroom. She pulled the door open with both hands, hoping that it would reveal someone – anyone, but it was just another empty room. She shook nervously, unsure of what to do now.

Of course, the one time she needed her phone, she didn't have it. She patted each of her pockets hoping to feel it there. She sighed to herself and lowered her head, shaking again. This was proving to be a worse-case scenario.

Hopefully she would find someone if she just kept searching.

Komi stood up straight and took in a deep, slow breath to calm herself. She rested a hand on her chest, slowly curling her fingers into a fist as she tried to relax...then she continued on with searching the school while shaking nervously.

Turning the corner, she found herself starting to make her way towards the classroom where the Literature Club meetings were held. She started walking in that direction since it was familiar to her. As she approached it, she noticed just a little blue light shining from the door, contrasting with the orange light surrounding it.

"...you think it's just a little unfair?" She heard a girl's voice say.

Komi's eyes widened in surprise. She wasn't sure who was speaking, but finally she had found someone else! She made her way towards the door and slowly peeked inside.

"How is it unfair? I never said I wasn't going to write it, I just don't know how to start it."

Inside the classroom, Komi could see Monika and Alex. It seemed like they were arguing about something. Alex was pacing around the room while Monika sat on one of the desks with her arms folded and scowling.

"You didn't seem to have that problem with this story though, did you? What is this, like, 20 chapters now? You've been on it regularly for...5 months going on 6." Monika counted on her fingers.

"Well it's not like I have a whole lot of free time!" Alex argued.

"I understand that," Monika acknowledged with a sigh. "But still, you promised that you would write us a story where I get to be in your world." She reminded him.

"And I still plan on it! I have a bunch of ideas written out, but the problem is I can't get to any of them until I get through the beginning. And I know if I do it now, it's not gonna work right, and it'll derail everything else." Alex explained.

"Why? Why's that?" Monika questioned him.

"Because I don't know how to explain how you come into my world. I don't know how to handle that first chapter where you become real." Alex answered.

There was a pause between the two of them. Komi's fingers curled anxiously around the bend of the door frame. She didn't understand what they were arguing about at all, but it was clearly serious to them. After a few moments, Monika lifted her head up and spoke again.

"I understand. If I had an answer for you...well then you wouldn't need to write the story at all." Monika said with sadly, letting out an ironic chuckle afterwards.

"I'm sorry...I do want to take you into my world, but it's so much more complicated. Honestly, I don't know what could or would or should happen, and that makes it really difficult to decide." Alex lamented.

"Yeah...but I never wanted you in here. It's torture; feeling like everything is out of your reach." Monika sighed.

"But I'm right here." Alex said, holding his arms up. Monika slid off the desk and walked up to him, hugging him.

"But not in the way that I want. Not yet."

"We'll get there. Just give me time." Alex pleaded.

"...okay." She finally agreed quietly.

"Are we good?" He asked as they let go of each other.

"Of course we are. I can't stay mad at you. You're all I have," Monika said, rubbing his arm. "But I am curious why you went with this new story. And introduced that Komi girl." She brought up.

"She's a fun character to write for. It makes the story easier to write framing it around her rather than myself in the last one. Any number of monotonous everyday tasks can make up a full chapter, which makes it better practice for when I do write your story." He explained.

"Really?"

"Yeah. When you come to my world, I know you're gonna wanna experience everything, and my goal is to give that to you." Alex said, resting his hands on her arms.

"I really look forward to that." Monika said gently, looking up at him.

"Me too." Alex said, giving her a quick kiss.

This was the second time now that Komi had caught the two of them kissing in the classroom. The awkwardness of this happening a second time made her freeze in place.

"Well, I guess for now we can...what is she doing here?" Monika stopped, turning around as she talked and then noticing Komi watching from the doorway.

Komi squeaked fearfully upon being spotted.

"Monika-"

"Has she been here the entire time?!" Monika shouted back at Alex.

"Moni! Wait!" Alex called to her.

Komi's eyes widened and she started shaking as Monika stomped over to where she was standing. She wanted to move away, but her grip had instinctively tightened on the door frame. Monika reached out and grabbed Komi's face...

Komi gasped and sat up sharply as she woke up from a bad dream. She looked around and found herself in her dark bedroom. She checked the time: 1:13 am. She laid on her back again and curled her blankets up to her chin, shaking as she remembered the unusually intense dream.

She knew for sure that she would never let Monika know that she saw Alex and her kissing in the classroom for real. If Monika's reaction ended up being anything like the dream, she might just die...